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Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. The Numerical Discourses The Book of the Sixes 1. The First Fifty 1. The Chapter on Worthy of Offerings 1. The First Discourse on Worthy of Offerings Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Savatthi at Jetavana, Anathapindika's park. There, indeed, the Blessed One addressed the monks, "Monks!" "Venerable sir," those monks replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One spoke thus: "Monks, a monk endowed with six qualities is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Which six? Here, monks, a monk, having seen a form with the eye, is neither pleased nor displeased; he dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending. Having heard a sound with the ear, he is neither pleased nor displeased; he dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending. Having smelled an odor with the nose, he is neither pleased nor displeased; he dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending. Having tasted a flavor with the tongue, he is neither pleased nor displeased; he dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending. Having felt a tactile sensation with the body, he is neither pleased nor displeased; he dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending. Having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, he is neither pleased nor displeased; he dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending. Monks, a monk endowed with these six qualities is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world." This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, those monks rejoiced in the Blessed One's words. The First. 2. The Second Discourse on Worthy of Offerings "Monks, a monk endowed with six qualities is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Which six? Here, monks, a monk experiences various kinds of supernormal powers: being one, he becomes many; being many, he becomes one; Appears and disappears; Goes unimpeded through walls, Through ramparts, through mountains, As if through space; Dips in and out of the earth, As if in water; Walks on water without sinking, As if on earth; Flies through the air cross-legged, As if a winged bird; Touches and strokes with his hand These moon and sun, So mighty, so powerful; Exercises mastery with his body Even up to the Brahma-world. With the divine ear-element, Purified and surpassing human, He hears both kinds of sounds – Divine and human, Those far and those near. He comprehends with his mind The minds of other beings, Other persons. He understands a mind with lust As 'a mind with lust', And a mind without lust As 'a mind without lust'. He understands a mind with hatred As 'a mind with hatred', And a mind without hatred As 'a mind without hatred'. He understands a mind with delusion As 'a mind with delusion', And a mind without delusion As 'a mind without delusion'. He understands a constricted mind As 'a constricted mind', And a distracted mind As 'a distracted mind'. He understands an exalted mind As 'an exalted mind', And an unexalted mind As 'an unexalted mind'. He understands a surpassable mind As 'a surpassable mind', And an unsurpassable mind As 'an unsurpassable mind'. He understands a concentrated mind As 'a concentrated mind', And an unconcentrated mind As 'an unconcentrated mind'. He understands a liberated mind As 'a liberated mind', And an unliberated mind As 'an unliberated mind'. He recollects his manifold past existences, That is, one birth, Two births... Thus he recollects his manifold past existences, With their aspects and details. With the divine eye, Purified and surpassing human, He sees beings passing away and reappearing, Inferior and superior, Beautiful and ugly, Fortunate and unfortunate, And he understands beings according to their karma: 'Indeed, these beings, Endowed with misconduct of body, Endowed with misconduct of speech, Endowed with misconduct of mind, Revilers of the noble ones, Holding wrong views, Undertaking actions based on wrong views, Upon the breakup of the body, After death, Have reappeared in a state of deprivation, A bad destination, a downfall, in hell. But these beings, Endowed with good conduct of body, Endowed with good conduct of speech, Endowed with good conduct of m... endowed with good conduct, not reviling the noble ones, having right view, undertaking actions with right view, they, at the breaking up of the body, after death, are reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. Thus, with the divine eye, purified, surpassing human, he sees beings passing away and being reborn, the lowly and the exalted, the beautiful and the ugly, the well-faring and the ill-faring, he discerns beings according to their kamma. Through the destruction of the taints, he abides having realized and attained the taintless liberation of mind, liberation through wisdom, by his own direct knowledge, in this very life. Monks, a bhikkhu endowed with these six qualities is worthy of offerings… an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. 3. Indriya Sutta 3. Monks, a bhikkhu endowed with six qualities is worthy of offerings… an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Which six? With the faculty of faith, the faculty of energy, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, the faculty of wisdom, and through the destruction of the taints, he abides having realized and attained the taintless liberation of mind, liberation through wisdom, by his own direct knowledge, in this very life. Monks, a bhikkhu endowed with these six qualities is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. 4. Bala Sutta 4. Monks, a bhikkhu endowed with six qualities is worthy of offerings… an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Which six? With the power of faith, the power of energy, the power of mindfulness, the power of concentration, the power of wisdom, and through the destruction of the taints, he abides having realized and attained the taintless liberation of mind, liberation through wisdom, by his own direct knowledge, in this very life. Monks, a bhikkhu endowed with these six qualities is worthy of offerings… an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. 5. First Thoroughbred Sutta 5. Monks, a king's excellent thoroughbred horse, endowed with six qualities, is worthy of a king, fit for a king's use. it is reckoned as an asset of the king. “With which six? Here, monks, a fine thoroughbred horse of the king is tolerant of sights, tolerant of sounds, tolerant of smells, tolerant of tastes, tolerant of touches, and is endowed with beauty. With these six qualities, monks, a fine thoroughbred horse of the king is worthy of a king, fit for a king, it is reckoned as an asset of the king. “Even so, monks, a monk endowed with six qualities is worthy of offerings… an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. With which six? Here, monks, a monk is tolerant of sights, tolerant of sounds, tolerant of smells, tolerant of tastes, tolerant of touches, tolerant of mental phenomena. With these six qualities, monks, a monk is worthy of offerings… an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.” The Fifth. 6. The Second Thoroughbred Discourse 6. “With six qualities, monks, a fine thoroughbred horse of the king is worthy of a king, fit for a king, it is reckoned as an asset of the king. With which six? Here, monks, a fine thoroughbred horse of the king is tolerant of sights, tolerant of sounds, tolerant of smells, tolerant of tastes, tolerant of touches, and is endowed with strength. With these six qualities, monks, a fine thoroughbred horse of the king is worthy of a king, fit for a king, it is reckoned as an asset of the king. “Even so, monks, a monk endowed with six qualities is worthy of offerings… an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. With which six? Here, monks, a monk is tolerant of sights… tolerant of mental phenomena. With these six qualities, monks, a monk is worthy of offerings… an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.” The Sixth. 7. The Third Thoroughbred Discourse 7. “With six qualities, monks, a fine thoroughbred horse of the king is worthy of a king, fit for a king, becomes reckoned as a royal possession. With which six? Here, monks, a king’s fine thoroughbred horse is patient with sights, patient with sounds, patient with smells, patient with tastes, patient with touches, and endowed with swiftness. With these six qualities, monks, a king’s fine thoroughbred horse is worthy of a king, fit for a king, becomes reckoned as a royal possession. Even so, monks, a monk endowed with six qualities is worthy of offerings… an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. With which six? Here, monks, a monk is patient with sights… patient with mental phenomena. With these six qualities, monks, a monk is worthy of offerings… an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. The seventh. 8. Discourse on the Unsurpassed 8. “These, monks, are six unsurpassed things. Which six? The unsurpassed in seeing, the unsurpassed in hearing, the unsurpassed in gain, the unsurpassed in training, the unsurpassed in service, the unsurpassed in recollection – these, monks, are the six unsurpassed things.” The eighth. 9. Discourse on the Recollection Bases 9. “These, monks, are six bases for recollection. Which six? Recollection of the Buddha, recollection of the Dhamma, recollection of the Saṅgha, recollection of virtue, recollection of generosity, recollection of deities – these, monks, are the six bases for recollection.” The ninth. 10. Discourse to Mahānāma 10. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans in Kapilavatthu, at Nigrodha’s Park.