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AN 8.61PTS AN 4.293Icchā3 min read

Desire

Icchāsutta

The Buddha describes eight cases where a mendicant has a desire for material things. Sometimes they fall under the sway of that desire, but sometimes they rise above it.

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

  • 0.1Aṅguttara Nikāya 8.61Numbered Discourses 8.61
  • 0.27. Bhūmicālavagga7. Earthquakes

0.3IcchāsuttaDesire

1.1PTS 4.294“Aṭṭhime, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.“Mendicants, these eight individuals are found in the world.1.2Katame aṭṭha?What eight?

1.3Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pavivittassa viharato nirāyattavuttino icchā uppajjati lābhāya.First, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things.1.4So uṭṭhahati ghaṭati vāyamati lābhāya.They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them.1.5Tassa uṭṭhahato ghaṭato vāyamato lābhāya lābho nuppajjati.But material things don’t come to them.1.6So tena alābhena socati kilamati paridevati, urattāḷiṁ kandati, sammohaṁ āpajjati.And so they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things.1.7Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:This is called1.8‘bhikkhu iccho viharati lābhāya, uṭṭhahati ghaṭati vāyamati lābhāya, na ca lābhī, socī ca paridevī ca, cuto ca saddhammā’.a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they do not acquire material things, they sorrow and lament. They’ve fallen from the true teaching.

2.1Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pavivittassa viharato nirāyattavuttino icchā uppajjati lābhāya.Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things.2.2So uṭṭhahati ghaṭati vāyamati lābhāya.They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them.2.3Tassa uṭṭhahato ghaṭato vāyamato lābhāya lābho uppajjati.And material things do come to them.2.4So tena lābhena majjati pamajjati pamādamāpajjati.And so they become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things.2.5Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:This is called2.6‘bhikkhu iccho viharati lābhāya, uṭṭhahati ghaṭati vāyamati lābhāya, lābhī ca madī ca pamādī ca, cuto ca saddhammā’.a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they acquire material things, they become intoxicated and negligent. They’ve fallen from the true teaching.

3.1Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pavivittassa viharato nirāyattavuttino icchā uppajjati lābhāya.Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things.3.2So na uṭṭhahati na ghaṭati na vāyamati lābhāya.They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them.3.3Tassa anuṭṭhahato aghaṭato avāyamato lābhāya lābho nuppajjati.And material things don’t come to them.3.4So tena alābhena socati, kilamati, paridevati, urattāḷiṁ kandati, sammohaṁ āpajjati.And so they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things.3.5Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:This is called3.6‘bhikkhu iccho viharati lābhāya, na uṭṭhahati na ghaṭati na vāyamati lābhāya, na ca lābhī, socī ca paridevī ca, cuto ca saddhammā’.a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they do not acquire material things, they sorrow and lament. They’ve fallen from the true teaching.

4.1Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pavivittassa viharato nirāyattavuttino icchā uppajjati lābhāya.Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things.4.2So na uṭṭhahati, na ghaṭati, na vāyamati lābhāya.They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them.4.3Tassa anuṭṭhahato, aghaṭato, avāyamato lābhāya lābho uppajjati.But material things do come to them.4.4So tena lābhena majjati, pamajjati, pamādamāpajjati.And so they become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things.4.5Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:This is called4.6‘bhikkhu iccho viharati lābhāya, na uṭṭhahati na ghaṭati na vāyamati lābhāya, lābhī ca madī ca, pamādī ca, cuto ca saddhammā’.a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they acquire material things, they become intoxicated and negligent. They’ve fallen from the true teaching.

5.1PTS 4.295Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pavivittassa viharato nirāyattavuttino icchā uppajjati lābhāya.Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things.5.2So uṭṭhahati ghaṭati vāyamati lābhāya.They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them.5.3Tassa uṭṭhahato ghaṭato vāyamato lābhāya lābho nuppajjati.But material things don’t come to them.5.4So tena alābhena na socati na kilamati na paridevati, na urattāḷiṁ kandati, na sammohaṁ āpajjati.But they don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things.5.5Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:This is called5.6‘bhikkhu iccho viharati lābhāya, uṭṭhahati ghaṭati vāyamati lābhāya, na ca lābhī, na ca socī na ca paridevī, accuto ca saddhammā’.a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they do not acquire material things, they don’t sorrow and lament. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching.

6.1Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pavivittassa viharato nirāyattavuttino icchā uppajjati lābhāya.Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things.6.2So uṭṭhahati ghaṭati vāyamati lābhāya.They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them.6.3Tassa uṭṭhahato ghaṭato vāyamato lābhāya lābho uppajjati.And material things do come to them.6.4So tena lābhena na majjati, na pamajjati, na pamādamāpajjati.But they don’t become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things.6.5Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:This is called6.6‘bhikkhu iccho viharati lābhāya, uṭṭhahati ghaṭati vāyamati lābhāya, lābhī ca, na ca madī na ca pamādī, accuto ca saddhammā’.a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. But when they acquire material things, they don’t become intoxicated and negligent. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching.

7.1Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pavivittassa viharato nirāyattavuttino icchā uppajjati lābhāya.Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things.7.2So na uṭṭhahati, na ghaṭati, na vāyamati lābhāya.They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them.7.3Tassa anuṭṭhahato, aghaṭato, avāyamato lābhāya lābho nuppajjati.And material things don’t come to them.7.4So tena alābhena na socati, na kilamati, na paridevati, na urattāḷiṁ kandati, na sammohaṁ āpajjati.But they don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion because they don’t get those material things.7.5Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:This is called7.6‘bhikkhu iccho viharati lābhāya, na uṭṭhahati, na ghaṭati, na vāyamati lābhāya, na ca lābhī, na ca socī na ca paridevī, accuto ca saddhammā’.a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they do not acquire material things, they don’t sorrow and lament. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching.

8.1Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pavivittassa viharato nirāyattavuttino icchā uppajjati lābhāya.Next, when a mendicant stays secluded, living independently, a desire arises for material things.8.2So na uṭṭhahati, na ghaṭati, na vāyamati lābhāya.They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them.8.3Tassa anuṭṭhahato aghaṭato avāyamato lābhāya lābho uppajjati.But material things do come to them.8.4So tena lābhena na majjati, na pamajjati, na pamādamāpajjati.But they don’t become indulgent and fall into negligence regarding those material things.8.5Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave:This is called8.6‘bhikkhu iccho viharati lābhāya, na uṭṭhahati, na ghaṭati, na vāyamati lābhāya, lābhī ca, na ca madī na ca pamādī, accuto ca saddhammā’.a mendicant who lives desiring material things. They don’t try hard, strive, and make an effort to get them. And when they acquire material things, they don’t become intoxicated and negligent. They haven’t fallen from the true teaching.

9.1Ime kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭha puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.These are the eight individuals found in the world.”

9.2Paṭhamaṁ.