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AN 3.156–1623 min read

Practices

Acelakavagga

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

  • 0.1Aṅguttara Nikāya 3Numbered Discourses 3.156–162
  • 0.216. AcelakavaggaThe Chapter on Practices

0.3~Untitled Discourses on Three Practices

1.1PTS 1.295“Tisso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā.“Mendicants, there are three practices.1.2Katamā tisso?What three?1.3Āgāḷhā paṭipadā, nijjhāmā paṭipadā, majjhimā paṭipadā.The addicted practice, the scorching practice, and the middle practice.

1.4Katamā ca, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā?And what’s the addicted practice?1.5Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco evaṁvādī hoti evaṁdiṭṭhi:It’s when someone has this doctrine and view:1.6‘natthi kāmesu doso’ti.‘There’s nothing wrong with sensual pleasures’;1.7So kāmesu pātabyataṁ āpajjati.so they throw themselves into sensual pleasures.1.8Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā.This is called the addicted practice.

2.1Katamā ca, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā?And what’s the scorching practice?2.2Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco acelako hoti muttācāro, hatthāpalekhano, naehibhadantiko, natiṭṭhabhadantiko, nābhihaṭaṁ na uddissakataṁ na nimantanaṁ sādiyati.It’s when someone goes naked, ignoring conventions. They lick their hands, and don’t come or wait when called. They don’t consent to food brought to them, or food prepared on their behalf, or an invitation for a meal.2.3So na kumbhimukhā paṭiggaṇhāti, na kaḷopimukhā paṭiggaṇhāti na eḷakamantaraṁ na daṇḍamantaraṁ na musalamantaraṁ na dvinnaṁ bhuñjamānānaṁ na gabbhiniyā na pāyamānāya na purisantaragatāya na saṅkittīsu na yattha sā upaṭṭhito hoti na yattha makkhikā saṇḍasaṇḍacārinī na macchaṁ na maṁsaṁ na suraṁ na merayaṁ, na thusodakaṁ pivati.They don’t receive anything from a pot or bowl; or from someone who keeps sheep, or who has a weapon or a shovel in their home; or where a couple is eating; or where there is a woman who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or who lives with a man; or where there’s a hound waiting or flies buzzing. They accept no fish or meat or beer or wine, and drink no fermented gruel.2.4So ekāgāriko vā hoti ekālopiko, dvāgāriko vā hoti dvālopiko … sattāgāriko vā hoti sattālopiko;They go to just one house for alms, taking just one mouthful, or two houses and two mouthfuls, up to seven houses and seven mouthfuls.2.5ekissāpi dattiyā yāpeti, dvīhipi dattīhi yāpeti … sattahipi dattīhi yāpeti;They feed on one saucer a day, two saucers a day, up to seven saucers a day.2.6ekāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti, dvāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti … sattāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti—iti evarūpaṁ addhamāsikampi pariyāyabhattabhojanānuyogamanuyutto viharati.They eat once a day, once every second day, up to once a week, and so on, even up to once a fortnight. They live pursuing the practice of eating food at set intervals.

3.1So sākabhakkhopi hoti, sāmākabhakkhopi hoti, nīvārabhakkhopi hoti, daddulabhakkhopi hoti, haṭabhakkhopi hoti, kaṇabhakkhopi hoti, ācāmabhakkhopi hoti, piññākabhakkhopi hoti, tiṇabhakkhopi hoti, gomayabhakkhopi hoti, vanamūlaphalāhāro yāpeti pavattaphalabhojī.They eat herbs, millet, wild rice, poor rice, water lettuce, rice bran, scum from boiling rice, sesame flour, grass, or cow dung. They survive on forest roots and fruits, or eating fallen fruit.

