Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
The ten abodes named at AN 10.19 are: the five hindrances given up, equanimity toward all six sense doors, mindfulness as the single guard, reflective use of the four requisites, dogmatic views cast aside, searching for sensuality, existence, and spiritual life abandoned, intentions of sensuality, malice, and cruelty given up, the fourth absorption as the stilled physical process, and a mind and wisdom freed from greed, hate, and delusion.
Six sense doors, met with equanimity
The second abode extends a pattern already familiar from this project: equanimity toward each of the six sense doors in turn — sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and mental phenomena — neither happy nor sad about any of them, remaining mindful and aware throughout.
Four supports, the same reflective formula as AN 9.2
The fourth abode's ‘four supports’ turn out to be the identical formula already met at AN 9.2: after appraisal, using some things, enduring some things, avoiding some things, and getting rid of some things — a compact reprise of that earlier teaching on reflective use of requisites.
Four undetermined questions, named explicitly
This discourse's fifth abode is unusually specific for this project: it names the classic four sets of ‘idiosyncratic interpretations’ the Buddha famously declined to settle — whether the cosmos is eternal or not, finite or infinite; whether the soul and body are the same or different; and four positions on whether a realized one exists, doesn't exist, both, or neither after death. A noble one has cast aside all of these dogmatic positions entirely, not adopted a fifth one of their own.
Closing the chapter, in full detail
With this discourse, Nāthavagga, the second chapter, closes on its most doctrinally dense treatment — the source's own untranslated colophon and chapter-summary verse name all ten discourses of the chapter by their opening words.
Key terms
The text
Ten abodes, named and introduced
§1At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kurus, near the Kuru town named Kammāsadamma. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “There are these ten abodes of the noble ones in which the noble ones of the past, present, and future abide. What ten? A mendicant has given up five factors, possesses six factors, has a single guard, has four supports, has cast aside idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth, has totally given up searching, has unsullied intentions, has stilled the physical process, and is well freed in mind and well freed by wisdom.
Five factors given up, six possessed
§2And how has a mendicant given up five factors? It’s when a mendicant has given up sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. That’s how a mendicant has given up five factors. And how does a mendicant possess six factors? It’s when a mendicant, seeing a sight with their eyes, is neither happy nor sad. They remain equanimous, mindful and aware. Hearing a sound with their ears … Smelling an odor with their nose … Tasting a flavor with their tongue … Feeling a touch with their body … Knowing an idea with their mind, they’re neither happy nor sad. They remain equanimous, mindful and aware. That’s how a mendicant possesses six factors.
A single guard, four supports
§3And how does a mendicant have a single guard? It’s when a mendicant’s heart is guarded by mindfulness. That’s how a mendicant has a single guard. And how does a mendicant have four supports? After appraisal, a mendicant uses some things, endures some things, avoids some things, and gets rid of some things. That’s how a mendicant has four supports.
Dogma cast aside, searching abandoned
§4And how has a mendicant cast aside idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth? Different ascetics and brahmins have different idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth. For example: 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. A mendicant has cast out, cast aside, thrown out, discarded, let go of, given up, and relinquished all these. That’s how a mendicant has cast aside idiosyncratic interpretations of the truth. And how has a mendicant totally given up searching? It’s when they’ve given up searching for sensual pleasures, for continued existence, and for a spiritual life. That’s how a mendicant has totally given up searching.
Pure intentions, the physical process stilled
§5And how does a mendicant have unsullied intentions? It’s when a mendicant has given up intentions of sensuality, malice, and cruelty. That’s how a mendicant has unsullied intentions. And how has a mendicant stilled the physical process? 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. That’s how a mendicant has stilled the physical process.
Freed in mind and by wisdom
§6And how is a mendicant well freed in mind? It’s when a mendicant’s mind is freed from greed, hate, and delusion. That’s how a mendicant is well freed in mind. And how is a mendicant well freed by wisdom? It’s when a mendicant understands: ‘I’ve given up greed, hate, and delusion, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, obliterated them, so they’re unable to arise in the future.’ That’s how a mendicant’s mind is well freed by wisdom. Mendicants, whether in the past, future, or present, all noble ones abide in these same ten abodes of the noble ones. These are the ten abodes of the noble ones in which the noble ones of the past, present, and future abide.”
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