AN 5.135

Paṭhamapatthanāsutta

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto rajjaṁ pattheti. Katamehi pañcahi? Idha, bhikkhave, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko, yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena; abhirūpo hoti dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato; mātāpitūnaṁ piyo hoti manāpo; negamajānapadassa piyo hoti manāpo; yāni tāni raññaṁ khattiyānaṁ muddhāvasittānaṁ sippaṭṭhānāni hatthismiṁ vā assasmiṁ vā rathasmiṁ vā dhanusmiṁ vā tharusmiṁ vā tattha sikkhito hoti anavayo.

Aspiration (1st)

“Mendicants, an anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son with five factors aspires to kingship. What five? It’s when an anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son is well born on both his mother’s and father’s side, stemming from a clean vessel, with irrefutable and impeccable genealogy back to the seventh paternal generation. He is attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty. He is dear and beloved to his parents. He is dear and beloved to the people of town and country. He is trained and skilled in the arts of anointed aristocratic kings, such as elephant riding, horse riding, driving a chariot, archery, and swordsmanship.

Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ khomhi ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko, yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena. Kasmāhaṁ rajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi abhirūpo dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato. Kasmāhaṁ rajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi mātāpitūnaṁ piyo manāpo. Kasmāhaṁ rajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi negamajānapadassa piyo manāpo. Kasmāhaṁ rajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi yāni tāni raññaṁ khattiyānaṁ muddhāvasittānaṁ sippaṭṭhānāni hatthismiṁ vā assasmiṁ vā rathasmiṁ vā dhanusmiṁ vā tharusmiṁ vā, tattha sikkhito anavayo. Kasmāhaṁ rajjaṁ na pattheyyan’ti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto rajjaṁ pattheti.

He thinks: ‘I’m well born on both my mother’s and father’s side, stemming from a clean vessel, with irrefutable and impeccable genealogy back to the seventh paternal generation. Why shouldn’t I aspire to kingship? I’m attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty. Why shouldn’t I aspire to kingship? I’m dear and beloved to my parents. Why shouldn’t I aspire to kingship? I’m dear and beloved to the people of town and country. Why shouldn’t I aspire to kingship? I’m trained and skilled in the arts of anointed aristocratic kings, such as elephant riding, horse riding, driving a chariot, archery, and swordsmanship. Why shouldn’t I aspire to kingship?’ An anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son with these five factors aspires to kingship.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayaṁ pattheti. Katamehi pañcahi? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu saddho hoti, saddahati tathāgatassa bodhiṁ: ‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti. Appābādho hoti appātaṅko, samavepākiniyā gahaṇiyā samannāgato nātisītāya nāccuṇhāya majjhimāya padhānakkhamāya; asaṭho hoti amāyāvī, yathābhūtaṁ attānaṁ āvikattā satthari vā viññūsu vā sabrahmacārīsu; āraddhavīriyo viharati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu; paññavā hoti udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā.

In the same way, a mendicant with five qualities aspires to end the defilements. What five? It’s when a mendicant has faith in the Realized One’s awakening: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ They are rarely ill or unwell. Their stomach digests well, being neither too hot nor too cold, but just right, and fit for meditation. They’re not devious or deceitful. They reveal themselves honestly to the Teacher or sensible spiritual companions. They live with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. They’re strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities. They’re wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.

Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ khomhi saddho, saddahāmi tathāgatassa bodhiṁ: “itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā”ti. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi appābādho appātaṅko samavepākiniyā gahaṇiyā samannāgato nātisītāya nāccuṇhāya majjhimāya padhānakkhamāya. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi asaṭho amāyāvī yathābhūtaṁ attānaṁ āvikattā satthari vā viññūsu vā sabrahmacārīsu. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi āraddhavīriyo viharāmi akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi paññavā udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyan’ti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayaṁ patthetī”ti.

They think: ‘I am a person of faith; I have faith in the Realized One’s awakening … Why shouldn’t I aspire to end the defilements? I’m rarely ill or unwell. My stomach digests well, being neither too hot nor too cold, but just right, and fit for meditation. Why shouldn’t I aspire to end the defilements? I’m not devious or deceitful. I reveal myself honestly to the Teacher or sensible spiritual companions. Why shouldn’t I aspire to end the defilements? I live with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. I’m strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities. Why shouldn’t I aspire to end the defilements? I’m wise. I have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. Why shouldn’t I aspire to end the defilements?’ A mendicant with these five qualities aspires to end the defilements.”