AN4_163: Asubhasutta

Asubhasutta - translated by Bhikkhu Anīgha

“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā. “Bhikkhus, there are four kinds of practice. Katamā catasso? What four?

  1. Dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā, Unpleasant practice with slow insight,
  2. dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā, unpleasant practice with swift insight,
  3. sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā, pleasant practice with slow insight, and
  4. sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā. pleasant practice with swift insight.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā? And what’s the unpleasant practice with slow insight? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu asubhānupassī kāye viharati, āhāre paṭikūlasaññī, sabbaloke anabhiratisaññī, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī; It’s when a bhikkhu abides maintaining perspective of the non-beauty of the body, perceiving the repulsiveness of food, perceiving the lack of satisfaction in the whole world, maintaining perspective of the impermanence of all activities, maraṇasaññā kho panassa ajjhattaṁ sūpaṭṭhitā hoti. and has well established the perception of death internally. So imāni pañca sekhabalāni upanissāya viharati—He relies on these five powers of a trainee: saddhābalaṁ, hiribalaṁ, ottappabalaṁ, vīriyabalaṁ, paññābalaṁ. faith, prudence, dread of wrongdoing, effort, and understanding. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni mudūni pātubhavanti—But these five faculties manifest in him weakly: saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ. faith, effort, recollection, composure, and understanding. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ muduttā dandhaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Because of this, he only slowly comes into proximity of the destruction of the influxes. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā. This is called the unpleasant practice with slow insight.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā? And what’s the unpleasant practice with swift insight? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu asubhānupassī kāye viharati, āhāre paṭikūlasaññī, sabbaloke anabhiratisaññī, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī; It’s when a bhikkhu abides maintaining perspective of the non-beauty of the body, perceiving the repulsiveness of food, perceiving the lack of satisfaction in the whole world, maintaining perspective of the impermanence of all activities, maraṇasaññā kho panassa ajjhattaṁ sūpaṭṭhitā hoti. and has well established the perception of death internally. So imāni pañca sekhabalāni upanissāya viharati—He relies on these five powers of a trainee: saddhābalaṁ …pe… paññābalaṁ. faith, prudence, dread of wrongdoing, effort, and understanding. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni adhimattāni pātubhavanti—And these five faculties manifest in him strongly: saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ. faith, effort, recollection, composure, and understanding. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ adhimattattā khippaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Because of this, he swiftly comes into proximity of the destruction of the influxes. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā. This is called the unpleasant practice with swift insight.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā? And what’s the pleasant practice with slow insight? Idha bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati; It’s when a bhikkhu, quite disjoined from sensuality, disjoined from detrimental phenomena, with thinking and with pondering, with joy and comfort born of separation, abides having entered upon the first jhāna. vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati; With the appeasement of thinking and pondering, with internal confidence and collectedness of mind, without thinking or pondering and with joy and comfort born of composure, a bhikkhu abides having entered upon the second jhāna. pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeti yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati; With the fading of joy, a bhikkhu abides equanimous, recollected, and aware, experiencing comfort with the body. He abides having entered upon the third jhāna, with regard to which the noble ones say “one abides equanimous, recollected, and comfortable.” sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. With the giving up of comfort and discomfort—and with the ending of joys and upsets beforehand—without comfort or discomfort, with purity of equanimity and recollection, a bhikkhu abides having entered upon the fourth jhāna. So imāni pañca sekhabalāni upanissāya viharati—He relies on these five powers of a trainee: saddhābalaṁ …pe… paññābalaṁ. faith, prudence, dread of wrongdoing, effort, and understanding. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni mudūni pātubhavanti—But these five faculties manifest in him weakly: saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ. faith, effort, recollection, composure, and understanding. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ muduttā dandhaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Because of this, he only slowly comes into proximity of the destruction of the influxes. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā. This is called the pleasant practice with slow insight.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā? And what’s the pleasant practice with swift insight? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati …pe… dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ …pe… tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ …pe… catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. It’s when a bhikkhu … abides having entered upon the first jhāna … second jhāna … third jhāna … fourth jhāna … So imāni pañca sekhabalāni upanissāya viharati—He relies on these five powers of a trainee: saddhābalaṁ, hiribalaṁ, ottappabalaṁ, vīriyabalaṁ, paññābalaṁ. faith, prudence, dread of wrongdoing, effort, and understanding. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni adhimattāni pātubhavanti—And these five faculties manifest in him strongly: saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ. faith, effort, recollection, composure, and understanding. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ adhimattattā khippaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Because of this, he swiftly comes into proximity of the destruction of the influxes. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā. This is called the pleasant practice with swift insight.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso paṭipadā”ti. These are the four kinds of practice.”

Tatiyaṁ.

Origin URL: https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=an4.163