1. At Wares Village

Understood

an4.1:1 So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Vajjis at Wares Village. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

an4.1:2 “Mendicants, due to not understanding and not penetrating four things, both you and I have wandered astray for such a very long time. What four? Noble ethics, immersion, wisdom, and freedom. These noble ethics, immersion, wisdom, and freedom have been understood and comprehended. Craving for worldly life has been cut off; the leash to the world is ended; now there’ll be no more wandering astray.”

an4.1:3 That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

an4.1:4 “Ethics, immersion, and wisdom, and the supreme freedom: these things have been understood by Gotama the renowned.

an4.1:5 And so the Buddha, having insight, explained this teaching to the mendicants. The teacher made an end of suffering, seeing clearly, he is fully quenched.”

1. At Wares Village

Fallen

an4.2:1 “Someone without four things is said to have ‘fallen from this teaching and training’. What four? Noble ethics, immersion, wisdom, and freedom. Someone without these four things is said to have ‘fallen from this teaching and training’.

an4.2:2 Someone with four things is said to be ‘secure in this teaching and training’. What four? Noble ethics, immersion, wisdom, and freedom. Someone with these four things is said to be ‘secure in this teaching and training’.

an4.2:3 They fall, collapsed and fallen; greedy, they return. The work is done, the joyful is enjoyed, happiness is found through happiness.”

1. At Wares Village

Broken (1st)

an4.3:1 “When a foolish, incompetent untrue person has four qualities they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness. What four? Without examining or scrutinizing, they praise those deserving of criticism, and they criticize those deserving of praise. They arouse faith in things that are dubious, and they don’t arouse faith in things that are inspiring. When a foolish, incompetent untrue person has these four qualities they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness.

an4.3:2 When an astute, competent true person has four qualities they keep themselves intact and unscathed. They don’t deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much merit. What four? After examining and scrutinizing, they criticize those deserving of criticism, and they praise those deserving of praise. They don’t arouse faith in things that are dubious, and they do arouse faith in things that are inspiring. When an astute, competent true person has these four qualities they keep themselves healthy and whole. They don’t deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much merit.

an4.3:3 When you praise someone worthy of criticism, or criticize someone worthy of praise, you choose a losing hand with your own mouth: you’ll never find happiness that way.

an4.3:4 A losing hand at dice is a trivial thing, if all you lose is your money and all you own, even yourself. What’s a really terrible hand is to hate the holy ones.

an4.3:5 For a hundred thousand times a hundred million, times five hundred and thirty-six times <j>a thousand times ten million years a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell, having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”

1. At Wares Village

Broken (2nd)

an4.4:1 “When a foolish, incompetent untrue person acts wrongly toward four people they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness. What four? Mother … father … a Realized One … and a disciple of a Realized One. When a foolish, incompetent untrue person acts wrongly toward these four people they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness.

an4.4:2 When an astute, competent true person acts rightly toward four individuals they keep themselves intact and unscathed. They don’t deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much merit. What four? Mother … father … a Realized One … and a disciple of a Realized One. When an astute, competent true person acts rightly toward these four people they keep themselves healthy and whole. They don’t deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much merit.

an4.4:3 A person who does wrong by their mother or father, or a Realized One, a Buddha, or one of their disciples, brims with much wickedness.

an4.4:4 Because of their unprincipled conduct toward their parents, they’re criticized in this life by the astute, and they depart to a place of loss.

an4.4:5 A person who does right by their mother and father, or a Realized One, a Buddha, or one of their disciples, brims with much merit.

an4.4:6 Because of their principled conduct toward their parents, they’re praised in this life by the astute, and they depart to rejoice in the Garden.”

