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Anguttara Nikāya 
The Numerical Discourses  
 
Dasakanipāta  
Book of the Tens 
 
AN 10.2 
 
Cetanākaraṇī Sutta  
“Not Needing the Intention” 
 
Translated by Candana Bhikkhu 
 
Copyright © Candana Bhikkhu 2023, 2026 
 
Bhikkhus, a virtuous person living with wholesome behavior no longer needs to have the 
intention: ‘May non-regret come to me.’  
This, because it is only natural at this stage for non-regret to be experienced by a virtuous person 
living with wholesome behavior.  
 
Someone who has non-regret, no longer needs to have the intention: ‘May happy delight come to 
me.’  
This, because it is only natural at this stage for the person with non-regret to experience happy 
delight.  
 
Someone who experiences happy delight, no longer needs to have the intention: ‘May 
overflooding joy come to me.’  
This, because it is only natural at this stage for the one experiencing delight to also have 
overflooding spiritual joy. 
 
Someone who is thus joyful, no longer needs to have the intention: ‘May my body become 
tranquil and truly relaxed.’  
This, because it is only natural at this stage for the joyful person to experience tranquility 
throughout the body as it becomes truly relaxed.  
 
Someone experiencing tranquility and relaxation thus, throughout the body, no longer needs to 
have the intention: ‘May I feel bliss.’  
This, because it is only natural at this stage for the person experiencing such tranquility 
throughout the body to soon feel bliss.

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Someone experiencing such bliss, no longer needs to have the intention: ‘May I experience 
samādhi, wherein the heart becomes utterly collected and at peace.’  
This, because it is only natural at this stage for the person experiencing bliss to attain to samādhi. 
 
Furthermore, someone experiencing samādhi, no longer needs to have the intention: ‘May I be 
able to see and understand how things really are.’  
This, because it is only natural at this stage for the person who attains to samādhi to be able to 
see and understand how things really are.  
 
Someone who is able to see and understand how things really are, no longer needs to have the 
intention: ‘May I become disenchanted and dispassionate towards the world.’  
This, because it is only natural at this stage for the person who sees and understands how things 
really are, to become disenchanted and dispassionate towards the world, and all that it offers. 
 
Someone who becomes disenchanted and dispassionate towards the world, no longer needs to 
have the intention: ‘May I directly know Liberation and experience it for myself.’  
This, because it is only natural at this stage for the person who becomes disenchanted and 
dispassionate towards the world, to directly experience the unmistakability of Release, by seeing 
and understanding True Freedom for oneself, which comes with Full Awakening. 
 
Therefore, Bhikkhus, the unmistakable knowing and seeing of Release and experiencing it 
directly for oneself, is the purpose and benefit of becoming disenchanted and dispassionate 
towards the world.  
 
Becoming disenchanted and dispassionate towards the world, is the purpose and benefit of seeing 
and understanding how things really are.  
 
Seeing and understanding how things really are, is the purpose and benefit of samādhi.  
Samādhi and the collectedness of mind is the purpose and benefit of experiencing bliss.  
Bliss is the purpose and benefit of experiencing tranquility and relaxation throughout the body.  
Experiencing tranquility throughout the body is the purpose and benefit of having spiritual joy.  
Spiritual joy is the purpose and benefit of experiencing happy and gladdening delight.  
Experiencing happy and gladdening delight is the purpose and benefit of having non-regret.  
Non-regret is the purpose and benefit of living a virtuous life through one’s wholesome behavior. 
 
So, you see, Bhikkhus, as one stage of development is completed, it overflows into another, as 
one gradually and progressively advances by moving up from one stage to the next, until finally 
the traversing person, steadily but surely, finds himself no longer standing on the near shore, for 
he has now crossed over and reached the farther shore! 
 
 
Sādhu  
Sādhu   
Sādhu
