buddha daily wisdom image

an.4.49 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

Perversions

“Monks, there are these four perversions of perception, perversions of mind, perversions of view. Which four? ‘Constant’ with regard to the inconstant is a perversion of perception, a perversion of mind, a perversion of view. ‘Pleasant’ with regard to the stressful… ‘Self’ with regard to not-self… ‘Attractive’ with regard to the unattractive is a perversion of perception, a perversion of mind, a perversion of view. These are the four perversions of perception, perversions of mind, perversions of view.

“There are these four non-perversions of perception, non-perversions of mind, non-perversions of view. Which four? ‘Inconstant’ with regard to the inconstant is a non-perversion of perception, a non-perversion of mind, a non-perversion of view. ‘Stressful’ with regard to the stressful… ‘Not-self’ with regard to not-self… ‘Unattractive’ with regard to the unattractive is a non-perversion of perception, a non-perversion of mind, a non-perversion of view. These are the four non-perversions of perception, non-perversions of mind, non-perversions of view.”

Perceiving constancy in the inconstant,
pleasure in the stressful,
self in what’s not-self,
attractiveness in the unattractive,
beings, destroyed by wrong-view, go mad, out of their minds.
Bound to Mara’s yoke,
from the yoke they find no rest.
Beings go on to the wandering-on,
leading to birth & death.
But when Awakened Ones
arise in the world,
bringing light to the world,
they proclaim the Dhamma
leading to the stilling of stress.
When those with discernment listen,
they regain their senses,
seeing the inconstant as inconstant,
the stressful as stressful,
what’s not-self as not-self,
the unattractive as unattractive.
Undertaking right view,
they transcend all stress & suffering.

- Translator: Thanissaro Bhikkhu

- Editor: Gabriel Laera


Perversions

“Mendicants, there are these four perversions of perception, mind, and view.
What four?
Taking impermanence as permanence.
Taking suffering as happiness.
Taking not-self as self.
Taking ugliness as beauty.
These are the four perversions of perception, mind, and view.
There are these four corrections of perception, mind, and view.
What four?
Taking impermanence as impermanence.
Taking suffering as suffering.
Taking not-self as not-self.
Taking ugliness as ugliness.
These are the four corrections of perception, mind, and view.
Perceiving impermanence as permanence,
suffering as happiness,
not-self as self,
and ugliness as beauty—
sentient beings are ruined by wrong view,
deranged, out of their mind.
Yoked by Māra’s yoke, these people
find no sanctuary from the yoke.
Sentient beings continue to transmigrate,
with ongoing birth and death.
But when the Buddhas arise
in the world, those beacons
reveal this teaching,
that leads to the stilling of suffering.
When a wise person hears them,
they get their mind back.
Seeing impermanence as impermanence,
suffering as suffering,
not-self as not-self,
and ugliness as ugliness—
taking up right view,
they’ve risen above all suffering.”