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← Aṅguttara Nikāya

Guarding

AN 4.117 · Ārakkhasutta

A young fern frond unfurls above a mossy woodland stone.

“Mendicants, in your own way you should practice diligence, mindfulness, and guarding of the mind in four situations. What four?

‘May my mind not be aroused by things that arouse greed.’ In your own way you should practice diligence, mindfulness, and guarding of the mind.

‘May my mind not be angered by things that provoke hate.’ …

‘May my mind not be deluded by things that promote delusion.’ …

‘May my mind not be intoxicated by things that intoxicate.’ …

When a mendicant’s mind is no longer affected by greed, hate, delusion, or intoxication because they’ve got rid of these things, they don’t shake, tremble, quake, or get nervous, nor are they persuaded by the teachings of other ascetics.”

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Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.