We shall explore an important sutta in Anguttara Nikaya (Kimatthiyasutta AN10.1) which shows why one should follow Buddha teachings and what is the benefit step by step. Let us understand through below table the purpose of following the dhamma of Buddha.
Furthermore, we can look at keywords here which is Ānisaṁsaṁ (आनिसंसं) which is derived from ā + nisaṁsa.
Nisaṁsa → benefit, advantage, profit, gain and Ānisaṁsa = benefit, advantage, reward, result (often used to denote wholesome benefits that arise from a practice over the unwholesome).
| Condition | Leads to | Pāli term | Etymology |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sīla (virtue) | → | Avippaṭisāra (freedom from inner turmoil) | vi + ppaṭisāra = absence of guilt |
| Avippaṭisāra | → | Pāmojja (gladness) | pa + mojja = blooming joy |
| Pāmojja | → | Pīti (rapture) | delight |
| Pīti | → | Passaddhi (tranquility) | calming |
| Passaddhi | → | Sukha (happiness) | comfort |
| Sukha | → | Samādhi (concentration) | collectedness |
| Samādhi | → | Yathābhūtañāṇadassana (knowledge of reality) | seeing as it is |
| Yathābhūtañāṇadassana | → | Nibbidāvirāga (dispassion) | disenchantment |
| Nibbidāvirāga | → | Vimuttiñāṇadassana (knowledge of liberation) | full release |
Evaṁ me sutaṁ: Thus have I heard.
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time, the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Then Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage and sat down to one side.
Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
While sitting to one side, Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One:
The chain of questioning begins:
1️⃣ “Kimatthiyāni, bhante, kusalāni sīlāni kimānisaṁsānī”ti?
“Venerable sir, for what purpose are wholesome virtues (kusalāni sīlāni)? What is their benefit (ānisaṁsa)?”
“Avippaṭisāratthāni kho, ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni avippaṭisārānisaṁsānī”ti.
“Ānanda, wholesome virtues are for the purpose of freedom from inner turmoil (avippaṭisāra); their benefit is freedom from internal fear and agitation due to wrong doings.” When we do any one of the 10 immoral deeds, the heart beat increases with change in “breathing cycle” and there is sense of fear of getting caught in the act and need to bear for the consequences. If we are not getting caught just then, there exists fear and guilt for long time to come, making the mind agitated, worried and filled with remorse. Thus, all these are vippaṭisāra which brings in great deal of “stress” on the mind.
2️⃣ “Avippaṭisāro pana, bhante, kimatthiyo kimānisaṁso”ti?
“And freedom from remorse, venerable sir, for what purpose, for what benefit?”
“Avippaṭisāro kho, ānanda, pāmojjattho pāmojjānisaṁso”ti.
“Ānanda, freedom from remorse/inner turmoil is for the purpose of gladness (pāmojja); its benefit is gladness.”
🔎 pāmojja = joy, gladness, uplifted happiness.
3️⃣ “Pāmojjaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyaṁ kimānisaṁsan”ti?
“And gladness, venerable sir, for what purpose, for what benefit?”
“Pāmojjaṁ kho, ānanda, pītatthaṁ pītānisaṁsan”ti.
“Ānanda, gladness is for the purpose of rapture (pīti); its benefit is rapture.”
Pīta (पीत) – From the root √pi (to drink, to be pleased, to rejoice) and in this context, it is past participle:
→ pīta = drunk / absorbed / saturated / imbued / joyful / delighted.
4️⃣ “Pīti pana, bhante, kimatthiyā kimānisaṁsā”ti?
“And rapture, venerable sir, for what purpose, for what benefit?”
“Pīti kho, ānanda, passaddhatthā passaddhānisaṁsā”ti.
“Ānanda, rapture is for the purpose of tranquility (passaddhi); its benefit is tranquility.”
🔎 passaddhi = physical and mental calmness, tranquillity, relaxation.
5️⃣ “Passaddhi pana, bhante, kimatthiyā kimānisaṁsā”ti?