4.1PTS 1.296So sāṇānipi dhāreti, masāṇānipi dhāreti, chavadussānipi dhāreti, paṁsukūlānipi dhāreti, tirīṭānipi dhāreti, ajinampi dhāreti, ajinakkhipampi dhāreti, kusacīrampi dhāreti, vākacīrampi dhāreti, phalakacīrampi dhāreti, kesakambalampi dhāreti, vāḷakambalampi dhāreti, ulūkapakkhikampi dhāreti,They wear robes of sunn hemp, mixed hemp, corpse-wrapping cloth, rags, lodh tree bark, antelope hide (whole or in strips), kusa grass, bark, wood-chips, human hair, horse-tail hair, or owls’ wings.4.2kesamassulocakopi hoti kesamassulocanānuyogamanuyutto,They tear out their hair and beard, committed to this practice.4.3ubbhaṭṭhakopi hoti āsanapaṭikkhitto,They constantly stand, turning down seats.4.4ukkuṭikopi hoti ukkuṭikappadhānamanuyutto,They squat, committed to the endeavor of squatting.4.5kaṇṭakāpassayikopi hoti kaṇṭakāpassaye seyyaṁ kappeti,They lie on a mat of thorns, making a mat of thorns their bed.4.6sāyatatiyakampi udakorohanānuyogamanuyutto viharati—They’re devoted to ritual bathing three times a day, including at dusk.4.7iti evarūpaṁ anekavihitaṁ kāyassa ātāpanaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto viharati.And so they live pursuing these various ways of mortifying and tormenting the body.4.8Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā.This is called the scorching practice.

5.1Katamā ca, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā?And what’s the middle practice?5.2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.5.3vedanāsu …pe…They meditate observing an aspect of feelings …5.4citte …pe…They meditate observing an aspect of the mind …5.5dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.They meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.5.6Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā.This is called the middle practice.

5.7Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso paṭipadāti.These are the three practices.

1.1Tisso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā.Mendicants, there are three practices.1.2Katamā tisso?What three?1.3Āgāḷhā paṭipadā, nijjhāmā paṭipadā, majjhimā paṭipadā.The addicted practice, the scorching practice, the middle practice.

1.4Katamā ca, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā …pe…And what’s the addicted practice? …1.5ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā.This is called the addicted practice.

2.1Katamā ca, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā …pe…And what is the scorching practice? …2.2ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā.This is called the scorching practice.

3.1PTS 1.297Katamā ca, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā?And what’s the middle practice?3.2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati;It’s when a mendicant generates enthusiasm, tries, makes an effort, exerts the mind, and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise.3.3uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati;They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up.3.4anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati;They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise.3.5uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati ….They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are fully developed. …

1.1Chandasamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāvetiThey develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm, and active effort.1.2vīriyasamādhi …pe…They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to energy, and active effort.1.3cittasamādhi …pe…They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to mental development, and active effort.1.4vīmaṁsāsamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti …pe….They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to inquiry, and active effort. …

1.1Saddhindriyaṁ bhāveti …They develop the faculty of faith …1.2vīriyindriyaṁ bhāveti …energy …1.3satindriyaṁ bhāveti …mindfulness …1.4samādhindriyaṁ bhāveti …immersion …1.5paññindriyaṁ bhāveti …pe….wisdom …

1.1Saddhābalaṁ bhāveti …They develop the power of faith …1.2vīriyabalaṁ bhāveti …energy …1.3satibalaṁ bhāveti …mindfulness …1.4samādhibalaṁ bhāveti …immersion …1.5paññābalaṁ bhāveti …pe….wisdom …

1.1Satisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …They develop the awakening factor of mindfulness …1.2dhammavicayasambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …investigation of principles …1.3vīriyasambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …energy …1.4pītisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …rapture …1.5passaddhisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …tranquility …1.6samādhisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …immersion …1.7upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …pe….equanimity …

1.1Sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti …They develop right view …1.2sammāsaṅkappaṁ bhāveti …right purpose …1.3sammāvācaṁ bhāveti …right speech …1.4sammākammantaṁ bhāveti …right action …1.5sammāājīvaṁ bhāveti …right livelihood …1.6sammāvāyāmaṁ bhāveti …right effort …1.7sammāsatiṁ bhāveti …right mindfulness …1.8sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti ….right immersion …1.9Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā.This is called the middle practice.1.10Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso paṭipadā”ti.These are the three practices.”

1.11Acelakavaggo chaṭṭho.

2.0Tassuddānaṁ

2.1Satipaṭṭhānaṁ sammappadhānaṁ,2.2Iddhipādindriyena ca;2.3Balaṁ bojjhaṅgo maggo ca,2.4Paṭipadāya yojayeti.