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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

10: The Book of the Tens

116. Ajita

1Then the wanderer Ajita approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One:

1Atha kho ajito paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho ajito paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

2"Master Gotama, I have a fellow ascetic named Paṇḍita.[n.2151] Paṇḍita. The word means "wise one, learned one." I am uncertain whether this was a proper name or a sobriquet. He has thought out five hundred arguments[n.2152] Cittaṭṭhānasatāni. Mp glosses with cittuppādasatāni. It seems to me that reading cinta in place of citta- would be more appropriate to the context. One Burmese manuscript referred to in the notes to Ee does in fact have this reading. by which those of other sects, when rebutted, know: ‘We’ve been rebutted.’"

2"Amhākaṁ, bho gotama, paṇḍito nāma sabrahmacārī. Tena pañcamattāni cittaṭṭhānasatāni cintitāni, yehi aññatitthiyā upāraddhāva jānanti upāraddhasmā"ti.

3Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Do you remember, bhikkhus, Paṇḍita's cases?"

3Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:  "dhāretha no tumhe, bhikkhave, paṇḍitavatthūnī"ti?

"This is the time for it, Blessed One! This is the time for it, Fortunate One! Having heard this from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will retain in mind whatever the Blessed One says."

"Etassa, bhagavā, kālo etassa, sugata, kālo yaṁ bhagavā bhāseyya, bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī"ti.



4"Well then, bhikkhus, listen and attend closely. I will speak."

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

"Yes, Bhante," those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

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



5"Here, someone refutes and disproves a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma with a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma. In this way, he delights an assembly contrary to the Dhamma. For this reason, the assembly contrary to the Dhamma becomes loud and boisterous, exclaiming: ‘He is truly wise, sir! He is truly wise, sir!’[n.2153] Paṇḍito vata bho paṇḍito vata bho. This refers back to the name of the ascetic sophist.

5"Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena adhammikaṁ vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti. Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti:  ‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.

6"Someone refutes and disproves a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma by means of a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma. In this way, he delights an assembly contrary to the Dhamma. For this reason, the assembly contrary to the Dhamma becomes loud and boisterous, exclaiming: ‘He is truly wise, sir! He is truly wise, sir!’

6Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena dhammikaṁ vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti. Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti:  ‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.



7"Someone refutes and disproves both a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma and a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma by means of a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma. In this way, he delights an assembly contrary to the Dhamma. For this reason, the assembly contrary to the Dhamma becomes loud and boisterous, exclaiming: ‘He is truly wise, sir! He is truly wise, sir!’[n.2154] These first three cases are common to Ce, Be, and Ee. Be ends here, but Ce adds two further paragraphs, and Ee one paragraph, unique to that edition.
"Someone refutes and disproves both a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma and a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma by means of a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma. In this way, he delights an assembly contrary to the Dhamma. For that reason, the assembly contrary to the Dhamma becomes loud and boisterous, exclaiming: ‘He is truly wise, sir! He is truly wise, sir!’
"Someone refutes and disproves a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma with a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma. In this way, he delights an assembly that accords with the Dhamma. For this reason, the assembly that accords with the Dhamma becomes loud and boisterous, exclaiming: ‘He is truly wise, sir! He is truly wise, sir!’[n.2155] In place of these two paragraphs in Ce, Ee has a paragraph that reads as follows: "Someone refutes and disproves a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma with a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma. In this way, he delights an assembly that accords with the Dhamma. For this reason, the assembly that accords with the Dhamma becomes loud and boisterous, exclaiming: ‘He is truly wise, sir! He is truly wise, sir!’" It is quite normal, even expected, for a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma to prevail over a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma, but again it seems incongruous for an assembly that accords with the Dhamma to become "loud and boisterous."

7Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena dhammikañca vādaṁ adhammikañca vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti. Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti:  ‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.



8"Bhikkhus, what is non-Dhamma and what is the Dhamma should be understood, and what is harmful and what is beneficial should be understood. Having understood what is non-Dhamma and what is the Dhamma, and what is harmful and what is beneficial, one should practice in accordance with the Dhamma and with what is beneficial.

8Adhammo ca, bhikkhave, veditabbo dhammo ca; anattho ca veditabbo attho ca. Adhammañca viditvā dhammañca, anatthañca viditvā atthañca yathā dhammo yathā attho tathā paṭipajjitabbaṁ.



9"And what, bhikkhus, is non-Dhamma and what is the Dhamma? And what is harmful and what is beneficial?

9Katamo ca, bhikkhave, adhammo, katamo ca dhammo, katamo ca anattho, katamo ca attho?

(1) "Wrong view is non-Dhamma; right view is the Dhamma. The numerous bad unwholesome qualities that originate with wrong view as condition: these are harmful. The numerous wholesome qualities that reach fulfillment by development with right view as condition: these are beneficial.

Micchādiṭṭhi, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammādiṭṭhi dhammo; ye ca micchādiṭṭhipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti, ayaṁ anattho; sammādiṭṭhipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, ayaṁ attho.



10(2) "Wrong intention is non-Dhamma; right intention is the Dhamma … wrong speech is non-Dhamma; right speech is the Dhamma … wrong action is non-Dhamma; right action is the Dhamma … wrong livelihood is non-Dhamma; right livelihood is the Dhamma … wrong effort is non-Dhamma; right effort is the Dhamma … wrong mindfulness is non-Dhamma; right mindfulness is the Dhamma, wrong concentration is non-Dhamma; right concentration is the Dhamma … wrong knowledge is non-Dhamma; right knowledge is the Dhamma.

10Micchāsaṅkappo, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāsaṅkappo dhammo … micchāvācā, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāvācā dhammo … micchākammanto, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammākammanto dhammo … micchāājīvo, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāājīvo dhammo … micchāvāyāmo, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāvāyāmo dhammo … micchāsati, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāsati dhammo … micchāsamādhi, bhikkhave adhammo; sammāsamādhi dhammo … micchāñāṇaṁ, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāñāṇaṁ dhammo.



11(10) "Wrong liberation is non-Dhamma; right liberation is the Dhamma. The numerous bad unwholesome qualities that originate with wrong liberation as condition: these are harmful. The numerous wholesome qualities that reach fulfillment by development with right liberation as condition: these are beneficial.

11Micchāvimutti, bhikkhave, adhammo; sammāvimutti dhammo; ye ca micchāvimuttipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti, ayaṁ anattho; sammāvimuttipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, ayaṁ attho.



12"When it was said: ‘Bhikkhus, what is non-Dhamma and what is the Dhamma should be understood, and what is harmful and what is beneficial should be understood. Having understood what is non-Dhamma and what is the Dhamma, and what is harmful and what is beneficial, one should practice in accordance with the Dhamma and with what is beneficial,’ it is with reference to this that this was said."

12‘Adhammo ca, bhikkhave, veditabbo dhammo ca; anattho ca veditabbo attho ca. Adhammañca viditvā dhammañca, anatthañca viditvā atthañca yathā dhammo yathā attho tathā paṭipajjitabban’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan"ti.

Catutthaṁ.