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Because, if he were to dwell with the mind faculty unguarded, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and displeasure might invade him. For its restraint, he practices, he guards the mind faculty, he undertakes restraint of the mind faculty. Thus, Mahānāma, does a noble disciple have guarded doors to the sense faculties. "And how, Mahānāma, is a noble disciple moderate in eating? Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple reflects wisely and eats food – 'Not for sport, not for intoxication, not for adornment, not for beautification; but only for the sustenance of this..." for the sustenance of the body, for its continuation, for the cessation of harm, for the support of the holy life. Thus, I shall put an end to old feelings, and I shall not give rise to new feelings, and there will be for me a blameless journey, and a comfortable abiding. It is in this way, Mahānāma, that a noble disciple is moderate in food. And how, Mahānāma, is a noble disciple devoted to wakefulness? Here, Mahānāma, the noble disciple purifies his mind from obstructive states by walking and sitting during the day. In the first watch of the night, he purifies his mind from obstructive states by walking and sitting. In the middle watch of the night, he lies down on his right side in the lion's posture, placing one foot on the other, mindful and clearly comprehending, having fixed his mind on the thought of rising. In the last watch of the night, he rises up and purifies his mind from obstructive states by walking and sitting. It is in this way, Mahānāma, that a noble disciple is devoted to wakefulness. 25. And how, Mahānāma, is a noble disciple endowed with the seven good qualities? Here, Mahānāma, the noble disciple is endowed with faith; he has faith in the Tathāgata's enlightenment: 'Indeed, that Blessed One is an Arahant, a fully enlightened Buddha, endowed with knowledge and conduct, a Fortunate One, knower of the world, an unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, a teacher of gods and humans, a Buddha, a Blessed One.' He is conscientious; he feels shame at misconduct by body, misconduct by speech, misconduct by mind; he feels shame at falling into evil, unwholesome states. He is scrupulous; he feels dread at misconduct by body, misconduct by speech, misconduct by mind; he feels dread at falling into evil, unwholesome states. He is learned, a preserver of what he has heard, a collector of what he has heard. Those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with letter, proclaiming the entirely complete and purified holy life— such teachings are much heard by him, retained, familiarized by speech, examined by mind. well-established in view, well-penetrated. He dwells with aroused energy for the abandoning of unwholesome states, for the acquiring of wholesome states; he is strong, with firm exertion, not laying down the burden in wholesome states. He is mindful, endowed with supreme mindfulness and circumspection, remembering and recollecting even what was done long ago, even what was said long ago. He is wise, endowed with wisdom that discerns rise and fall, noble, penetrating, leading to the right destruction of suffering. Thus, Mahānāma, the noble disciple is endowed with these seven good qualities. 26. And how, Mahānāma, is the noble disciple a gainer at will, a gainer without difficulty, a gainer without trouble of the four jhānas, pertaining to the higher mind, a pleasant abiding in this very life? Here, Mahānāma, the noble disciple, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, with initial application and sustained application, born of seclusion, with rapture and pleasure, enters and dwells in the first jhana; with the fading away of initial and sustained application, with internal assurance... he enters and dwells in the second jhana; with the fading away of rapture... he enters and dwells in the third jhana; with the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain, and with the prior disappearance of joy and sorrow... he enters and dwells in the fourth jhana. Thus, Mahānāma, the noble disciple is a gainer at will, a gainer without difficulty, a gainer without trouble of the four jhānas, pertaining to the higher mind, a pleasant abiding in this very life. 27. When, Mahānāma, the noble disciple is thus endowed with virtue, thus guarded in the sense faculties, thus moderate in eating, thus devoted to wakefulness, thus endowed with the seven good qualities, thus a gainer at will, without difficulty, without trouble, of the four jhānas, pertaining to the higher mind, a pleasant abiding in this very life, this one is called, Mahānāma, a noble disciple on the path of training, who has entered the state of not being dull, capable of full awakening, capable of enlightenment, capable of the unsurpassed security from bondage. for the attainment of