In short: in AN 10.2 the Buddha says an ethical person need not wish for freedom from regret; it comes naturally. One good quality leads to the next: no regret, joy, calm, happiness, stillness, and finally clear seeing and freedom.
Mendicants, an ethical person, who has fulfilled ethical conduct, need not make a wish: 'May I have no regrets!' It's only natural that an ethical person has no regrets. When you have no regrets you need not make a wish: 'May I feel joy!' It's only natural that joy springs up when you have no regrets.
AN 10.2, translated by Bhikkhu Sujato.
What it means
You don't have to force peace. Keep your conduct clean, and each good state grows naturally from the one before: no regret, joy, rapture, a tranquil body, bliss, stillness, clear seeing, and freedom. A relaxing teaching for anyone who strives too hard. Start with the Five Precepts.
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The full text in Pāli and English
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato, from SuttaCentral (AN10.2). Ellipses (…) are abbreviations in the original. Notes are ANEW's.
| Pāli | English |
|---|---|
| “Sīlavato, bhikkhave, sīlasampannassa na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: | “Mendicants, an ethical person, who has fulfilled ethical conduct, need not make a wish: |
| ‘avippaṭisāro me uppajjatū’ti. | ‘May I have no regrets!’ |
| Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ sīlavato sīlasampannassa avippaṭisāro uppajjati. | It’s only natural that an ethical person has no regrets. |
| Avippaṭisārissa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: | When you have no regrets you need not make a wish: |
| ‘pāmojjaṁ me uppajjatū’ti. | ‘May I feel joy!’ |
| Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ avippaṭisārissa pāmojjaṁ jāyati. | It’s only natural that joy springs up when you have no regrets. |
| Pamuditassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: | When you feel joy you need not make a wish: |
| ‘pīti me uppajjatū’ti. | ‘May I experience rapture!’ |
| Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ pamuditassa pīti uppajjati. | It’s only natural that rapture arises when you’re joyful. |
| Pītimanassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: | When your mind is full of rapture you need not make a wish: |
| ‘kāyo me passambhatū’ti. | ‘May my body become tranquil!’ |
| Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ pītimanassa kāyo passambhati. | It’s only natural that your body becomes tranquil when your mind is full of rapture. |
| Passaddhakāyassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: | When your body is tranquil you need not make a wish: |
| ‘sukhaṁ vediyāmī’ti. | ‘May I feel bliss!’ |
| Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vediyati. | It’s only natural to feel bliss when your body is tranquil. |
| Sukhino, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: | When you feel bliss you need not make a wish: |
| ‘cittaṁ me samādhiyatū’ti. | ‘May my mind be immersed in samādhi!’ |
| Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati. | It’s only natural for the mind to be immersed in samādhi when you feel bliss. |
| Samāhitassa, bhikkhave, na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: | When your mind is immersed in samādhi you need not make a wish: |
| ‘yathābhūtaṁ jānāmi passāmī’ti. | ‘May I truly know and see!’ |
| Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ samāhito yathābhūtaṁ jānāti passati. | It’s only natural to truly know and see when your mind is immersed in samādhi. |
| Yathābhūtaṁ, bhikkhave, jānato passato na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: | When you truly know and see you need not make a wish: |
| ‘nibbindāmi virajjāmī’ti. | ‘May I become disillusioned and dispassionate!’ |
| Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ yathābhūtaṁ jānaṁ passaṁ nibbindati virajjati. | It’s only natural to become disillusioned and dispassionate when you truly know and see. |
| Nibbinnassa, bhikkhave, virattassa na cetanāya karaṇīyaṁ: | When you’re disillusioned and dispassionate you need not make a wish: |
| ‘vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ sacchikaromī’ti. | ‘May I realize the knowledge and vision of freedom!’ |
| Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, yaṁ nibbinno viratto vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ sacchikaroti. | It’s only natural to realize the knowledge and vision of freedom when you’re disillusioned and dispassionate. |
| Iti kho, bhikkhave, nibbidāvirāgo vimuttiñāṇadassanattho vimuttiñāṇadassanānisaṁso; | And so, mendicants, the knowledge and vision of freedom is the goal and benefit of disillusionment and dispassion. |
| yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ nibbidāvirāgatthaṁ nibbidāvirāgānisaṁsaṁ; | Disillusionment and dispassion is the goal and benefit of truly knowing and seeing. |
| samādhi yathābhūtañāṇadassanattho yathābhūtañāṇadassanānisaṁso; | Truly knowing and seeing is the goal and benefit of immersion. |
| sukhaṁ samādhatthaṁ samādhānisaṁsaṁ; | Immersion is the goal and benefit of bliss. |
| passaddhi sukhatthā sukhānisaṁsā; | Bliss is the goal and benefit of tranquility. |
| pīti passaddhatthā passaddhānisaṁsā; | Tranquility is the goal and benefit of rapture. |
| pāmojjaṁ pītatthaṁ pītānisaṁsaṁ; | Rapture is the goal and benefit of joy. |
| avippaṭisāro pāmojjattho pāmojjānisaṁso; | Joy is the goal and benefit of not having regrets. |
| kusalāni sīlāni avippaṭisāratthāni avippaṭisārānisaṁsāni. | Not having regrets is the goal and benefit of skillful ethics. |
| Iti kho, bhikkhave, dhammā dhamme abhisandenti, dhammā dhamme paripūrenti apārā pāraṁ gamanāyā”ti. | And so, mendicants, good qualities flow on and fill up from one to the other, for going from the near shore to the far shore.” |
| Dutiyaṁ. |
Why wishing alone doesn't work: what prayer can't buy.
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Questions people ask
What does 'no need to make a wish' mean?
In AN 10.2 the Buddha teaches that good qualities follow each other naturally: from ethical conduct comes no regret, then joy, rapture, tranquility, bliss, immersion, insight and freedom, without needing to wish for them.