{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an6.62/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an6.62","id":"suttacentral_an6.62","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an6.62/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Sa\u1e45gha of mendicants when he arrived at a town of the Kosalans named Da\u1e47\u1e0dakappaka. The Buddha left the road and sat at the root of a tree on the seat spread out. The mendicants entered Da\u1e47\u1e0dakappaka to look for a guest house. Then Venerable \u0100nanda together with several mendicants went to the Aciravat\u012b River to bathe. When he had bathed and emerged from the water he stood in one robe drying his limbs. Then a certain mendicant went up to Venerable \u0100nanda, and said to him, \u201cReverend \u0100nanda, when the Buddha declared that Devadatta was going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable, did he do so after wholeheartedly deliberating, or was this just a way of speaking?\u201d \u201cYou\u2019re right, reverend, that\u2019s how the Buddha declared it.\u201d Then Venerable \u0100nanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. \u201c\u0100nanda, that mendicant must be junior, recently gone forth, or else a foolish, incompetent senior mendicant. How on earth can he take something that I have declared categorically to be ambiguous? I do not see a single other individual about whom I have given such whole-hearted deliberation before making a declaration as I did in the case of Devadatta. As long as I saw even a fraction of a hair\u2019s tip of goodness in Devadatta I did not declare that he was going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable. But when I saw that there was not even a fraction of a hair\u2019s tip of goodness in Devadatta I declared that he was going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable. Suppose there was a sewer deeper than a man\u2019s height, full to the brim with feces, and someone was sunk into it over their head. Then along comes a person who wants to help make them safe, who wants to lift them out of that sewer. But circling all around the sewer they couldn\u2019t see even a fraction of a hair\u2019s tip of that person that was not smeared with feces. In the same way, when I saw that there was not even a fraction of a hair\u2019s tip of goodness in Devadatta I declared that he was going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable. If you would all listen, \u0100nanda, I will analyze the Realized One\u2019s knowledges of the faculties of persons.\u201d \u201cNow is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One! Let the Buddha analyze the faculties of persons. The mendicants will listen and remember it.\u201d \u201cWell then, \u0100nanda, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d \u0100nanda replied. The Buddha said this: \u201c\u0100nanda, when I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand: \u2018Both skillful and unskillful qualities are found in this individual.\u2019 After some time I encompass their mind and understand: \u2018The skillful qualities of this individual have vanished, but the unskillful qualities are still present. Nevertheless, their skillful root is unbroken, and from that the skillful will appear. So this individual is not liable to decline in the future.\u2019 Suppose some seeds were intact, unspoiled, not weather-damaged, fertile, and well-kept. And they were sown in a well-prepared, productive field. Wouldn\u2019t you know that those seeds would grow, increase, and mature?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand \u2026 This individual is not liable to decline in the future \u2026 This is how another individual is known to the Realized One by encompassing their mind. And this is how the Realized One knows a person\u2019s faculties by encompassing their mind. And this is how the Realized One knows the future origination of a person\u2019s qualities by encompassing their mind. When I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand: \u2018Both skillful and unskillful qualities are found in this individual.\u2019 After some time I encompass their mind and understand: \u2018The unskillful qualities of this individual have vanished, but the skillful qualities are still present. Nevertheless, their unskillful root is unbroken, and from that the unskillful will appear. So this individual is still liable to decline in the future.\u2019 Suppose some seeds were intact, unspoiled, not weather-damaged, fertile, and well-kept. And they were sown on a broad rock. Wouldn\u2019t you know that those seeds would not grow, increase, and mature?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand \u2026 This individual is still liable to decline in the future \u2026 This is how another individual is known to the Realized One \u2026 When I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand: \u2018Both skillful and unskillful qualities are found in this individual.\u2019 After some time I encompass their mind and understand: \u2018This individual has not even a fraction of a hair\u2019s tip of goodness. They have absolutely dark, unskillful qualities. When their body breaks up, after death, they will be reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.\u2019 Suppose some seeds were broken, spoiled, weather-damaged. And they were sown in a well-prepared, productive field. Wouldn\u2019t you know that those seeds would not grow, increase, and mature?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand \u2026 \u2018This individual has not even a fraction of a hair\u2019s tip of goodness. They have absolutely dark, unskillful qualities. When their body breaks up, after death, they will be reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.\u2019 \u2026\u201d When he said this, Venerable \u0100nanda said to the Buddha, \u201cSir, can you describe three other individuals who share a portion of these three?\u201d \u201cI can, \u0100nanda,\u201d said the Buddha. \u201c\u0100nanda, when I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand: \u2018Both skillful and unskillful qualities are found in this individual.\u2019 After some time I encompass their mind and understand: \u2018The skillful qualities of this individual have vanished, but the unskillful qualities are still present. Nevertheless, their skillful root is unbroken, but it\u2019s about to be totally destroyed. So this individual is still liable to decline in the future.\u2019 Suppose there were some burning coals, blazing and glowing, placed on a broad rock. Wouldn\u2019t you know that those coals would not grow, increase, and spread?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cOr suppose it\u2019s the late afternoon and the sun was going down. Wouldn\u2019t you know that the light was about to vanish and darkness appear?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cOr suppose that it\u2019s nearly time for the midnight meal. Wouldn\u2019t you know that the light had vanished and the darkness appeared?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand \u2026 This individual is still liable to decline in the future \u2026 When I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand: \u2018Both skillful and unskillful qualities are found in this individual.\u2019 After some time I encompass their mind and understand: \u2018The unskillful qualities of this individual have vanished, but the skillful qualities are still present. Nevertheless, their unskillful root is unbroken, but it\u2019s about to be totally destroyed. So this individual is not liable to decline in the future.\u2019 Suppose there were some burning coals, blazing and glowing, placed on a pile of grass or timber. Wouldn\u2019t you know that those coals would grow, increase, and spread?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cOr suppose it\u2019s the crack of dawn and the sun is rising. Wouldn\u2019t you know that the dark will vanish and the light appear?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cOr suppose that it\u2019s nearly time for the midday meal. Wouldn\u2019t you know that the dark had vanished and the light appeared?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand \u2026 This individual is not liable to decline in the future \u2026 When I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand: \u2018Both skillful and unskillful qualities are found in this individual.\u2019 After some time I encompass their mind and understand: \u2018This individual has not even a fraction of a hair\u2019s tip of unskillful qualities. They have absolutely bright, blameless qualities. They will become extinguished in this very life.\u2019 Suppose there were some cool, quenched coals, placed on a pile of grass or timber. Wouldn\u2019t you know that those coals would not grow, increase, and spread?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, when I\u2019ve comprehended the mind of an individual, I understand \u2026 \u2018This individual has not even a fraction of a hair\u2019s tip of unskillful qualities. They have absolutely bright, blameless qualities. They will become extinguished in this very life.\u2019 This is how another individual is known to the Realized One by encompassing their mind. And this is how the Realized One knows a person\u2019s faculties by encompassing their mind. And this is how the Realized One knows the future origination of a person\u2019s qualities by encompassing their mind. And so, \u0100nanda, of the first three individuals one is not liable to decline, one is liable to decline, and one is bound for a place of loss, hell. And of the second three individuals, one is liable to decline, one is not liable to decline, and one is bound to become extinguished.\u201d","title":"Knowledge of the Faculties of Persons","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1571}