Wholesome and Unwholesome

Three things are to be recognized as a fool.

1. Bodily misconduct,
2. Verbal misconduct,
3. Mental misconduct.

Three things are to be recognized as a wise person

1. Good bodily conduct,
2. Good verbal conduct,
3. Good mental conduct
.

1. is consummate in virtue,
2. guards the doors to his sense faculties,
3. knows moderation in eating, and
4. is devoted to wakefulness.
 

Anger as written in …
1. rock,
2. soil, and
3. water.
 

There are questions that should be …
1. answer categorically [straightforwardly yes, no, this, that].
2. answer with an analytical (qualifies) answer [deining or redefining the terms].
3. answered with a counter-question.
4. put aside.
 

1. Charity
2. Kind Speech
3. Doing a good turn
4. Treating all alike
 

1. Timely or untimely,
2. True or false,
3. Affectionate or harsh,
4. Beneficial or unbeneficial,
5. With a mind of goodwill or with inner hate.
 

1. The repulsive feature of an object
2. The unsystematic attention towards it
 

1. The alluring feature of an object
2. The unsystematic attention towards it
 

He who is sick, …

1. regardless of whether he does or does not receive amenable food, medicine, or proper nursing – will recover from that illness.

2. regardless of whether he does or does not receive amenable food, medicine or proper nursing – will recover from that illness.

3. who will recover from that illness if he receives amenable food, amenable medicine, and proper nursing, but not if he doesn’t.

In the same way, these three types of people, are like the three types of sick people.

There is the case of the people who

1. regardless of whether he does or doesn’t get to see the Tathagata, get to hear the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathagata – will not alight on the lawfulness, the rightness of skillful mental qualities.

2. regardless of whether he does or doesn’t get to see the tathagata, get to hear Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathagata- will alight on the lawfulness, the rightness of skillful mental qualities.

3. who will alight on the lawfulness, the rightness of skillful mental qualities if he gets to see the Tathagata and gets to hear the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathagata, but not if he doesn’t.
 

1. The Uposatha of a cowherd,
2. The Uposatha of the Jains, and
3. The Uposatha of the Noble Ones.

“And what is the Uposatha of a cowherd? Just as when a cowherd returns the cattle to their owners in the evening, he reflects : ‘Today the cattle wandered to that spot and this, drank at this spot and that; tomorrow they will wander to that spot and this, will drink at this spot and that; in the same way, there is the case where a certain person observing the Uposatha reflects, ‘Today I ate this sort of non-staple food and that sort of staple food. Tomorrow I will eat that sort of non-staple food and this sort of staple food.’ He spends the day with an awareness imbued with that covetousness, with that greed.

“And what is the Uposatha of the Jains? There are the contemplatives called the Niganthas (Jains). On the Uposatha day, they get their disciples to strip off all their clothing and become naked ascetic. At the end of the night, they resume back to their normal activities.”

“And what is the Uposatha of the Noble Ones? It is the cleansing of the defiled mind through the proper technique.
 

1. The ground for meritorious activity made of generosity
2. The ground for meritorious activity made of virtue
3. The ground for meritorious activity made of development [meditation]
 

1. Strength of conviction, - is convinced of the Tathagata’s Awakening.

2. Strength of conscience, - a noble disciple feels shame at [the thought of engaging in] bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct.

3. Strength of concern, - where a noble disciple feels concern for [the suffering that results from] bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct.

4. Strength of persistence – a noble disciple, keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful mental qualities and taking on skillful mental qualities.

5. Strength of discernment, - a noble disciple, is discerning, endowed with discernment of arising and passing away – noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress.
 

1. The person who has abandoned passion, desire, fondness, thirst, fever, and craving for sensuality.

2. The person who has abandoned passion, desire, fondness, thirst, fever, and craving for the body.

3. The person, who has done what is good, has done what is skillful, has given protection to those in fear, and has not done what is evil, savage, or cruel.

4. The person who has no doubt or perplexity, who has arrived at certainty with regard to the True Dhamma.
 

The new monks – those who have not long gone forth, who are newcomers in this Dhamma and Discipline – should be encouraged, exhorted, and established in these five things.

1. Be virtuous. Dwell restrained in accordance with the Patimokkha, consummate in your behavior and sphere of activity. Train yourselves, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the slightest fault.

2. Dwell with your sense faculties guarded, with mindfulness as your protector, with mindfulness as your chief, with your intellect self-protected, endowed with an awareness protected by mindfulness.

3. Speak only a little, place limit on your conversation.

4. Dwell in the wilderness. Resort to remote wilderness and forest dwellings.

5. Be endowed with right vision.
 

Whatever what one has
1. seen
2. hard
3. sensed
4. understood (cognized)

If it causes the unprofitable states to wax and profitable states to wane then one should not speak.

But if it helps the unprofitable state to wane and profitable state to wax, then such things should be spoken of.
 

1. Given up the intentional taking of life, have put down all weapons, are possessed of shame (of doing evil) and are compassionate towards all beings.

