English
By which one rightly understands, the destruction of birth and death. "Wisdom indeed is supreme" - this is the basis. "Leads to penetration" - one penetrates reality as it is, leading to Nibbāna. "By which one rightly understands, the destruction of birth and death" - this is non-delusion. Wisdom is the cause. That one understands is the outflow. The destruction of birth and death, this is the result. Thus, non-delusion is explained by cause, outflow, and result. These three, monks, are faculties. The faculty of knowing what is not yet known, the faculty of final knowledge, the faculty of one who knows. Among these, what is the faculty of knowing what is not yet known? Here, monks, a bhikkhu generates desire for the full comprehension of the noble truth of suffering, which has not yet been fully comprehended; he strives, he arouses energy, he grasps and exerts his mind. Thus should it be done for the four noble truths. Among these, what is the faculty of final knowledge? Here, monks, a bhikkhu knows as it really is: “This is the noble truth of suffering.” And what is the path, this is the faculty of final knowledge. Through the destruction of the taints, he becomes taintless. This is called the faculty of one who knows. Thus this wisdom, this is the cause. That he generates desire, he strives, that he knows, this is the outflow. By which, through the complete destruction of the taints, the cause, that knowledge arises at the destruction, and knowledge at the non-arising, this is the outflow. That which is arahantship, this is the fruit. Therein, "Destroyed is my birth, lived is the holy life, done is what had to be done," this is the knowledge at the destruction. "I know there is no more for this state of being," this is the knowledge at the non-arising. Thus these faculties, non-delusion is designated by cause, by outflow, and by fruit. These are designated as uncommon. Among these, what are the common roots of skillfulness? And I will teach you, monks, skillfulness and the root of skillfulness. Among these, what is the root of skillfulness? Non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion. Among these, what is skillfulness? The eight rightnesses, from right view up to right concentration. Among these, what are the roots of skillfulness, this is the cause. And that non-greed gives rise to three actions: right intention, right effort, and right concentration. This is the outflow of non-greed. Among these, what is non-hatred, this is the cause. That it establishes three qualities: right speech, right action, and right livelihood. This is the outflow. Among these, what is non-delusion, the cause, that it establishes two qualities: seeing things as they are, and non-attachment. This is the outflow. The fruit of this holy life, those two liberations: the liberation of mind through the fading of passion, and the liberation of wisdom through the fading of ignorance. This is the fruit. Thus these three roots of skillfulness are pointed out as to cause, as to outflow, and as to fruit. Thus common skills should be penetrated. Where there are two, where there are three. And here is the verse. The measured and the unmeasured becoming, the sage relinquished the formations of becoming; Delighting inwardly, composed, he broke through the armor of self-becoming. "The measured and the unmeasured becoming" means the measured conditioned and the unmeasured unconditioned. There, those conditioned things that are measured, these two qualities, enjoyment and danger, are measured. So much is the enjoyment in sensual pleasures. So much is the danger of this. "This is the escape," thus he knows Nibbāna. For two reasons it is unmeasured and cannot be measured. "So much is this, there is nothing beyond this," thus it is unmeasured. Then, having attained a jewel, it is unmeasured by its wondrous nature. There, the arising of skillfulness, knowing, seeing, this is non-delusion. That which is known there, the letting go of the formations of becoming, this is non-greed. That which is "delighting inwardly, composed" means the withdrawal from distraction, this is non-hatred. Thus these are the three roots of skillfulness. "The measured and unmeasured becoming" this is non-delusion. That which is the coming together of the formations of becoming, greed, the enjoyment of right concentration, this is the cause. That which is "delighting inwardly," the breaking of the shell of ignorance, this is the outflow. That occurrence, these three roots of skillfulness, are pointed out as to cause, as to outflow, and as to fruit. To this extent, this process and cessation proceeds from unskillful roots, and ceases with skillful roots. And by these three, all unskillful roots come together. He is pointed out in the Dhamma as craving, or hatred, or lack of clear comprehension, or underlying tendency, or denigration, or envy, or conceit, or jealousy, or stinginess, or ignorance, and by those things which should be pointed out. In which these two words, Dhamma-terms, are pointed out, there is no defilement that does not come together and converge in these nine aspects. This is defilement, not greed, not ha... And not delusion. Just as unwholesome roots, so wholesome ones should be indicated by negation. This is the foundation of non-delusion. 