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what kind of Nibbana is realized. ‘‘How, Ananda, being of dark birth, does one realize a dark dhamma? Here, Ananda, someone is reborn in a low family – in a candala family, or a nishada family, or a bamboo-worker family, or a cart-maker family, or a scavenger family. Poor, with little food and drink, living a hard life, where food and clothing are obtained with difficulty. And he is ugly, unpleasant to see, a cripple, with many ailments, blind or deformed, lame or paralyzed. He does not obtain food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes, ointments, beds, dwellings, or lamps. He performs bad conduct with body, he performs bad conduct with speech, he performs bad conduct with mind. Having performed bad conduct with body, having performed bad conduct with speech, having performed bad conduct with mind, with the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. Thus, Ananda, being of dark birth, one realizes a dark dhamma. ‘‘How, Ananda, being of dark birth, does one realize a bright dhamma? Here, Ananda, someone is reborn in a low family – in a candala family, and so on... ...or lamps. He performs good conduct with body, he performs good conduct with speech, he performs good conduct with mind. Having performed good conduct with body, having performed good conduct with speech, having performed good conduct with mind, with the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a good destination, a heavenly world. Thus, Ananda, being of dark birth, one realizes a bright dhamma. ‘‘How, Ananda, being of dark birth, does one realize neither dark nor bright Nibbana? Here, Ananda, someone is reborn in a low family – in a candala family, and so on... ...and he is ugly, unpleasant to see, a cripple. He shaves off his hair and beard, dons saffron robes, and goes forth from the home life into homelessness. Having thus gone forth, having abandoned the five hindrances, the defilements of the mind that weaken wisdom, and... with his mind well-established in these four foundations of mindfulness, having developed the seven factors of awakening as they truly are, he realizes un-dark, un-bright Nibbāna. Thus, Ananda, being of dark birth, he realizes un-dark, un-bright Nibbāna. "And how, Ananda, being of bright birth, does one realize a dark state? Here, Ananda, someone is reborn in a high family – a wealthy Khattiya family, or a wealthy Brahmin family, or a wealthy householder family, rich, with great wealth, great possessions, abundant gold and silver, abundant assets and property, abundant grain and produce. And he is handsome, good-looking, pleasing, endowed with supreme beauty of complexion, a recipient of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes, ointments, beds, dwellings, and lamps. He performs bad conduct by body, performs bad conduct by speech, performs bad conduct by mind. Having performed bad conduct by body, having performed bad conduct by speech, having performed bad conduct by mind, with the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. Thus, Ananda, being of bright birth, he realizes a dark state. "And how, Ananda, being of bright birth, does one realize a bright state? Here, Ananda, someone is reborn in a high family – a wealthy Khattiya family... and lamps. He performs good conduct by body, performs good conduct by speech, performs good conduct by mind. Having performed good conduct by body, having performed good conduct by speech, having performed good conduct by mind, with the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a good destination, a heavenly world. Thus, Ananda, being of bright birth, he realizes a bright state. "And how, Ananda, being of bright birth, does one realize un-dark, un-bright Nibbāna? Here, Ananda, someone is reborn in a high family – a wealthy Khattiya family, or a wealthy Brahmin family, or a wealthy householder family, rich, with great wealth... in great enjoyment, with much gold and silver, with much wealth and implements, with much grain and provisions. And he is handsome, good-looking, pleasing, endowed with supreme beauty of complexion. He is a recipient of food, of drink, of clothing, of vehicles, of garlands, perfumes, ointments, of beds, dwellings, lamps. He, having shaved off his hair and beard, having put on saffron robes, goes forth from the home life into homelessness. Having thus gone forth, having abandoned the five hindrances, defilements of the mind, which weaken wisdom, with his mind well-established in the four foundations of mindfulness, having developed the seven factors of awakening as they really are, he realizes the Nibbāna that is neither dark nor bright. Thus, Ananda, being of bright birth, he realizes the Nibbāna that is neither dark nor bright. These, Ananda, are the six kinds of birth. The Third. 