HeartDhamma

AN 4.93 Learning Calm and Clarity (2)

Dutiyasamādhi Sutta

 

 

“Monks, there are four kinds of people living in this world. [1]

 

What are they?

 

Here monks,

(1) Some people are skilled at calming their mind internally, [2]

But they lack the higher wisdom

of seeing mental states with clarity. [3]

 

(2) Some people are skilled in the higher wisdom

of seeing mental states with clarity,

But they lack the ability

to calm their mind internally.

 

(3) Some people are unskilled at both

Calming their mind internally,

And the higher wisdom

of seeing mental states with clarity.

 

(4) Some people are skilled at both

Calming their mind internally,

And the higher wisdom

of seeing mental states with clarity.

 

[1. Skilled in Calm]

 

(1) Concerning those who are

skilled at calming their mind internally,

But lack in higher wisdom of seeing mental states with clarity;

 

Making use of their ability to calm their mind internally,

They should devote themselves to the higher wisdom

of seeing mental states with clarity. [4]

 

After some time,

they become skilled at both

calming their mind internally,

and the higher wisdom in mental states.

 

[2. Skilled in Clarity]

 

(2) Concerning those who are skilled in the higher wisdom

of seeing mental states with clarity

but lack [the ability to] calm their mind internally;

 

Making use of the higher wisdom

of seeing mental states with clarity,

They should devote themselves

to calming their mind internally. [5]

 

After some time,

They become skilled in both

the higher wisdom in mental states

And calming their mind internally.

 

[3. Skilled in Neither]

 

(3) Concerning those who lack both

[the ability to] calm their mind internally  [6]

and the higher wisdom of seeing mental states with clarity.

 

These should arouse tremendous

desire,

dedication,

perseverance,

persistence,

unremitting will,

presence of mind,

and full awareness,

for the accumulation of those wholesome qualities. [7]

 

[Analogy of Clothes on fire]

 

Just as if one who’s clothes and head were on fire

would arouse tremendous

desire,

dedication,

perseverance,

persistence,

unremitting will,

presence of mind,

and full awareness,

to put out the fire on their clothes and head;

 

So too monks,

These should arouse tremendous

desire,

dedication,

perseverance,

persistence,

unremitting will,

presence of mind,

and full awareness,

for the accumulation of these wholesome states.

 

After some time,

they become skilled in both

the higher wisdom in mental states

and calming their mind internally.

 

[4. Skilled in Both]

 

(4) Concerning those who are skilled in both

calming their mind internally

and the higher wisdom of seeing mental states with clarity;

 

Making use of these wholesome qualities,

they should devote themselves further

until the complete stilling of mental agitation.

 

These are the four kinds of people living in this world monks.

 

 

[1] Suttas AN IV 92-93-94 come together as a kind of trilogy. Please refer to all three translations and footnotes at AN IV 92 for better explanation and a more thorough picture.

[2] PED: Samatha [fr. śam, cp. BSk. śamatha] 1. calm, quietude of heart (ceto°); cessation of the Sankhāras — 2. settlement of legal questions (adhikaraṇa). 

[3] Interesting last comment under Samatha in the PED: ‘also separately “calm & intuition,” e. g. M i.494.’ Vipassanā as intuition.

[4]tena, bhikkhave, puggalena ajjhattaṁ cetosamathe patiṭṭhāya adhipaññādhammavipassanāya yogo karaṇīyo.

[5]adhipaññādhammavipassanāya patiṭṭhāya ajjhattaṁ cetosamathe yogo karaṇīyo.

[6] Alternative translations: ‘mental stillness within,’ ‘a settled mind inwardly,’ ‘resting the mind internally.’

[7] ‘adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ.’

 

 

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