{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an4.186/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an4.186","id":"suttacentral_an4.186","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an4.186/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"Then one of the mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: \u201cSir, what leads the world on? What drags it around? What arises and takes control?\u201d \u201cGood, good, mendicant! Your approach and eloquence are excellent, and it\u2019s a good question. For you asked: \u2018What leads the world on? What drags it around? What arises and takes control?\u2019\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cMendicant, the mind leads the world on. The mind drags it around. When the mind arises, it takes control.\u201d Saying \u201cGood, sir\u201d, that monk approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. Then he asked another question: \u201cSir, they speak of \u2018a learned memorizer of the teaching\u2019. How is a learned memorizer of the teaching defined?\u201d \u201cGood, good, mendicant! Your approach and eloquence are excellent, and it\u2019s a good question. \u2026 I have taught many teachings: statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. But if anyone understands the meaning and the text of even a four-line verse, and if they practice in line with that teaching, they\u2019re qualified to be called a \u2018learned memorizer of the teaching\u2019.\u201d Saying \u201cGood, sir\u201d, that monk approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. Then he asked another question: \u201cSir, they speak of \u2018a learned person with penetrating wisdom\u2019. How is a learned person with penetrating wisdom defined?\u201d \u201cGood, good, mendicant! Your approach and eloquence are excellent, and it\u2019s a good question. \u2026 Take a mendicant who has heard: \u2018This is suffering.\u2019 They see what it means with penetrating wisdom. They\u2019ve heard: \u2018This is the origin of suffering\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the cessation of suffering\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.\u2019 They see what it means with penetrating wisdom. That\u2019s how an individual is learned, with penetrating wisdom.\u201d Saying \u201cGood, sir\u201d, that monk approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. Then he asked another question: \u201cSir, they speak of \u2018an astute person with great wisdom\u2019. How is an astute person with great wisdom defined?\u201d \u201cGood, good, mendicant! Your approach and eloquence are excellent, and it\u2019s a good question. \u2026 An astute person with great wisdom is one who has no intention to hurt themselves, or to hurt others, or to hurt both. When they think, they only think of the benefit for themselves, for others, for both, and for the whole world. That\u2019s how an individual is astute, with great wisdom.\u201d","title":"Approach","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":413}