• Numbered Discourses 4.14 Aį¹…guttara Nikāya 4.14
  • 2. Walking 2. Caravagga

Restraint Saṁvarasutta

ā€œMendicants, there are these four efforts. ā€œCattārimāni, bhikkhave, padhānāni. What four? Katamāni cattāri? The efforts to restrain, to give up, to develop, and to preserve. Saṁvarappadhānaṁ, pahānappadhānaṁ, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ.

And what, mendicants, is the effort to restrain? KatamaƱca, bhikkhave, saṁvarappadhānaṁ? When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rÅ«paṁ disvā na nimittaggāhÄ« hoti nānubyaƱjanaggāhÄ«. If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving its restraint. Yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ cakkhundriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paį¹­ipajjati, rakkhati cakkhundriyaṁ, cakkhundriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. When they hear a sound with their ears … Sotena saddaṁ sutvā … When they smell an odor with their nose … ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā … When they taste a flavor with their tongue … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … When they feel a touch with their body … kāyena phoį¹­į¹­habbaṁ phusitvā … When they know an idea with their mind, they don’t get caught up in the features and details. manasā dhammaṁ viƱƱāya na nimittaggāhÄ« hoti nānubyaƱjanaggāhÄ«, If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving its restraint. yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paį¹­ipajjati, rakkhati manindriyaṁ, manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. This is called the effort to restrain. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, saṁvarappadhānaṁ.

And what, mendicants, is the effort to give up? KatamaƱca, bhikkhave, pahānappadhānaṁ? It’s when a mendicant doesn’t tolerate a sensual, Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ kāmavitakkaṁ nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti byantÄ«karoti anabhāvaṁ gameti; malicious, uppannaṁ byāpādavitakkaṁ …pe… or cruel thought that’s arisen, but gives it up, gets rid of it, eliminates it, and obliterates it. uppannaṁ vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ …pe… They don’t tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen, but give them up, get rid of them, eliminate them, and obliterate them. uppannuppanne pāpake akusale dhamme nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti byantÄ«karoti anabhāvaṁ gameti. This is called the effort to give up. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, pahānappadhānaṁ.

And what, mendicants, is the effort to develop? KatamaƱca, bhikkhave, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ? It’s when a mendicant develops the awakening factors of mindfulness, Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu satisambojjhaį¹…gaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ, investigation of principles, dhammavicayasambojjhaį¹…gaṁ bhāveti … energy, vÄ«riyasambojjhaį¹…gaṁ bhāveti … rapture, pÄ«tisambojjhaį¹…gaṁ bhāveti … tranquility, passaddhisambojjhaį¹…gaṁ bhāveti … immersion, samādhisambojjhaį¹…gaṁ bhāveti … and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. upekkhāsambojjhaį¹…gaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ. This is called the effort to develop. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ.

And what, mendicants, is the effort to preserve? KatamaƱca, bhikkhave, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ? It’s when a mendicant preserves a meditation subject that’s a fine basis of immersion: the perception of a skeleton, a worm-infested corpse, a livid corpse, a split open corpse, or a bloated corpse. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ bhaddakaṁ samādhinimittaṁ anurakkhati aį¹­į¹­hikasaƱƱaṁ puįø·avakasaƱƱaṁ vinÄ«lakasaƱƱaṁ vicchiddakasaƱƱaṁ uddhumātakasaƱƱaṁ. This is called the effort to preserve. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ.

These are the four efforts. Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri padhānānīti.

Restraint and giving up, Saṁvaro ca pahānaƱca, development and preservation: bhāvanā anurakkhaṇā; these are the four efforts Ete padhānā cattāro, taught by the Kinsman of the Sun. desitādiccabandhunā; Any mendicant who keenly applies these Yehi bhikkhu idhātāpÄ«, may attain the ending of suffering.ā€ khayaṁ dukkhassa pāpuṇeā€ti.