Aṅguttara Nikāya
4. Catukka Nipāta
III. Uruvelā Vagga

The Book of the Fours

Chapter III: Uruvelā

Sutta 27

Santuṭṭhi Suttaṃ

Contented¹

 

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[26] [29]

Thus have I heard:

On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.

The Exalted One said:

"Monks, these four things are trifling,
easily gotten
and blameless.

What four?

Among robes, monks,
rag-robes are a trifling thing,
easily gotten
and blameless.

Of food, monks,
alms-food of scraps
is a trifling thing,
easily gotten
and blameless.

Of lodgings, monks,
the root of a tree
is a trifling thing,
easily gotten
and blameless.

Of medicines, monks,
ammonia²
is a trifling thing,
easily gotten
and blameless.

These are the four trifling things,
easily gotten
and blameless.

Indeed, monks, when a monk is content
with trifles that are easily gotten,
I declare this to be
one of the factors of recluseship.³

Contented with what brings no blame,
A trifling, easy-gotten thing,
His mind untroubled by the thought⁴
Of lodging, robes, or food and drink,
[30] He is not worried where to go.⁵
And thus the things declared to suit
The life of the recluse are won
By that contented, earnest monk.'⁶

 

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¹ At Itiv. 102. Cf. Path of Purity, i, 76.

² Pūtimutta.

³ Here text has aññataraṃ sāmaññaṃ, but Itiv. sāmaññ'angaṃ (factor of recluseship).

⁴ To make sense with vighāto cittasaa text should read na for ca.

⁵ Disā na paṭihaññati. So Itiv., Sinh. ed., and Comy. - i.e., he is not vexed by his destination. But our text reads unmetrically na paṭihaññanti, 'his bearings are not troubled.' Comy. apparently takes disā, as abl. sing., meaning 'the direction of a village, etc., where he might expect alms, etc.'

⁶ Text sikkhato, but Comy., Sinh. ed., and Itiv. bhikkhuno.