AN 5.57

Abhiṇhapaccavekkhitabbaṭhānasutta

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, ṭhānāni abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbāni itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā. Katamāni pañca? ‘Jarādhammomhi, jaraṁ anatīto’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā. ‘Byādhidhammomhi, byādhiṁ anatīto’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā. ‘Maraṇadhammomhi, maraṇaṁ anatīto’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā. ‘Sabbehi me piyehi manāpehi nānābhāvo vinābhāvo’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā. ‘Kammassakomhi, kammadāyādo kammayoni kammabandhu kammapaṭisaraṇo. Yaṁ kammaṁ karissāmi—kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā— tassa dāyādo bhavissāmī’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā.

Subjects for Regular Reviewing

“Mendicants, a woman or a man, a layperson or a renunciate should often review these five subjects. What five? ‘I am liable to grow old, I am not exempt from old age.’ A woman or a man, a layperson or a renunciate should often review this. ‘I am liable to get sick, I am not exempt from sickness.’ … ‘I am liable to die, I am not exempt from death.’ … ‘I must be parted and separated from all I hold dear and beloved.’ … ‘I am the owner of my deeds and heir to my deeds. Deeds are my womb, my relative, and my refuge. I shall be the heir of whatever deeds I do, whether good or bad.’ A woman or a man, a layperson or a renunciate should often review this.

Kiñca, bhikkhave, atthavasaṁ paṭicca ‘jarādhammomhi, jaraṁ anatīto’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā? Atthi, bhikkhave, sattānaṁ yobbane yobbanamado, yena madena mattā kāyena duccaritaṁ caranti, vācāya duccaritaṁ caranti, manasā duccaritaṁ caranti. Tassa taṁ ṭhānaṁ abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhato yo yobbane yobbanamado so sabbaso vā pahīyati tanu vā pana hoti. Idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atthavasaṁ paṭicca ‘jarādhammomhi, jaraṁ anatīto’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā.

What is the advantage for a woman or a man, a layperson or a renunciate of often reviewing this: ‘I am liable to grow old, I am not exempt from old age’? There are sentient beings who, intoxicated with the vanity of youth, do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. Reviewing this subject often, they entirely give up the vanity of youth, or at least reduce it. This is the advantage for a woman or a man, a layperson or a renunciate of often reviewing this: ‘I am liable to grow old, I am not exempt from old age’.

Kiñca, bhikkhave, atthavasaṁ paṭicca ‘byādhidhammomhi, byādhiṁ anatīto’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā? Atthi, bhikkhave, sattānaṁ ārogye ārogyamado, yena madena mattā kāyena duccaritaṁ caranti, vācāya duccaritaṁ caranti, manasā duccaritaṁ caranti. Tassa taṁ ṭhānaṁ abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhato yo ārogye ārogyamado so sabbaso vā pahīyati tanu vā pana hoti. Idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atthavasaṁ paṭicca ‘byādhidhammomhi, byādhiṁ anatīto’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā.

What is the advantage of often reviewing this: ‘I am liable to get sick, I am not exempt from sickness’? There are sentient beings who, drunk on the vanity of health, do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. Reviewing this subject often, they entirely give up the vanity of health, or at least reduce it. This is the advantage of often reviewing this: ‘I am liable to get sick, I am not exempt from sickness’.

Kiñca, bhikkhave, atthavasaṁ paṭicca ‘maraṇadhammomhi, maraṇaṁ anatīto’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā? Atthi, bhikkhave, sattānaṁ jīvite jīvitamado, yena madena mattā kāyena duccaritaṁ caranti, vācāya duccaritaṁ caranti, manasā duccaritaṁ caranti. Tassa taṁ ṭhānaṁ abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhato yo jīvite jīvitamado so sabbaso vā pahīyati tanu vā pana hoti. Idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atthavasaṁ paṭicca ‘maraṇadhammomhi, maraṇaṁ anatīto’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā.

