Aṭṭhakanāgara Sutta
Thus have I heard,[1]
Once, the venerable Ānanda lived in Vesāli in a town called Beluva.[2] Then, the householder Dasama, from the city of Aṭṭhaka, arrived in Pāṭaliputta, attending to some errands.
Afterwards, he went to Kukkuṭa’s monastery,[3] approached a certain monk, paid loving respects and sat to the side and asked:
“Bhante, where is the venerable Ānanda staying these days? I long to see the venerable Ānanda.”[4]
The monk replied: “The venerable Ānanda currently resides in Vesāli, in Beluva town.”
Once Dasama’s errands were completed,
he went to Vesāli, to Beluva town and approached the Venerable Ānanda, paid loving respects, sat to the side.
and asked:
Ekadhammo #
“Bhane Ānanda, did the Awakened one,
who knows and sees,
the arahant and fully awakened Buddha,
speak of one thing by which a wanderer
who lives intently and devotedly, could,
in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.[5]
Venerable Ānanda: “He did, Dasama!”[6]
Dasama: “What is the one thing Bhante?”[7]
1. First Jhāna #
Letting go of all sensory engagement,
and letting go of unwholesome mental states,
still attended by thinking and imagining,
with the joy born of letting go,
one experiences the first level of meditation.
Wisdom #
Then, one reflects in this way: [8]
This first level of meditation is conditioned,
crafted by intention.[9]
But what is conditioned and intentionally created,
is impermanent,
of a nature to pass.[10]
Vipāka #
As one remains in that space,
one is lead to the stilling of the mental effluents.[11]
If one does not arrive at the stilling of the mental effluents,
because of one’s passion for Dhamma,
one’s delight in Dhamma,[12]
after the five coarse fetters have been exhausted[13]
one becomes a spontaneous reappearer[14]
and from that higher world,
one become fully exstinguished,
not subject to coming back.[15]
This is one thing that the Awakened one stated,
by which a wanderer who lives intently and devotedly,
could, in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.
2. Second Jhāna #
At some other time,
with the calming of thinking and reflection,
experiencing inner calmness,
as the mind becomes unified,
without thinking and reflection,
with the joy born of mental collectedness,
one experiences the second level of meditation.
Wisdom #
Then, one reflects in this way:
This second level of meditation is conditioned,
crafted by intention.
But what is conditioned and intentionally created,
is impermanent,
of a nature to pass.
Vipāka #
As one remains in that space,
one is lead to the stilling of the mental effluents.
If one does not arrive at the stilling of the mental effluents,
because of one’s passion for Dhamma,
one’s delight in Dhamma,
after the five coarse fetters have been exhausted
one becomes a spontaneous reappearer,
and from that higher world,
one become fully exstinguished,
not subject to coming back.
This is one thing that the Awakened one stated,
by which a wanderer who lives intently and devotedly,
could, in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.
3. Third Jhāna #
At some other time,
with the calming of bliss,
one abides in mental steadiness,
present and fully aware,
experiencing happiness within one’s body,
a state which the awakened ones describe as:
“Steady presence of mind:
This is a pleasant abiding.”
one experiences the third level of meditation.
Wisdom #
Then, one reflects in this way:
This third level of meditation is conditioned, crafted by intention.
But what is conditioned and intentionally created
is impermanent,
of a nature to pass away.
Vipāka #
As one remains in that space,
one is lead to the stilling of the mental effluents.
If one does not arrive at the stilling of the mental effluents,
because of one’s passion for Dhamma,
one’s delight in Dhamma,
after the five coarse fetters have been exhausted
one becomes a spontaneous reappearer,
and from that higher world,
one become fully exstinguished,
not subject to coming back.
This is one thing that the Awakened one stated,
by which a wanderer who lives intently and devotedly,
could, in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.
4. Fourth Jhāna #
At some other time,
unattached to pleasant sensations,
unagitated by unpleasant ones,
as mental excitement and heaviness settle,
one’s mind is balanced,
purified by unmoving presence,
one experiences the fourth level of meditation.
Wisdom #
Then, one reflects in this way:
This fourth level of meditation is conditioned,
crafted by intention.
But what is conditioned and intentionally created
is impermanent,
of a nature to pass away.
