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Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha The Book of the Twos 1. The First Fifty 1. The Chapter on Deeds 1. The Discourse on Faults Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus!" "Venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "There are, bhikkhus, these two faults. Which two? The fault in this present life and the fault in the future life. And what, bhikkhus, is the fault in this present life? Here, bhikkhus, someone sees kings having caught a thief, a wrongdoer, inflicting various kinds of punishment: beating him with whips, beating him with canes, beating him with clubs, cutting off his hand, cutting off his foot, cutting off his hand and foot, cutting off his ear, cutting off his nose, cutting off his ear and nose, making him into a 'porridge pot,' making him into a 'shell-shaven,' making him into a 'Rāhu's mouth,' making him into a 'garland of fire,' making him into a 'hand-torch,' making him into an 'eraka-flower,' making him into a 'bark-garment wearer,' making him into a 'deer-like,' making him into a 'fish-hook meat,' making him into a 'penny-piece,' making him into a 'lye-cut,' making him into a 'bar-revolver,' making him into a 'straw-mat,' drenching him with hot oil, making him be eaten by dogs, impaling him alive on a stake, cutting off his head with a sword. "He thinks thus: 'For the sake of such evil deeds, kings, having caught a thief, a wrongdoer, inflict various kinds of punishment: they beat him with whips, they beat him with canes, they beat him with clubs, they cut off his hand, they cut off his foot, they cut off his hand and foot, they cut off his ear, they cut off his nose, they c They cut off their noses, They make them bilaṅga-thālika, They make them saṅkha-muṇḍika, They make them Rāhu-mukha, They make them joti-mālika, They make them hattha-pajjotika, They make them eraka-vattika, They make them cīraka-vāsika, They make them eṇeyyaka, They make them baḷisa-maṃsika, They make them kahāpaṇika, They make them khārā-patacchika, They make them paligha-parivattika, They make them palāla-pīṭhaka, They douse them with hot oil, They make dogs eat them, They impale them alive on a stake, They cut off their heads with a sword. If I were to do such evil deeds, the kings would seize me and inflict such various tortures; they would beat me with whips... ...they would cut off my head with a sword. Fearing this present-life danger, he does not go about plundering others' gifts. This, monks, is called a present-life danger. And what, monks, is a future-life danger? Here, monks, someone reflects thus: 'Indeed, evil conduct in body has an evil, painful result in the future life, evil conduct in speech has an evil, painful result in the future life, evil conduct in mind has an evil, painful result in the future life. If I were to engage in misconduct by body, misconduct by speech, misconduct by mind, what would it be if, with the breaking up of the body, after death, I were not to reappear in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell?' Fearing this future-life danger, he abandons misconduct by body and develops good conduct by body, he abandons misconduct by speech and develops good conduct by speech, he abandons misconduct by mind and develops good conduct by mind, he maintains himself pure. This, monks, is called a future-life danger. These, monks, are the two dangers. Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves thus: 'We will fear the present-life danger, we will fear the future-life danger...' we will be unafraid, we will be fearful of blame, we will see danger in blame. Thus, monks, you should train yourselves. For those who are fearful of blame, who see danger in blame, this is to be expected: they will be freed from all blame. 2. Discourse on Exertion 2. "There are these two exertions, monks, difficult to achieve in the world. Which two? That exertion for householders living in a home, for the provision of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicinal requisites for the sick. And that exertion for those who have gone forth from home to homelessness, for the relinquishing of all attachments. These two exertions, monks, are difficult to achieve in the world. "Of these two exertions, monks, this is the foremost: the exertion for the relinquishing of all attachments. Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves thus: 'We will exert ourselves for the relinquishing of all attachments.' Thus, monks, you should train yourselves." 3. Discourse on What Causes Burning 3. "There are these two things, monks, that cause burning. Which two? Here, monks, someone has done bad bodily conduct, has not done good bodily conduct; has done bad verbal conduct, has not done good verbal conduct; has done bad mental conduct, has not done good mental conduct. He burns, thinking: 'I have done bad bodily conduct.' He burns, thinking: 'I have not done good bodily conduct.' He burns, thinking: 'I have done bad verbal conduct.' He burns, thinking: 'I have not done good verbal conduct.' He burns, thinking: 'I have done bad mental conduct.' He burns, thinking: 'I have not done good mental conduct.' These two things, monks, cause burning." 