Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.72 8.

Kaṇṭakasutta

Ākaṅkhavagga Kaṇṭakasutta Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ sambahulehi abhiññātehi abhiññātehi therehi sāvakehi saddhiṁ— āyasmatā ca cālena, āyasmatā ca upacālena, āyasmatā ca kukkuṭena, āyasmatā ca kaḷimbhena, āyasmatā ca nikaṭena, āyasmatā ca kaṭissahena; aññehi ca abhiññātehi abhiññātehi therehi sāvakehi saddhiṁ.

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in Vesālī, in the Great Forest, in the Hall with a Peaked Roof, together with many well-known elder disciples: with the venerable Cāla, the venerable Upacāla, the venerable Kukkuṭa, the venerable Kaḷimbha, the venerable Nikaṭa, the venerable Kaṭissaha; and with other well-known elder disciples.

Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā abhiññātā abhiññātā licchavī bhadrehi bhadrehi yānehi parapurāya uccāsaddā mahāsaddā mahāvanaṁ ajjhogāhanti bhagavantaṁ dassanāya.

At that time, many well-known Licchavis, in excellent and splendid vehicles, were making a great noise, a loud sound, entering the Great Forest to see the Blessed One.

Atha kho tesaṁ āyasmantānaṁ etadahosi: “ime kho sambahulā abhiññātā abhiññātā licchavī bhadrehi bhadrehi yānehi parapurāya uccāsaddā mahāsaddā mahāvanaṁ ajjhogāhanti bhagavantaṁ dassanāya.

Then it occurred to those venerable ones: These many well-known Licchavis, in excellent and splendid vehicles, making a great noise, a loud sound, are entering the Great Forest to see the Blessed One.

Saddakaṇṭakā kho pana jhānā vuttā bhagavatā.

Noise is indeed a thorn to development, as said by the Blessed One.

Yannūna mayaṁ yena gosiṅgasālavanadāyo tenupasaṅkameyyāma.

Perhaps we should approach the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood.

Tattha mayaṁ appasaddā appākiṇṇā phāsuṁ vihareyyāmā”ti.

There we could live quietly and undisturbed.

Atha kho te āyasmanto yena gosiṅgasālavanadāyo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; tattha te āyasmanto appasaddā appākiṇṇā phāsuṁ viharanti.

Then those venerable ones approached the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood; there they lived quietly and undisturbed.

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “kahaṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, cālo, kahaṁ upacālo, kahaṁ kukkuṭo, kahaṁ kaḷimbho, kahaṁ nikaṭo, kahaṁ kaṭissaho; kahaṁ nu kho te, bhikkhave, therā sāvakā gatā”ti?

Then the Blessed One addressed the disciples: Where are Cāla, Upacāla, Kukkuṭa, Kaḷimbha, Nikaṭa, Kaṭissaha; where have those elder disciples gone?

“Idha, bhante, tesaṁ āyasmantānaṁ etadahosi: ‘ime kho sambahulā abhiññātā abhiññātā licchavī bhadrehi bhadrehi yānehi parapurāya uccāsaddā mahāsaddā mahāvanaṁ ajjhogāhanti bhagavantaṁ dassanāya saddakaṇṭakā kho pana jhānā vuttā bhagavatā yannūna mayaṁ yena gosiṅgasālavanadāyo tenupasaṅkameyyāma tattha mayaṁ appasaddā appākiṇṇā phāsuṁ vihareyyāmā’ti.

Here, venerable sir, it occurred to those venerable ones: These many well-known Licchavis, in excellent and splendid vehicles, making a great noise, a loud sound, are entering the Great Forest to see the Blessed One. Noise is indeed a thorn to development, as said by the Blessed One. Perhaps we should approach the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood. There we could live quietly and undisturbed.

Atha kho te, bhante, āyasmanto yena gosiṅgasālavanadāyo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu.

Then, venerable sir, those venerable ones approached the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood.

Tattha te āyasmanto appasaddā appākiṇṇā phāsuṁ viharantī”ti.

There they are living quietly and undisturbed.

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhave, yathā te mahāsāvakā sammā byākaramānā byākareyyuṁ, saddakaṇṭakā hi, bhikkhave, jhānā vuttā mayā.

Good, good as those great disciples have properly explained, noise is indeed a thorn to development, as I have said.

Dasayime, bhikkhave, kaṇṭakā.

These are the ten thorns.

Katame dasa?

What ten?

Pavivekārāmassa saṅgaṇikārāmatā kaṇṭako, asubhanimittānuyogaṁ anuyuttassa subhanimittānuyogo kaṇṭako, indriyesu guttadvārassa visūkadassanaṁ kaṇṭako, brahmacariyassa mātugāmūpacāro kaṇṭako, paṭhamassa jhānassa saddo kaṇṭako, dutiyassa jhānassa vitakkavicārā kaṇṭakā, tatiyassa jhānassa pīti kaṇṭako, catutthassa jhānassa assāsapassāso kaṇṭako, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā saññā ca vedanā ca kaṇṭako rāgo kaṇṭako doso kaṇṭako moho kaṇṭako.

For one who delights in solitude, the desire for company is a thorn; for one devoted to the perception of the unattractive, the pursuit of the perception of the attractive is a thorn; for one guarding the senses, the indulgence in sense pleasures is a thorn; for one living the holy life, association with women is a thorn; for the first jhāna, sound is a thorn; for the second jhāna, applied and sustained attention are thorns; for the third jhāna, energetic joy is a thorn; for the fourth jhāna, in-and-out breathing is a thorn; for the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling are thorns; craving is a thorn, aversion is a thorn, delusion is a thorn.

Akaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, viharatha.

Live without thorns, disciples.

Nikkaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, viharatha.

Live without afflictions, disciples.

Akaṇṭakanikkaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, viharatha.

Live utterly free from thorns, disciples.

Akaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, arahanto; nikkaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, arahanto; akaṇṭakanikkaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, arahanto”ti. Dutiyaṁ.

Those without thorns are arahants; Those without afflictions are arahants; Those utterly free from thorns are arahants.