A Protector · AN 10.20

AN 10.20 · Abodes of the Noble Ones (2nd)

AN 10.20 · Dutiyaariyāvāsasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kurus, near the Kuru town named Kammāsadamma. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kurūsu viharati kammāsadhammaṁ nāma kurūnaṁ nigamo. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi …pe….

“There are these ten abodes of the noble ones in which the noble ones of the past, present, and future abide. What ten? A mendicant has given up five factors, possesses six factors, has a single guard, has four supports, has cast aside idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth, has totally given up searching, has unsullied intentions, has stilled the physical process, and is well freed in mind and well freed by wisdom.

“Dasayime, bhikkhave, ariyāvāsā, ye ariyā āvasiṁsu vā āvasanti vā āvasissanti vā. Katame dasa? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgavippahīno hoti, chaḷaṅgasamannāgato, ekārakkho, caturāpasseno, paṇunnapaccekasacco, samavayasaṭṭhesano, anāvilasaṅkappo, passaddhakāyasaṅkhāro, suvimuttacitto, suvimuttapañño.

And how has a mendicant given up five factors? It’s when a mendicant has given up sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. That’s how a mendicant has given up five factors.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgavippahīno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcaṅgavippahīno hoti.

And how does a mendicant possess six factors? It’s when a mendicant, seeing a sight with their eyes, is neither happy nor sad. They remain equanimous, mindful and aware. Hearing a sound with their ears … Smelling an odor with their nose … Tasting a flavor with their tongue …

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu chaḷaṅgasamannāgato hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā neva sumano hoti na dummano, upekkhako viharati sato sampajāno. Sotena saddaṁ sutvā … ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …

Encountering a touch with their body … Knowing an idea with their mind, they’re neither happy nor sad. They remain equanimous, mindful and aware. That’s how a mendicant possesses six factors.

kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā … manasā dhammaṁ viññāya neva sumano hoti na dummano, upekkhako viharati sato sampajāno. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu chaḷaṅgasamannāgato hoti.

And how does a mendicant have a single guard? It’s when a mendicant’s heart is guarded by mindfulness. That’s how a mendicant has a single guard.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ekārakkho hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu satārakkhena cetasā samannāgato hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ekārakkho hoti.

And how does a mendicant have four supports? After appraisal, a mendicant uses some things, endures some things, avoids some things, and dispels some things. That’s how a mendicant has four supports.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu caturāpasseno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu saṅkhāyekaṁ paṭisevati, saṅkhāyekaṁ adhivāseti, saṅkhāyekaṁ parivajjeti, saṅkhāyekaṁ vinodeti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu caturāpasseno hoti.

And how has a mendicant cast aside idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth? Different ascetics and brahmins have different idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth. For example: the cosmos is eternal, or not eternal, or finite, or infinite; the soul and the body are one and the same, or the soul is one thing, the body another; after death, a realized one still exists, or no longer exists, or both still exists and no longer exists, or neither still exists nor no longer exists. A mendicant has cast out, cast aside, thrown out, discarded, let go of, given up, and relinquished all these. That’s how a mendicant has cast aside idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paṇunnapaccekasacco hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno yāni tāni puthusamaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ puthupaccekasaccāni, seyyathidaṁ: ‘sassato loko’ti vā, ‘asassato loko’ti vā, ‘antavā loko’ti vā, ‘anantavā loko’ti vā, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīran’ti vā, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīran’ti vā, ‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’ti vā, sabbāni tāni nunnāni honti paṇunnāni cattāni vantāni muttāni pahīnāni paṭinissaṭṭhāni. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paṇunnapaccekasacco hoti.

And how has a mendicant totally given up searching? It’s when they’ve given up searching for sensual pleasures, for continued existence, and for a spiritual life. That’s how a mendicant has totally given up searching.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu samavayasaṭṭhesano hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno kāmesanā pahīnā hoti, bhavesanā pahīnā hoti, brahmacariyesanā paṭippassaddhā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu samavayasaṭṭhesano hoti.

And how does a mendicant have unsullied intentions? It’s when a mendicant has given up intentions of sensuality, malice, and cruelty. That’s how a mendicant has unsullied intentions.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anāvilasaṅkappo hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno kāmasaṅkappo pahīno hoti, byāpādasaṅkappo pahīno hoti, vihiṁsāsaṅkappo pahīno hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anāvilasaṅkappo hoti.

And how has a mendicant stilled the physical process? It’s when, with the giving up of pleasure and pain and the disappearance of former happiness and sadness, they enter and remain in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness. That’s how a mendicant has stilled the physical process.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu passaddhakāyasaṅkhāro hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu passaddhakāyasaṅkhāro hoti.

And how is a mendicant well freed in mind? It’s when a mendicant’s mind is freed from greed, hate, and delusion. That’s how a mendicant is well freed in mind.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu suvimuttacitto hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno rāgā cittaṁ vimuttaṁ hoti, dosā cittaṁ vimuttaṁ hoti, mohā cittaṁ vimuttaṁ hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu suvimuttacitto hoti.

And how is a mendicant well freed by wisdom? It’s when a mendicant understands: ‘I’ve given up greed, hate, and delusion, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, obliterated them, so they’re unable to arise in the future.’ That’s how a mendicant’s mind is well freed by wisdom.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu suvimuttapañño hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ‘rāgo me pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo’ti pajānāti, doso me pahīno …pe… ‘moho me pahīno ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo’ti pajānāti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu suvimuttapañño hoti.

Mendicants, whether in the past, future, or present, all noble ones abide in these same ten abodes of the noble ones. These are the ten abodes of the noble ones in which the noble ones of the past, present, and future abide.”

Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, atītamaddhānaṁ ariyā ariyāvāse āvasiṁsu, sabbe te imeva dasa ariyāvāse āvasiṁsu; ye hi keci, bhikkhave, anāgatamaddhānaṁ ariyā ariyāvāse āvasissanti, sabbe te imeva dasa ariyāvāse āvasissanti; ye hi keci, bhikkhave, etarahi ariyā ariyāvāse āvasanti, sabbe te imeva dasa ariyāvāse āvasanti. Ime kho, bhikkhave, dasa ariyāvāsā, ye ariyā āvasiṁsu vā āvasanti vā āvasissanti vā”ti.