What is the advantage of often reviewing this: ‘I am liable to die, I am not exempt from death’? There are sentient beings who, drunk on the vanity of life, do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. Reviewing this subject often, they entirely give up the vanity of life, or at least reduce it. This is the advantage of often reviewing this: ‘I am liable to die, I am not exempt from death’.

Kiñca, bhikkhave, atthavasaṁ paṭicca ‘sabbehi me piyehi manāpehi nānābhāvo vinābhāvo’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā? Atthi, bhikkhave, sattānaṁ piyesu manāpesu yo chandarāgo yena rāgena rattā kāyena duccaritaṁ caranti, vācāya duccaritaṁ caranti, manasā duccaritaṁ caranti. Tassa taṁ ṭhānaṁ abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhato yo piyesu manāpesu chandarāgo so sabbaso vā pahīyati tanu vā pana hoti. Idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atthavasaṁ paṭicca ‘sabbehi me piyehi manāpehi nānābhāvo vinābhāvo’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā.

What is the advantage of often reviewing this: ‘I must be parted and separated from all I hold dear and beloved’? There are sentient beings who, aroused by desire and lust for their dear and beloved, do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. Reviewing this subject often, they entirely give up desire and lust for their dear and beloved, or at least reduce it. This is the advantage of often reviewing this: ‘I must be parted and separated from all I hold dear and beloved’.

Kiñca, bhikkhave, atthavasaṁ paṭicca ‘kammassakomhi, kammadāyādo kammayoni kammabandhu kammapaṭisaraṇo, yaṁ kammaṁ karissāmi— kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā—tassa dāyādo bhavissāmī’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā? Atthi, bhikkhave, sattānaṁ kāyaduccaritaṁ vacīduccaritaṁ manoduccaritaṁ. Tassa taṁ ṭhānaṁ abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhato sabbaso vā duccaritaṁ pahīyati tanu vā pana hoti. Idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, atthavasaṁ paṭicca ‘kammassakomhi, kammadāyādo kammayoni kammabandhu kammapaṭisaraṇo, yaṁ kammaṁ karissāmi— kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā— tassa dāyādo bhavissāmī’ti abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā.

What is the advantage of often reviewing like this: ‘I am the owner of my deeds and heir to my deeds. Deeds are my womb, my relative, and my refuge. I shall be the heir of whatever deeds I do, whether good or bad’? There are sentient beings who do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. Reviewing this subject often, they entirely give up bad conduct, or at least reduce it. This is the advantage for a woman or a man, a layperson or a renunciate of often reviewing like this: ‘I am the owner of my deeds and heir to my deeds. Deeds are my womb, my relative, and my refuge. I shall be the heir of whatever deeds I do, whether good or bad.’

Sa kho so, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘na kho ahaññeveko jarādhammo jaraṁ anatīto, atha kho yāvatā sattānaṁ āgati gati cuti upapatti sabbe sattā jarādhammā jaraṁ anatītā’ti. Tassa taṁ ṭhānaṁ abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhato maggo sañjāyati. So taṁ maggaṁ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti. Tassa taṁ maggaṁ āsevato bhāvayato bahulīkaroto saṁyojanāni sabbaso pahīyanti anusayā byantīhonti.

Then that noble disciple reflects: ‘It’s not just me who is liable to grow old, not being exempt from old age. For all sentient beings grow old according to their nature, as long as they come and go, pass away and are reborn.’ When they review this subject often, the path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.

‘Na kho ahaññeveko byādhidhammo byādhiṁ anatīto, atha kho yāvatā sattānaṁ āgati gati cuti upapatti sabbe sattā byādhidhammā byādhiṁ anatītā’ti. Tassa taṁ ṭhānaṁ abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhato maggo sañjāyati. So taṁ maggaṁ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti. Tassa taṁ maggaṁ āsevato bhāvayato bahulīkaroto saṁyojanāni sabbaso pahīyanti, anusayā byantīhonti.

