Aṅguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
VIII: Apaṇṇaka Vagga
The Book of the Fours
VIII: The Sure1
Sutta 71
Padhāna - Apaṇṇaka Paṭipadā Suttaṃ
Effort
[85]
Thus have I heard:
On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.
Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said:
"Possessed of four things, monks,
a monk has entered on the path to surety,
and he is determinedly bent on2
the destruction of the āsavas.
What are the four?
Herein a monk is virtuous,
learned,
of ardent energy
and wise.
Possessed of these four things
a monk has entered on the path to surety,
and he is determinedly bent on
the destruction of the āsavas."
1 Apaṇṇaka at A. i, lll = Nibbāna. See n. to G.S. i, 97. At A. i, 270 it is applied to a die (maṇi) which is 'true.' In the sutta the noun apaṇṇakatā is used; Comy. expl. as aviruddha, unobstructed Cf. K.S. iv, 253 n. Mrs. R.D. suggests 'not green, immature: trustworthy.'
2 = K.S. iv, 110. Text has yoni c'assa āraddhā; at A. i, 113, yoni c'assa āraddho. At Itv. 30, yoniso āraddho hoti, chosen by the editor out of many variants - e.g., yoniso, yonissa, yonissayā, yoni so, yonīcassa, yonicassa and yoniso c'assa. Yoniso is abl., and it seems best to read yoniso c'āraddho, according to which I translate.