1. At Wares Village

With the Stream

an4.5:1 “These four individuals are found in the world. What four? An individual who goes with the stream; an individual who goes against the stream; a steadfast individual; and a brahmin who has crossed over, gone to the far shore, and stands on solid ground. And who is the individual who goes with the stream? It’s an individual who indulges in sensual pleasures and does bad deeds. This is called an individual who goes with the stream.

an4.5:2 And who is the individual who goes against the stream? It’s an individual who doesn’t indulge in sensual pleasures or do bad deeds. They live the full and pure spiritual life in pain and sadness, weeping, with tearful faces. This is called an individual who goes against the stream.

an4.5:3 And who is the steadfast individual? It’s an individual who, with the ending of the five lower fetters, attains salvation. They are not liable to fall back. This is called a steadfast individual.

an4.5:4 And who is a brahmin who has crossed over, gone to the far shore, and stands on solid ground? It’s an individual who realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements. This is called a brahmin who has crossed over, gone to the far shore, and stands on solid ground. These are the four individuals found in the world.

an4.5:5 All those people with unbridled sensuality, not free of lust, enjoying sensual pleasures in this life: again and again, they return to birth and old age; those who go with the stream are sunk in craving.

an4.5:6 So the attentive in this life, <j>with mindfulness established, don’t take part in sensual pleasures and bad deeds. In pain they’d give up sensual pleasures: they call that individual <j>‘one who goes against the stream’.

an4.5:7 Someone who’s given up five corruptions, a perfect trainee, not liable to decline, who’s mastered their mind, <j>with faculties immersed in samādhi, that man is called ‘steadfast’.

an4.5:8 The sage who has comprehended all things, <j>high and low, cleared them and ended them, so they are no more; they’ve completed the spiritual journey <j>and gone to the end of the world, they’re called ‘one who has gone beyond’.”

1. At Wares Village

A Little Learning

an4.6:1 “Mendicants, these four individuals are found in the world. What four? They may have: Little learning and not get the point of learning. Little learning but get the point of learning. Much learning but not get the point of learning. Much learning and get the point of learning. And how has an individual learned little and not got the point of learning? It’s when an individual has learned little of the statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of earlier generations, amazing stories, and elaborations. And with the little they’ve learned, they understand neither the meaning nor the teaching, nor do they practice in line with the teaching. That’s how an individual has learned little and not got the point of learning.

an4.6:2 And how has an individual learned little but has got the point of learning? It’s when an individual has learned little of the statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of earlier generations, amazing stories, and elaborations. But with the little they’ve learned, they understand the meaning and the teaching, and they practice in line with the teaching. That’s how an individual has learned little but has got the point of learning.

an4.6:3 And how has an individual learned much but hasn’t got the point of learning? It’s when an individual has learned much of the statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of earlier generations, amazing stories, and elaborations. But even though they’ve learned much, they understand neither the meaning nor the teaching, nor do they practice in line with the teaching. That’s how an individual has learned much but hasn’t got the point of learning.

an4.6:4 And how has an individual learned much and has got the point of learning? It’s when an individual has learned much of the statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of earlier generations, amazing stories, and elaborations. And with the large amount they’ve learned, they understand the meaning and the teaching, and they practice in line with the teaching. That’s how an individual has learned much and has got the point of learning. These are the four individuals found in the world.

an4.6:5 If you don’t learn much, and aren’t steady in ethics, they’ll criticize you on both counts, for your ethics and your learning.

an4.6:6 If you don’t learn much, and you are steady in ethics, they’ll praise your ethical conduct, since your learning has succeeded.

an4.6:7 If you learn much, but aren’t steady in ethics, they’ll criticize your ethical conduct, for your learning hasn’t succeeded.

an4.6:8 If you learn much, and you are steady in ethics, they’ll praise you on both counts, for your ethics and your learning.

an4.6:9 A wise disciple of the Buddha who is learned and has memorized the teachings; like a pendant of Black Plum River gold, who is worthy to criticize them? Even the angels praise them, and by the angels, too, they’re praised.”

1. At Wares Village

Grace

an4.7:1 “Mendicants, these four who are competent, educated, self-assured, and learned, who have memorized the teachings and practice in line with the teaching, grace the Saṅgha. What four? A monk, a nun, a layman, and a laywoman. These four who are competent, educated, self-assured, and learned, who have memorized the teachings and practice in line with the teaching, grace the Saṅgha.

an4.7:2 Whoever is competent and self-assured, learned, a memorizer of the teachings, who lives in line with the teaching— such a one is said to grace the Saṅgha.

an4.7:3 A monk accomplished in ethics, and a learned nun, a faithful layman, and a faithful laywoman, too: these grace the Saṅgha, they are the graces of the Saṅgha.”

