Anaṅgaṇasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 5

Unblemished · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo anaṅgaṇova samāno ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ aṅgaṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—subhanimittaṁ na manasi karissati, tassa subhanimittassa amanasikārā rāgo cittaṁ nānuddhaṁsessati;
so arāgo adoso amoho anaṅgaṇo asaṅkiliṭṭhacitto kālaṁ karissati.
Seyyathāpi, āvuso, kaṁsapāti ābhatā āpaṇā vā kammārakulā vā parisuddhā pariyodātā.
Tamenaṁ sāmikā paribhuñjeyyuñceva pariyodapeyyuñca, na ca naṁ rajāpathe nikkhipeyyuṁ.
Evañhi sā, āvuso, kaṁsapāti aparena samayena parisuddhatarā assa pariyodātā”ti?
“Evamāvuso”ti.
“Evameva kho, āvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo anaṅgaṇova samāno ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ aṅgaṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—subhanimittaṁ na manasi karissati, tassa subhanimittassa amanasikārā rāgo cittaṁ nānuddhaṁsessati;
so arāgo adoso amoho anaṅgaṇo asaṅkiliṭṭhacitto kālaṁ karissati.

Take the case of the individual who doesn’t have a blemish and does understand it. You can expect that they won’t focus on the feature of beauty, and because of that, lust won’t infect their mind. And they will die without greed, hate, and delusion, unblemished, with an uncorrupted mind. Suppose a bronze cup was brought from a shop or smithy clean and bright. And the owners used it and had it cleaned, and didn’t keep it in a dirty place. Over time, wouldn’t that bronze cup get cleaner and brighter?” “Yes, reverend.” “In the same way, take the case of the individual who doesn’t have a blemish and does understand it. You can expect that … they will die with an uncorrupted mind.

Ayaṁ kho, āvuso moggallāna, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yenimesaṁ dvinnaṁ puggalānaṁ sāṅgaṇānaṁyeva sataṁ eko hīnapuriso akkhāyati, eko seṭṭhapuriso akkhāyati.
Ayaṁ panāvuso moggallāna, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yenimesaṁ dvinnaṁ puggalānaṁ anaṅgaṇānaṁyeva sataṁ eko hīnapuriso akkhāyati, eko seṭṭhapuriso akkhāyatī”ti.

This is the cause, this is the reason why, of the two individuals with a blemish, one is said to be worse and one better. And this is the cause, this is the reason why, of the two individuals without a blemish, one is said to be worse and one better.”

“Aṅgaṇaṁ aṅgaṇanti, āvuso, vuccati.
Kissa nu kho etaṁ, āvuso, adhivacanaṁ yadidaṁ aṅgaṇan”ti?
“Pāpakānaṁ kho etaṁ, āvuso, akusalānaṁ icchāvacarānaṁ adhivacanaṁ, yadidaṁ aṅgaṇan”ti.

“Reverend, the word ‘blemish’ is spoken of. But what is ‘blemish’ a term for?” “Reverend, ‘blemish’ is a term for the spheres of bad, unskillful wishes.

“Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, vijjati yaṁ idhekaccassa bhikkhuno evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
‘āpattiñca vata āpanno assaṁ, na ca maṁ bhikkhū jāneyyuṁ āpattiṁ āpanno’ti.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, vijjati yaṁ taṁ bhikkhuṁ bhikkhū jāneyyuṁ:
‘āpattiṁ āpanno’ti.
‘Jānanti maṁ bhikkhū āpattiṁ āpanno’ti—
iti so kupito hoti appatīto.
Yo ceva kho, āvuso, kopo yo ca appaccayo—
ubhayametaṁ aṅgaṇaṁ.

It’s possible that some mendicant might wish: ‘If I commit an offense, I hope the mendicants don’t find out!’ But it’s possible that the mendicants do find out that that mendicant has committed an offense. Thinking, ‘The mendicants have found out about my offense,’ they get angry and bitter. And that anger and that bitterness are both blemishes.

