“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, ādhipateyyāni. Katamāni tīṇi? Attādhipateyyaṁ, lokādhipateyyaṁ, dhammādhipateyyaṁ.
“Bhikkhus, there are these three |authorities::determining factors, powers [ādhipateyya]|. What three? Having oneself as one’s authority, taking the world as one’s authority, and taking the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| as one’s authority.”
Katamañca, bhikkhave, attādhipateyyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘na kho panāhaṁ cīvarahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito. Na piṇḍapātahetu, na senāsanahetu, na itibhavābhavahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito. Api ca khomhi otiṇṇo jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto. Appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethāti. Ahañceva kho pana yādisake kāme ohāya agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito tādisake vā kāme pariyeseyyaṁ tato vā pāpiṭṭhatare, na metaṁ patirūpan’ti. So iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘āraddhaṁ kho pana me vīriyaṁ bhavissati asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggan’ti. So attānaṁyeva adhipatiṁ karitvā akusalaṁ pajahati, kusalaṁ bhāveti, sāvajjaṁ pajahati, anavajjaṁ bhāveti, suddhaṁ attānaṁ pariharati. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, attādhipateyyaṁ.
1.) And what bhikkhus, is having oneself as one’s authority? Here, bhikkhus, having gone to the |forest::remoteness [arañña]|, to the foot of a tree, or to an |empty dwelling::uninhabited place, a physical home devoid of a self, e.g. a hut, a cave, forest [suññāgāra]|, a bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘I have not gone forth from the household life into homelessness for the sake of a robe, alms food, or lodging, or for becoming this or that, but rather with the thought: “I am |immersed in::affected by, afflicted with [otiṇṇa]| birth, aging, and death; in sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair; I am immersed in suffering, afflicted by suffering. Perhaps an ending of this entire mass of suffering |can be discerned::can become evident [paññāyetha]|.” If I were to seek again the same sensual pleasures I renounced, or even worse ones, that would not be |proper::appropriate, fitting [patirūpa]| for me.’ He then reflects thus: ‘My energy will be aroused, not sluggish; my |mindfulness::sustained active awareness regarding the body, felt experience, mind, and mental qualities, observing them clearly without craving or distress [sati]| will be established, not confused; my body will be |tranquil::peaceful, calm [santa]|, |without agitation::without arousal, without excitement [asāraddha]|; my mind will be |collected::composed, settled [samāhita]| and |unified::one-pointedness, with oneness, integrated, well-composed, concentrated [ekagga]|.’ Thus, making himself his own authority, he abandons the |unwholesome::unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, or karmically unprofitable [akusala]| and |develops::cultivates [bhāveti]| the |wholesome::healthy, beneficial, useful [kusala]|, abandons what is blameworthy and develops what is blameless, and maintains himself in purity. This, bhikkhus, is called having oneself as one’s authority.
Katamañca, bhikkhave, lokādhipateyyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘na kho panāhaṁ cīvarahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito. Na piṇḍapātahetu, na senāsanahetu, na itibhavābhavahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito. Api ca khomhi otiṇṇo jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto. Appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethā’ti. Ahañceva kho pana evaṁ pabbajito samāno kāmavitakkaṁ vā vitakkeyyaṁ, byāpādavitakkaṁ vā vitakkeyyaṁ, vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ vā vitakkeyyaṁ, mahā kho panāyaṁ lokasannivāso. Mahantasmiṁ kho pana lokasannivāse santi samaṇabrāhmaṇā iddhimanto dibbacakkhukā paracittaviduno. Te dūratopi passanti, āsannāpi na dissanti, cetasāpi cittaṁ pajānanti. Tepi maṁ evaṁ jāneyyuṁ:
2.) And what, bhikkhus, is taking the world as one’s authority? Here, bhikkhus, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, a bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘I have not gone forth from the household life into homelessness for the sake of a robe, alms food, or lodging, or for becoming this or that, but rather with the thought: “I am immersed in birth, aging, and death; in sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair; I am immersed in |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|, afflicted by suffering. Perhaps an ending of this entire mass of suffering can be discerned. Having gone forth from the household life into homelessness, I might think |thoughts of sensuality::thoughts related to enjoyment of sensual pleasures, sexual thoughts [kāmavitakka]|, |thoughts of ill will::thoughts of resentment, anger, hatred [byāpādavitakka]|, or |thoughts of harming::idea of hurting, thought of cruelty [vihiṁsāvitakka]|. But the population of the world is vast. In the vast population of the world, there are ascetics and brahmins |with psychic powers::possessing psychic potency, supernormal power [iddhimant]|, who have the |divine eye::the faculty of clairvoyance, the ability to see beyond the ordinary human range [dibbacakkhu]|, and who know the minds of others. They would know me thus:
‘passatha, bho, imaṁ kulaputtaṁ saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito samāno vokiṇṇo viharati pāpakehi akusalehi dhammehī’ti. devatāpi kho santi iddhimantiniyo dibbacakkhukā paracittaviduniyo. Tā dūratopi passanti, āsannāpi na dissanti, cetasāpi cittaṁ jānanti. Tāpi maṁ evaṁ jāneyyuṁ:
‘See this son of a good family who, having gone forth from the household life into homelessness out of faith, now dwells entangled in unwholesome, |harmful::injurious, bad, or evil. Encompasses the deceptively alluring that is ultimately detrimental or ruinous [pāpaka]| [mental] states.’ There are deities, too, with psychic powers, who have the divine eye, and who know the minds of others. They see even from a distance but are not seen themselves even when close; they too know the minds of others with their own mind. They too would know me thus:
‘passatha, bho, imaṁ kulaputtaṁ saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito samāno vokiṇṇo viharati pāpakehi akusalehi dhammehī’ti. So iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘āraddhaṁ kho pana me vīriyaṁ bhavissati asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggan’ti. So lokaṁyeva adhipatiṁ karitvā akusalaṁ pajahati, kusalaṁ bhāveti, sāvajjaṁ pajahati, anavajjaṁ bhāveti, suddhaṁ attānaṁ pariharati. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, lokādhipateyyaṁ.
