4. Cakkavagga

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.38

Numbered Discourses 4.38

4. Cakkavagga

4. Situations

Patilīnasutta

Withdrawn

“Panuṇṇapaccekasacco, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ‘samavayasaṭṭhesano passaddhakāyasaṅkhāro patilīno’ti vuccati.

“Mendicants, a mendicant has cast aside idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth, has totally given up searching, has stilled the physical process, and is said to be ‘withdrawn’.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu panuṇṇapaccekasacco hoti?

And how has a mendicant cast aside idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno yāni tāni puthusamaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ puthupaccekasaccāni, seyyathidaṁ—

Different ascetics and brahmins have different idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth. For example:

sassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti vā, antavā lokoti vā, anantavā lokoti vā, taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā;

the cosmos is eternal, or not eternal, or finite, or infinite; the soul and the body are one and the same, or the soul is one thing, the body another; after death, a realized one still exists, or no longer exists, or both still exists and no longer exists, or neither still exists nor no longer exists.

sabbāni tāni nuṇṇāni honti panuṇṇāni cattāni vantāni muttāni pahīnāni paṭinissaṭṭhāni.

A mendicant has cast out, cast aside, thrown out, discarded, let go of, given up, and relinquished all these.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu panuṇṇapaccekasacco hoti.

That’s how a mendicant has cast aside idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu samavayasaṭṭhesano hoti?

And how has a mendicant totally given up searching?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno kāmesanā pahīnā hoti, bhavesanā pahīnā hoti, brahmacariyesanā paṭippassaddhā.

It’s when they’ve given up searching for sensual pleasures, for continued existence, and for a spiritual path.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu samavayasaṭṭhesano hoti.

That’s how a mendicant has totally given up searching.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu passaddhakāyasaṅkhāro hoti?

And how has a mendicant stilled the physical process?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

It’s when, with the giving up of pleasure and pain and the disappearance of former happiness and sadness, they enter and remain in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu passaddhakāyasaṅkhāro hoti.

That’s how a mendicant has stilled the physical process.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu patilīno hoti?

And how is a mendicant withdrawn?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno asmimāno pahīno hoti ucchinnamūlo tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo.

It’s when they’ve given up the conceit ‘I am’, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu patilīno hoti.

That’s how a mendicant is withdrawn.

Panuṇṇapaccekasacco, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ‘samavayasaṭṭhesano passaddhakāyasaṅkhāro patilīno’ti vuccatīti.

A mendicant has cast aside idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth, has totally given up searching, has stilled the physical process, and is said to be ‘withdrawn’.

Kāmesanā bhavesanā,

The search for sensual pleasures, for a good rebirth,

brahmacariyesanā saha;

and the search for a spiritual path;

Iti saccaparāmāso,

the holding tight to the thought, ‘this is the truth’,

diṭṭhiṭṭhānā samussayā.

and the mass of grounds for views—

Sabbarāgavirattassa,

for one detached from all lusts,

taṇhakkhayavimuttino;

freed by the ending of craving,

Esanā paṭinissaṭṭhā,

that searching has been relinquished,

diṭṭhiṭṭhānā samūhatā.

and those grounds for views eradicated.

Sa ve santo sato bhikkhu,

That mendicant is peaceful and mindful,

passaddho aparājito;

a tranquil champion.

Mānābhisamayā buddho,

And when they’re awakened <j>by comprehending conceit,

patilīnoti vuccatī”ti.

they’re called ‘withdrawn’.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.