4. Discourse on What Does Not Cause Burning 4. "There are these two things, monks, that do not cause burning. Which two? Here, monks, someone has done good bodily conduct, has not done bad bodily conduct; has done good verbal conduct, has not done bad verbal conduct; has done good mental conduct, has not done bad mental conduct. . He does not burn, thinking, ‘I have done good bodily conduct.’ He does not burn, thinking, ‘I have not done bad bodily conduct.’ He does not burn, thinking, ‘I have done good verbal conduct.’ He does not burn, thinking, ‘I have not done bad verbal conduct.’ He does not burn, thinking, ‘I have done good mental conduct.’ He does not burn, thinking, ‘I have not done bad mental conduct.’ These two things, monks, are not to be burned by.” The Fourth. 5. The Known Discourse 5. “Monks, I have known two things: dissatisfaction with wholesome states, and not turning back from exertion. I exert myself, monks, without turning back: ‘Let skin and sinews and bones remain; let flesh and blood dry up in the body; that which is to be attained by human strength, by human energy, by human endeavor, there will be no cessation of energy until that is attained.’ Through my diligence, monks, enlightenment was attained; through my diligence, the unsurpassed security from bondage was attained. If you too, monks, would exert yourselves without turning back: ‘Let skin and sinews and bones remain; let flesh and blood dry up in the body; that which is to be attained by human strength, by human energy, by human endeavor, there will be no cessation of energy until that is attained,’ then you too, monks, before long, for the sake of which noble sons rightly go forth from home to homelessness, that unsurpassed culmination of the holy life, you will, by your own direct knowledge, realize and abide in it in this very life. Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will exert ourselves without turning back. Let skin and sinews and bones remain; let flesh and blood dry up in the body; that which is to be attained by human strength, by human energy, by human endeavor, there will be no cessation of energy until that is attained.’ Thus, monks, you should train yourselves.” The Fifth. 6. The Fetters Discourse 6. “These two, monks, , qualities. Which two? One is the contemplation of gratification in qualities that bind, and one is the contemplation of disenchantment in qualities that bind. Monks, dwelling with contemplation of gratification in qualities that bind, one does not abandon lust, one does not abandon hatred, one does not abandon delusion. Not abandoning lust, not abandoning hatred, not abandoning delusion, one is not freed from birth, aging, death, sorrows, lamentations, pains, griefs, and despairs. One is not freed from suffering, I say. Monks, dwelling with contemplation of disenchantment in qualities that bind, one abandons lust, one abandons hatred, one abandons delusion. Abandoning lust, abandoning hatred, abandoning delusion, one is freed from birth, aging, death, sorrows, lamentations, pains, griefs, and despairs. One is freed from suffering, I say. These, indeed, monks, are the two qualities. The Sixth. 7. The Discourse on Dark Qualities 7. Monks, these two qualities are dark. Which two? Shamelessness and fearlessness of wrongdoing. These, indeed, monks, are the two dark qualities. The Seventh. 8. The Discourse on Bright Qualities 8. Monks, these two qualities are bright. Which two? Conscience and shame of wrongdoing. These, indeed, monks, are the two bright qualities. The Eighth. 9. The Discourse on Conduct 9. Monks, these two bright qualities protect the world. Which two? Conscience and shame of wrongdoing. If these two bright qualities did not protect the world, there would not be known here 'mother' or 'aunt' or 'maternal uncle's wife' or 'teacher's wife' or 'wives of respected ones'. The world would fall into confusion, like goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, dogs, and jackals. But because, monks, these two bright qualities protect the world, therefore there is known 'mother' or 'aunt' or 'maternal uncle's wife' or 'teacher's wife' or 'wives of respected ones'. The Ninth. 10. The Discourse on the Rains Retreat 10. These two Monks, there are two ways of entering the Rains. Which two? The early and the late. These, monks, are the two ways of entering the Rains. The Tenth. The First Chapter on Actions. Its Summary – Forbidden, Exertions, Two Austerities, With Understanding, the fifth; And Fetters, and Dark, Bright, Conduct, With the Rains-entry, the chapter.