37. Therein, what is the foundation of bodily action? By body one should do wholesome, By body one should be restrained; Having abandoned bodily misconduct, By body one should practice good conduct. These three, monks, are good conduct: abstinence from taking life, abstinence from taking what is not given, abstinence from sexual misconduct; this is the foundation of bodily action. Therein, what is the foundation of verbal action? Well-spoken speech, the saints call supreme, One should speak Dhamma, not non-Dhamma, that is the second; One should speak pleasant, not unpleasant, that is the third, One should speak truth, not falsehood, that is the fourth. And these four good conducts of speech, this is the foundation of verbal action. Therein, what is the foundation of mental action? By mind, wholesome action, By mind, one should be restrained; Having abandoned mental misconduct, By mind, one should practice good conduct. These three good conducts of mind: non-covetousness, non-ill-will, right view, this is the foundation of mental action. These are the uncommon discourses. Therein, what are the common discourses? Guarding speech, well-restrained in mind, And by body one should not do unwholesome; These three paths of action one should purify, One should attain the path proclaimed by the sages. These three, monks, are purifications: purification of bodily action, purification of verbal action, purification of mental action. Therein, what is purification of bodily action? Abstinence from taking life, abstinence from taking what is not given, abstinence from sexual misconduct. Therein, what is purification of verbal action? Abstinence from false speech... (etc.)... abstinence from frivolous talk. Therein, what is purification of mental action? Non-covetousness, non-ill-will, right view. This is the common discourse. Thus, both common discourses and uncommon discourses should be penetrated. Having penetrated, the meaning of the discourse should be indicated by speech and by body. should be established. 38. Therein, what is the foundation of the faculty of faith? Whose faith in the Tathāgata, is unshakable, well-established; And whose virtue is good, dear to the noble ones, praised. And whose clarity of mind towards the Saṅgha exists, and whose vision is straight; Him they call not poor, his life is not in vain. Faith indeed is joyful, a fulfiller; Not his (alone) is such faith; Everything becomes for the Blessed One, Such is the clarity of the Dhamma. This is the foundation of the faculty of faith. Therein, what is the foundation of the faculty of energy? Strive, go forth, engage in the Buddha's teaching; Shake off the army of Death, like an elephant a reed-hut. These four, monks, are the right strivings, This is the foundation of the faculty of energy. Therein, what is the foundation of the faculty of mindfulness? For the mindful one is always good fortune, good fortune be to the mindful one; For the mindful one is always better, the mindful one attains happiness. The four foundations of mindfulness should be done in detail, This is the foundation of the faculty of mindfulness. Therein, what is the foundation of the faculty of concentration? Desiring for you, O charioteer of tamed men, gods and humans have thought in mind: By all means, even all beings would know, if one cultivates peaceful, weaponless concentration. These three, monks, are concentrations – with initial application and sustained application, without initial application, with sustained application only, without initial application and without sustained application. This is the foundation of the faculty of concentration. Therein, what is the foundation of the faculty of wisdom? Wisdom indeed is supreme in the world, in detail. These three, monks, are wisdoms – wisdom born of learning, wisdom born of reflection, wisdom born of development. This is the discourse on the foundation of the faculty of wisdom. These are the specific discourses on the foundations of the faculties. 39. Therein, what are the general discourses on the foundations of the faculties? One not free from passion for sensual pleasures, whose five faculties are weak; Faith, mindfulness, and energy, tranquility and insight; Approaching such a monk, before (he) harms... Understands. These are the five faculties. The faculty of faith and so on should be seen. A discourse should be made in detail on the three unwavering confidences. These are common discourses based on faculties. Whatever relates to wholesome or unwholesome, that discourse should be designated by that basis, no other dhamma should be designated.