Vipāka #
As one remains in that space,
one is lead to the stilling of the mental effluents.
If one does not arrive at the stilling of the mental effluents,
because of one’s passion for Dhamma,
one’s delight in Dhamma,
after the five coarse fetters have been exhausted
one becomes a spontaneous reappearer,
and from that higher world,
one become fully exstinguished,
not subject to coming back.
This is one thing that the Awakened one stated,
by which a wanderer who lives intently and devotedly,
could, in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.
5. Boundless Love #
At some other time, one meditates,
With a heart filled with boundless love;
Suffusing one direction,
a second, a third, and a fourth.
Above, below,
and everywhere across.
To all living beings
in this boundless universe.
One meditates with a heart filled with love,
vast, expansive, measureless,
free from anger and impatience.[16]
Wisdom #
Then, one reflects in this way:
‘This liberation of the heart by boundless love is
conditioned,
crafted by intention.
But what is conditioned and intentionally created
is impermanent,
of a nature to pass away.’
Vipāka #
As one remains in that space,
one is lead to the stilling of the mental effluents.
If one does not arrive at the stilling of the mental effluents,
because of one’s passion for Dhamma,
one’s delight in Dhamma,
after the five coarse fetters have been exhausted
one becomes a spontaneous reappearer,
and from that higher world,
one become fully exstinguished,
not subject to coming back.
This is one thing that the Awakened one stated,
by which a wanderer who lives intently and devotedly,
could, in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.
6. Boundless Compassion #
At some other time, one meditates,
with a heart filled with boundless compassion;
Suffusing one direction,
a second, a third, and a fourth.
Above, below,
and everywhere across.
To all living beings
in this boundless universe.
One meditates with a heart filled with boundless compassion,
vast, expansive, measureless,
free from anger and impatience
Wisdom #
Then, one reflects in this way:
This liberation of the heart
by boundless compassion
is conditioned,
crafted by intention.
But what is conditioned and intentionally created
is impermanent,
of a nature to pass away.
Vipāka #
As one remains in that space,
one is lead to the stilling of the mental effluents.
If one does not arrive at the stilling of the mental effluents,
because of one’s passion for Dhamma,
one’s delight in Dhamma,
after the five coarse fetters have been exhausted
one becomes a spontaneous reappearer,
and from that higher world,
one become fully exstinguished,
not subject to coming back.
This is one thing that the Awakened one stated,
by which a wanderer who lives intently and devotedly,
could, in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.
7. Boundless Joy #
At some other time, one meditates,
with a heart filled with boundless joy;
suffusing one direction,
a second, a third, and a fourth.
Above, below,
and everywhere across.
To all living beings
in this boundless universe.
One meditates with a heart filled with Boundless Joy,
vast, expansive, measureless,
free from anger and impatience
Wisdom #
Then, one reflects in this way:
‘This liberation of the heart by boundless joy is
conditioned,
crafted by intention.
But what is conditioned and intentionally created
is impermanent,
of a nature to pass away.’
Vipāka #
As one remains in that space,
one is lead to the stilling of the mental effluents.
If one does not arrive at the stilling of the mental effluents,
because of one’s passion for Dhamma,
one’s delight in Dhamma,
after the five coarse fetters have been exhausted
one becomes a spontaneous reappearer,
and from that higher world,
one become fully exstinguished,
not subject to coming back.
This is one thing that the Awakened one stated,
by which a wanderer who lives intently and devotedly,
could, in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.
8. Boundless Calm #
At some other time, one meditates,
with a heart filled with boundless calm;
suffusing one direction,
a second, a third, and a fourth.
Above, below,
and everywhere across.
To all living beings
in this boundless universe.
One meditates with a heart filled with boundless calm,
vast, expansive, measureless,
free from anger and impatience
Wisdom #
Then, one reflects in this way:
‘This liberation of the heart by boundless calm is
conditioned,
crafted by intention.
But what is conditioned and intentionally created
is impermanent,
of a nature to pass away.’
Vipāka #
As one remains in that space,
one is lead to the stilling of the mental effluents.
If one does not arrive at the stilling of the mental effluents,
because of one’s passion for Dhamma,
one’s delight in Dhamma,
after the five coarse fetters have been exhausted
one becomes a spontaneous reappearer,
and from that higher world,
one become fully exstinguished,
not subject to coming back.
