Aṅguttara-Nikāya
II. Duka Nipāta
XII. Āyācana Vagga
II. The Book of the Twos
XII. Aspiration147
Suttas 129-139
[79]
Sutta 129
"The believing monk,
if he would aspire perfectly,
should thus aspire:
'May I be like unto Sāriputta and Moggallāna.'
Monks, these are a sort of scale and standard
(whereby to estimate) my disciples who are monks,
— namely, Sāriputta and Moggallāna."
Sutta 130
"Monks, the believing nun,
if she would aspire perfectly,
should thus aspire:
[80] 'May I be like unto the nuns Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā.'
Monks, these are a sort of scale and standard
(whereby to estimate) my disciples who are nuns,
— namely, Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā."
Sutta 131
"Monks, the believing lay-disciple,
if he would aspire perfectly,
should thus aspire:
'May I be like unto the housefathers Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavī.'148
Monks, these are a sort of scale and standard
(whereby to estimate) my lay-disciples,
— namely, Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavī."
Sutta 132
"Monks, the believing woman lay-disciple,
if she would aspire perfectly,
should thus aspire:
'May I be like unto the woman lay-disciples Khujjuttarā148 and Nanda's mother, Veḷukaṇṭakiyā.'.149
Monks, these are a sort of scale and standard
(whereby to estimate) my women lay-disciples,
— namely, Khujjuttarā and Nanda's mother, Veḷukaṇṭakiyā."
Sutta 133
"Monks, possessed of two qualities
the foolish, sinful, ignorant man
goes about like a lifeless uprooted thing,150
is blameworthy,
is censured by the intelligent,
and begets much demerit.
What two things?
Through lack of observation151 and penetration
he speaks in praise152
of him who deserves not praise,
and for the same reason
blames him who should be praised.
Monks, possessed of two qualities
the wise, sinless, educated man
does not go about like a lifeless uprooted thing,
is not blameworthy,
is not censured by the intelligent,
and begets much merit.
What two things?
Through observation and penetration
he speaks in praise152
of him who deserves praise,
and for the same reason
blames him who should be blamed."
Sutta 134
"Monks, possessed of two qualities
the foolish, sinful, ignorant man
goes about like a lifeless uprooted thing,
is blameworthy,
is censured by the intelligent,
and begets much demerit.
What two things?
Through lack of observation and penetration
he finds satisfaction153
in an unreliable position,154
and for the same reason
he is dissatisfied with
a perfectly reliable position.
Monks, possessed of two qualities
the wise, sinless, educated man
does not go about like a lifeless uprooted thing,
is not blameworthy,
is not censured by the intelligent,
and begets much merit.
What two things?
The wise man, through observation and penetration
finds no satisfaction
in an unreliable position,
and for the same reason
is satisfied with
a perfectly reliable position."
Sutta 135
"By wrong behaviour155 towards two,
the foolish, sinful, ignorant man
goes about like a lifeless uprooted thing,
is blameworthy,
is censured by the intelligent,
and begets much demerit.
What two?
[81] Towards mother and father.
By right behaviour towards two,
the wise, sinless, educated man
does not go about like a lifeless uprooted thing,
is not blameworthy,
is not censured by the intelligent,
and begets much merit.
Which?
Towards mother and father."
Sutta 136
"By wrong behaviour towards towards two,
the foolish, sinful, ignorant man
goes about like a lifeless uprooted thing,
is blameworthy,
is censured by the intelligent,
and begets much demerit.
What two?
The Tathāgata and his disciples.
By right behaviour towards two,
the wise, sinless, educated man
does not go about like a lifeless uprooted thing,
is not blameworthy,
is not censured by the intelligent,
and begets much merit.
Which?
The Tathāgata and his disciples."
Sutta 137
"Monks, there are these two conditions.
What two?
Purification of one's mind
and non-attachment to anything in the world."
Sutta 138
"Monks, there are these two conditions.
What two?
Wrath and ill-will."
Sutta 139
"Monks, there are these two conditions.
What two?
Restraint of wrath and ill-will."
147 Cf. K.S. ii, 159; A. ii, 161.
148 Cf. text, p. 26.
149 Cf. K.S. ii, 160.
150 Cf. infra, text 105, 154; A. ii, 4; D. i, 86. He lives a life of delusion. The idea seems to be that he is like a tree pulled up by the roots (khataṅ). Comy. has guṇānaṅ khatattāya khataṅ; DA. i, 237, bhiṇṇa-patiṭṭho
151 An-anuvicca, cf. supra on text 57; Pugg. 49.
152 Text should read vaṇṇaṅ.
153 Cf. Pugg. 49, upadaṅseti = pasādaṅ janeti. Comy.
154 Thāne.
155 Cf. A. ii, 4.