1. At Wares Village

Self-assured

an4.8:1 “Mendicants, a Realized One possesses four kinds of self-assurance. With these he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the divine wheel. What four? I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, angel, Satan, or any other being in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘You claim to be a fully awakened Buddha, but you don’t understand these things.’ Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and self-assured.

an4.8:2 I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, angel, Satan, or any other being in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘You claim to have ended all defilements, but you still have these defilements.’ Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and self-assured.

an4.8:3 I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, angel, Satan, or any other being in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘The acts that you say are obstructions are not really obstructions for the one who performs them.’ Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and self-assured.

an4.8:4 I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, angel, Satan, or any other being in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘Regardless of your goal in teaching the Dhamma, it does not deliver one who applies it to the complete ending of suffering.’ Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and self-assured. A Realized One possesses these four kinds of self-assurance. With these he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the divine wheel.

an4.8:5 The various grounds for criticism that ascetics and brahmins rely on vanish on reaching a Realized One, self-assured, gone beyond grounds for criticism.

an4.8:6 He rolls forth the Wheel of Dhamma <j>as a consummate one, complete, sympathetic for all living creatures. Sentient beings revere him, <j>first among humankind, who has gone beyond birth.”

1. At Wares Village

The Arising of Craving

an4.9:1 “Mendicants, there are four things that give rise to craving in a mendicant. What four? For the sake of robes, almsfood, lodgings, or birth in this or that state. These are the four things that give rise to craving in a mendicant.

an4.9:2 Craving is a person’s partner as they wander astray on this long journey. They go from this state to another, but don’t escape wandering astray.

an4.9:3 Knowing this drawback— that craving is the cause of suffering— rid of craving, free of grasping, a mendicant would wander mindful.”

1. At Wares Village

Yokes

an4.10:1 “Mendicants, there are these four yokes. What four? The yokes of sensual pleasures, worldly life, views, and ignorance. And what is the yoke of sensual pleasures? It’s when you don’t truly understand sensual pleasures’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. So greed, relishing, affection, infatuation, thirst, passion, attachment, and craving for sensual pleasures linger on inside. This is called the yoke of sensual pleasures. Such is the yoke of sensual pleasures.

an4.10:2 And what is the yoke of worldly life? It’s when you don’t truly understand worldly life’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. So greed, relishing, affection, infatuation, thirst, passion, attachment, and craving for continued existence linger on inside. This is called the yoke of worldly life. Such are the yokes of sensual pleasures and worldly life.

an4.10:3 And what is the yoke of views? It’s when you don’t truly understand views’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. So greed, relishing, affection, infatuation, thirst, passion, attachment, and craving for views linger on inside. This is called the yoke of views. Such are the yokes of sensual pleasures, worldly life, and views.

an4.10:4 And what is the yoke of ignorance? It’s when you don’t truly understand the six fields of contact’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape, so ignorance and unknowing of the six fields of contact linger on inside. This is called the yoke of ignorance. Such are the yokes of sensual pleasures, worldly life, views, and ignorance. These are bad, unskillful qualities that are corrupting, leading to worldly life, hurtful, resulting in suffering and future birth, old age, and death. That’s why someone yoked to them is called: ‘one who has not found sanctuary from the yoke’. These are the four yokes.

an4.10:5 There are these four kinds of unyoking. What four? Unyoking from sensual pleasures, worldly life, views, and ignorance. And what is unyoking from sensual pleasures? It’s when you truly understand sensual pleasures’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. So greed, relishing, affection, infatuation, thirst, passion, attachment, and craving for sensual pleasures don’t linger on inside. This is called unyoking from sensual pleasures. Such is unyoking from sensual pleasures.

an4.10:6 And what is unyoking from worldly life? It’s when you truly understand worldly life’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. So greed, relishing, affection, infatuation, thirst, passion, attachment, and craving for continued existence don’t linger on inside. This is called unyoking from worldly life. Such is unyoking from sensual pleasures and worldly life.

an4.10:7 And what is unyoking from views? It’s when you truly understand views’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. So greed, relishing, affection, infatuation, thirst, passion, attachment, and craving for views don’t linger on inside. This is called unyoking from views. Such is unyoking from sensual pleasures, worldly life, and views.

