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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 Fives 1. The First Fifty 1. The Chapter on the Powers of the Trainee 1. The Concise Discourse 1. 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 these five powers of a trainee, bhikkhus. Which five? The power of faith, the power of shame, the power of moral dread, the power of energy, the power of wisdom – these, bhikkhus, are the five powers of a trainee. “Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will be endowed with the power of faith, the power of a trainee; we will be endowed with the power of shame, the power of a trainee; we will be endowed with the power of moral dread, the power of a trainee; we will be endowed with the power of energy, the power of a trainee; we will be endowed with the power of wisdom, the power of a trainee.’ That is how you should train yourselves, bhikkhus.” The Blessed One said this. The bhikkhus were delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words. The First. 2. The Detailed Discourse 2. “There are these five powers of a trainee, bhikkhus. Which five? The power of faith, the power of shame, the power of moral dread, the power of energy, the power of wisdom. And what, bhikkhus, is the power of faith? Here, bhikkhus, a noble disciple is endowed with faith; he has faith in the enlightenment of the Tathāgata: ‘Indeed, the Blessed One is an Arahant, perfectly self-enlightened, endowed with knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.’ This, bhikkhus, is called the power of faith. “And what, bhikkhus, is the power of shame? Here, bhikkhus, a noble disciple is ashamed; he is ashamed of misconduct by body, misconduct by speech, misconduct by mind; he is ashamed of evil, for the entering upon unwholesome states. This, monks, is called the power of shame. And what, monks, is the power of moral dread? Here, monks, a noble disciple is morally dreading; he dreads bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct; he dreads the entering upon evil, unwholesome states. This, monks, is called the power of moral dread. And what, monks, is the power of energy? Here, monks, a noble disciple dwells with aroused energy for the abandoning of unwholesome states, for the acquiring of wholesome states; he is strong, firm in exertion, not laying aside the burden in wholesome states. This, monks, is called the power of energy. And what, monks, is the power of wisdom? Here, monks, a noble disciple is wise, endowed with wisdom that sees rise and fall, noble, penetrative, leading to the right destruction of suffering. This, monks, is called the power of wisdom. These, monks, are the five powers of one in training. Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves thus: 'We shall be endowed with the power of faith, the power of one in training; we shall be endowed with the power of shame... the power of moral dread... the power of energy... the power of wisdom, the power of one in training.' Thus, monks, should you train yourselves." The Second. 3. Discourse on Suffering 3. "Endowed with five qualities, monks, a monk dwells in suffering in this very life, with vexation, with despair, with fever, and after the breakup of the body, after death, a bad destination is to be expected. With which five? Here, monks, a monk is faithless, shameless, without moral dread, lazy, unwise. Endowed with these five qualities, monks, a monk dwells in suffering in this very life, with vexation, with despair, with fever, and after the breakup of the body, after death, a bad destination is to be expected. Endowed with five qualities, monks, a monk dwells in happiness in this very life without affliction, without distress, without fever, and with the breaking up of the body, after death, a good destination is to be expected. Which five? Here, monks, a monk is faithful, is ashamed of wrong, dreads wrongdoing, has aroused energy, is wise. Indeed, monks, a monk endowed with these five qualities dwells happily in this very life, without affliction, without distress, without fever, and with the breaking up of the body, after death, a good destination is to be expected." The third. 4. The "As If Brought" Discourse 4. "Monks, a monk endowed with five qualities is cast into hell just as if brought there. Which five? Here, monks, a monk is faithless, is shameless, has no dread of wrongdoing, is lazy, is unwise. Indeed, monks, a monk endowed with these five qualities is cast into hell just as if brought there. "Monks, a monk endowed with five qualities is cast into heaven just as if brought there. Which five? Here, monks, a monk is faithful, is ashamed of wrong, dreads wrongdoing, has aroused energy, is wise. Indeed, monks, a monk endowed with these five qualities is cast into heaven just as if brought there." The fourth. 