English
I am a stream-enterer, not subject to falling into lower states, certain of liberation, bound for enlightenment. Having run and wandered among devas and humans for at most seven more existences, I will make an end of suffering.’ With which four? Here, monks, the noble disciple has unwavering faith in the Tathāgata, established, rooted, grown, unshakeable by any ascetic or brahmin, deva or Māra or Brahmā, or anyone in the world, together with the Dhamma. And he has come to a conclusion about the Dhamma: ‘Well-proclaimed by the Blessed One is the Dhamma, visible here and now, timeless, inviting one to come and see, leading inwards, to be experienced individually by the wise.’ That is, the crushing of intoxication… …the cessation, Nibbāna. And he has companions in the Dhamma, desirable, lovely, dear, pleasing, both lay and renunciant. And he is endowed with virtues dear to the noble ones: unbroken, unblemished, unspotted, unblotched, liberating, praised by the wise, untouched by craving, conducive to concentration. Endowed with these four factors of stream-entry, monks, if the noble disciple wishes, he may declare of himself: ‘I am one for whom hell is destroyed, the animal realm is destroyed, the realm of hungry ghosts is destroyed, the states of woe, the bad destinations, the lower states are destroyed. I am a stream-enterer, not subject to falling into lower states, certain of liberation, bound for enlightenment. Having run and wandered among devas and humans for at most seven more existences, I will make an end of suffering.’’ This is vision. Now, what is development? “Whose faculties are developed, within and without, in all the world; Having penetrated this world and the next, that developed, tamed one awaits his time.” This is development. “These four, monks, are Dhamma-footings. Which four? Non-covetousness is a Dhamma-footing, non-ill-will is a Dhamma-footing, right mindfulness is a Dhamma-footing, right concentration is a Dhamma-footing. These, monks, are the four Dhamma-footings.” This is development. What then is vision and development? "Cut off five, abandon five" this is vision. "Develop five further. A monk gone beyond five attachments, is called one who has crossed the flood." This is development. This is vision and development. "Monks, there are these three faculties. Which three? The faculty of knowing what is not yet known, the faculty of final knowledge, the faculty of one who knows. And what, monks, is the faculty of knowing what is not yet known? Here, monks, a monk, for the full comprehension of the noble truth of suffering not yet fully comprehended, generates desire, strives, exerts effort, grasps the mind, applies himself. For the full comprehension of the noble truth of the origin of suffering not yet fully comprehended... ...for the cessation of suffering... ...for the path leading to the cessation of suffering not yet fully comprehended, he generates desire, strives, exerts effort, grasps the mind, applies himself. This, monks, is the faculty of knowing what is not yet known." This is vision. "And what, monks, is the faculty of final knowledge? Here, monks, a monk truly understands 'this is suffering', truly understands 'this is the origin of suffering', truly understands 'this is the cessation of suffering'... ...truly understands 'this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering'. This, monks, is the faculty of final knowledge. "And what, monks, is the faculty of one who knows? Here, monks, a monk, by the destruction of the taints, enters and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, and liberation by wisdom, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life. He understands: 'Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no further state of being.'" This, monks, is the faculty of one who knows. This is development. This is vision and development. 116. What therein is one's own word? "Not to do any evil, to cultivate good, to purify one's own mind, this is the teaching of the Buddhas." This is one's own word. "Monks, there are these three marks of a fool, characteristics of a fool, foolishness... are the marks of a fool, the signs of a fool, the characteristics of a fool, by which others recognize a fool as a fool. What are these three? A fool, monks, thinks ill thoughts, speaks ill words, and does ill deeds. These, monks, are the three marks of a fool, the signs of a fool, the characteristics of a fool. “These, monks, are the three marks of a wise person, the signs of a wise person, the characteristics of a wise person, by which others recognize a wise person as wise. What are these three? A wise person, monks, thinks good thoughts, speaks good words, and does good deeds. These, monks, are the three marks of a wise person, the signs of a wise person, the characteristics of a wise person.” This is one’s own statement. Now, what is another’s statement? “There is none as broad as the earth, none as deep as the abyss. There is none as high as Meru, no man like a Wheel-turning Monarch.” This is another’s statement. “‘Let there be victory, king of devas, through well-spoken words! Let there be victory, Vepacitti, through well-spoken words! Speak, Vepacitti, a verse!’ Then, monks, Vepacitti, the lord of asuras, spoke this verse: “Fools would multiply more, if there were no one to restrain them. Therefore, with a strong rod, the wise one should restrain the fool.” When this verse was spoken by Vepacitti, the lord of asuras, the asuras applauded, but the devas remained silent. Then, monks, Vepacitti, the lord of asuras, said to Sakka, the king of devas, “Speak, king of devas, a verse!” When this was said, monks, Sakka, the king of devas, spoke this verse: “This I consider the restraint of a fool: knowing another to be greatly angered, one who is mindful calms down.” When this verse was spoken by Sakka, the king of devas, the devas applauded, but the asuras remained silent. Then, monks, Sakka, the lord of devas, said to Vepacitti, the lord of asuras: ‘Speak, Vepacitti, a verse!’ When this was said, monks, Vepacitti, the lord of asuras, spoke this verse: “This indeed, Vāsava, is the fault I see in patience: When a fool thinks, ‘He endures out of fear of me,’ The dull-witted one mounts him even more, like an ox that flees.” When this verse was spoken by Vepacitti, the lord of asuras, monks, the asuras rejoiced, but the devas were silent. Then Vepacitti, the lord of asuras, said to Sakka, the lord of devas: ‘Speak, lord of devas, a verse!’ When this was said, monks, Sakka, the lord of devas, spoke these verses: “Let him think, or not think, ‘He endures out of fear of me’; The highest good is one's own welfare, there is nothing greater than patience. Indeed, he who is strong and endures the weak, That they call supreme patience; the weak always endures. They call that strength no strength, whose strength is the strength of a fool; For the strong one protected by Dhamma, there is no turning back. Worse for him is that, who gets angry at one who is angry; Not getting angry at one who is angry, one conquers a battle hard to conquer. He acts for the good of both, of himself and of the other; Knowing the other is enraged, he, mindful, calms down. For those who heal both, themselves and others, People think they are fools, those who are unskilled in the Dhamma.” When these verses were spoken by Sakka, the lord of devas, monks, the devas rejoiced, but the asuras were silent. This is the speech of others. 117. What then is one's own speech and the speech of others? That which has been attained and that which is to be attained, both are defiled by dust for one who trains diligently. Those whose essence is training—virtue, vows, life, holy life, whose essence is attendance—this is one extreme. And those who speak thus, who hold this view: “There is no fault in sensual pleasures”—this is the second extreme. Thus these two Oh, these ends, increasing misery, miseries increase views. Not fully understanding these two ends, some cling, others rush past. This is the saying of others. But those who, having fully understood these two ends, and were not in them, and did not conceive by them, for them there is no cycle of existence to be described. This is my own saying. This utterance is both my own saying and the saying of others. King Pasenadi of Kosala said this to the Blessed One: "Here, Bhante, as I was in seclusion, withdrawn, such a thought arose in my mind: 'To whom is the self dear? To whom is the self not dear?'" "Then, Bhante, it occurred to me: 'Whoever performs bad conduct by body, performs bad conduct by speech, performs bad conduct by mind, to them the self is not dear. Even if they should say, "The self is dear to us," yet the self is not dear to them. For what reason? For whatever an enemy would do to an enemy, that they do to themselves by themselves; therefore, the self is not dear to them. But whoever performs good conduct by body, performs good conduct by speech, performs good conduct by mind, to them the self is dear. Even if they should say, "The self is not dear to us," yet the self is dear to them. For what reason? For whatever a dear one would do to a dear one, that they do to themselves by themselves; therefore, the self is dear to them.'" "So it is, great king, so it is, great king. Whoever, great king, performs bad conduct by body, performs bad conduct by speech, performs bad conduct by mind, therefore to them the self is not dear. Even if they should say, 'The self is dear to us,' yet the self is not dear to them. For what reason? For whatever, great king, an enemy would do to an enemy, that they do to themselves by themselves; therefore, the self is not dear to them. But whoever, great king, performs good conduct by body, performs good conduct by speech, performs good conduct by mind, to them the self is dear. Even if..." Even if they were to say,