an4.10:8 And what is unyoking from ignorance? It’s when you truly understand the six fields of contact’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape, so ignorance and unknowing of the six fields of contact don’t linger on inside. This is called unyoking from ignorance. Such is unyoking from sensual pleasures, worldly life, views, and ignorance. These are bad, unskillful qualities that are corrupting, leading to worldly life, hurtful, resulting in suffering and future birth, old age, and death. That’s why someone unyoked from them is called: ‘one who has found sanctuary from the yoke’. These are the four kinds of unyoking.

an4.10:9 Yoked to both sensual pleasures and the craving for this world’s life; yoked also to views, and governed by ignorance,

an4.10:10 sentient beings continue to wander astray, with ongoing birth and death. But those who fully understand sensual pleasures, and the yoke to all worldly life;

an4.10:11 with the yoke of views eradicated, and ignorance dispelled, unyoked from all yokes, truly those sages have slipped their yoke.”

2. Walking

Walking

an4.11:1 “Mendicants, suppose a mendicant has a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought while walking. They tolerate it and don’t give it up, dispel it, eliminate it, and obliterate it. Such a mendicant is said to be ‘not keen or prudent, always lazy, and lacking energy’ when walking.

an4.11:2 Suppose a mendicant has a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought while standing …

an4.11:3 sitting …

an4.11:4 or when lying down while awake. They tolerate it and don’t give it up, dispel it, eliminate it, and obliterate it. Such a mendicant is said to be ‘not keen or prudent, always lazy, and lacking energy’ when lying down while awake.

an4.11:5 Suppose a mendicant has a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought while walking. They don’t tolerate it, but give it up, dispel it, eliminate it, and obliterate it. Such a mendicant is said to be ‘keen and prudent, always energetic and resolute’ when walking.

an4.11:6 Suppose a mendicant has a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought while standing …

an4.11:7 sitting …

an4.11:8 or when lying down while awake. They don’t tolerate it, but give it up, dispel it, eliminate it, and obliterate it. Such a mendicant is said to be ‘keen and prudent, always energetic and resolute’ when lying down while awake.

an4.11:9 Whether walking or standing, sitting or lying down, if you think a bad thought to do with the domestic life,

an4.11:10 you’re on the wrong path, lost among things that delude. Such a mendicant is incapable of experiencing the highest awakening.

an4.11:11 But one who, whether standing or walking, sitting or lying down, has calmed their thoughts, loving peace of mind; such a mendicant is capable of experiencing the highest awakening.”

2. Walking

Ethics

an4.12:1 “Mendicants, live by the ethical precepts and the monastic code. Live restrained in the monastic code, conducting yourselves well and resorting for alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, keep the rules you’ve undertaken. When you’ve done this, what more is there to do?

an4.12:2 Suppose a mendicant has got rid of desire and ill will while walking, and has given up dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. Their energy is roused up and unflagging, their mindfulness is established and lucid, their body is tranquil and undisturbed, and their mind is immersed and unified in samādhi. Such a mendicant is said to be ‘keen and prudent, always energetic and resolute’ when walking.

an4.12:3 Suppose a mendicant has got rid of desire and ill will while standing …

an4.12:4 sitting …

an4.12:5 or when lying down while awake, and has given up dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. Their energy is roused up and unflagging, their mindfulness is established and lucid, their body is tranquil and undisturbed, and their mind is immersed and unified in samādhi. Such a mendicant is said to be ‘keen and prudent, always energetic and resolute’ when lying down while awake.

an4.12:6 Carefully walking, carefully standing, carefully sitting, carefully lying; a mendicant carefully bends their limbs, and carefully extends them.

an4.12:7 Above, below, all round, as far as the planet extends; they scrutinize the rise and fall of phenomena such as the aggregates.

an4.12:8 Training in what leads to serenity of heart, always staying mindful; they call such a mendicant ‘always determined’.”

2. Walking

Effort

an4.13:1 “Mendicants, there are these four right efforts. What four? A mendicant generates enthusiasm, tries, makes an effort, exerts the mind, and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are fully developed. These are the four right efforts.

an4.13:2 By rightly striving, <j>they’ve crushed Satan’s sovereignty; unattached, they’ve gone beyond <j>the peril of birth and death. Contented and unstirred, they’ve vanquished Satan with his legions; now they’ve gone beyond all Namuci’s forces, <j>they’re happy.”

