English
The five factors of exertion – here, friend, a monk is endowed with faith, he believes in the Tathāgata’s enlightenment – ‘Indeed, that Blessed One is an Arahant, perfectly enlightened, endowed with knowledge and conduct, well-gone, knower of the worlds, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.’ He is free from illness, free from affliction, endowed with a digestive system that is evenly functioning, not too cold, not too hot, moderate, fit for exertion. He is not deceitful, not fraudulent, one who reveals himself as he truly is to the Teacher or to discerning fellow practitioners. He lives with aroused energy for the abandonment of unwholesome states, for the acquisition of wholesome states, steadfast, firm in effort, not laying down the burden in wholesome states. He is wise, endowed with wisdom that discerns rise and fall, noble, penetrative, rightly leading to the complete destruction of suffering. These five things are of great help. (Kha) ‘‘Which are the five things to be developed? The five-factored right concentration – pervasion with rapture, pervasion with happiness, pervasion with mind, pervasion with light, the sign of reviewing. These five things are to be developed. (Ga) ‘‘Which What five things are to be fully understood? The five aggregates of clinging: the aggregate of clinging to form, the aggregate of clinging to feeling, the aggregate of clinging to perception, the aggregate of clinging to mental formations, the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. These five things are to be fully understood. (Gha) What five things are to be abandoned? The five hindrances: the hindrance of sensual desire, the hindrance of ill-will, the hindrance of sloth and torpor, the hindrance of restlessness and remorse, the hindrance of doubt. These five things are to be abandoned. (Ṅa) What five things are conducive to decline? The five mental barrennesses: Here, friend, a bhikkhu doubts the Teacher, is perplexed, does not resolve, is not confident. That bhikkhu, friend, who doubts the Teacher, is perplexed, does not resolve, is not confident, his mind does not incline to ardour, to application, to perseverance, to exertion. Whose mind does not incline to ardour, to application, to perseverance, to exertion. This is the first mental barrenness. Furthermore, friend, a bhikkhu doubts the Dhamma, is perplexed... doubts the Saṅgha, is perplexed... doubts the training, is perplexed... is angry with his fellow practitioners, displeased, with a wounded mind, barren-hearted. That bhikkhu, friend, who is angry with his fellow practitioners, displeased, with a wounded mind, barren-hearted, his mind does not incline to ardour, to application, to perseverance, to exertion. Whose mind does not incline to ardour, to application, to perseverance, to exertion. This is the fifth mental barrenness. These five things are conducive to decline. (Ca) What five things are conducive to distinction? The five faculties: the faculty of faith, the faculty of energy, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, the faculty of wisdom. These five things are conducive to distinction. (Cha) What five things are difficult to penetrate? The five elements of escape: Here, friend, when a bhikkhu attends to sensual pleasures, his mind does not incline to sensual pleasures, does not become confident, does not settle, does not become liberated. But renunciation... When he attends to renunciation, his mind inclines to renunciation, it is gladdened, it settles, it is freed. That mind of his is well-gone, well-developed, well-risen, well-freed, disjoined from sensual pleasures. And whatever defilements, vexations, and fevers arise due to sensual pleasures, he is freed from them. He does not experience that feeling. This is declared to be the escape from sensual pleasures. Furthermore, friend, when a monk attends to ill-will, his mind does not incline to ill-will, it is not gladdened, it does not settle, it is not freed. But when he attends to non-ill-will, his mind inclines to non-ill-will, it is gladdened, it settles, it is freed. That mind of his is well-gone, well-developed, well-risen, well-freed, disjoined from ill-will. And whatever defilements, vexations, and fevers arise due to ill-will, he is freed from them. He does not experience that feeling. This is declared to be the escape from ill-will. Furthermore, friend, when a monk attends to harm, his mind does not incline to harm, it is not gladdened, it does not settle, it is not freed. But when he attends to non-harm, his mind inclines to non-harm, it is gladdened, it settles, it is freed. That mind of his is well-gone, well-developed, well-risen, well-freed, disjoined from harm. And whatever defilements, vexations, and fevers arise due to harm, he is freed from them. He does not experience that feeling. This is declared to be the escape from harm. Furthermore, friend, when a monk attends to forms, his mind does not incline to forms, it is not gladdened, it