‘It’s not just me who is liable to get sick, not being exempt from sickness. For all sentient beings get sick according to their nature, as long as they come and go, pass away and are reborn.’ When they review this subject often, the path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.

‘Na kho ahaññeveko maraṇadhammo maraṇaṁ anatīto, atha kho yāvatā sattānaṁ āgati gati cuti upapatti sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇaṁ anatītā’ti. Tassa taṁ ṭhānaṁ abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhato maggo sañjāyati. So taṁ maggaṁ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti. Tassa taṁ maggaṁ āsevato bhāvayato bahulīkaroto saṁyojanāni sabbaso pahīyanti, anusayā byantīhonti.

‘It’s not just me who is liable to die, not being exempt from death. For all sentient beings die according to their nature, as long as they come and go, pass away and are reborn.’ When they review this subject often, the path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.

‘Na kho mayhevekassa sabbehi piyehi manāpehi nānābhāvo vinābhāvo, atha kho yāvatā sattānaṁ āgati gati cuti upapatti sabbesaṁ sattānaṁ piyehi manāpehi nānābhāvo vinābhāvo’ti. Tassa taṁ ṭhānaṁ abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhato maggo sañjāyati. So taṁ maggaṁ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti. Tassa taṁ maggaṁ āsevato bhāvayato bahulīkaroto saṁyojanāni sabbaso pahīyanti, anusayā byantīhonti.

‘It’s not just me who must be parted and separated from all I hold dear and beloved. For all sentient beings must be parted and separated from all they hold dear and beloved, as long as they come and go, pass away and are reborn.’ When they review this subject often, the path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.

‘Na kho ahaññeveko kammassako kammadāyādo kammayoni kammabandhu kammapaṭisaraṇo, yaṁ kammaṁ karissāmi—kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā—tassa dāyādo bhavissāmi; atha kho yāvatā sattānaṁ āgati gati cuti upapatti sabbe sattā kammassakā kammadāyādā kammayoni kammabandhu kammapaṭisaraṇā, yaṁ kammaṁ karissanti—kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā—tassa dāyādā bhavissantī’ti. Tassa taṁ ṭhānaṁ abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhato maggo sañjāyati. So taṁ maggaṁ āsevati bhāveti bahulīkaroti. Tassa taṁ maggaṁ āsevato bhāvayato bahulīkaroto saṁyojanāni sabbaso pahīyanti, anusayā byantīhontīti.

‘It’s not just me who shall be the owner of my deeds and heir to my deeds. For all sentient beings shall be the owners of their deeds and heirs to their deeds, as long as they come and go, pass away and are reborn.’ When they review this subject often, the path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.

Byādhidhammā jarādhammā, atho maraṇadhammino; Yathā dhammā tathā sattā, jigucchanti puthujjanā.

For others, sickness is natural, and so are old age and death. Though this is how their nature is, ordinary people feel disgusted.

Ahañce taṁ jiguccheyyaṁ, evaṁ dhammesu pāṇisu; Na metaṁ patirūpassa, mama evaṁ vihārino.

If I were to be disgusted with creatures whose nature is such, it would not be appropriate for me, since my life is just the same.

Sohaṁ evaṁ viharanto, ñatvā dhammaṁ nirūpadhiṁ; Ārogye yobbanasmiñca, jīvitasmiñca ye madā.

Living in such a way, I understood the truth without attachments. I mastered all vanities— of health, of youth,

Sabbe made abhibhosmi, Nekkhammaṁ daṭṭhu khemato; Tassa me ahu ussāho, Nibbānaṁ abhipassato.

and even of life— seeing renunciation as sanctuary. Zeal sprang up in me as I looked to extinguishment.

Nāhaṁ bhabbo etarahi, Kāmāni paṭisevituṁ; Anivatti bhavissāmi, Brahmacariyaparāyaṇo”ti.

Now I’m unable to indulge in sensual pleasures; there’s no turning back, I’m committed to the spiritual life.”