This is one thing that the Awakened one stated,
by which a wanderer who lives intently and devotedly,
could, in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.
9. Endless Space #
At some other time,
leaving behind all perception of form,
with the fading away of sensory awareness,
turning away from the perception of plurality,
aware of endless space.
one experiences the plane of endless space.
Wisdom #
Then, one reflects in this way:
‘This plane of endless space is conditioned,
crafted by intention.
But what is conditioned and intentionally created
is impermanent,
of a nature to pass away.’
Vipāka #
As one remains in that space,
one is lead to the stilling of the mental effluents.
If one does not arrive at the stilling of the mental effluents,
because of one’s passion for Dhamma,
one’s delight in Dhamma,
after the five coarse fetters have been exhausted
one becomes a spontaneous reappearer,
and from that higher world,
one become fully exstinguished,
not subject to coming back.
This is one thing that the Awakened one stated,
by which a wanderer who lives intently and devotedly,
could, in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.
10. Endless Consciousness #
At some other time,
leaving behind the plane of endless space,
aware of endless consciousness,
one experiences the plane of endless consciousness.
Wisdom #
Then, one reflects in this way:
‘This plane of endless consciousness is conditioned,
crafted by intention.
But what is conditioned and intentionally created
is impermanent,
of a nature to pass away.’
Vipāka #
As one remains in that space,
one is lead to the stilling of the mental effluents.
If one does not arrive at the stilling of the mental effluents,
because of one’s passion for Dhamma,
one’s delight in Dhamma,
after the five coarse fetters have been exhausted
one becomes a spontaneous reappearer,
and from that higher world,
one become fully exstinguished,
not subject to coming back.
This is one thing that the Awakened one stated,
by which a wanderer who lives intently and devotedly,
could, in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.
11. Bare Awareness #
At some other time,
leaving behind the plane of endless consciousness,
aware of nothing [in particular],
one experiences the plane of bare awareness.
Wisdom #
Then, one reflects in this way:
‘This plane of bare awareness is conditioned,
crafted by intention.
But what is conditioned and intentionally created
is impermanent,
of a nature to pass away.’
Vipāka #
As one remains in that space,
one is lead to the stilling of the mental effluents.
If one does not arrive at the stilling of the mental effluents,
because of one’s passion for Dhamma,
one’s delight in Dhamma,
after the five coarse fetters have been exhausted
one becomes a spontaneous reappearer,
and from that higher world,
one become fully exstinguished,
not subject to coming back.
This is one thing that the Awakened one stated,
by which a wanderer who lives intently and devotedly,
could, in no time,
liberate their unliberated minds,
still their mentals effluents,
and arrive at the sublime freedom from attachment.
Conclusion #
When this was said, the householder Dasama replied:
“Bhante, just like a man was looking for the entrance to a treasure and instead encountered eleven entrances to a treasure.[17]
In the same way, Bhante, I was looking for a door to the deathless, but instead, eleven doors have become manifest.[18]
Just as if there were eleven doors in a house,
so when the house would burn down,
one could save oneself and flee to safety
by each one of those doors.[19]
In the same way, Bhante,
one can save oneself and flee to safety
by each one of these doors to the deathless.[20]
It is for sure, Bhante, that other spiritual traditions would ask for a donation for the teacher.
So, how much more for the venerable Ānanda,
how could I not give a donation?[21]
Then, Dasama from Āṭṭhakanāgara went to Pāṭaliputta and assembled the entire bhikkhu saṅgha of Vesāli,
served them food and satiated them with a meal,
with his own hand.
He gave each of them the requisites of two pieces of fabric.
He then presented the venerable Ānanda with triple robes, and built a residence worth five hundred for him.[22]
[1] This same teaching is found at AN 11.16, in almost identical phrasing except perhaps for the use of ekadhammo akkhāto here, and ekadhammo sammadakkhāto in the AN version. Again, teachings which are repeated across nikāyas are particularly noteworthy for their recurrence in another source.
[2] beluvagāmake. Bilva: Bael Fruit, Aegle Marmelos;
[3] kukkuṭārāmo
[4] Dassanakāmā hi mayaṁ taṁ āyasmantaṁ ānandan”ti.