4. The Discourse on the Taints 58. A monk, bhikkhus, 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. With which six? Here, bhikkhus, for a monk, those taints to be abandoned by restraint are abandoned by restraint. Those taints to be abandoned by use are abandoned by use. Those taints to be abandoned by endurance are abandoned by endurance. Those taints to be abandoned by avoidance are abandoned by avoidance. Those taints to be abandoned by dispelling are abandoned by dispelling. Those taints to be abandoned by development are abandoned by development. And which, bhikkhus, are the taints to be abandoned by restraint that are abandoned by restraint? Here, bhikkhus, a monk, having reflected wisely, dwells restrained with the restraint of the eye faculty. For if, bhikkhus, while dwelling unrestrained in the restraint of the eye faculty, taints, vexation, and fever might arise for him, while dwelling restrained in the restraint of the eye faculty, such taints, vexation, and fever do not arise for him. Having reflected wisely, the ear faculty... ...the nose faculty... ...the tongue faculty... ...the body faculty... ...the mind faculty. He dwells restrained with the restraint of the sense faculties. For, monks, to him dwelling unrestrained in the restraint of the mind-faculty, defilements, vexations, and fevers would arise. To him dwelling restrained in the restraint of the mind-faculty, those defilements, vexations, and fevers do not arise. These, monks, are called defilements to be abandoned by restraint, which are abandoned by restraint. "And what, monks, are the defilements to be abandoned by use, which are abandoned by use? Here, monks, a monk, reflecting wisely, uses robes – 'Only for warding off cold, for warding off heat, for warding off the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping things; only for covering the parts that cause shame.' Reflecting wisely, he uses almsfood – 'Not for sport, not for indulgence, not for adornment, not for beautification; but only for the maintenance and continuance of this body, for the cessation of harm, for the support of the holy life; thus I will allay old feelings and not arouse new feelings, and there will be for me a journeying on, blamelessness, and a comfortable dwelling.' Reflecting wisely, he uses lodging – 'Only for warding off cold, for warding off heat, for warding off the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping things; only for dispelling the dangers of the seasons and for delight in seclusion.' Reflecting wisely, he uses medicinal requisites for the sick – 'Only for warding off arisen painful feelings, for the utmost freedom from affliction.' For, monks, to him not using them, defilements, vexations, and fevers would arise. To him using them, those defilements, vexations, and fevers do not arise. These, monks, are called defilements to be abandoned by use, which are abandoned by use. "And what, monks, are the defilements to be abandoned by endurance, which are abandoned by endurance? are abandoned? Here, monks, a monk, reflecting wisely, is patient with cold, with heat, with hunger, with thirst, with the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping things, with ill-spoken, ill-approached words, with bodily feelings that arise— painful, sharp, severe, acute, disagreeable, unpleasant, life-threatening— he is of a nature to endure them. For if, monks, defilements, vexations, and fevers were to arise from not enduring, then by enduring, those defilements, vexations, and fevers do not arise. These, monks, are called defilements to be abandoned by endurance, which are abandoned by endurance. And what, monks, are the defilements to be abandoned by avoidance, which are abandoned by avoidance? Here, monks, a monk, reflecting wisely, avoids a fierce elephant, avoids a fierce horse, avoids a fierce bull, avoids a fierce dog, a snake, a tree-stump, a thorny patch, a pit, a precipice, a cesspool, a sewer, where, if he were to sit in an unsuitable seat, or wander in an unsuitable range, or associate with evil friends, wise fellow practitioners might suspect him of evil deeds. He, reflecting wisely, avoids that unsuitable seat, that unsuitable range, and those evil friends. For if, monks, defilements, vexations, and fevers were to arise from not avoiding, then by avoiding, those defilements, vexations, and fevers do not arise. These, monks, are called defilements to be abandoned by avoidance, which are abandoned by avoidance. And what, monks, are the defilements to be abandoned by removal, which are abandoned by removal? Here, monks, a monk, reflecting wisely, does not endure an arisen thought of sensual desire, but abandons it, dispels it, makes an end of it, brings it to an end. Reflecting wisely, an arisen thought of ill-will, he does not endure, but abandons it, dispels it, makes an end of it, brings it to an end. Reflecting wisely, an arisen thought of harming, he does not endure,