Na Cēta​nākara​nīya Sutta

puredhamma.net/sutta-interpretations/na-ceta​nakara​niya-sutta/

May 21, 2018; revised May 23, 2018

1. “Na Cēta​nākara​nīya Sutta” is the correct name of the sutta, NOT “Cēta​nākara​nīya Sutta”
as it entitled at several websites including the Sutta Central website:
“Cetanākaraṇīyasutta (AN 11.2)“. The English translation there is entitled accordingly and
erroneously: “Making a Wish”.

Cetana is what one intends or wishes; karaniya means “what one should do”, and
“na” means “not”. What the sutta is teaching is “Just by wishing such and such one
will not get to Nibbāna“.
The correct title appears in the Pāli/Sinhala Buddha JayanathiTipitaka Series XXIII,
Angutttara Nikāya (Part 6, p.586).
Therefore, the English title of the sutta should be something like “Making a Wish
Will Not Work”.

2. It is a fairly short sutta. So, I decided to translate the full sutta and put it side-by-side
with the Pāli version, so that one can see how it is translated.

As mentioned above, there is no point in just chanting or repeating to oneself, “May

I be free of this, May I be that”, etc.
One needs to map out what needs to be done to stop future suffering and follow
that path. There are no easy solutions like sitting down in a quiet place and just
chanting or even meditating, even though that should be a part of the whole
process.
This step-by-step process is summarized clearly in the sutta.
I have put in bold every other verse, so it would be easier to match the English and
Pāli verses.

“For a person engaged in moral conduct “Sīlavato, bhikkhave, sīla​sam​pannassa na

(sila), and is thus moral and virtuous,
there is no need to wish (cetanā): “May I
be able to act with a calm mind”. It is in
the nature of things that agitation of the
mind does not arise in a person engaged
in sila, and is virtuous.
“For a person free from an agitated
mind, there is no need to wish
(cetanā): “May happiness arise in me”.
It is in the nature of things that
happiness (tranquility) arises in a
person free from agitation in the
mind.
cetanāya karaṇīyaṃ: ‘avippaṭisāro me
uppajjatū’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṃ
sīlavato sīla​sam​pannassa avippaṭisāro uppajjati.
Avippa​ṭisārissa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya
karaṇīyaṃ: ‘pāmojjaṃ me uppajjatū’ti.
Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṃ avippa​‐
ṭisārissa pāmojjaṃ uppajjati.
Pamuditassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya
karaṇīyaṃ: ‘pīti me uppajjatū’ti. Dhammatā esā,
bhikkhave, yaṃ pamuditassa pīti uppajjati.
Pītimanassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya
karaṇīyaṃ: ‘kāyo me passambhatū’ti.
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“For a person with happiness (tranquility
of mind), there is no need to wish
(cetanā): “May joy arise in me”. It is in the
nature of things that joy arises in a
person with a peaceful mind.
“For a joyful person, there is no need
to wish (cetanā): “May I feel lightness
in the body”. It is in the nature of
things that a joyful person attains
bodily lightness (passaddhi).
“For a person with bodily lightness, there
is no need to wish (cetanā): “May I
experience sukha”. It is in the nature of
things that a person with bodily lightness
experiences sukha.
“For a person experiencing sukha,
there is no need to wish (cetanā): “May
my mind get to samādhi“. It is in the
nature of things that the mind of a
person experiencing sukha gets to
samādhi.
“For a person who gets to samādhi, there
is no need to wish (cetanā): : “May I know
and see the true nature of things in this
world (yathābhūta ñāna or
comprehension of Tilakkhana)”. It is in the
nature of things that a person who gets
to samādhi will see the true nature of
this world. (Here it is assumed that one
is exposed Tilakkhana from an Ariya;
see #3, #4 below).
“For a person with yathābhūta ñāna,
there is no need to wish (cetanā): “May
I not be attracted to temptations in
this world (virāga) “. It is in the nature
of things that a person who knows and
sees things as they actually are, will be
dispassionate towards things in this
world.
“For a person who thus naturally
dispassionate, there is no need to wish
(cetanā): “May I be free of cravings for
things in this world”. It is in the nature of
things that a person who dispassionate
through understanding of the real nature
of things will be free of cravings.
Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṃ pītimanassa
kāyo passambhati.
Passad​dha​kāyassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya
karaṇīyaṃ: ‘sukhaṃ vediyāmī’ti. Dhammatā esā,
bhikkhave, yaṃ passaddhakāyo sukhaṃ
vediyati.
Sukhino, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṃ:
‘cittaṃ me samādhiyatū’ti. Dhammatā esā,
bhikkhave, yaṃ sukhino cittaṃ samādhiyati.
Samāhitassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṃ:
‘yathābhūtaṃ jānāmi passāmī’ti. Dhammatā esā,
bhikkhave, yaṃ samāhito yathābhūtaṃ jānāti
passati.
Yathābhūtaṃ, bhikkhave, jānato passato na
cetanāya karaṇīyaṃ: ‘nibbindāmī’ti.
Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṃ
yathābhūtaṃ jānaṃ passaṃ nibbindati.
Nibbinnassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṃ:
‘virajjāmī’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṃ
nibbinno virajjati.
Virattassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya
karaṇīyaṃ: ‘vimutti​ñāṇadas​sanaṃ
sacchikaromī’ti. Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave,
yaṃ viratto vimutti​ñāṇadas​sanaṃ
sacchikaroti.
Iti kho, bhikkhave, virāgo vimutti​ñāṇadas​sanat​‐
tho vimutti​ñāṇadas​sanā​nisaṃso, nibbidā
virāgatthā virāgānisaṃsā, yathā​bhūta​ñāṇadas​‐
sanaṃ nibbidatthaṃ nibbi​dā​nisaṃ​saṃ,
samādhi yathā​bhūta​ñāṇadas​sanat​tho yathā​‐
bhūta​ñāṇadas​sanā​nisaṃso, sukhaṃ
samādhatthaṃ samā​dhā​nisaṃ​saṃ, passaddhi
sukhatthā sukhānisaṃsā, pīti passaddhatthā
passad​dhā​nisaṃsā, pāmojjaṃ pītatthaṃ
pītānisaṃsaṃ, avippaṭisāro pāmojjattho
pāmojjānisaṃso, kusalāni sīlāni avippa​ṭisārat​‐
thāni avippa​ṭisārā​nisaṃ​sāni. Iti kho, bhikkhave,
dhammā dhamme abhisandenti, dhammā
dhamme paripūrenti apārā pāraṃ gamanāyā”ti.
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 “For a person who is free of cravings,
there is no need to wish (cetanā): “May
I realize the knowledge of the final
release from all suffering (vimutti​‐
ñāṇadas​sana)”. It is in the nature of
things that a person who is free of
cravings will attain the final release
from all suffering.

