The Buddha teaches Venerable Anuruddha on with anuruddha (2nd), presenting a threefold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 3.130 With Anuruddha (2nd)

Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā anuruddho āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

“idhāhaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena sahassaṁ lokaṁ olokemi. Āraddhaṁ kho pana me vīriyaṁ asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggaṁ. Atha ca pana me nānupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccatī”ti.

“Yaṁ kho te, āvuso anuruddha, evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena sahassaṁ lokaṁ volokemī’ti, idaṁ te mānasmiṁ. Yampi te, āvuso anuruddha, evaṁ hoti: ‘āraddhaṁ kho pana me vīriyaṁ asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggan’ti, idaṁ te uddhaccasmiṁ. Yampi te, āvuso anuruddha, evaṁ hoti: ‘atha ca pana me nānupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccatī’ti, idaṁ te kukkuccasmiṁ. Sādhu vatāyasmā anuruddho ime tayo dhamme pahāya, ime tayo dhamme amanasikaritvā amatāya dhātuyā cittaṁ upasaṁharatū”ti.

Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho aparena samayena ime tayo dhamme pahāya, ime tayo dhamme amanasikaritvā amatāya dhātuyā cittaṁ upasaṁhari. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirassevayassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁbrahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi. Aññataro ca panāyasmā anuruddho arahataṁ ahosīti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi.

Then Venerable Anuruddha went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā anuruddho āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to him:

“idhāhaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena sahassaṁ lokaṁ olokemi.

“Here’s the thing, Reverend Sāriputta. With clairvoyance that is purified and surpasses the human, I survey the thousandfold galaxy.

Āraddhaṁ kho pana me vīriyaṁ asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggaṁ.

My energy is roused up and unflagging, my mindfulness is established and lucid, my body is tranquil and undisturbed, and my mind is immersed in samādhi and unified.

Atha ca pana me nānupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccatī”ti.

But my mind is not freed from the defilements by not grasping.”

“Yaṁ kho te, āvuso anuruddha, evaṁ hoti:

“Well, Reverend Anuruddha, when you say:

‘ahaṁ dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena sahassaṁ lokaṁ volokemī’ti, idaṁ te mānasmiṁ.

‘With clairvoyance that is purified and surpasses the human, I survey the thousandfold galaxy,’ that’s your conceit.

Yampi te, āvuso anuruddha, evaṁ hoti:

And when you say:

‘āraddhaṁ kho pana me vīriyaṁ asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggan’ti, idaṁ te uddhaccasmiṁ.

‘My energy is roused up and unflagging, my mindfulness is established and lucid, my body is tranquil and undisturbed, and my mind is immersed in samādhi,’ that’s your restlessness.

Yampi te, āvuso anuruddha, evaṁ hoti:

And when you say:

‘atha ca pana me nānupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccatī’ti, idaṁ te kukkuccasmiṁ.

‘But my mind is not freed from the defilements by not grasping,’ that’s your remorse.

Sādhu vatāyasmā anuruddho ime tayo dhamme pahāya, ime tayo dhamme amanasikaritvā amatāya dhātuyā cittaṁ upasaṁharatū”ti.

It would be good to give up these three things. Ignore them and apply your mind to freedom from death.”

Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho aparena samayena ime tayo dhamme pahāya, ime tayo dhamme amanasikaritvā amatāya dhātuyā cittaṁ upasaṁhari.

After some time Anuruddha gave up these three things. Ignoring them, he applied his mind to freedom from death.

Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirassevayassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁbrahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

Then Anuruddha, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi.

He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.”

Aññataro ca panāyasmā anuruddho arahataṁ ahosīti.

And Venerable Anuruddha became one of the perfected.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Attachment

Attachment

A mental fastening onto people, things, views, or states as “me” or “mine,” unwilling to release them. This clinging can give a sense of security and sweetness.

Also known as: acquisition, bond, clinging, grasping, holding on, possession, entanglement, bound, connected, taking as mine
Pāli: upadhi, upādāna, sakiñcana, mamatta
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Free from attachment

Free from attachment

Release from grasping, not taking anything as “me” or “mine,” ceasing to appropriate or identify with people, things, views, or experiences.

Also known as: free from grasping, not appropriating, not taking as mine, without acquisitions, not clinging, not grasping, not holding onto
Pāli: nirūpadhi, nānupādāya, asita, anuggaha
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Insight

Insight

Insight is deep, intuitive realization that transforms understanding and guides practice.

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Vigour

Vigour

Energetic effort and resilience in practice. It is the refusal to shrink back, the 'uphill' force that initiates and sustains wholesome actions against the gravity of habit.

Also known as: energy, effort, enthusiasm, zeal, application of will, persistence
Pāli: vīriya
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Last updated on July 27, 2026