English
Chapter on Abodes of Beings 1. Discourse on Three Standpoints 21. By three things, bhikkhus, the people of Uttarakuru surpass the Tāvatiṃsa devas and the people of Jambudīpa. Which three? Without 'mine,' without possessions, with fixed lifespans, with special qualities – By these three things, bhikkhus, the people of Uttarakuru surpass the Tāvatiṃsa devas and the people of Jambudīpa. By three things, bhikkhus, the Tāvatiṃsa devas surpass the people of Uttarakuru and the people of Jambudīpa. Which three? By divine lifespan, by divine beauty, by divine happiness – By these three things, bhikkhus, the Tāvatiṃsa devas surpass the people of Uttarakuru and the people of Jambudīpa. By three things, bhikkhus, the people of Jambudīpa surpass the people of Uttarakuru and the Tāvatiṃsa devas. Which three? They are brave, they are mindful, and here is the living of the holy life – By these three things, bhikkhus, the people of Jambudīpa surpass the people of Uttarakuru and the Tāvatiṃsa devas. The First. 2. Discourse on Inferior Horses 22. Bhikkhus, I will teach you about three kinds of inferior horses, three kinds of inferior men, three kinds of horse-like horses, three kinds of man-like men, three kinds of noble thoroughbred horses, and three kinds of noble thoroughbred men. Listen to that. And what, bhikkhus, are the three kinds of inferior horses? Here, bhikkhus, a certain inferior horse is endowed with speed, but not endowed with beauty, not endowed with build and girth. Here, bhikkhus, a certain inferior horse is endowed with speed and endowed with beauty, but not endowed with build and girth. Here, bhikkhus, a certain inferior horse is endowed with speed and endowed with beauty and endowed with build and girth. These, bhikkhus, are the... who is not a man-steed. "What, monks, are the three man-steeds? Here, monks, a certain man-steed is endowed with speed, but not endowed with beauty, not endowed with stature and girth. Here, monks, a certain man-steed is endowed with speed and endowed with beauty, but not endowed with stature and girth. Here, monks, a certain man-steed is endowed with speed, endowed with beauty, and endowed with stature and girth. "And how, monks, is a man-steed endowed with speed, but not endowed with beauty, not endowed with stature and girth? Here, monks, a monk understands 'this is suffering' as it really is, understands 'this is the origin of suffering' as it really is, understands 'this is the cessation of suffering' as it really is, understands 'this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering' as it really is. This I call his speed. But when questioned on a problem in the higher doctrine or higher discipline, he falters, he does not answer. This I call his lack of beauty. And he is not a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, medicinal requisites for the sick. This I call his lack of stature and girth. Thus, monks, is a man-steed endowed with speed, but not endowed with beauty, not endowed with stature and girth. "And how, monks, is a man-steed endowed with speed and endowed with beauty, but not endowed with stature and girth? Here, monks, a monk understands 'this is suffering' as it really is... ...understands 'this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering' as it really is. This I call his speed. But when questioned on a problem in the higher doctrine or higher discipline, he answers, he does not falter. This I call his beauty. And he is not a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, medicinal requisites for the sick. This I call his lack of stature and girth. Thus, monks, is a man-steed endowed with speed and is endowed with beauty, not endowed with height and girth. “And how, bhikkhus, is a man-colt endowed with speed, and endowed with beauty, and endowed with height and girth? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu understands ‘this is suffering’ as it really is, (...) understands ‘this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering’ as it really is. This of him I call speed. Moreover, in the higher doctrine and higher discipline, when questioned on a problem, he answers, he does not hesitate. This of him I call beauty. Moreover, he is a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick. This of him I call height and girth. Thus, bhikkhus, a man-colt is endowed with speed, and endowed with beauty, and endowed with height and girth. These, bhikkhus, are the three man-colts. “And what, bhikkhus, are the three horse-colts? Here, bhikkhus, a certain horse-colt (...) is endowed with speed, and endowed with beauty, and endowed with height and girth. These, bhikkhus, are the three horse-colts. “And what, bhikkhus, are the three man-colts? Here, bhikkhus, a certain man-colt (...) is endowed with speed, and endowed with beauty, and endowed with height and girth. “And how, bhikkhus, is a man-colt (...) endowed with speed, and endowed with beauty, and endowed with height and girth? