Anaṅgaṇasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 5

Unblemished · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi:
“āvuso bhikkhave”ti.
“Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ.
Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, mendicants!” “Reverend,” they replied. Sāriputta said this:

“Reverends, these four individuals are found in the world. What four? One individual with a blemish doesn’t truly understand: ‘There is a blemish in me.’ But another individual with a blemish does truly understand: ‘There is a blemish in me.’ One individual without a blemish doesn’t truly understand: ‘There is no blemish in me.’ But another individual without a blemish does truly understand: ‘There is no blemish in me.’ In this case, of the two individuals with a blemish, the one who doesn’t understand is said to be worse, while the one who does understand is better. And of the two individuals without a blemish, the one who doesn’t understand is said to be worse, while the one who does understand is better.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā mahāmoggallāno āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:
“Ko nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, hetu ko paccayo yenimesaṁ dvinnaṁ puggalānaṁ sāṅgaṇānaṁyeva sataṁ eko hīnapuriso akkhāyati, eko seṭṭhapuriso akkhāyati?
Ko panāvuso sāriputta, hetu ko paccayo yenimesaṁ dvinnaṁ puggalānaṁ anaṅgaṇānaṁyeva sataṁ eko hīnapuriso akkhāyati, eko seṭṭhapuriso akkhāyatī”ti?

When he said this, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said to him: “What is the cause, Reverend Sāriputta, what is the reason why, of the two individuals with a blemish, one is said to be worse and one better? And what is the cause, what is the reason why, of the two individuals without a blemish, one is said to be worse and one better?”

“Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo sāṅgaṇova samāno ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ aṅgaṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—na chandaṁ janessati na vāyamissati na vīriyaṁ ārabhissati tassaṅgaṇassa pahānāya;
so sarāgo sadoso samoho sāṅgaṇo saṅkiliṭṭhacitto kālaṁ karissati.
Seyyathāpi, āvuso, kaṁsapāti ābhatā āpaṇā vā kammārakulā vā rajena ca malena ca pariyonaddhā.
Tamenaṁ sāmikā na ceva paribhuñjeyyuṁ na ca pariyodapeyyuṁ, rajāpathe ca naṁ nikkhipeyyuṁ.
Evañhi sā, āvuso, kaṁsapāti aparena samayena saṅkiliṭṭhatarā assa malaggahitā”ti?
“Evamāvuso”ti.
“Evameva kho, āvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo sāṅgaṇova samāno ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ aṅgaṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—na chandaṁ janessati na vāyamissati na vīriyaṁ ārabhissati tassaṅgaṇassa pahānāya;
so sarāgo sadoso samoho sāṅgaṇo saṅkiliṭṭhacitto kālaṁ karissati.

“Reverends, take the case of the individual who has a blemish and does not understand it. You can expect that they won’t generate enthusiasm, make an effort, or rouse up energy to give up that blemish. And they will die with greed, hate, and delusion, blemished, with a corrupted mind. Suppose a bronze cup was brought from a shop or smithy enveloped with dirt or stains. And the owners neither used it or had it cleaned, but kept it in a dirty place. Over time, wouldn’t that bronze cup get even dirtier and more stained?” “Yes, reverend.” “In the same way, take the case of the individual who has a blemish and does not understand it. You can expect that … they will die with a corrupted mind.

Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo sāṅgaṇova samāno ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ aṅgaṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—chandaṁ janessati vāyamissati vīriyaṁ ārabhissati tassaṅgaṇassa pahānāya;
so arāgo adoso amoho anaṅgaṇo asaṅkiliṭṭhacitto kālaṁ karissati.
Seyyathāpi, āvuso, kaṁsapāti ābhatā āpaṇā vā kammārakulā vā rajena ca malena ca pariyonaddhā.
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 sāṅgaṇova samāno ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ aṅgaṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—chandaṁ janessati vāyamissati vīriyaṁ ārabhissati tassaṅgaṇassa pahānāya;
so arāgo adoso amoho anaṅgaṇo asaṅkiliṭṭhacitto kālaṁ karissati.

Take the case of the individual who has a blemish and does understand it. You can expect that they will generate enthusiasm, make an effort, and rouse up energy to give up that blemish. 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 enveloped with dirt or stains. But 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 has a blemish and does understand it. You can expect that … they will die with an uncorrupted mind.

Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo anaṅgaṇova samāno ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ aṅgaṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—subhanimittaṁ manasi karissati, tassa subhanimittassa manasikārā rāgo cittaṁ anuddhaṁsessati;
so sarāgo sadoso samoho sāṅgaṇo saṅkiliṭṭhacitto kālaṁ karissati.
Seyyathāpi, āvuso, kaṁsapāti ābhatā āpaṇā vā kammārakulā vā parisuddhā pariyodātā.
Tamenaṁ sāmikā na ceva paribhuñjeyyuṁ na ca pariyodapeyyuṁ, rajāpathe ca naṁ nikkhipeyyuṁ.
Evañhi sā, āvuso, kaṁsapāti aparena samayena saṅkiliṭṭhatarā assa malaggahitā”ti?
“Evamāvuso”ti.
“Evameva kho, āvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo anaṅgaṇova samāno ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ aṅgaṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, tassetaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—subhanimittaṁ manasi karissati, tassa subhanimittassa manasikārā rāgo cittaṁ anuddhaṁsessati;
so sarāgo sadoso samoho sāṅgaṇo saṅkiliṭṭhacitto kālaṁ karissati.

Take the case of the individual who doesn’t have a blemish but does not understand it. You can expect that they will focus on the feature of beauty, and because of that, lust will infect their mind. And they will die with greed, hate, and delusion, blemished, with a corrupted mind. Suppose a bronze cup was brought from a shop or smithy clean and bright. And the owners neither used it or had it cleaned, but kept it in a dirty place. Over time, wouldn’t that bronze cup get dirtier and more stained?” “Yes, reverend.” “In the same way, take the case of the individual who has no blemish and does not understand it. You can expect that … they will die with a corrupted mind.

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