“In this way, bhikkhus, freedom from

cravings (dispassion) has release from all
suffering as its reward, Disenchantment
has dispassion as its reward,
yathābhūta ñānahas , disenchantment as
its reward, samādhi has yathābhūta ñāna
as its reward, sukha has samādhi as its
reward, bodily lightness (passaddhi)
has sukha as its reward, calm mind
has bodily lightness as its reward. Joy has
calm mind as its reward, freedom from
an agitated mind has joy as its reward,
moral conduct has freedom from an
agitated mind as its reward.

“In this way, dhamma qualities cultivate

and fulfill more dhamma qualities in the
Noble Path in getting to from this shore
to the Far shore (Nibbāna).”

3. The path to Nibbāna is not a straight step-by-step process in a linear fashion. Rather, a
given person cycles through the steps over and over until the Arahant phala moment is
attained.

One starts with mundane sila, and can get to early stages of samādhi even without
hearing about Tilakkhana. One cannot proceed beyond that with just sila, which
is on shaky grounds until one comprehends Tilakkhana.
Once one starts comprehending Tilakkhana (and becomes a Sōtapanna/Sōtapanna
Anugāmi), one’s sila (moral conduct) will become unbreakable: It is called
Ariyakānta sila.
That is when one really gets into the Noble Eightfold Path.

4. In other words, there are two paths: One starts on the mundane path and with the
comprehension of Tilakkhana, one switches over to the Noble Path; see, “ Buddha
Dhamma – In a Chart“.

Only a Sammasambuddha or a pacceka Buddha can figure out (or

comprehend) Tilakkhana, by themselves; all others have to learn Tilakkhana from an
Ariya.

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5. Another key thing to note is that there is no mention about the need to attain jhānas.

Jhanas are a special kind of samādhi. It is good to cultivate jhānas, but they are not
necessary to attain magga phala.

And there are an innumerable types of samādhi; one gets to Ariya samādhi (conducive to
attain Nibbāna) with the comprehension of Tilakkhana.

6. Key words:

Avippatisāra ( සර බව in Sinhala): One’s mind is normally agitated. It tends to

go everywhere. This is why it is hard for most people to comprehend Dhamma.
When one really focus on maintaining moral conduct (sila) and stays away from
dasa akusala, this agitation of the mind will gradually diminish, and one will be able
to concentrate on a given concept for longer times.
pāmojja (ස ට or රෙමා්දය in Sinhala): Happiness or tranquility of mind is the
closest English translation. This is below the “joyful state of mind” or pīti ( in
Sinhala).
passambhati/passaddha: calming down (lightness) of the physical body (කා ක
සැහැ ව).
nibbindati: get weary of, unsatisfied with (කල ම).
virajjati (related to virāga): absence of cravings.
vimutti: becomes free of suffering, final release ( ).

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