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Hello friends of the Dhamma,
Please allow me to share some Dhamma with you

may you and all our relatives be well and secure
may you and all our relatives be happy
may you and all our relatives receive the highest blessings
may you and all our relatives not kill
may you and all our relatives not cause others to kill
may you and all our relatives not conquer
may you and all our relatives not cause others to conquer

Anguttara Nikaya III.40
Adhipateyya Sutta
Governing Principles
For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
Context of this sutta


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"There are these three governing principles. Which three? The self as a
governing principle, the cosmos as a governing principle, and the Dhamma as
a governing principle.
"And what is the self as a governing principle? There is the case where a
monk, having gone to a wilderness, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty
dwelling, reflects on this: 'It is not for the sake of robes that I have
gone forth from the home life into homelessness; it is not for the sake of
almsfood, for the sake of lodgings, or for the sake of this or that state of
[future] becoming that I have gone forth from the home life into
homelessness. Simply that I am beset by birth, aging, & death; by sorrows,
lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs; beset by stress, overcome with
stress, [and I hope,] "Perhaps the end of this entire mass of suffering &
stress might be known!" Now, if I were to seek the same sort of sensual
pleasures that I abandoned in going forth from home into homelessness -- or
a worse sort -- that would not be fitting for me.' So he reflects on this:
'My persistence will be aroused & not lax; my mindfulness established & not
confused; my body calm & not aroused; my mind centered & unified.' Having
made himself his governing principle, he abandons what is unskillful,
develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is
unblameworthy, and looks after himself in a pure way. This is called the
self as a governing principle.

"And what is the cosmos as a governing principle? There is the case where a
monk, having gone to a wilderness, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty
dwelling, reflects on this: 'It is not for the sake of robes that I have
gone forth from the home life into homelessness; it is not for the sake of
almsfood, for the sake of lodgings, or for the sake of this or that state of
[future] becoming that I have gone forth from the home life into
homelessness. Simply that I am beset by birth, aging, & death; by sorrows,
lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs; beset by stress, overcome with
stress, [and I hope,] "Perhaps the end of this entire mass of suffering &
stress might be known!" Now if I, having gone forth, were to think thoughts
of sensuality, thoughts of ill will, or thoughts of harmfulness: great is
the community of this cosmos. And in the great community of this cosmos
there are priests & contemplatives endowed with psychic power, clairvoyant,
skilled [in reading] the minds of others. They can see even from afar. Even
up close, they are invisible. With their awareness they know the minds of
others. They would know this of me: "Look, my friends, at this clansman
who -- though he has in good faith gone forth from the home life into
homelessness -- remains overcome with evil, unskillful mental qualities."
There are also devas endowed with psychic power, clairvoyant, skilled [in
reading] the minds of others. They can see even from afar. Even up close,
they are invisible. With their awareness they know the minds of others. They
would know this of me: "Look, my friends, at this clansman who -- though he
has in good faith gone forth from the home life into homelessness -- remains
overcome with evil, unskillful mental qualities."' So he reflects on this:
'My persistence will be aroused & not lax; my mindfulness established & not
confused; my body calm & not aroused; my mind centered & unified.' Having
made the cosmos his governing principle, he abandons what is unskillful,
develops what is skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is
unblameworthy, and looks after himself in a pure way. This is called the
cosmos as a governing principle.

"And what is the Dhamma as a governing principle? There is the case where a
monk, having gone to a wilderness, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty
dwelling, reflects on this: 'It is not for the sake of robes that I have
gone forth from the home life into homelessness; it is not for the sake of
almsfood, for the sake of lodgings, or for the sake of this or that state of
[future] becoming that I have gone forth from the home life into
homelessness. Simply that I am beset by birth, aging, & death; by sorrows,
lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs; beset by stress, overcome with
stress, [and I hope,] "Perhaps the end of this entire mass of suffering &
stress might be known!" Now, the Dhamma is well-taught by the Blessed One,
to be seen here & now, timeless, inviting all to come & see, pertinent, to
be seen by the wise for themselves. There are fellow practitioners of the
chaste life who dwell knowing & seeing it. If I -- having gone forth in this
well-taught Dhamma & Vinaya -- were to remain lazy & heedless, that would
not be fitting for me.' So he reflects on this: 'My persistence will be
aroused & not lax; my mindfulness established & not confused; my body calm &
not aroused; my mind centered & unified.' Having made the Dhamma his
governing principle, he abandons what is unskillful, develops what is
skillful, abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is unblameworthy, and
looks after himself in a pure way. This is called the Dhamma as a governing
principle.

"These are the three governing principles."


There is
in the cosmos
            no
            secret
            place
for one
who has done
            an
            evil
            deed.
Your own self knows, my good man,
whether you are true
            or false.
You underestimate the fine witness
    that is yourself,
you with evil
    in yourself
that then you hide.

The devas & Tathagatas see the fool
    who goes about
    out of pitch in the cosmos.

Thus you should go about
self-governed,
            mindful;
governed by the cosmos,
            masterful,
            absorbed in jhana;
governed by the Dhamma,
            acting in line
            with the Dhamma.

The sage who makes an effort
        in truth
        doesn't fall back.

Whoever through striving
    -- overpowering Mara,
    conquering the Ender --
touches the stopping of birth,
is        Such,
        a knower of the cosmos,
        wise,
a sage
        unfashioned
        by anything at all.
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Revised: 9 November 1998
http://world.std.com/~metta/canon/anguttara/an3-40.html

may all beings be well and secure
may all beings be happy
may all beings receive the highest blessings
may all beings not kill
may all beings not cause others to kill
may all beings not conquer
may all beings not cause others to conquer.

with metta,
Richard
--
I am subject to aging, I have not gone beyond aging. I am subject to
sickness, have not gone beyond sickness. I am subject to death, have not
gone beyond death. I grow different, separate from all that is dear and
appealing to me. I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, related
through my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, I have
my actions as my arbitor. Whatever I do, for good or for evil to that will I
fall heir.