“And tranquility, venerable sir, for what purpose, for what benefit?”
“Passaddhi kho, ānanda, sukhatthā sukhānisaṁsā”ti.
“Ānanda, tranquility is for the purpose of happiness (sukha); its benefit is happiness.”
6️⃣ “Sukhaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyaṁ kimānisaṁsan”ti?
“And happiness, venerable sir, for what purpose, for what benefit?”
“Sukhaṁ kho, ānanda, samādhatthaṁ samādhānisaṁsan”ti.
“Ānanda, happiness is for the purpose of mind collectedness (samādhi); its benefit is collectedness/unified/balanced.”
7️⃣ “Samādhi pana, bhante, kimatthiyo kimānisaṁso”ti?
“And collectedness, venerable sir, for what purpose, for what benefit?”
“Samādhi kho, ānanda, yathābhūtañāṇadassanattho yathābhūtañāṇadassanānisaṁso”ti.
“Ānanda, collectedness is for the purpose of seeing things as they truly are (yathābhūtañāṇadassana); its benefit is true knowledge and vision.”
8️⃣ “Yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyaṁ kimānisaṁsan”ti?
“And knowledge and vision of things as they truly are, venerable sir, for what purpose, for what benefit?”
“Yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ kho, ānanda, nibbidāvirāgatthaṁ nibbidāvirāgānisaṁsan”ti.
“Ānanda, seeing things as they truly are is for the purpose of dispassion (nibbidāvirāga); its benefit is dispassion.”
9️⃣ “Nibbidāvirāgo pana, bhante, kimatthiyo kimānisaṁso”ti?
“And dispassion, venerable sir, for what purpose, for what benefit?”
“Nibbidāvirāgo kho, ānanda, vimuttiñāṇadassanattho vimuttiñāṇadassanānisaṁso”ti.
“Ānanda, dispassion is for the purpose of the knowledge and vision of liberation (vimuttiñāṇadassana); its benefit is the knowledge of liberation.”
Iti kho, ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni avippaṭisāratthāni avippaṭisārānisaṁsāni;
“Thus, Ānanda, wholesome virtues (kusalāni sīlāni) are for the purpose of freedom from remorse (avippaṭisāra), and their benefit is freedom from remorse.”
avippaṭisāro pāmojjattho pāmojjānisaṁso; “Freedom from remorse is for the purpose of gladness (pāmojja), and its benefit is gladness.”
pāmojjaṁ pītatthaṁ pītānisaṁsaṁ; “Gladness is for the purpose of rapture (pīti), and its benefit is rapture.”
pīti passaddhatthā passaddhānisaṁsā; “Rapture is for the purpose of tranquility (passaddhi), and its benefit is tranquility.”
passaddhi sukhatthā sukhānisaṁsā; “Tranquility is for the purpose of happiness (sukha), and its benefit is happiness.”
sukhaṁ samādhatthaṁ samādhānisaṁsaṁ; “Happiness is for the purpose of collectedness (samādhi), and its benefit is collectedness/unified/balanced.”
samādhi yathābhūtañāṇadassanattho yathābhūtañāṇadassanānisaṁso;
“Collectednessis for the purpose of knowledge and vision of things as they really are (yathābhūtañāṇadassana), and its benefit is knowledge and vision of reality.”
yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ nibbidāvirāgatthaṁ nibbidāvirāgānisaṁsaṁ;
“Knowledge and vision of things as they really are is for the purpose of dispassion (nibbidāvirāga), and its benefit is dispassion.”
nibbidāvirāgo vimuttiñāṇadassanattho vimuttiñāṇadassanānisaṁso.
“Dispassion is for the purpose of the knowledge and vision of liberation (vimuttiñāṇadassana), and its benefit is knowledge and vision of liberation.”
Iti kho, ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni anupubbena aggāya parentī”ti.
“Thus, Ānanda, wholesome virtues (kusalāni sīlāni), step by step (anupubbena), lead to the supreme goal (aggāya parenti).” Both convey the same sense: the gradual progression from morality leading ultimately to full liberation