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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

3: The Book of the Threes

II. The Chariot-maker — AN 3.16: Guaranteed

1“Mendicants, when a mendicant has three things their practice is guaranteed, and they have laid the groundwork for ending the defilements. What three? It’s when a mendicant guards the sense doors, eats in moderation, and is dedicated to wakefulness.

2And how does a mendicant guard the sense doors? When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of desire and aversion would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving its restraint. When they hear a sound with their ears … When they smell an odor with their nose … When they taste a flavor with their tongue … When they feel a touch with their body … When they know a thought with their mind, they don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of desire and aversion would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving its restraint. That’s how a mendicant guards the sense doors.

3And how does a mendicant eat in moderation? It’s when a mendicant reflects properly on the food that they eat: ‘Not for fun, indulgence, adornment, or decoration, but only to sustain this body, to avoid harm, and to support spiritual practice. In this way, I shall put an end to old discomfort and not give rise to new discomfort, and I will live blamelessly and at ease.’ That’s how a mendicant eats in moderation.

4And how is a mendicant dedicated to wakefulness? It’s when a mendicant practices walking and sitting meditation by day, purifying their mind from obstacles. In the evening, they continue to practice walking and sitting meditation. In the middle of the night, they lie down in the lion’s posture — on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other — mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up. In the last part of the night, they get up and continue to practice walking and sitting meditation, purifying their mind from obstacles. This is how a mendicant is dedicated to wakefulness.

When a mendicant has these three things their practice is guaranteed, and they have laid the groundwork for ending the defilements.”

1"Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu apaṇṇakapaṭipadaṁ paṭipanno hoti, yoni cassa āraddhā hoti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Katamehi tīhi? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu indriyesu guttadvāro hoti, bhojane mattaññū hoti, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto hoti.

2Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu indriyesu guttadvāro hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī. Yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ cakkhundriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati cakkhundriyaṁ, cakkhundriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. Sotena saddaṁ sutvā … ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā … manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī. Yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati manindriyaṁ, manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu indriyesu guttadvāro hoti.

3Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bhojane mattaññū hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paṭisaṅkhā yoniso āhāraṁ āhāreti:  ‘neva davāya na madāya na maṇḍanāya na vibhūsanāya, yāvadeva imassa kāyassa ṭhitiyā yāpanāya vihiṁsūparatiyā brahmacariyānuggahāya, iti purāṇañca vedanaṁ paṭihaṅkhāmi, navañca vedanaṁ na uppādessāmi, yātrā ca me bhavissati anavajjatā ca phāsuvihāro cā’ti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bhojane mattaññū hoti.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu jāgariyaṁ anuyutto hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu divasaṁ caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti, rattiyā paṭhamaṁ yāmaṁ caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti, rattiyā majjhimaṁ yāmaṁ dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṁ kappeti pāde pādaṁ accādhāya sato sampajāno uṭṭhānasaññaṁ manasi karitvā, rattiyā pacchimaṁ yāmaṁ paccuṭṭhāya caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu jāgariyaṁ anuyutto hoti.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu apaṇṇakapaṭipadaṁ paṭipanno hoti, yoni cassa āraddhā hoti āsavānaṁ khayāyā"ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.