2. Given up the taking of what has not been given, are not thieves and behavior is spotless.

3. Given up that which is an obstacle to the Brahma-faring and behave like a Brahma and abstains from sexual intercourse.

4. Given up the telling of lies. One speaks only the truth and is intent only on that which is true. The speech is firm and with reason. The speech does not waver from that which is a mainstay for the world.

5. Given up the taking of liquors and intoxicants. One abstains from drinks, which causes carelessness.

6. Eat at one time only and do not partake of food in the evening. One abstains from food at the ‘wrong time.’

7. Given up singing and dancing, the playing of musical instruments and the watching of entertainments, which are stumbling blocks to that which is wholesome. One does not bedeck oneself with ornaments, flowers or perfume.

8. Given up lying on large or high beds. One is content with low beds or beds made of grass
.

1. Abandoning the taking of life, abstains from taking life.
2. Abandoning taking what is not given (stealing), he abstains from taking what is not given ...
3. Abandoning illicit sex, he abstains from illicit sex …
4. Abandoning lying, he abstains from lying …
5. Abandoning the use of intoxicants, he abstains from taking intoxicants.

In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression …
 

1. The treasure of conviction,
2. The treasure of virtue,
3. The treasure of conscience,
4. The treasure of concern,
5. The treasure of listening,
6. The treasure of generosity,
7. The treasure of discernment.
 

The Ocean has a single taste – that of salt – in the same way,
The Doctrine and Discipline has a single taste : that of release …
 

1. If a monk were to say, “I hear and receive from the Buddha, this is Dhamma, this is Vinaya, and this is the Master’s Teachings.” His words are neither to be welcomed nor scorned but to be compared with the suttas and vinaya, and if it does not agree with them, do reject it. If it agrees with them, then accept it.

2. If there is an elderly monk were to say, … and if it does not agree with them, do reject it. If it agrees with them, then accept it.

3. If a monk were to say, “I hear and receive from some widely learned elderly monks, this is vinaya, …” and if it does not agree with them, do reject it. If it agrees with them, then accept it.

4. If a monk were to say, “I hear and receive from a widely learned elderly monk, this is vinaya, …” and if it does not agree with them, do reject it. If it agrees with them, then accept it.
 

1. Skillful virtues have freedom from

2. Remorse as their purpose, freedom from remorse as their reward. Freedom from remors has

3. Jay as its purpose, joy as its reward. Jay has

4. Rapture as its purpose, rapture as its reward. Rapture has

5. Serenity as its purpose, serenity as its reward. Serenity has

6. Pleasure as its purpose, pleasure as its reward. Pleasure has

7. Concentration as its purpose, concentration as its reward. Concentration has

8. Knowledge and vision of things as they actually are as its purpose, knowledge and vision of things as they actually are has

9. Disenchantment as its purpose, disenchantment as its reward. Disenchantment has

10. Dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as its reward. Dispassion has

11. Knowledge and vision of release as its purpose, knowledge and vision of release as its reward.

“In this way, skillful virtues lead step-by step to the consummation of arahantship.”
 

1. Thinking, ‘He has done me harm. But what should I expect?’

2. Thinking, ‘He is doing me harm. But what should I expect?’

3. Thinking, ‘He is going to do me harm. But what should I expect?’

4. Thinking, ‘He has done harm to people who are dear and pleasing to me. But what should I expect?’

5. Thinking, ‘He is doing harm to people who are dear and pleasing to me. But what should I expect?’

6. Thinking, ‘He is going to do harm to people who are dear and pleasing to me. But what should I expect?’

7. Thinking, ‘He has aided people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?’

8. Thinking, ‘He is aiding people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?’

9. Thinking, ‘He is going to aid people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?’

10. One does not get worked up over impossibilities.
 

1. Loving-kindness

2. Compassion

3. Equanimity

4. The forgetting and ignoring of a person with whom you are annoyed.

5. Ownership of deeds in a person with whom you are annoyed can be concentrated upon thus: ‘This good person is owner of his deeds, heir to his deeds, his deeds are the womb from which he is born, his deeds are his kin for whom he is responsible, his deeds are his refuge, he is heir to his deeds, be they good or bad.
 

 Seven things that pleases the enemy

bring about an enemy’s aim that come to a man or woman who is angry … where an enemy wishes of an enemy,

1. ‘O, may this person be ugly!’
2. ‘O, may this person sleep badly!’
3. ‘O, may this person not profit!’
4. ‘O, may this person not have any wealth!’
5. ‘O, may this person not have any reputation!’
6. ‘O, may this person not have any friends!’
7. ‘O, may this person, on the break-up of the body, after death, reappear in the plane of deprivation, the bad bourn, the lower realms, in hell!’
 

