English
this is called the knowledge of the diverse inclinations of beings, the fourth power of the Tathāgata. Thus, as they are inclined, they undertake such and such actions. They undertake six kinds of actions – some by way of greed, some by way of hatred, some by way of delusion, some by way of faith, some by way of energy, some by way of wisdom. When divided, it is of two kinds – leading to cyclic existence and leading to Nibbāna. Therein, the action that is by way of greed, by way of hatred, and by way of delusion This action is dark, with dark result. Therein, what action one does by way of faith, this action is bright, with bright result. Therein, what action one does by way of greed, by way of hatred, by way of delusion, and by way of faith, this action is dark and bright, with dark and bright result. Therein, what action one does by way of effort, and by way of wisdom, this action is neither dark nor bright, with neither dark nor bright result, the highest action, the best action, conducive to the cessation of action. There are four undertakings of action. There is an undertaking of action pleasant in the present, with painful result in the future. There is an undertaking of action painful in the present, with pleasant result in the future. There is an undertaking of action both painful in the present and with painful result in the future. There is an undertaking of action both pleasant in the present and with pleasant result in the future. That undertaking of action of such a kind, by this person, an unwholesome undertaking of action accumulated, unripe, ready for ripening, and not capable of going to disenchantment, that the Blessed One does not advise. Just as Devadatta, Kokālika, Sunakkhatta, Licchaviputta, or indeed other beings fixed in wrong view; for these persons, the unwholesome accumulated has not yet reached fulfillment, before it reaches fulfillment, before it produces its fruit, before it obstructs the path, before it overcomes teachability, them the Blessed One advises, while they are not yet beyond help. Just as Puṇṇa the cow-ascetic, and Acela the dog-ascetic. 61. And for this person, the unwholesome undertaking of action, as it approaches fulfillment, will obstruct the path, before it reaches fulfillment, before it produces its fruit, before it obstructs the path, before it overcomes teachability, that the Blessed One advises, while they are not yet beyond help. Just as the Venerable Aṅgulimāla. The mild, moderate, and excessive nature of all. Therein, the mild are the imperturbable volitional formations, the moderate are the remaining wholesome volitional formations, the excessive are the unwholesome volitional formations. What knowledge here, by way of cause, by way of condition, without limit, this ...experienced in this very life, this experienced in the next birth, this experienced in subsequent births, this experienced in hell, this experienced in the animal realm, this experienced in the realm of hungry ghosts, this experienced in the realm of asuras, this experienced in the realm of devas, this experienced in the human realm. This is called the knowledge of the diversity of results of past, future, and present actions undertaken, by cause, by condition, comprehensively, the fifth power of the Tathāgata. 62. Thus, of such actions undertaken, of such absorptions, liberations, concentrations, and attainments undertaken, this is defilement, this is purification, this is emergence; thus it is defiled, thus it is purified, thus it emerges— this is knowledge without obstruction. How many absorptions are there? Four absorptions. How many liberations? Eleven and eight and seven and three and two. How many concentrations? Three concentrations: concentration with initial application and sustained application, concentration without initial application, only sustained application, concentration without initial application and without sustained application. How many attainments? Five attainments: attainment of perception, attainment of non-perception, attainment of neither perception nor non-perception, attainment of vanished perception, attainment of cessation. What is defilement there? For the first absorption, sensual desire and ill-will are defilement. And those two first ones who are like "chicken meditators," or any concentration that leads to decline— this is defilement. What is purification there? Purity from hindrances. For the first absorption, and those two latter ones who are like "chicken meditators," or any concentration that leads to distinction— this is purification. What is emergence there? The skill in emerging from attainments— this is emergence. The knowledge here, by cause, by condition, comprehensively, this is called the knowledge of defilement, purification, and emergence of all absorptions, liberations, concentrations, and attainments, the sixth power of the Tathāgata. 63. Thus, of that very concentration, three qualities are its retinue: faculties, powers, and energy. Those very faculties, by way of energy, become powers, by way of dominance... in the sense of ruling, the faculties; in the sense of unshakeability, the powers. Thus, their being soft, medium, or keen: "This one has soft faculties, this one has medium faculties, this one has keen faculties." Therein, the Blessed One advises the keen-faculty person with a brief instruction. The Blessed One advises the medium-faculty person with a brief and elaborate instruction. The Blessed One advises the soft-faculty person with an elaborate instruction. Therein, the Blessed One teaches a gentle Dhamma discourse to the keen-faculty person. The Blessed One teaches a gentle and keen Dhamma discourse to the medium-faculty person. The Blessed One teaches a keen Dhamma discourse to the soft-faculty person. Therein, the Blessed One teaches tranquility to the keen-faculty person. The Blessed One teaches tranquility and insight to the medium-faculty person. The Blessed One teaches insight to the soft-faculty person. Therein, the Blessed One teaches escape to the keen-faculty person. The Blessed One teaches danger and escape to the medium-faculty person. The Blessed One teaches gratification, danger, and escape to the soft-faculty person. Therein, the Blessed One instructs in the training in higher wisdom to the keen-faculty person. The Blessed One instructs in the training in higher mind to the medium-faculty person. The Blessed One instructs in the training in higher virtue to the soft-faculty person. That knowledge here, as to cause, as to basis, as to limit, "This one has reached this stage and development, at this time, by this instruction, this is the element of this one, this is their inclination, and this is their underlying tendency" — this is called the knowledge of the discernment of the faculties of other beings, other persons, the seventh power of the Tathāgata. Thus, therein, he recollects his manifold past abodes. That is to say: 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 hundreds of births, many thousands of births, many hundreds of thousands of births, many eons of contraction, many eons of expansion, an one or even a hundred thousand aeons of 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. Having passed away from there, I arose yonder. 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. Having passed away from there, I have arisen here. Thus, he recollects his manifold past existences, with their aspects and details. 64. There, among beings bound for heaven, among beings bound for humanity, among beings bound for the lower realms, he knows: For this person, greed and so forth are abundant, non-greed and so forth are weak. For this person, non-greed and so forth are abundant, greed and so forth are weak. Or, whatever is abundant, whatever is weak, for this person, these faculties are developed. For this person, these faculties are undeveloped. In such and such a crore of aeons, or a hundred thousand aeons, or a thousand aeons, or a hundred aeons, or an aeon, or an intermediate aeon, or a half-aeon, or a year, or a half-year, or a month, or a fortnight, or a day, or a moment, through this heedlessness, or through this heedfulness. Recollecting each of these existences, the Blessed One knows them completely. There, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human sight, 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 good sirs, were 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. They, at the breaking up of the body, after death, reappeared in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell. Or, indeed, these good sirs, were endowed with good conduct of body, endowed with good conduct of speech, endowed with good conduct of mind, not revilers of the noble ones, holding right views, undertaking actions based on right views. They, at the breaking up of the body, after death, reappeared in a good destination, in the heavenly world. There, among beings bound for heaven, among human beings... Among beings bound for good destinations, and among beings bound for bad destinations, by this person, such a deed accumulated in such and such a crore of aeons, or in a hundred thousand aeons, or in a thousand aeons, or in a hundred aeons, or in an aeon, or in an intermediate aeon, or in half an aeon, or in a year, or in half a year, or in a month,