AN 1.11-20 · 2. Nīvaraṇappahānavagga
“Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that gives rise to sensual desire, or, when it has arisen, makes it increase and grow like the feature of beauty. When you apply the mind irrationally to the feature of beauty, sensual desire arises, and once arisen it increases and grows.”
“Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that gives rise to ill will, or, when it has arisen, makes it increase and grow like the feature of aversion. When you apply the mind irrationally to the feature of aversion, ill will arises, and once arisen it increases and grows.”
“Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that gives rise to dullness and drowsiness, or, when they have arisen, makes them increase and grow like discontent, sloth, yawning, sleepiness after eating, and mental sluggishness. When you have a sluggish mind, dullness and drowsiness arise, and once arisen they increase and grow.”
“Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that gives rise to restlessness and remorse, or, when they have arisen, makes them increase and grow like an unsettled mind. When your mind is unsettled, restlessness and remorse arise, and once arisen they increase and grow.”
“Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that gives rise to doubt, or, when it has arisen, makes it increase and grow like irrational application of mind. When you apply the mind irrationally, doubt arises, and once arisen it increases and grows.”
“Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that prevents sensual desire from arising, or, when it has arisen, gives it up like the feature of ugliness. When you apply the mind rationally to the feature of ugliness, sensual desire does not arise, or, if it has already arisen, it’s given up.”
“Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that prevents ill will from arising, or, when it has arisen, gives it up like the heart’s release by love. When you apply the mind rationally to the heart’s release by love, ill will does not arise, or, if it has already arisen, it’s given up.”
“Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that prevents dullness and drowsiness from arising, or, when they have arisen, gives them up like the elements of initiative, persistence, and vigor. When you’re energetic, dullness and drowsiness do not arise, or, if they’ve already arisen, they’re given up.”
“Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that prevents restlessness and remorse from arising, or, when they have arisen, gives them up like a settled mind. When the mind is settled, restlessness and remorse do not arise, or, if they’ve already arisen, they’re given up.”
“Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that prevents doubt from arising, or, when it has arisen, gives it up like rational application of mind. When you apply the mind rationally, doubt does not arise, or, if it’s already arisen, it’s given up.”
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0
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Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader. This source combines a range of related numbered discourses.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.