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, is reborn spontaneously, there he attains final Nibbāna, not liable to return from that world. This of him I call speed. Moreover, in the higher doctrine and higher discipline, when questioned on a problem, he answers, he does not hesitate. This of him I call beauty. Moreover, he is a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick. This of him I call height and girth. Thus, bhikkhus, a man-colt is endowed with speed, and endowed with beauty, and endowed with height and girth. These, bhikkhus, th... The thoroughbred man. "And what, monks, are the three excellent thoroughbred horses? Here, monks, some excellent thoroughbred horse... ...is endowed with speed, and endowed with beauty, and endowed with stature and girth. These, monks, are the three excellent thoroughbred horses." "And what, monks, are the three excellent thoroughbred men? Here, monks, some excellent thoroughbred man... ...is endowed with speed, and endowed with beauty, and endowed with stature and girth." "And how, monks, is an excellent thoroughbred man... ...endowed with speed, and endowed with beauty, and endowed with stature and girth? Here, monks, a monk, by the destruction of the taints, entering upon and dwelling in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life. This I call his speed. And furthermore, when questioned on a problem concerning the higher Dhamma or the higher Discipline, he answers, he does not falter. This I call his beauty. And furthermore, he is a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick. This I call his stature and girth. Thus, monks, is an excellent thoroughbred man endowed with speed, and endowed with beauty, and endowed with stature and girth. These, monks, are the three excellent thoroughbred men." The Second. 3. The Discourse on the Root of Craving "Monks, I will teach you nine things rooted in craving. Listen to that. And what, monks, are the nine things rooted in craving? Dependent on craving is seeking, dependent on seeking is gain, dependent on gain is decision, dependent on decision is desire-passion, dependent on desire-passion is attachment, dependent on attachment is possession, dependent on possession is stinginess, dependent on stinginess is guarding, and because of guarding, there arise the taking up of clubs, the taking up of weapons, quarrels, disputes, arguments, strife, backbiting, and false speech, and many other evil unwholesome states. These, monks, are the nine things rooted in craving." Third. 4. Discourse on the Abodes of Beings "These nine, monks, are abodes of beings. Which nine? There are, monks, beings with diverse bodies and diverse perceptions, such as humans, some devas, and some in states of woe. This is the first abode of beings. "There are, monks, beings with diverse bodies and unified perception, such as the Brahma-group devas who are first reborn. This is the second abode of beings. "There are, monks, beings with unified body and diverse perceptions, such as the Abhassara devas. This is the third abode of beings. "There are, monks, beings with unified body and unified perception, such as the Subhakiṇha devas. This is the fourth abode of beings. "There are, monks, beings without perception and without feeling, such as the non-percipient devas. This is the fifth abode of beings. "There are, monks, beings who, by completely transcending perceptions of form, by the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, and by not attending to perceptions of diversity, [perceive] 'space is infinite,' and reach the sphere of infinite space. This is the sixth abode of beings. "There are, monks, beings who, by completely transcending the sphere of infinite space, [perceive] 'consciousness is infinite,' and reach the sphere of infinite consciousness. This is the seventh abode of beings. "There are, monks, beings who, by completely transcending the sphere of infinite consciousness, [perceive] 'there is nothing,' and reach the sphere of nothingness. This is the eighth abode of beings. "There are, monks, beings who, by completely transcending the sphere of nothingness, reach the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. This is the ninth abode of beings. These, monks, are the nine abodes of beings." Fourth. 5. Discourse on Wisdom "When, monks, a monk's mind is well-trained in wisdom, then, monks, it is fitting for that monk to declare: 'Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, I know there is no more for this state of being.' "And how, monks, is a monk's mind well-trained in wisdom? 'My mind is free from passion,' he... by understanding, the mind is well-trained; ‘My mind is free from hate,’ by wisdom, the mind is well-trained; ‘My mind is free from delusion,’ by wisdom, the mind is well-trained; ‘My mind is of a nature free from passion,’