Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

11: The Book of the Elevens

2. Volition

1(1) –(2) "Bhikkhus, for a virtuous person, one whose behavior is virtuous, no volition need be exerted: ‘Let non-regret arise in me.’ It is natural that non-regret arises in one who is virtuous, one whose behavior is virtuous.

2(3) "For one without regret no volition need be exerted: ‘Let joy arise in me.’ It is natural that joy arises in one without regret.

3(4) "For one who is joyful no volition need be exerted: ‘Let rapture arise in me.’ It is natural that rapture arises in one who is joyful.

4(5) "For one with a rapturous mind no volition need be exerted: ‘Let my body become tranquil.’ It is natural that the body of one with a rapturous mind is tranquil.

5(6) "For one tranquil in body no volition need be exerted: ‘Let me feel pleasure.’ It is natural that one tranquil in body feels pleasure.

6(7) "For one feeling pleasure no volition need be exerted: ‘Let my mind be concentrated.’ It is natural that the mind of one feeling pleasure is concentrated.

7(8) "For one who is concentrated no volition need be exerted: ‘Let me know and see things as they really are.’ It is natural that one who is concentrated knows and sees things as they really are.

8(9) "For one who knows and sees things as they really are no volition need be exerted: ‘Let me be disenchanted.’ It is natural that one who knows and sees things as they really are is disenchanted.

9(10) "For one who is disenchanted no volition need be exerted: ‘Let me become dispassionate.’ It is natural that one who is disenchanted becomes dispassionate.

10(11) "For one who is dispassionate no volition need be exerted: ‘Let me realize the knowledge and vision of liberation.’ It is natural that one who is dispassionate realizes the knowledge and vision of liberation.

11"Thus, bhikkhus, (11) –(10) the knowledge and vision of liberation is the purpose and benefit of dispassion; (9) dispassion is the purpose and benefit of disenchantment; (8) disenchantment is the purpose and benefit of the knowledge and vision of things as they really are; (7) the knowledge and vision of things as they really are is the purpose and benefit of concentration; (6) concentration is the purpose and benefit of pleasure; (5) pleasure is the purpose and benefit of tranquility; (4) tranquility is the purpose and benefit of rapture; (3) rapture is the purpose and benefit of joy; (2) joy is the purpose and benefit of non-regret; and (1) non-regret is the purpose and benefit of virtuous behavior.

"Thus, bhikkhus, one stage flows into the next stage, one stage fills up the next stage, for going from the near shore to the far shore."

1"Sīlavato, bhikkhave, sīlasampannassa na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: ‘avippaṭisāro me uppajjatū’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ sīlavato sīlasampannassa avippaṭisāro uppajjati.

2Avippaṭisārissa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: ‘pāmojjaṁ me uppajjatū’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ avippaṭisārissa pāmojjaṁ uppajjati.

3Pamuditassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: ‘pīti me uppajjatū’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ pamuditassa pīti uppajjati.

4Pītimanassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: ‘kāyo me passambhatū’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ pītimanassa kāyo passambhati.

5Passaddhakāyassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: ‘sukhaṁ vediyāmī’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vediyati.

6Sukhino, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: ‘cittaṁ me samādhiyatū’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati.

7Samāhitassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: ‘yathābhūtaṁ jānāmi passāmī’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ samāhito yathābhūtaṁ jānāti passati.

8Yathābhūtaṁ, bhikkhave, jānato passato na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: ‘nibbindāmī’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ yathābhūtaṁ jānaṁ passaṁ nibbindati.

9Nibbinnassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: ‘virajjāmī’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ nibbinno virajjati.

10Virattassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: ‘vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ sacchikaromī’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ viratto vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ sacchikaroti.

11Iti kho, bhikkhave, virāgo vimuttiñāṇadassanattho vimuttiñāṇadassanānisaṁso, nibbidā virāgatthā virāgānisaṁsā, yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ nibbidatthaṁ nibbidānisaṁsaṁ, samādhi yathābhūtañāṇadassanattho yathābhūtañāṇadassanānisaṁso, sukhaṁ samādhatthaṁ samādhānisaṁsaṁ, passaddhi sukhatthā sukhānisaṁsā, pīti passaddhatthā passaddhānisaṁsā, pāmojjaṁ pītatthaṁ pītānisaṁsaṁ, avippaṭisāro pāmojjattho pāmojjānisaṁso, kusalāni sīlāni avippaṭisāratthāni avippaṭisārānisaṁsāni.

Iti kho, bhikkhave, dhammā dhamme abhisandenti, dhammā dhamme paripūrenti apārā pāraṁ gamanāyā"ti.


Dutiyaṁ.

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