2. Walking

Restraint

an4.14:1 “Mendicants, there are these four efforts. What four? The efforts to restrain, to give up, to develop, and to preserve. And what, mendicants, is the effort to restrain? 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 covetousness and displeasure 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 an idea 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 covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving its restraint. This is called the effort to restrain.

an4.14:2 And what, mendicants, is the effort to give up? It’s when a mendicant doesn’t tolerate a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought that’s arisen, but gives it up, dispels it, eliminates it, and obliterates it. They don’t tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen, but give them up, dispel them, eliminate them, and obliterate them. This is called the effort to give up.

an4.14:3 And what, mendicants, is the effort to develop? It’s when a mendicant develops the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. This is called the effort to develop.

an4.14:4 And what, mendicants, is the effort to preserve? 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. This is called the effort to preserve. These are the four efforts.

an4.14:5 Restraint and giving up, development and preservation: these are the four efforts taught by the Kinsman of the Sun. Any mendicant who keenly applies these may attain the ending of suffering.”

2. Walking

Regarded as Foremost

an4.15:1 “Mendicants, these four are regarded as foremost. What four? The foremost in size of incarnation is Rāhu, a chief of the rebellious spirits. The foremost pleasure seeker is King Mandhātā. The foremost in sovereignty is Satan the Wicked. In this world—with its angels and Satan, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, rulers and commoners—a Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha is said to be the best. These are the four regarded as foremost.

an4.15:2 Rāhu is foremost in size of incarnation, Mandhātā in enjoying sensual pleasures, Satan in sovereignty, shining with power and glory.

an4.15:3 Above, below, all round, as far as the planet extends; in all the world with its angels, the Buddha is declared foremost.”

2. Walking

Subtlety

an4.16:1 “Mendicants, there are these four kinds of subtlety. What four? A mendicant has ultimate subtlety of form. They don’t see any other subtlety of form that’s better or finer than that, nor do they aim for it. A mendicant has ultimate subtlety of feeling. They don’t see any other subtlety of feeling that’s better or finer than that, nor do they aim for it. A mendicant has ultimate subtlety of perception. They don’t see any other subtlety of perception that’s better or finer than that, nor do they aim for it. A mendicant has ultimate subtlety of choices. They don’t see any other subtlety of choices that’s better or finer than that, nor do they aim for it. These are the four kinds of subtlety.

an4.16:2 Knowing the subtlety of form, the cause of feelings, where perception comes from, and where it ends; and knowing choices as alien, as suffering and as not-self,

an4.16:3 that mendicant sees rightly, peaceful, in love with the state of peace. They bear their final body, having vanquished Satan with his legions.”

2. Walking

Prejudice (1st)

an4.17:1 “Mendicants, there are these four ways of making prejudiced decisions. What four? Making decisions prejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice. These are the four ways of making prejudiced decisions.

an4.17:2 If you act against the teaching out of favoritism, hostility, cowardice, or stupidity, your fame fades away, like the moon in the waning fortnight.”

2. Walking

Prejudice (2nd)

an4.18:1 “Mendicants, there are these four ways of making unprejudiced decisions. What four? Making decisions unprejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice. These are the four ways of making unprejudiced decisions.

an4.18:2 If you don’t act against the teaching out of favoritism, hostility, cowardice, and stupidity, your fame swells, like the moon in the waxing fortnight.”

2. Walking

Prejudice (3rd)

an4.19:1 “Mendicants, there are these four ways of making prejudiced decisions. What four? Making decisions prejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice. These are the four ways of making prejudiced decisions.

an4.19:2 There are these four ways of making unprejudiced decisions. What four? Making decisions unprejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice. These are the four ways of making unprejudiced decisions.

an4.19:3 If you act against the teaching out of favoritism, hostility, cowardice, or stupidity, your fame fades away, like the moon in the waning fortnight.

an4.19:4 If you don’t act against the teaching out of favoritism, hostility, cowardice, and stupidity, your fame swells, like the moon in the waxing fortnight.”

2. Walking

A Meal Assigner

an4.20:1 “Mendicants, a meal assigner who has four qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there. What four? They make decisions prejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice. A meal assigner who has these four qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there.