[5] “atthi nu kho, bhante ānanda, tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena ekadhammo akkhāto yattha bhikkhuno appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato avimuttañceva cittaṁ vimuccati, aparikkhīṇā ca āsavā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, ananuppattañca anuttaraṁ yogakkhemaṁ anupāpuṇātī”ti?
[6] “Atthi kho… There is… then repeating the ewhole paragraph above. I will abridge here for the sake of clarity and readability. It comes at the next statement by Dasama aswell.
[7] “Katamo pana… What is… that one thing… Again, the whole repetition.
[8] So iti paṭisañcikkhati:
[9] abhisaṅkhataṁ abhisañcetayitaṁ.
[10] Yaṁ kho pana kiñci abhisaṅkhataṁ abhisañcetayitaṁ
tadaniccaṁ nirodhadhamman’ti pajānāti.
[11] So tattha ṭhito āsavānaṁ khayaṁ pāpuṇāti. ṭhita 1 pp. stood; stood still; ṭhita 2 pp. stationary; stable; stabilised; motionless; immovable; lit. stood; ṭhita 3 pp. remained; stayed; was; ṭhita 4 pp. founded (on); based (on); supported (on); lit. stood; ṭhita 6 pp. standing (for); supporting; lit. stood; ṭhita 7 pp. situated (in); standing (in); remaining (in); lit. stood; ṭhita 8 pp. positioned; orientated; lit. stood.
[12] No ce āsavānaṁ khayaṁ pāpuṇāti, teneva dhammarāgena tāya dhammanandiyā… pāpuṇāti 1 pr. reaches; arrives (at); comes (to); pāpuṇāti 2 pr. attains; experiences; lit. reaches; pāpuṇāti 3 pr. (gram) becomes; changes into; lit. reaches. Sanskrit प्राप्नोति (prāpnoti), which means “he/she/it attains,” “reaches,” or “obtains.” root “prāpt” meaning “to attain” or “to reach.” Sinhala: ප්රාප්තවෙනවා (prāptavenavā) attain, reach. Hindi: प्राप्त करना (prāpt karnā) “to obtain,” “to reach,” or “to attain.” Marathi: प्राप्त होणे (prāpt hōṇē) “to attain” or “to reach.”
[13] pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko hoti
[14] opapātiko: lit. One who is instantly reappearing or reborn. Arisen without visible cause, spontaneous rebirth, without the normal birth process of humans, through mother and father. This kind of rebirth is taken without dependence on a mother and a father. Apparently, this kind of birth is possible in most deva worlds, although often associated with the higher Brahma planes since it is the only way to be “born” in a Brahma world, whereas, in a deva world, beings can be born from a womb, from an egg or spontaneously. There are different kinds of birth.
[15] tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā.
[16] mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ. Iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyābajjhena pharitvā viharati.
[17] puriso ekaṁva nidhimukhaṁ gavesanto sakideva ekādasa nidhimukhāni adhigaccheyya;
[18] ekaṁ amatadvāraṁ gavesanto sakideva ekādasa amatadvārāni alatthaṁ bhāvanāya.
[19] Seyyathāpi, bhante, purisassa agāraṁ ekādasadvāraṁ,
so tasmiṁ agāre āditte
ekamekenapi dvārena sakkuṇeyya attānaṁ sotthiṁ kātuṁ;
[20] evameva kho ahaṁ, bhante, imesaṁ ekādasannaṁ amatadvārānaṁ ekamekenapi matadvārena sakkuṇissāmi attānaṁ sotthiṁ kātuṁ.
[21] Imehi nāma, bhante, aññatitthiyā ācariyassa ācariyadhanaṁ pariyesissanti, kimaṅgaṁ panāhaṁ āyasmato ānandassa pūjaṁ na karissāmī”ti.
[22] Atha kho dasamo gahapati aṭṭhakanāgaro pāṭaliputtakañca vesālikañca bhikkhusaṅghaṁ sannipātetvā paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi, ekamekañca bhikkhuṁ paccekaṁ dussayugena acchādesi, āyasmantañca ānandaṁ ticīvarena acchādesi, āyasmato ca ānandassa pañcasatavihāraṁ kārāpesīti.
