SN 16.2

Anottappīsutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca mahākassapo āyasmā ca sāriputto bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahākassapena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca: “vuccati hidaṁ, āvuso kassapa, anātāpī anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya; ātāpī ca kho ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti.

Imprudent

So I have heard. At one time Venerable Mahākassapa and Venerable Sāriputta were staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana. Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahākassapa, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Mahākassapa: “Reverend Kassapa, it’s said that without being keen and prudent you can’t achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke. But if you are keen and prudent you can achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

“Kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso, anātāpī hoti anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya; kittāvatā ca panāvuso, ātāpī hoti ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti? “Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā nuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anātāpī hoti.

To what extent is this the case?” “Reverend, take a mendicant who doesn’t foster keenness by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ That’s how you’re not keen.

Kathañcāvuso, anottappī hoti? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā nuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anottappī hoti. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anātāpī anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.

And how are you not prudent? Take a mendicant who doesn’t foster prudence by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ That’s how you’re not prudent. That’s how without being keen and prudent you can’t achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

Kathañcāvuso, ātāpī hoti? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ātappaṁ karoti, anuppannā me kusalā dhammā …pe… ātappaṁ karoti. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ātāpī hoti.

And how are you keen? Take a mendicant who fosters keenness by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ That’s how you’re keen.

Kathañcāvuso, ottappī hoti? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā anuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ottappī hoti. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ātāpī ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti.

And how are you prudent? Take a mendicant who fosters prudence by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ That’s how you’re prudent. That’s how if you’re keen and prudent you can achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.”