English
The departed one (referring to the Buddha) sat under the Bodhi tree. In the first watch of the night, and thereafter, he remembered his former abodes, knew about death and birth, and observed the former abodes, death, and birth of beings belonging to the end of the former life and those belonging to the end of the future life. In the third watch, he knew the cessation of defilements, and for all that should be abandoned, should be attained, and should be manifestly and completely awakened to, he abandoned and realized them manifestly. Having attained complete and perfect enlightenment, he attained omniscience. What should be practiced before those knowledges is the perfection of discipline. Among these, the perfection of discipline is sixfold: having discipline, abiding in the Pratimoksha vows, perfection of ritual, perfection of conduct, fearing even the slightest faults, and learning after properly taking the precepts. Through these, discipline is completely purified. Having thus completely purified discipline, in order to completely purify concentration, one practices the perfection of conduct. Among these, the perfection of conduct is: maintaining mindfulness in all activities. The perfection of restraint is: closing the doors of the senses in order not to grasp the characteristics and signs of objects known by the eyes and so forth. Thus, having completely purified discipline, maintaining mindfulness, and having closed the doors of the senses, one cultivates concentration. Concentration is the four higher minds that abide in happiness in this life. Among these, it is also the fourth dhyana. In order to make the fourth dhyana workable, one completely cultivates concentration. Thus, completely purifying concentration leads to the manifest cultivation of higher knowledges, cultivating the higher knowledge of miraculous powers, the higher knowledge of the divine ear, the higher knowledge of knowing the minds of others, and cultivating the three knowledges previously mentioned. Therefore, possessing those knowledges and those feet, the Bhagavan attained the perfection of being a teacher. Therefore, possessing knowledge and feet is shown to be the cause of attaining the perfection of being a teacher.