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B0102010311dasuttar (ten liberations sutra)

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and once attained, for its increase, growth, development, and completion. Furthermore, friends, a monk is mindful, endowed with supreme mindfulness and clear comprehension. What was done long ago, what was said long ago, he remembers and recollects. This is the seventh reason, the seventh condition for the wisdom of the holy life, not yet attained, for its attainment, and once attained, for its increase, growth, development, and completion. Furthermore, friends, a monk dwells contemplating rise and fall in the five aggregates of clinging, thus: ‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the passing away of form; such is feeling, such is the origin of feeling, such is the passing away of feeling; such is perception, such is the origin of perception, such is the passing away of perception; such are fabrications, such is the origin of fabrications, such is the passing away of fabrications; such is consciousness, thus the origin of consciousness, thus the cessation of consciousness. This is the eighth cause, the eighth condition, for the attainment of unobtained wisdom at the beginning of the holy life, and for the increase, growth, development, and fulfillment of obtained wisdom. These eight things are very helpful. (Kha) "Which eight things are to be developed? The Noble Eightfold Path, namely— right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. These eight things are to be developed. (Ga) "Which eight things are to be fully understood? The eight worldly conditions— gain and loss, fame and disrepute, praise and blame, happiness and suffering. These eight things are to be fully understood. (Gha) "Which eight things are to be abandoned? The eight wrong ways— wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration. These eight things are to be abandoned. (Ṅa) "Which eight things lead to decline? The eight grounds for laziness. Here, friend, a monk has work to do. He thinks thus: 'I will have work to do, and while doing work, my body will get tired. Come, let me lie down.' So he lies down. He does not arouse energy for the attainment of the unobtained, for the realization of the uncomprehended, for the direct experience of the unverified. This is the first ground for laziness. "Again, friend, a monk has done work. He thinks thus: 'I have done work, and while doing work, my body got tired. Come, let me lie down.' So he lies down. He does not arouse energy... This is the second ground for laziness. "Again, friend, a monk has a journey to make. He thinks thus: 'I will have a journey to make, and while making the journey, my body will get tired. Come, let me lie down.' "I will lie down." So he lies down, he does not arouse energy... This is the third ground for laziness. Again, friends, a monk has walked a path. He thinks: "I have walked a path, my body is tired from walking the path, come, I will lie down." So he lies down, he does not arouse energy... This is the fourth ground for laziness. Again, friends, a monk wandering for alms in a village or town does not get enough coarse or fine food. He thinks: "I wandered for alms in a village or town and did not get enough coarse or fine food, my body is tired, unfit for work, come, I will lie down."... This is the fifth ground for laziness. Again, friends, a monk wandering for alms in a village or town gets enough coarse or fine food. He thinks: "I wandered for alms in a village or town and got enough coarse or fine food, my body is heavy, unfit for work, I think I've eaten too much, come, I will lie down." So he lies down... This is the sixth ground for laziness. Again, friends, a monk has a slight illness arisen. He thinks: "This slight illness has arisen in me, it is proper to lie down, come, I will lie down." So he lies down... This is the seventh ground for laziness. Again, friends, a monk has recovered from illness, recently recovered from sickness. He thinks: "I have recovered from illness, recently recovered from sickness. My body is weak, unfit for work, come, I will lie down." So he lies down... This is the eighth ground for laziness. These eight things lead to decline. And what are the eight things that lead to distinction? The eight grounds for exertion. Here, friend, a bhikkhu has work to do. He thinks thus: ‘I will have work to do. While doing work, it will not be easy for me to attend to the Buddha’s teaching. Come now, I will arouse energy for the attainment of the unobtained, for the realization of the unrealized, for the direct experience of the unexperienced.’ He arouses energy for the attainment of the unobtained, for the realization of the unrealized, for the direct experience of the unexperienced. This is the first occasion for arousing energy. Again, further, friend, a bhikkhu has done work. He thinks thus: ‘I have done work. While doing work, I was unable to attend to the Buddha’s teaching. Come now, I will arouse energy… This is the second occasion for arousing energy. Again, further, friend, a bhikkhu has a journey to make. He thinks thus: ‘I will have a journey to make. While making the journey, it will not be easy for me to attend to the Buddha’s teaching. Come now, I will arouse energy… This is the third occasion for arousing energy. Again, further, friend, a bhikkhu has made a journey. He thinks thus: ‘I have made a journey. While making the journey, I was unable to attend to the Buddha’s teaching. Come now, I will arouse energy… This is the fourth occasion for arousing energy. Again, further, friend, a bhikkhu, while wandering for alms in a village or town, does not obtain a full measure of coarse or choice food. He thinks thus: ‘While wandering for alms in a village or town, I did not obtain a full measure of coarse or choice food. My body is light and workable. Come now, I will arouse energy… This is the fifth occasion for arousing energy. Again, further, friend, a bhikkhu, while wandering for alms in a village or town, obtains a full measure of coarse or choice food. He thinks thus: 'Indeed, I, wandering for alms in a village or town, obtained enough coarse or fine food to satisfy myself. My body is strong, fit for work. Come, let me exert effort... This is the sixth ground for exertion. Again, friends, a monk has arisen a slight illness. He thinks thus: 'Indeed, this slight illness has arisen in me. It is possible that my illness might worsen. Come, let me exert effort...' This is the seventh ground for exertion. Again, friends, a monk has recovered from illness, recently recovered from sickness. He thinks thus: 'Indeed, I have recovered from illness, recently recovered from sickness. It is possible that my illness might return. Come, let me exert effort for the attainment of the unobtained, for the realization of the unrealized, for the direct experience of the unverified.' So he exerts effort for the attainment of the unobtained, for the realization of the unrealized, for the direct experience of the unverified. This is the eighth ground for exertion. These eight qualities are conducive to distinction. (Six) "Which are the eight qualities difficult to penetrate? Eight inopportune times, unsuitable for living the holy life. Here, friends, a Tathāgata has arisen in the world, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One. And the Dhamma is taught, leading to peace, to Nibbāna, to awakening, proclaimed by the Fortunate One. But this person is reborn in hell. This is the first inopportune time, unsuitable for living the holy life. Again, friends, a Tathāgata has arisen in the world, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One. And the Dhamma is taught, leading to peace, to Nibbāna, to awakening, proclaimed by the Fortunate One. But this person is reborn in the animal realm. This is the second inopportune time, unsuitable for living the holy life. Again... is reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts. This is the third inopportune time, unsuitable for living the holy life. Again... some long-lived deity is reborn in a realm of suffering. This is the fourth inopportune moment, an unsuitable time for living the holy life. Again, furthermore… one is reborn in remote borderlands, among barbarians, among those who do not know the Dhamma, where there is no access for monks, for nuns, for male lay followers, for female lay followers. This is the fifth inopportune moment, an unsuitable time for living the holy life. Again, furthermore… this person is reborn in the central lands, but is of wrong view, of perverted vision: ‘There is no giving, there is no offering, there is no sacrifice, there is no fruit or result of good and bad deeds, there is no this world, there is no other world, there is no mother, there is no father, there are no spontaneously arisen beings, there are no ascetics and brahmins in the world who are rightly gone, rightly practiced, who, having realized this world and the other world for themselves through direct knowledge, proclaim it.’ This is the sixth inopportune moment, an unsuitable time for living the holy life. Again, furthermore… this person is reborn in the central lands, but is dull-witted, stupid, mute and deaf, unable to understand the meaning of well-spoken and ill-spoken words. This is the seventh inopportune moment, an unsuitable time for living the holy life. Again, furthermore… this person is reborn in the central lands, and is wise, not dull-witted, not mute and deaf, able to understand the meaning of well-spoken and ill-spoken words. This is the eighth inopportune moment, an unsuitable time for living the holy life. These eight things are difficult to penetrate. (Ja) What are the eight things to be developed? The eight thoughts of a great person: This Dhamma is for one with few desires, not for one with many desires. This Dhamma is for one who is content, not for one who is discontent. This Dhamma is for one who is secluded,