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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

9: The Book of the Nines

I. Awakening — AN 9.1: Awakening

1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:


2“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow other paths were to ask: ‘Reverends, what is the vital condition for the development of the awakening factors?’ How would you answer them?”

“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. … The mendicants will listen and remember it.”


3“Well then, mendicants, listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

4“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow other paths were to ask: ‘Reverends, what is the vital condition for the development of the awakening factors?’ You should answer them:

5‘It’s when a mendicant has good friends, companions, and associates. This is the first vital condition for the development of the awakening factors.

6Furthermore, a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken. This is the second vital condition for the development of the awakening factors.

7Furthermore, a mendicant gets to take part in talk about self-effacement that helps open the heart, when they want, without trouble or difficulty. That is, talk about fewness of wishes, contentment, seclusion, aloofness, arousing energy, ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and the knowledge and vision of freedom. This is the third vital condition for the development of the awakening factors.

8Furthermore, a mendicant lives with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. They are strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities. This is the fourth vital condition for the development of the awakening factors.

9Furthermore, a mendicant is wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. This is the fifth vital condition for the development of the awakening factors.’


10A mendicant with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to be ethical …

11A mendicant with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to take part in talk about self-effacement that helps open the heart …

12A mendicant with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to live with energy roused up …

13A mendicant with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to be wise …


14A mendicant grounded on these five things should develop four further things. They should develop the perception of ugliness to give up greed, love to give up hate, mindfulness of breathing to cut off thinking, and perception of impermanence to uproot the conceit ‘I am’. When you perceive impermanence, the perception of not-self becomes stabilized. Perceiving not-self, you uproot the conceit ‘I am’ and attain extinguishment in this very life.”

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ​   ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: 


2"Sace, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ:  ‘sambodhipakkhikānaṁ, āvuso, dhammānaṁ kā upanisā bhāvanāyā’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ kinti byākareyyāthā"ti?

"Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā … pe … bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī"ti.


3"Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha; bhāsissāmī"ti.

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: 

4"Sace, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ:  ‘sambodhipakkhikānaṁ, āvuso, dhammānaṁ kā upanisā bhāvanāyā’ti, evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: 

5‘Idhāvuso, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto hoti kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko. Sambodhipakkhikānaṁ, āvuso, dhammānaṁ ayaṁ paṭhamā upanisā bhāvanāya. (1)

6Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu. (2) Sambodhipakkhikānaṁ, āvuso, dhammānaṁ ayaṁ dutiyā upanisā bhāvanāya.

7Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu yāyaṁ kathā abhisallekhikā cetovivaraṇasappāyā, seyyathidaṁ – appicchakathā santuṭṭhikathā pavivekakathā asaṁsaggakathā vīriyārambhakathā sīlakathā samādhikathā paññākathā vimuttikathā vimuttiñāṇadassanakathā, evarūpiyā kathāya nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī. Sambodhipakkhikānaṁ, āvuso, dhammānaṁ ayaṁ tatiyā upanisā bhāvanāya. (3)

8Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu āraddhavīriyo viharati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu. Sambodhipakkhikānaṁ, āvuso, dhammānaṁ ayaṁ catutthī upanisā bhāvanāya. (4)

9Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu paññavā hoti udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā. Sambodhipakkhikānaṁ, āvuso, dhammānaṁ ayaṁ pañcamī upanisā bhāvanāya’.


10Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa – sīlavā bhavissati, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharissati ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhissati sikkhāpadesu.

11Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa – yāyaṁ kathā abhisallekhikā cetovivaraṇasappāyā, seyyathidaṁ – appicchakathā santuṭṭhikathā pavivekakathā asaṁsaggakathā vīriyārambhakathā sīlakathā samādhikathā paññākathā vimuttikathā vimuttiñāṇadassanakathā, evarūpiyā kathāya nikāmalābhī bhavissati akicchalābhī akasiralābhī.

12Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa – āraddhavīriyo viharissati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu.

13Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa – paññavā bhavissati udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā. (5)


14Tena ca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā imesu pañcasu dhammesu patiṭṭhāya cattāro dhammā uttari bhāvetabbā – asubhā bhāvetabbā rāgassa pahānāya, mettā bhāvetabbā byāpādassa pahānāya, ānāpānassati bhāvetabbā vitakkupacchedāya, aniccasaññā bhāvetabbā asmimānasamugghātāya. Aniccasaññino, bhikkhave, anattasaññā saṇṭhāti. Anattasaññī asmimānasamugghātaṁ pāpuṇāti diṭṭheva dhamme nibbānan"ti. (6–9.)

Paṭhamaṁ.