Abhiṇhapaccavekkhitabbaṭhānasuttaṃ [AN 5.57, PTS 3.72–3.75]

7.

The Discourse on the States to be Frequently Reviewed

57. "There are, monks, these five states that should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth. Which five? 'I am subject to ageing, not gone beyond ageing' - this should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth. 'I am subject to disease, not gone beyond disease' - this should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth. 'I am subject to death, not gone beyond death' - this should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth. 'There will be separation and parting from all that is dear and beloved to me' - this should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth. 'I am the owner of my actions, the heir of my actions, born of my actions, related to my actions, I have my actions as my refuge. Whatever action I shall do - whether good or evil - of that I shall be the heir' - this should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth.

"And what, monks, is the reason dependent on which 'I am subject to ageing, not gone beyond ageing' should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth? There is, monks, among beings an intoxication with youth in youth, intoxicated by which intoxication they practise misconduct by body, they practise misconduct by speech, they practise misconduct by mind. For one repeatedly reviewing that state, whatever intoxication with youth there is in youth is either completely abandoned or else becomes diminished. This, monks, is the reason dependent on which 'I am subject to ageing, not gone beyond ageing' should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth.

"And what, monks, is the reason dependent on which 'I am subject to disease, not gone beyond disease' should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth? There is, monks, among beings an intoxication with health in health, intoxicated by which intoxication they practise misconduct by body, they practise misconduct by speech, they practise misconduct by mind. For one repeatedly reviewing that state, whatever intoxication with health there is in health is either completely abandoned or else becomes diminished. This, monks, is the reason dependent on which 'I am subject to disease, not gone beyond disease' should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth.

"And what, monks, is the reason dependent on which 'I am subject to death, not gone beyond death' should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth? There is, monks, among beings an intoxication with life in life, intoxicated by which intoxication they practise misconduct by body, they practise misconduct by speech, they practise misconduct by mind. For one repeatedly reviewing that state, whatever intoxication with life there is in life is either completely abandoned or else becomes diminished. This, monks, is the reason dependent on which 'I am subject to death, not gone beyond death' should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth.

"And what, monks, is the reason dependent on which 'There will be separation and parting from all that is dear and beloved to me' should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth? There is, monks, among beings desire and lust for what is dear and beloved, infatuated by which lust they practise misconduct by body, they practise misconduct by speech, they practise misconduct by mind. For one repeatedly reviewing that state, whatever desire and lust there is for what is dear and beloved is either completely abandoned or else becomes diminished. This, monks, is the reason dependent on which 'There will be separation and parting from all that is dear and beloved to me' should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth.

"And what, monks, is the reason dependent on which 'I am the owner of my actions, the heir of my actions, born of my actions, related to my actions, I have my actions as my refuge, whatever action I shall do - whether good or evil - of that I shall be the heir' should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth? There is, monks, among beings bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct. For one repeatedly reviewing that state, misconduct is either completely abandoned or else becomes diminished. This, monks, is the reason dependent on which 'I am the owner of my actions, the heir of my actions, born of my actions, related to my actions, I have my actions as my refuge, whatever action I shall do - whether good or evil - of that I shall be the heir' - this should be repeatedly reviewed by a woman or a man, by one who leads the household life or by one who has gone forth.

"That noble disciple, monks, considers thus - 'It is not only I who am subject to ageing, not gone beyond ageing, but rather as far as there is the coming and going, the passing away and rebirth of beings, all beings are subject to ageing, not gone beyond ageing.' For him repeatedly reviewing that state, the path arises. He practises, develops, and cultivates that path. For him practising, developing, and cultivating that path, the mental fetters are altogether abandoned, the underlying tendencies come to an end.

"That noble disciple, monks, considers thus - 'It is not only I who am subject to disease, not gone beyond disease, but rather as far as there is the coming and going, the passing away and rebirth of beings, all beings are subject to disease, not gone beyond disease.' For him repeatedly reviewing that state, the path arises. He practises, develops, and cultivates that path. For him practising, developing, and cultivating that path, the mental fetters are altogether abandoned, the underlying tendencies come to an end.

"That noble disciple, monks, considers thus - 'It is not only I who am subject to death, not gone beyond death, but rather as far as there is the coming and going, the passing away and rebirth of beings, all beings are subject to death, not gone beyond death.' For him repeatedly reviewing that state, the path arises. He practises, develops, and cultivates that path. For him practising, developing, and cultivating that path, the mental fetters are altogether abandoned, the underlying tendencies come to an end.

"That noble disciple, monks, considers thus - 'It is not only for me that there is separation and parting from all that is dear and beloved, but rather as far as there is the coming and going, the passing away and rebirth of beings, for all beings there is separation and parting from what is dear and beloved.' For him repeatedly reviewing that state, the path arises. He practises, develops, and cultivates that path. For him practising, developing, and cultivating that path, the mental fetters are altogether abandoned, the underlying tendencies come to an end.

"That noble disciple, monks, considers thus - 'It is not only I who am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, originating from my actions, bound to my actions, having my actions as my refuge, whatever action I shall do - whether good or evil - I shall be the heir of that; but rather as far as there is the coming and going, the passing away and rebirth of beings, all beings are owners of their actions, heirs to their actions, originating from their actions, bound to their actions, having their actions as their refuge, whatever action they shall do - whether good or evil - they shall be the heirs of that.' For him repeatedly reviewing that state, the path arises. He practises, develops, and cultivates that path. For him practising, developing, and cultivating that path, the mental fetters are altogether abandoned, the underlying tendencies come to an end."