Aṅguttara Nikāya
Sattaka Nipāta
Avyākata Vagga

The Book of the Sevens

Chapter VI: The Unexplained

Sutta 55

Not Cloaked¹

 

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[48]

THUS have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
and there he addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

'Yes, lord,' they replied;
and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, these four² need not be cloaked by the Tathāgata,
and of three he is blameless.

 

§

 

What four need not be cloaked?

Monks, in bodily act the Tathāgata is wholly pure;
there is no wrongdoing in deed by the Tathāgata
which he would cloak, thinking:

"Let none know this of me."

■

Monks, in act of word the Tathāgata is wholly pure;
there is no wrongdoing in word by the Tathāgata
which he would cloak, thinking:

"Let none know this of me."

■

Monks, in act of thought the Tathāgata is wholly pure;
there is no wrongdoing in thought by the Tathāgata
which he would cloak, thinking:

"Let none know this of me."

■

Monks, in mode of living
the Tathāgata is wholly pure;
there is no wrong mode of living by the Tathāgata
which he would cloak, thinking:

"Let none know this of me."

These four need not be cloaked by the Tathāgata.

■

Of what three is he blameless?

Monks, the Tathāgata's Dhamma is well proclaimed.

Herein, truly, a recluse, brahman, deva, Mara, Brahmā
or anyone in the world
might with justice blame me, saying:

"In this way³ has Dhamma not been well proclaimed by you."

Monks, I see no sign of this;
and, seeing no sign,
I abide won to peace,
won to fearlessness,
won to confidence.⁴

■

Monks, well made known by me to listeners
are the steps [49] in the way to the cool,⁵
since my listeners who have stepped them,
after destroying the cankers,
enter and abide in the cankerless mind-emancipation,
wisdom-emancipation,
here and now realizing it by their own knowledge.

Herein, truly, a recluse, brahman, deva, Mara, Brahmā
or anyone in the world
might with justice blame me, saying:

"In this way have the steps not been well made known,
since your listeners who have stepped them,
after destroying the cankers,
enter and abide in the cankerless mind-emancipation,
wisdom-emancipation,
here and now realizing it by their own knowledge.

"Monks, I see no sign of this;
and, seeing no sign;
and, seeing no sign,
I abide won to peace,
won to fearlessness,
won to confidence.

■

Monks, not one hundred only
of my gatherings of listeners,
after destroying the cankers,
enter and abide in cankerless mind-emancipation,
wisdom-emancipation,
here and now realizing it by their own knowledge.

Herein, truly, a recluse, brahman, deva, Mara, Brahmā
or anyone in the world
might with justice blame me, saying:

"See,⁶ there are no hundreds of your gatherings of listeners who,
after destroying the cankers,
enter and abide in cankerless mind-emancipation,
wisdom-emancipation,
here and now realizing it by their own knowledge.

"Monks, I see no sign of this;
and, seeing no sign;
and, seeing no sign,
I abide won to peace,
won to fearlessness,
won to confidence.

Of these three he is blameless.

■

Verily, monks, these four need not be cloaked by the Tathāgata,
and of these three he is blameless.'

 

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¹ The uddana in the text is misprinted; we should read, Sīh'arakkhita-.

² Three recur at D. iii, 217 (see Dial. iii, 210 n.); cf. Vin. ii, 248; A. iii, 124; Mil. 170; the whole passage is quoted at SnA. 37 and SA. 277.

³ Iti pi, see Childers, Dict., p. 162.

⁴ Cf. M. i, 72; A. ii, 9.

⁵ Nibbāna-gāminī paṭipadā.

⁶ Iti pi.