English
This was spoken by the Blessed One, spoken by the Arahant, thus have I heard – Thus have I heard: “Monks, one yoked to sensual desire, yoked to becoming, is a once-returner, returning to this state. Monks, one disjoined from sensual desire, but yoked to becoming, is a non-returner, not returning to this state. Monks, one disjoined from sensual desire, disjoined from becoming, is an Arahant, with the taints destroyed.” The Blessed One spoke this meaning. And there, this is said: “Bound by the yoke of sensual desire, and by the yoke of becoming, both; Beings go on in transmigration, bound for birth and death. “And those who, having abandoned sensual desires, but not yet reached the destruction of taints; Are yoked to becoming, are called ‘non-returners’. “And those whose doubts are cut off, whose conceit of rebirth is destroyed; They indeed have gone to the far shore in the world, those who have attained the destruction of taints.” This meaning too was spoken by the Blessed One, thus have I heard. The Seventh. The Discourse on Good Conduct This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, thus have I heard: “Monks, a bhikkhu of good conduct, of good Dhamma, of good wisdom, is called in this Dhamma and Discipline ‘complete, one who has lived the holy life, a supreme person’. “And how, monks, is a bhikkhu of good conduct? Here, monks, a bhikkhu is virtuous, he dwells restrained by the Pātimokkha restraint, accomplished in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, he undertakes and trains in the training rules. Thus, monks, is a bhikkhu of good conduct. Thus, of good conduct. “And how is he of good Dhamma? Here, monks, a bhikkhu dwells devoted to the development of the seven factors of awakening. Thus, monks, is a bhikkhu of good Dhamma. Thus, of good conduct, of good Dhamma. “And how is he of good wisdom? Here, monks, a bhikkhu, by the destruction of the taints, enters and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life. Thus, monks, is a bhikkhu of good wisdom. “Thus, of good conduct, of good Dhamma, of good wisdom. in this Dhamma and Discipline is called 'one who is complete, who has lived the holy life, a supreme person'. This meaning the Blessed One spoke. Therein this is said: "Whose by body, by speech, by mind there is no evil deed; Him indeed 'of good conduct' they call, a monk who is conscientious. Whose qualities are well-developed, leading to full enlightenment; Him indeed 'of good Dhamma' they call, a monk without defilement. Who suffering understands, right here the destruction of self; Him indeed 'of good wisdom' they call, a monk without taints. Endowed with these qualities, without distress, with doubt cut off; Unattached to all the world, they call him 'one who has abandoned all'." This meaning also was spoken by the Blessed One, thus have I heard. The Eighth. 9. The Discourse on Giving 98. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, thus have I heard: "These two, monks, are givings – material giving and Dhamma giving. The foremost, monks, of these two givings is this – Dhamma giving. These two, monks, are sharings – material sharing and Dhamma sharing. The foremost, monks, of these two sharings is this – Dhamma sharing. These two, monks, are assistances – material assistance and Dhamma assistance. The foremost, monks, of these two assistances is this – Dhamma assistance." This meaning the Blessed One spoke. Therein this is said: "What they call giving, supreme, unsurpassed, what sharing the Blessed One praised; In the foremost field, with mind serene, who, discerning, understanding, would not give at the right time? And those who both speak and listen, with serene minds in the teaching of the Fortunate One; For them that supreme meaning is purified, who are diligent in the teaching of the Fortunate One." This meaning also was spoken by the Blessed One, thus have I heard. The Ninth. 10. The Discourse on the Threefold Knowledge 99. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, thus have I heard: "By Dhamma, monks, I I declare a brahmin to be one with knowledge, not merely by talk and chatter. “And how, monks, do I declare a brahmin to be one with the three knowledges by the Dhamma, not merely by talk and chatter? Here, monks, a monk recollects his manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion, many eons of cosmic contraction and expansion: ‘There I was of such a name, of such a clan, of such a color, of such a food, experiencing such pleasure and pain, with such a lifespan. Passing away from there, I arose yonder. There too I was of such a name, of such a clan, of such a color, of such a food, experiencing such pleasure and pain, with such a lifespan. Passing away from there, I arose here.’ Thus he recollects his manifold past lives, with their aspects and details. This is his first knowledge attained; ignorance is dispelled, knowledge has arisen; darkness is dispelled, light has arisen; as is fitting for one who dwells heedful, ardent, and resolute. “Furthermore, monks, 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 as they fare according to their kamma: ‘Indeed, these good sirs, endowed with misconduct in body, endowed with misconduct in speech, endowed with misconduct in mind, revilers of 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, hell. Or again, these good sirs, endowed with good conduct in body, endowed with good conduct in speech, endowed with good conduct in mind, not revilers of noble ones, holding right views, undertaking actions based on right views, upon the breakup of the body, after death, born in a good destination, a heavenly world.” Thus, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans, he sees beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in good destinations and bad destinations, and he understands beings according to their deeds. This is his second knowledge attained, ignorance is dispelled, knowledge has arisen, darkness is dispelled, light has arisen, as is fitting for one who dwells heedful, ardent, and resolute. “Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, by the destruction of the taints, in this very life, directly knows, realizes, and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom. This is his third knowledge attained, ignorance is dispelled, knowledge has arisen, darkness is dispelled, light has arisen, as is fitting for one who dwells heedful, ardent, and resolute. It is in this way, bhikkhus, that I declare a brahmin to be possessed of the three knowledges by the Dhamma, not by mere talk and babble.” The Blessed One spoke this meaning. Therein it is said: “Whoever knows his past lives, And sees heaven and hell; And has reached the destruction of birth, A sage accomplished in direct knowledge. “By these three knowledges, He is a brahmin of three knowledges; Him I call one of three knowledges, Not by mere talk and babble.” This meaning was also spoken by the Blessed One, thus have I heard. The Tenth. The Fifth Chapter is finished. Its summary: Faith, life, robe, Fire, investigation; Rebirth, desire, welfare, Giving, by Dhamma, these are ten. The Book of Threes is finished.