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AN 10.2PTS AN 5.2Cetana2 min read

Making a Wish

Cetanākaraṇīyasutta

There’s no need to make a wish to get enlightened; it happens naturally when the conditions are there.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.2Numbered Discourses 10.2
  • 0.21. Ānisaṁsavagga1. Benefits

0.3CetanākaraṇīyasuttaMaking a Wish

1.1PTS 5.3“Sīlavato, bhikkhave, sīlasampannassa na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ:“Mendicants, an ethical person, who has fulfilled ethical conduct, need not make a wish:1.2‘avippaṭisāro me uppajjatū’ti.‘May I have no regrets!’1.3Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ sīlavato sīlasampannassa avippaṭisāro uppajjati.It’s only natural that an ethical person has no regrets.1.4Avippaṭisārissa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ:When you have no regrets you need not make a wish:1.5‘pāmojjaṁ me uppajjatū’ti.‘May I feel joy!’1.6Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ avippaṭisārissa pāmojjaṁ jāyati.It’s only natural that joy springs up when you have no regrets.1.7Pamuditassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ:When you feel joy you need not make a wish:1.8‘pīti me uppajjatū’ti.‘May I experience rapture!’1.9Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ pamuditassa pīti uppajjati.It’s only natural that rapture arises when you’re joyful.1.10Pītimanassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ:When your mind is full of rapture you need not make a wish:1.11‘kāyo me passambhatū’ti.‘May my body become tranquil!’1.12Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ pītimanassa kāyo passambhati.It’s only natural that your body becomes tranquil when your mind is full of rapture.1.13Passaddhakāyassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ:When your body is tranquil you need not make a wish:1.14‘sukhaṁ vediyāmī’ti.‘May I feel bliss!’1.15Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vediyati.It’s only natural to feel bliss when your body is tranquil.1.16Sukhino, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ:When you feel bliss you need not make a wish:1.17‘cittaṁ me samādhiyatū’ti.‘May my mind be immersed in samādhi!’1.18Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati.It’s only natural for the mind to be immersed in samādhi when you feel bliss.1.19Samāhitassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ:When your mind is immersed in samādhi you need not make a wish:1.20‘yathābhūtaṁ jānāmi passāmī’ti.‘May I truly know and see!’1.21Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ samāhito yathābhūtaṁ jānāti passati.It’s only natural to truly know and see when your mind is immersed in samādhi.1.22Yathābhūtaṁ, bhikkhave, jānato passato na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ:When you truly know and see you need not make a wish:1.23‘nibbindāmi virajjāmī’ti.‘May I become disillusioned and dispassionate!’1.24Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ yathābhūtaṁ jānaṁ passaṁ nibbindati virajjati.It’s only natural to become disillusioned and dispassionate when you truly know and see.1.25Nibbinnassa, bhikkhave, virattassa na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ:When you’re disillusioned and dispassionate you need not make a wish:1.26‘vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ sacchikaromī’ti.‘May I realize the knowledge and vision of freedom!’1.27Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ nibbinno viratto vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ sacchikaroti.It’s only natural to realize the knowledge and vision of freedom when you’re disillusioned and dispassionate.

2.1PTS 5.4Iti kho, bhikkhave, nibbidāvirāgo vimuttiñāṇadassanattho vimuttiñāṇadassanānisaṁso;And so, mendicants, the knowledge and vision of freedom is the goal and benefit of disillusionment and dispassion.2.2yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ nibbidāvirāgatthaṁ nibbidāvirāgānisaṁsaṁ;Disillusionment and dispassion is the goal and benefit of truly knowing and seeing.2.3samādhi yathābhūtañāṇadassanattho yathābhūtañāṇadassanānisaṁso;Truly knowing and seeing is the goal and benefit of immersion.2.4sukhaṁ samādhatthaṁ samādhānisaṁsaṁ;Immersion is the goal and benefit of bliss.2.5passaddhi sukhatthā sukhānisaṁsā;Bliss is the goal and benefit of tranquility.2.6pīti passaddhatthā passaddhānisaṁsā;Tranquility is the goal and benefit of rapture.2.7pāmojjaṁ pītatthaṁ pītānisaṁsaṁ;Rapture is the goal and benefit of joy.2.8avippaṭisāro pāmojjattho pāmojjānisaṁso;Joy is the goal and benefit of not having regrets.2.9kusalāni sīlāni avippaṭisāratthāni avippaṭisārānisaṁsāni.Not having regrets is the goal and benefit of skillful ethics.2.10Iti kho, bhikkhave, dhammā dhamme abhisandenti, dhammā dhamme paripūrenti apārā pāraṁ gamanāyā”ti.And so, mendicants, good qualities flow on and fill up from one to the other, for going from the near shore to the far shore.”

2.11Dutiyaṁ.