this. Just as, Mahānāma, a hen's eggs, eight or ten or twelve, if they are properly sat upon by the hen, properly warmed, properly nurtured, even if that hen does not have such a wish arise: 'Oh, may these chicks break through the eggshell with their claw-tips or their beaks and emerge safely!' yet those chicks are capable of breaking through the eggshell with their claw-tips or their beaks and emerging safely. In the same way, Mahānāma, when a noble disciple is thus accomplished in virtue, thus guarded in the sense doors, thus moderate in eating, thus devoted to wakefulness, thus endowed with the seven good qualities, thus a willing attainer, an unlaborious attainer, an unarduous attainer of the four jhānas, which are mental, pleasant abiding in this very life, this noble disciple, Mahānāma, is called a trainee on the path, one who has entered the state of not being an unhatched egg, capable of breaking through, capable of full enlightenment, capable of attaining the unexcelled security from bondage. 28. That noble disciple, Mahānāma, having come to this unexcelled purity of equanimity and mindfulness, recollects his manifold past lives, that is to say, one birth, two births... and so forth, thus he recollects his manifold past lives with their details and features; this is his first breaking through, like a chick from its eggshell. That noble disciple, Mahānāma, having come to this unexcelled purity of equanimity and mindfulness, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans, sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate... and so forth, he understands beings as they fare according to their kamma; this is his second breaking through, like a chick from its eggshell. That noble disciple, Mahānāma, having come to this unexcelled purity of equanimity and mindfulness... Having attained purity, through the destruction of the taints, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation through wisdom, in this very life, having realized it for himself by direct knowledge, he abides in it. This is his third breakthrough, just like a chick from its eggshell. 29. And when, Mahānāma, the noble disciple is endowed with virtue, this is his conduct. And when, Mahānāma, the noble disciple guards the doors of his senses, this is his conduct. And when, Mahānāma, the noble disciple is moderate in eating, this is his conduct. And when, Mahānāma, the noble disciple is devoted to wakefulness, this is his conduct. And when, Mahānāma, the noble disciple is endowed with the seven good qualities, this is his conduct. And when, Mahānāma, the noble disciple is a gainer at will, without difficulty, without trouble, of the four jhānas, which are of the higher mind, a pleasant abiding in this very life, this is his conduct. And when, Mahānāma, the noble disciple recollects his manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births... and so forth, he recollects his manifold past lives with their aspects and details, this is his knowledge. And when, Mahānāma, the noble disciple, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human, sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate... he understands beings as they fare according to their kamma, this is his knowledge. And when, Mahānāma, through the destruction of the taints, he enters and abides in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation through wisdom, having realized it for himself by direct knowledge in this very life, this is his knowledge. This, Mahānāma, is called the noble disciple as one endowed with knowledge, as one endowed with conduct, as one endowed with knowledge and conduct. 30. This verse, Mahānāma, was also spoken by Brahmā Sanaṅkumāra – The khattiya is best among people, those who refer to lineage; endowed with sacrifice and conduct, he is the best among gods and humans. "Indeed, Mahānāma, this verse was well-sung, not ill-sung, by Brahmā Sanaṅkumāra; well-spoken, not ill-spoken; connected with meaning, not disconnected with meaning; approved by the Blessed One." Then the Blessed One, rising, addressed Venerable Ānanda: "Excellent, excellent, Ānanda! Excellent, Ānanda, is your discourse on the trainee's practice to the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu!" Venerable Ānanda spoke this. The Teacher approved. The Sakyans of Kapilavatthu rejoiced and delighted in Venerable Ānanda's words. The Discourse on the Trainee, the third, is finished. 4. The Discourse to Potaliya 31. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Aṅguttarāpans, in a market town of the Aṅguttarāpans named Āpaṇa. Then the Blessed One, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, entered Āpaṇa for alms. Having wandered for alms in Āpaṇa and returned from his alms round after his meal, he approached a certain forest grove for his day's abiding. Having entered that forest grove, he sat down at the root of a certain tree for his day's abiding.