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and go forth from the home life into homelessness?” So, friends, at a later time, having abandoned a small amount of wealth, or having abandoned a large amount of wealth, having abandoned a small circle of relatives, or having abandoned a large circle of relatives, I shaved off my hair and beard, put on saffron robes, and went forth from the home life into homelessness. Having thus gone forth, I undertook the training and livelihood of bhikkhus. I abandoned the taking of life, and abstained from the taking of life. I lived with rod laid down, with weapon laid down, conscientious, compassionate, sympathetic to all living beings. I abandoned the taking of what is not given, and abstained from the taking of what is not given. I was a taker of what is given, a receiver of what is given, living purely by myself, without theft. I abandoned unchastity, and was chaste, living apart, abstaining from sexual intercourse, the village custom. I abandoned false speech, and abstained from false speech. I was a speaker of truth, bound to truth, firm, reliable, not deceiving the world. I abandoned divisive speech, and abstained from divisive speech. Having heard here, I did not report there to cause division among these. Or having heard there, I did not report here to cause division among those. Thus I was a reconciler of those who are divided, a promoter of those who are united, delighting in unity, rejoicing in unity, exulting in unity, a speaker of words that create unity. I abandoned harsh speech, and abstained from harsh speech. I spoke words that were gentle, pleasant to the ear, lovable, going to the heart, courteous, agreeable to many, pleasing to many. I abandoned idle chatter, and abstained from idle chatter. I abstained from evil. I spoke at the right time, spoke what was true, spoke what was beneficial, spoke about the Dhamma, spoke about the Vinaya. I spoke words that were well-stored, at the right time, with reasons, limited, and connected with the goal. I abstained from harming seeds and plants. I ate only one meal a day, abstaining from food at night, and at improper times. I abstained from seeing dancing, singing, music, and unseemly shows. I abstained from wearing garlands, using perfumes, and adorning myself with ornaments. I abstained from high and luxurious beds. I abstained from accepting gold and silver. I abstained from accepting raw grain. I abstained from accepting raw meat. I abstained from accepting women and girls. I abstained from accepting male and female slaves. I abstained from accepting goats and sheep. I abstained from accepting chickens and pigs. I abstained from accepting elephants, cattle, horses, and mares. I abstained from accepting fields and land. I abstained from acting as a messenger, or going on errands. I abstained from buying and selling. I abstained from cheating with scales, metals, and measures. I abstained from bribery, deception, fraud, and crookedness. I abstained from cutting, killing, binding, highway robbery, plunder, and violent acts. I was content with robes to protect my body, and almsfood to sustain my stomach. Wherever I went, I went taking only these. Just as a bird, a winged creature, wherever it flies, flies with only its wings as its burden; even so, friends, I was content with robes to protect my body, and almsfood to sustain my stomach. Wherever I went, I went taking only these. Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, I experienced a blameless joy within myself. When I saw a form with my eye, I did not grasp at its general appearance, nor its detailed features. Because if the eye faculty were left unrestrained ...dwelling, covetousness and sorrow, evil unwholesome states, might flow in upon him. For its restraint, I practiced; I guarded the eye faculty, in the eye faculty, I undertook restraint. Having heard a sound with the ear, having smelled a scent with the nose, having tasted a flavor with the tongue, having felt a tangible with the body, having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, I was not a grasper of signs, nor a grasper of details. Wherefore, if this mind faculty, dwelling unrestrained, covetousness and sorrow, evil unwholesome states, might flow in upon it, for its restraint, I practiced; I guarded the mind faculty, in the mind faculty, I undertook restraint. Endowed with this noble restraint of the faculties, I experienced an inner happiness, free from defilement. When going forward, when going back, I acted with clear comprehension. When looking ahead, when looking around, I acted with clear comprehension. When bending, when stretching, I acted with clear comprehension. When wearing robes and carrying bowl, I acted with clear comprehension. When eating, drinking, chewing, tasting, I acted with clear comprehension. When defecating, when urinating, I acted with clear comprehension. When walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, or remaining silent, I acted with clear comprehension. Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, endowed with this noble restraint of the faculties, endowed with this noble mindfulness and clear comprehension, I resorted to a secluded dwelling: a forest, a root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw. After my meal, having returned from my alms round, I sat down, having folded my legs crosswise, having set my body erect, having established mindfulness in front of me. Having abandoned covetousness for the world, I dwelled with a mind free from covetousness; I purified my mind from covetousness. Having abandoned ill-will and malice, I dwelled with a mind free from ill-will, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings; I purified my mind from ill-will and malice. I was. Having abandoned sloth and torpor, I dwelled free from sloth and torpor, perceiving light, mindful, clearly comprehending. I purified my mind from sloth and torpor. Having abandoned restlessness and remorse, I dwelled unagitated within, my mind calmed. I purified my mind from restlessness and remorse. Having abandoned doubt, I dwelled having crossed over doubt, without wavering in wholesome states. I purified my mind from doubt. 104. So, having abandoned these five hindrances, defilements of the mind that weaken wisdom, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I entered and dwelled in the first jhana: accompanied by initial and sustained application, born of seclusion, with rapture and pleasure. With the fading away of initial and sustained application, with the internal pacification and unification of mind, I entered and dwelled in the second jhana: without initial and sustained application, born of concentration, with rapture and pleasure. ...the third jhana... ...the fourth jhana. So, with my mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilements, pliant, workable, steady, attained to imperturbability, I directed my mind to the knowledge of the destruction of the taints. I directly knew: 'This is suffering' as it actually is. I directly knew: 'This is the origin of suffering' as it actually is. I directly knew: 'This is the cessation of suffering' as it actually is. I directly knew: 'This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering' as it actually is. I directly knew: 'These are the taints' as they actually are. I directly knew: 'This is the origin of the taints' as it actually is. I directly knew: 'This is the cessation of the taints' as it actually is. I directly knew: 'This is the way leading to the cessation of the taints' as it actually is. For me, knowing thus, seeing thus, my mind was liberated from the taint of sensual desire. My mind was liberated from the taint of becoming. My mind was liberated from the taint of ignorance. In liberation, the knowledge 'It is liberated' arose. I directly knew: 'Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.' Thus, friends, for me, knowing thus, seeing thus, in this conscious body and in all external signs... “I-making, mine-making, and latent tendencies of conceit have been uprooted.” “His words, monks, should be welcomed and approved. Having welcomed and approved his words, he should be told: ‘It is our gain, friend, it is well-gained by us, friend, that we see such a fellow practitioner as the venerable one.’” The Blessed One spoke this. Delighted, those monks rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words. The Chabbisodhana Sutta, the second, is finished. 3. The Sappurisa Sutta 105. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Blessed One addressed the monks, “Monks!” “Venerable sir,” they replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: “I will teach you, monks, the qualities of a bad person and the qualities of a good person. Listen to that, pay careful attention; I will speak.” “Yes, venerable sir,” those monks replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: “And what, monks, are the qualities of a bad person? Here, monks, a bad person has gone forth from a high family. He reflects thus: ‘I have gone forth from a high family, but these other monks have not gone forth from a high family.’ He exalts himself and disparages others because of that high family. This, monks, is a quality of a bad person. But a good person, monks, reflects thus: ‘It is not by high family that qualities of greed are destroyed, or qualities of hatred are destroyed, or qualities of delusion are destroyed. Even if one has not gone forth from a high family, but is practicing in accordance with the Dhamma, practicing properly, living in accordance with the Dhamma, he is worthy of honor there, he is worthy of praise there.’ He makes the practice itself the distinction, and because of that high family, he neither exalts himself nor disparages others. This, monks,