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an.11.2 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

An Act of Will

“For a person endowed with virtue, consummate in virtue, there is no need for an act of will, ‘May freedom from remorse arise in me.’ It is in the nature of things that freedom from remorse arises in a person endowed with virtue, consummate in virtue.

“For a person free from remorse, there is no need for an act of will, ‘May joy arise in me.’ It is in the nature of things that joy arises in a person free from remorse.

“For a joyful person, there is no need for an act of will, ‘May rapture arise in me.’ It is in the nature of things that rapture arises in a joyful person.

“For a rapturous person, there is no need for an act of will, ‘May my body be serene.’ It is in the nature of things that a rapturous person grows serene in body.

“For a person serene in body, there is no need for an act of will, ‘May I experience pleasure.’ It is in the nature of things that a person serene in body experiences pleasure.

“For a person experiencing pleasure, there is no need for an act of will, ‘May my mind grow concentrated.’ It is in the nature of things that the mind of a person experiencing pleasure grows concentrated.

“For a person whose mind is concentrated, there is no need for an act of will, ‘May I know & see things as they actually are.’ It is in the nature of things that a person whose mind is concentrated knows & sees things as they actually are.

“For a person who knows & sees things as they actually are, there is no need for an act of will, ‘May I feel disenchantment.’ It is in the nature of things that a person who knows & sees things as they actually are feels disenchantment.

“For a person who feels disenchantment, there is no need for an act of will, ‘May I grow dispassionate.’ It is in the nature of things that a person who feels disenchantment grows dispassionate.

“For a dispassionate person, there is no need for an act of will, ‘May I realize the knowledge & vision of release.’ It is in the nature of things that a dispassionate person realizes the knowledge & vision of release.

“In this way, dispassion has knowledge & vision of release as its purpose, knowledge & vision of release as its reward. Disenchantment has dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as its reward. Knowledge & vision of things as they actually are has disenchantment as its purpose, disenchantment as its reward. Concentration has knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its purpose, knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its reward. Pleasure has concentration as its purpose, concentration as its reward. Serenity has pleasure as its purpose, pleasure as its reward. Rapture has serenity as its purpose, serenity as its reward. Joy has rapture as its purpose, rapture as its reward. Freedom from remorse has joy as its purpose, joy as its reward. Skillful virtues have freedom from remorse as their purpose, freedom from remorse as their reward.

“In this way, mental qualities lead on to mental qualities, mental qualities bring mental qualities to their consummation, for the sake of going from the near to the Further Shore.”

- Translator: Thanissaro Bhikkhu

- Editor: Gabriel Laera

Making a Wish

“Mendicants, an ethical person, who has fulfilled ethical conduct, need not make a wish:
‘May I have no regrets!’
It’s only natural that an ethical person has no regrets.
When you have no regrets you need not make a wish:
‘May I feel joy!’
It’s only natural that joy springs up when you have no regrets.
When you feel joy you need not make a wish:
‘May I experience rapture!’
It’s only natural that rapture arises when you’re joyful.
When your mind is full of rapture you need not make a wish:
‘May my body become tranquil!’
It’s only natural that your body becomes tranquil when your mind is full of rapture.
When your body is tranquil you need not make a wish:
‘May I feel bliss!’
It’s only natural to feel bliss when your body is tranquil.
When you feel bliss you need not make a wish:
‘May my mind be immersed in samādhi!’
It’s only natural for the mind to become immersed in samādhi when you feel bliss.
When your mind is immersed in samādhi you need not make a wish:
‘May I truly know and see!’
It’s only natural to truly know and see when your mind is immersed in samādhi.
When you truly know and see you need not make a wish:
‘May I grow disillusioned!’
It’s only natural to grow disillusioned when you truly know and see.
When you’re disillusioned you need not make a wish:
‘May I become dispassionate!’
It’s only natural to grow dispassionate when you’re disillusioned.
When you’re dispassionate you need not make a wish:
‘May I realize the knowledge and vision of freedom!’
It’s only natural to realize the knowledge and vision of freedom when you’re dispassionate.
And so, mendicants, the knowledge and vision of freedom is the purpose and benefit of dispassion. Dispassion is the purpose and benefit of disillusionment. Disillusionment is the purpose and benefit of truly knowing and seeing. Truly knowing and seeing is the purpose and benefit of immersion. Immersion is the purpose and benefit of bliss. Bliss is the purpose and benefit of tranquility. Tranquility is the purpose and benefit of rapture. Rapture is the purpose and benefit of joy. Joy is the purpose and benefit of not having regrets. Not having regrets is the purpose and benefit of skillful ethics.
And so, mendicants, good qualities flow on and fill up from one to the other, for going from the near shore to the far shore.”