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, vijjati yaṁ idhekaccassa bhikkhuno evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
‘āpattiñca vata āpanno assaṁ, anuraho maṁ bhikkhū codeyyuṁ, no saṅghamajjhe’ti.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, vijjati yaṁ taṁ bhikkhuṁ bhikkhū saṅghamajjhe codeyyuṁ, no anuraho.
‘Saṅghamajjhe maṁ bhikkhū codenti, no anuraho’ti—
iti so kupito hoti appatīto.
Yo ceva kho, āvuso, kopo yo ca appaccayo—
ubhayametaṁ aṅgaṇaṁ.

It’s possible that some mendicant might wish: ‘If I commit an offense, I hope the mendicants accuse me in private, not in the middle of the Saṅgha.’ But it’s possible that the mendicants do accuse that mendicant in the middle of the Saṅgha …

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, vijjati yaṁ idhekaccassa bhikkhuno evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
‘āpattiñca vata āpanno assaṁ, sappaṭipuggalo maṁ codeyya, no appaṭipuggalo’ti.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, vijjati yaṁ taṁ bhikkhuṁ appaṭipuggalo codeyya, no sappaṭipuggalo.
‘Appaṭipuggalo maṁ codeti, no sappaṭipuggalo’ti—
iti so kupito hoti appatīto.
Yo ceva kho, āvuso, kopo yo ca appaccayo—
ubhayametaṁ aṅgaṇaṁ.

It’s possible that some mendicant might wish: ‘If I commit an offense, I hope I’m accused by a peer, not by someone who is not a peer.’ But it’s possible that someone who is not a peer accuses that mendicant …

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, vijjati yaṁ idhekaccassa bhikkhuno evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
‘aho vata mameva satthā paṭipucchitvā paṭipucchitvā bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ deseyya, na aññaṁ bhikkhuṁ satthā paṭipucchitvā paṭipucchitvā bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ deseyyā’ti.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, vijjati yaṁ aññaṁ bhikkhuṁ satthā paṭipucchitvā paṭipucchitvā bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ deseyya, na taṁ bhikkhuṁ satthā paṭipucchitvā paṭipucchitvā bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ deseyya.
‘Aññaṁ bhikkhuṁ satthā paṭipucchitvā paṭipucchitvā bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ deseti, na maṁ satthā paṭipucchitvā paṭipucchitvā bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ desetī’ti—
iti so kupito hoti appatīto.
Yo ceva kho, āvuso, kopo yo ca appaccayo—
ubhayametaṁ aṅgaṇaṁ.

It’s possible that some mendicant might wish: ‘Oh, I hope the Teacher will teach the mendicants by repeatedly questioning me alone, not some other mendicant.’ But it’s possible that the Teacher will teach the mendicants by repeatedly questioning some other mendicant …

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, vijjati yaṁ idhekaccassa bhikkhuno evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
‘aho vata mameva bhikkhū purakkhatvā purakkhatvā gāmaṁ bhattāya paviseyyuṁ, na aññaṁ bhikkhuṁ bhikkhū purakkhatvā purakkhatvā gāmaṁ bhattāya paviseyyun’ti.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, vijjati yaṁ aññaṁ bhikkhuṁ bhikkhū purakkhatvā purakkhatvā gāmaṁ bhattāya paviseyyuṁ, na taṁ bhikkhuṁ bhikkhū purakkhatvā purakkhatvā gāmaṁ bhattāya paviseyyuṁ.
‘Aññaṁ bhikkhuṁ bhikkhū purakkhatvā purakkhatvā gāmaṁ bhattāya pavisanti, na maṁ bhikkhū purakkhatvā purakkhatvā gāmaṁ bhattāya pavisantī’ti—
iti so kupito hoti appatīto.
Yo ceva kho, āvuso, kopo yo ca appaccayo—
ubhayametaṁ aṅgaṇaṁ.

It’s possible that some mendicant might wish: ‘Oh, I hope the mendicants will enter the village for the meal putting me at the very front, not some other mendicant.’ But it’s possible that the mendicants will enter the village for the meal putting some other mendicant at the very front …

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