5. The Training Discourse 5. "Monks, whatever monk or nun, having renounced the training, reverts to a lower state, for them, in this very life, five blameworthy reproaches arise, in accordance with the Dhamma. Which five? 'Indeed, you had no faith in wholesome qualities, indeed, you had no shame regarding wholesome qualities, indeed, you had no dread of wrongdoing regarding wholesome qualities, indeed, you had no energy regarding wholesome qualities, indeed, you had no wisdom regarding wholesome qualities.' Monks, whatever monk or nun, having renounced the training, reverts to a lower state, for them, in this very life, These five blameworthy states, reproachable in fellow practitioners, arise. "Whatever monk or nun, bhikkhus, even with suffering, even with sorrow, with tearful face, weeping, practices the full, pure holy life, for them, in this very life, five praiseworthy states pertaining to the Dhamma arise. Which five? Faith, indeed, was theirs in wholesome states, Shame, indeed, was theirs in wholesome states, Fear of wrongdoing, indeed, was theirs in wholesome states, Energy, indeed, was theirs in wholesome states, Wisdom, indeed, was theirs in wholesome states. Whatever monk or nun, bhikkhus, even with suffering, even with sorrow, with tearful face, weeping, practices the full, pure holy life, for them, in this very life, these five praiseworthy states pertaining to the Dhamma arise." The Fifth. 6. The Discourse on Attainment "Not yet, bhikkhus, is there attainment of unwholesome states, as long as faith is present in wholesome states. But when, bhikkhus, faith has disappeared, and faithlessness stands established; then there is attainment of unwholesome states. "Not yet, bhikkhus, is there attainment of unwholesome states, as long as shame is present in wholesome states. But when, bhikkhus, shame has disappeared, and shamelessness stands established; then there is attainment of unwholesome states. "Not yet, bhikkhus, is there attainment of unwholesome states, as long as fear of wrongdoing is present in wholesome states. But when, bhikkhus, fear of wrongdoing has disappeared, and fearlessness of wrongdoing stands established; then there is attainment of unwholesome states. "Not yet, bhikkhus, is there attainment of unwholesome states, as long as energy is present in wholesome states. But when, bhikkhus, energy has disappeared, and laziness s... is overcome and stands; then there is the attainment of unwholesome states. “Not yet, monks, is there the attainment of unwholesome states as long as wisdom is present in wholesome states. But when, monks, wisdom has disappeared, and foolishness is overcome and stands; then there is the attainment of unwholesome states.” The Sixth. 7. Discourse on Sensual Pleasures 7. “For the most part, monks, beings are infatuated with sensual pleasures. Even if, monks, a young man has abandoned his family life, his home, for homelessness, ‘a young man gone forth in faith’ is a sufficient description. For what reason? It is possible, monks, to experience sensual pleasures in youth, and they are of whatever kind they may be. And those, monks, which are inferior sensual pleasures, and those which are middling sensual pleasures, and those which are excellent sensual pleasures— all sensual pleasures are reckoned as ‘sensual pleasures.’ Just as, monks, a young, foolish infant, lying on its back, due to the negligence of its nurse, might put a stick or a pebble into its mouth. Then the nurse would quickly, quickly pay attention to it; having quickly, quickly paid attention, she would quickly, quickly take it out. If she could not quickly, quickly take it out, she would grasp its head with her left hand and, making a crooked finger with her right hand, she would take it out, even with blood. For what reason? ‘There is harm, monks, for this infant; it is not that there is none,’ I say. And this, monks, is what should be done by a nurse who desires its welfare, who is benevolent, compassionate, out of compassion. But when, monks, that infant has grown up and is wise enough, then, monks, the nurse has no expectation regarding that infant— ‘now the infant is self-protected, not prone to negligence.’ “Even so, monks, as long as a monk’s faith is not yet established in wholesome states, his shame is not done in wholesome states, is not done with shame in wholesome states, is not done with moral dread in wholesome states, is not done with energy in wholesome states, is not done with wisdom in wholesome states, that monk, bhikkhus, must still be guarded by me. But when, bhikkhus, a monk has done with faith in wholesome states, has done with shame in wholesome states, has done with moral dread in wholesome states, has done with energy in wholesome states,