 Ten topics of [proper] conversation

Talk …

1. on having few wants,
2. on contentment,
3. on seclusion,
4. on non-entanglement,
5. on arousing persistence,
6. on virtue,
7. on concentration,
8. on discernment,
9. on release, and
10. on the knowledge and vision of release

Instead of the conversation about kings, robbers, and ministers of state; armies, alarms, and battles; food and drink; clothing, furniture, garlands, and scents; relatives; vehicles; villages, towns, cities, the countryside; women and heroes; the gossip of the street and the well; talks of the dead; tales of diversity, the creation of the world and of the sea; talk of whether things exist or not.
 

 What is an outcaste of a lay follower?

He/she doew not have conviction [in the buddha’s Awakening]

1. is unvirtuous;
2. is eager for protective charms and ceremonies;
3. trusts protective charms and ceremonies, not kamma;
4. searches for recipients of his/her offerings outside (of the Sangha), and gives offerings there first.
 

 The Army of Mara

1. Sensual Desires (kama)
2. Discontent (arati-aversion of the holy life)
3. Hunger and thirst (khuppipasa)
4. Craving (tanha)
5. Sluggishness and laziness (thina-middha)
6. Fear (bhiru)
7. Indecision (vicikiccha)
8. Disparagement of others and stubbornness (makkha-thambha)
9. Gain (labha), fame (siloka), honor (sakkara) and prestige wrongly acquired (yasa)
10. Whoever praises himself and despises others

A lazy, cowardly person cannot overcome them, but by conquering them one gains bliss.
 

 The Four incapable of Falling Away

1. Perfect in virtues
2. Guarded Sense-faculties
3. Moderate in eating
4. Watchfulness (Mindfulness)
 

 The Novice’s Ten Questions

What is the one?

All animals subsist on food. [There are these four nutriments for the establishing of beings who have taken birth or for the support of those in search of a place to be born. Which four? Physical food, gross or refined; contact as the second, consciousness the third, and intellectual intention the fourth].
 

 What are the two?

Name & form [mental & physical phenomena].

What are the three?

The three types of feeling [pleasant, painful, neither pleasant nor painful].

What are the four?

The four noble truths, suffering, the origination of suffering, the cessation of suffering, the path of practice leading to the cessation of suffering.

What are the five?

The five aggregates [form, feeling, perception, fabrications, consciousness].

What are the six?

The six internal sense media [eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind].

What are the seven?

The seven factors of Awakening [mindfulness, analysis of qualities, persistence, rapture, serenity, concentration, equanimity].

What are the eight?

The noble eightfold path [right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration].

What are the nine?

The nine abodes for beings [seven stations of consciousness and two spheres].

There are beings with diversity of body and diversity of perception, such as human beings, some devas, and some beings in the lower realms. This is the first station of consciousness.

There are beings with diversity of body and singularity of perception, such as the devas of the Brahma hosts generated by the first [jhana]. This is the second station of consciousness.

There are beings with singularity of body and diversity of perception, such as the Radiant Devas. This is the third station of conscuousness.

There are beings with singularity of body and singularity of perception, such as the Beautifully Lustrous Devas. This is the fourth station of consciousness.

There are beings who, with the complete transcending of perceptions of [physical] form, with the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, and not heeding perceptions of diversity, thinking, ‘Infinite space,’ arrive at the sphere of the infinitude of space. This is the fifth station of consciousness.

There are beings who, with the complete transcending of the sphere of the infinitude of space, thinking, ‘Infinite consciousness,’ arrive at the sphere of the infinitude of consciousness. This is the sixth station of consciousness.

There are beings who, with the complete transcending of the sphere on the infinitude of consciousness, thinking, ‘There is nothing,’ arrive at the sphere of nothingness. This is the seventh station of consciousness.

The sphere of non-percipient beings and, second, the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. These are the two spheres.

What are the ten?

Endowed with ten qualities, one is called an arahant [the right view of one beyond training, the right thought of one beyond training, the right speech of one beyond training, the right action of one beyond training, the right livelihood of one beyond training, the right effort of one beyond training, the right mindfulness of one beyond training, the right concentration of one beyond training, the right knowledge of one beyond training, the right release of one beyond training.
 

 Destination of the actors and comedians

Talaputa, the head of an acting troupe, asked the Blessed One: “Venerable Sir, I have heard that it has been passed down by the ancient teaching lineage of actors that ‘When an actor on the stage, in the midst of a festival, makes people laugh and gives them delight with his limitation of reality, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing devas.’ What does the Blessed One have to say about that?”

“Any beings who are not devoid of

1. passion to begin with, who are bound by the bond of passion, focus with even more passion on things inspiring passion presented by an actor on stage in the midst of a festival.

2. Aversion to begin with, who are bound by the bond of aversion, focus with even more aversion ..

3. Delusion to begin with, who are bound by the bond of delusion, focus with even more delusion ..

Thus the actor- himself intoxicated and heedless, having made others intoxicated and heedless – with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in what is called the hell of laughter. But if he holds such a view as this: ‘When an actor on the stage, in the midst of a festival, makes people laugh and gives them delight with his imitation of reality, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing devas,’ that is his wrong view. Now, there are two destinations for a person with wrong view, I tell you: either hell or the animal womb.”