‘See this son of a good family who, having gone forth from the household life into homelessness out of faith, now dwells entangled in unwholesome, harmful [mental] states.’ He then reflects thus: ‘My energy will be aroused, not sluggish; my mindfulness will be established, not confused; my body will be tranquil, without agitation; my mind will be collected and unified.’ Thus, taking the world as his authority, he abandons the unwholesome and develops the wholesome, abandons what is blameworthy and develops what is blameless, and maintains himself in purity. This, bhikkhus, is called taking the world as one’s authority.
Katamañca, bhikkhave, dhammādhipateyyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘na kho panāhaṁ cīvarahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito. Na piṇḍapātahetu, na senāsanahetu, na itibhavābhavahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito. Api ca khomhi otiṇṇo jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto. Appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethāti. Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhīti. Santi kho pana me sabrahmacārī jānaṁ passaṁ viharanti. Ahañceva kho pana evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajito samāno kusīto vihareyyaṁ pamatto, na metaṁ assa patirūpan’ti. So iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘āraddhaṁ kho pana me vīriyaṁ bhavissati asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggan’ti. So dhammaṁyeva adhipatiṁ karitvā akusalaṁ pajahati, kusalaṁ bhāveti, sāvajjaṁ pajahati, anavajjaṁ bhāveti, suddhaṁ attānaṁ pariharati. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dhammādhipateyyaṁ.
3.) And what, bhikkhus, is taking the Dhamma as one’s authority? Here, bhikkhus, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, a bhikkhu reflects thus: ‘I have not gone forth from the household life into homelessness for the sake of a robe, alms food, or lodging, or for becoming this or that, but rather with the thought: “I am immersed in birth, aging, and death; in sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair; I am immersed in suffering, afflicted by suffering. Perhaps an ending of this entire mass of suffering can be discerned.” The Dhamma has been well expounded by the Blessed One, visible in the here and now, giving immediate fruit, inviting one to come and see, |worthy of application::onward leading, practical, relevant [opaneyyika]|, and to be personally realized by the wise. There are spiritual companions of mine who dwell knowing and seeing. As one who has gone forth from the household life into homelessness in this well-expounded Dhamma and |Vinaya::code of monastic discipline rules, training [vinaya]|, if I were to dwell |with laziness::procrastinating, inactive, indolently [kusīta]| and |negligence::inattentiveness, carelessness [pamatta]|, that would not be proper for me.’ He then reflects thus: ‘My energy will be aroused, not sluggish; my mindfulness will be established, not confused; my body will be tranquil, without agitation; my mind will be collected and unified.’ Thus, taking the Dhamma as his authority, he abandons the unwholesome and develops the wholesome, abandons what is blameworthy and develops what is blameless, and maintains himself in purity. This, bhikkhus, is called taking the Dhamma as one’s authority.
Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi ādhipateyyānīti.
These, bhikkhus, are the three authorities.
Natthi loke raho nāma,
pāpakammaṁ pakubbato;
Attā te purisa jānāti,
saccaṁ vā yadi vā musā.
There is no such thing as |secrecy::secret location, privacy, hidden [raho]| in the world,
for one who commits |evil deeds::unwholesome actions, harmful actions, misconduct [pāpakammā]|;
Your own self knows, O person,
whether it is true or false.
Kalyāṇaṁ vata bho sakkhi,
attānaṁ atimaññasi;
Yo santaṁ attani pāpaṁ,
attānaṁ parigūhasi.
Indeed sir, you the knower,
|look down on::have contempt for, be condescending to [atimaññati]| your good self;
For when evil is present within you,
you conceal it within yourself.
Passanti devā ca tathāgatā ca,
Lokasmiṁ bālaṁ visamaṁ carantaṁ;
Tasmā hi attādhipateyyako ca,
Lokādhipo ca nipako ca jhāyī;
Dhammādhipo ca anudhammacārī,
Na hīyati saccaparakkamo muni.
Deities and |Tathāgatas::those who have arrived at the truth, epithet of perfectly Awakened Ones [tathāgatā]| see,
the |immature person::lacking in discernment or good sense, child-like in understanding [bāla]| acting unsuitably in the world;
Therefore, having oneself as one’s authority,
taking the world as one’s authority, the discerning one, the meditator;
taking the Dhamma as one’s authority and practicing accordingly,
does not decline—for the sage |strives for the truth::perseveres honestly, firmly strives [saccaparakkama]|.
Pasayha māraṁ abhibhuyya antakaṁ,
Yo ca phusī jātikkhayaṁ padhānavā;
So tādiso lokavidū sumedho,
Sabbesu dhammesu atammayo munī”ti.
Having overcome |Māra::embodiment of all forces that keeps beings trapped in the cycle of rebirth [māra]| and conquering death,
one who, through effort, has attained the |wearing away of rebirth::extinction of rebirth [jātikkhaya]|;
Such a sage, of great wisdom, a knower of the world,
is |not identified with::not fashioned by, not constructed by [atammaya]| anything at all.”