does not settle, it is not freed. But when he attends to the formless, his mind inclines to the formless, it is gladdened, it settles, it is freed. That mind of his is well-gone, well-developed, well-risen, well-freed, disjoined from forms. And whatever defilements, vexations, and fevers arise due to forms, he is freed from them. He does not experience that feeling. This is declared to be the escape from forms. Furthermore, friend, when a monk When a monk contemplates the body of existence, his mind does not incline, does not become confident, does not settle, does not become liberated in the body of existence. But when he contemplates the cessation of the body of existence, his mind inclines, becomes confident, settles, becomes liberated in the cessation of the body of existence. That mind of his is well-gone, well-developed, well-risen, well-liberated, disjoined from the body of existence. And whatever defilements, vexations, fevers arise dependent on the body of existence, he is freed from them. He does not experience that feeling. This is declared as the escape from the body of existence. These five things are difficult to penetrate. (Ja) "Which five things should be produced? Right concentration with five knowledges – 'This concentration is pleasant in the present and has a pleasant result in the future' – this knowledge arises within oneself. 'This concentration is noble, unworldly' – this knowledge arises within oneself. 'This concentration is not resorted to by ignoble persons' – this knowledge arises within oneself. 'This concentration is tranquil, sublime, attained by appeasement, achieved by unification, not by forceful suppression and restraint' – this knowledge arises within oneself. 'I enter into this concentration mindfully, and I emerge from it mindfully' – this knowledge arises within oneself. These five things should be produced." (Jha) "Which five things should be fully understood? Five bases for liberation – Here, friend, the Teacher teaches the Dhamma to a monk, or another respected fellow practitioner. As the Teacher teaches the Dhamma to the monk, or another respected fellow practitioner, so does he experience the meaning and experience the Dhamma in that Dhamma. For him who experiences the meaning and experiences the Dhamma, joy arises. For the joyful one, rapture arises. For the rapturous one, the body becomes tranquil, and... His body is tranquil, he feels pleasure. With pleasure, his mind becomes concentrated. This is the first sphere of liberation. Again, friends, it is not that the Teacher teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhu, or some respected fellow practitioner. But rather, he teaches the Dhamma to others in detail, as he has heard it, as he has learned it. In whatever way, friends, the bhikkhu teaches the Dhamma to others in detail, as he has heard it, as he has learned it, in that way he experiences the meaning of that Dhamma, and experiences the Dhamma itself. For him, experiencing the meaning and experiencing the Dhamma, joy arises. For one who is joyful, rapture arises. For one whose mind is rapturous, his body becomes tranquil. His body is tranquil, he feels pleasure. With pleasure, his mind becomes concentrated. This is the second sphere of liberation. Again, friends, it is not that the Teacher teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhu, or some respected fellow practitioner. Nor does he teach the Dhamma to others in detail, as he has heard it, as he has learned it. But rather, he recites the Dhamma in detail, as he has heard it, as he has learned it. In whatever way, friends, the bhikkhu recites the Dhamma in detail, as he has heard it, as he has learned it, in that way he experiences the meaning of that Dhamma, and experiences the Dhamma itself. For him, experiencing the meaning and experiencing the Dhamma, joy arises. For one who is joyful, rapture arises. For one whose mind is rapturous, his body becomes tranquil. His body is tranquil, he feels pleasure. With pleasure, his mind becomes concentrated. This is the third sphere of liberation. Again, friends, it is not that the Teacher teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhu, or some respected fellow practitioner. Nor does he teach the Dhamma to others in detail, as he has heard it, as he has learned it. Nor does he recite the Dhamma in detail, as he has heard it, as he has learned it. But rather, he ponders and examines the Dhamma in his mind, as he has heard it, as he has learned it, and reflects upon it mentally. As, friend, a monk reflects upon, ponders, and examines with his mind the Dhamma as heard, as learned, so does he experience the meaning and experience the Dhamma in that Dhamma. For him, experiencing the meaning and experiencing the Dhamma, joy arises. For the joyful, rapture arises. For the rapturous, the body becomes tranquil. With tranquil body, he feels happiness. For the happy, the mind becomes concentrated. This is the fourth ground for liberation.