TheravādaAN 4.178HOLYMAP · SACRED TEXTS
Sutta PiṭakaAN 4.178

Sutta Piṭaka

AN 4.178

Jambālīsutta

1
English · Bhikkhu Sujato

Billabong

“Mendicants, these four individuals are found in the world. What four? Take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on the cessation of substantial reality, but on that their mind does not leap forth, gain confidence, settle down, and become decided. You wouldn’t expect that mendicant to realize the cessation of substantial reality. Suppose a person were to grab a branch with a glue-smeared hand. Their hand would stick, hold, and bind to it. In the same way, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on the cessation of substantial reality, but on that their mind does not leap forth, gain confidence, settle down, and become decided. You wouldn’t expect that mendicant to realize the cessation of substantial reality.

2
English · Bhikkhu Sujato

Next, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on the cessation of substantial reality, and on that their mind leaps forth, gains confidence, settles down, and becomes decided. You would expect that mendicant to realize the cessation of substantial reality. Suppose a person were to grab a branch with a clean hand. Their hand wouldn’t stick, hold, or bind to it. In the same way, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on the cessation of substantial reality, and on that their mind leaps forth, gains confidence, settles down, and becomes decided. You would expect that mendicant to realize the cessation of substantial reality.

3
English · Bhikkhu Sujato

Next, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on smashing ignorance, but on that their mind does not leap forth, gain confidence, settle down, and become decided. You wouldn’t expect that mendicant to smash ignorance. Suppose there was a billabong that had been stagnant for many years. And someone was to close off the inlets and open up the drains, and the heavens didn’t provide enough rain. You wouldn’t expect that billabong to break its banks. In the same way, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a certain peaceful release of the heart. They focus on smashing ignorance, but on that their mind does not leap forth, gain confidence, settle down, and become decided. You wouldn’t expect that mendicant to smash ignorance.

4
English · Bhikkhu Sujato

Next, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on smashing ignorance, and on that their mind leaps forth, gains confidence, settles down, and becomes decided. You would expect that mendicant to smash ignorance. Suppose there was a billabong that had been stagnant for many years. And someone was to open up the inlets and close off the drains, and the heavens provided plenty of rain. You would expect that billabong to break its banks. In the same way, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a certain peaceful release of the heart. They focus on smashing ignorance, and on that their mind leaps forth, gains confidence, settles down, and becomes decided. You would expect that mendicant to smash ignorance. These are the four individuals found in the world.”

1
AN 4.178English
2
AN 4.1780%

Sutta Piṭaka

Find your chapter.

4801 chapters

Make yourself comfortable.

PAGE COLOUR

TEXT SIZE

100%

Your preferences stay with you on this device.

ORIGINALS & TRANSLATIONS

Choose your edition.

Select one edition for quiet reading, or several to compare the words.

Pāli text: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka Buddhavasse 2500 (M.L. Maniratana Bunnag Dhamma Society Fund), as published by SuttaCentral. Public domain. · Source ↗

Pāli text: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka, via SuttaCentral. Public domain.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato. SuttaCentral, dedicated to the public domain (CC0). · Source ↗

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato (SuttaCentral), dedicated to the public domain via CC0. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

↑
Explore the atlas
↑ ↓ to explore   ·   Enter to open   ·   Esc to close