6.
The Chapter on the Wise One
1.
The Discourse with Verses
1047. "Monks, a noble disciple possessed of four qualities is a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment.
"Which four? Here, monks, a noble disciple is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha: 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One, etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' Towards the Teaching... etc. towards the Community, etc. He is endowed with morality pleasing to the noble ones, unbroken... etc. conducive to concentration. Monks, a noble disciple possessed of these four qualities is a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment." This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this -
And whose morality is good, dear to the noble ones, praised.
They call him 'not poor', his life is not in vain.
The wise one should pursue, remembering the Buddhas' instruction." The first.
2.
The Discourse on Completing the Rains Retreat
1048. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Now at that time a certain monk who had completed the rains retreat at Sāvatthī had arrived at Kapilavatthu on some business. The Sakyans of Kapilavatthu heard - "A certain monk, it seems, who has completed the rains retreat at Sāvatthī has arrived at Kapilavatthu."
Then the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu approached that monk; having approached, they paid respect to that monk and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu said this to that monk - "I hope, venerable sir, the Blessed One is healthy and powerful?" "The Blessed One is healthy, friend, and powerful." "And I hope, venerable sir, Sāriputta and Moggallāna are healthy and powerful?" "Sāriputta and Moggallāna too, friend, are healthy and powerful." "And I hope, venerable sir, the Community of monks is healthy and powerful?" "The Community of monks too, friend, is healthy and powerful." "But is there, venerable sir, anything that you have heard face to face from the Blessed One, received face to face during this rainy season?" "Face to face with the Blessed One I heard this, friend, face to face I received it - 'Few are those monks, monks, who, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge themselves, having attained, dwell in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions. But there are indeed more monks who, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, are ones of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world.'"
"Furthermore, friend, I heard face to face from the Blessed One, I received face to face - 'Few are those monks, monks, who, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, are ones of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world. But there are indeed more monks who, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters and with the reduction of lust, hate, and delusion, are once-returners, who, having come to this world only once more, will make an end of suffering.'"
"Furthermore, friend, I heard face to face from the Blessed One, I received face to face - 'Few are those monks, monks, who, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters and with the reduction of lust, hate, and delusion, are once-returners, who, having come to this world only once more, will make an end of suffering. But there are indeed more monks who, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters, are stream-enterers, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment.'" The second.
3.
The Discourse on Dhammadinna
1049. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Then the lay follower Dhammadinna together with five hundred lay followers approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the lay follower Dhammadinna said this to the Blessed One - "Let the Blessed One exhort us, venerable sir; let the Blessed One instruct us, venerable sir, for what would be for our welfare and happiness for a long time."
"Therefore, Dhammadinna, you should train thus - 'Those discourses spoken by the Truth-finder that are deep, deep in meaning, supramundane, connected with emptiness - having attained those, we will dwell in them from time to time.' Thus indeed, Dhammadinna, should you train." "It is not easy, venerable sir, for us who dwell in the confinement of wife and children, who enjoy Kāsi sandalwood, who wear garlands, scents, and cosmetics, who accept gold and silver - to enter and dwell from time to time in those discourses spoken by the Truth-finder that are deep, deep in meaning, supramundane, connected with emptiness. Let the Blessed One teach us a higher teaching, venerable sir, for us who are established in the five training rules."
"Therefore, Dhammadinna, you should train thus - 'We will be endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha - 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One, etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' Towards the Teaching... etc. towards the Community, etc. We will be endowed with morality pleasing to the noble ones, unbroken... etc. conducive to concentration.' Thus indeed, Dhammadinna, should you train."
"These four factors of stream-entry, venerable sir, that have been taught by the Blessed One, those qualities exist in us, and we are seen in those qualities. For we, venerable sir, are endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha - 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One, etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' Towards the Teaching... etc. towards the Community, etc. endowed with morality pleasing to the noble ones, unbroken... etc. conducive to concentration." "It is a gain for you, Dhammadinna, it is well gained for you, Dhammadinna! The fruition of stream-entry has been declared by you." The third.
4.
The Discourse on the Sick
1050. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Nigrodha Monastery. Now at that time several monks were doing robe-making work for the Blessed One - "When the robe is finished, the Blessed One will set out on a journey after the three months." Mahānāma the Sakyan heard - "It seems several monks are doing robe-making work for the Blessed One - 'When the robe is finished, the Blessed One will set out on a journey after the three months.'" Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Mahānāma the Sakyan said this to the Blessed One - "I have heard this, venerable sir - 'It seems several monks are doing robe-making work for the Blessed One - When the robe is finished, the Blessed One will set out on a journey after the three months.' We have not heard this, venerable sir, face to face from the Blessed One, nor received it face to face - how a wise lay follower should exhort a wise lay follower who is sick, afflicted, severely ill."
"A wise lay follower, Mahānāma, should comfort a wise lay follower who is sick, afflicted, severely ill with four comforting principles - 'May the venerable one be comforted - the venerable one has unwavering confidence in the Buddha: "Thus indeed is the Blessed One... etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' May the venerable one be comforted - the venerable one has unwavering confidence in the Teaching... etc. towards the Community, etc. morality pleasing to the noble ones, unbroken... etc. conducive to concentration.'"
"A wise lay follower, Mahānāma, having comforted a wise lay follower who is sick, afflicted, severely ill with these four comforting principles, should address him thus - 'Does the venerable one have longing for mother and father?' If he should say thus - 'I have longing for mother and father,' he should be addressed thus - 'The venerable one, dear sir, is subject to death. If the venerable one has longing for mother and father, he will die just the same; if the venerable one does not have longing for mother and father, he will die just the same. It would be good if the venerable one would abandon that longing for mother and father.'"
"If he should say thus - 'Whatever longing I had for my mother and father, that has been abandoned,' he should be addressed thus - 'But does the venerable one have longing for children and wife?' If he should say thus - 'I have longing for children and wife,' he should be addressed thus - 'The venerable one, dear sir, is subject to death. If the venerable one has longing for children and wife, he will die; if the venerable one does not have longing for children and wife, he will die. It would be good, venerable one, if you would abandon whatever longing you have for children and wife.'"
"If he should say thus - 'Whatever longing I had for children and wife, that has been abandoned,' he should be addressed thus - 'But does the venerable one have longing for the five types of human sensual pleasure?' If he should say thus - 'I have longing for the five types of human sensual pleasure,' he should be addressed thus - 'Divine sensual pleasures, friend, are more superior and more sublime than human sensual pleasures. It would be good, venerable one, if, having turned the mind away from human sensual pleasures, you would fix the mind on the gods (ruled by) the four great kings.'"
"If he should say thus - 'My mind has turned away from human sensual pleasures, my mind is fixed on the gods (ruled by) the four great kings,' he should be addressed thus - 'The Thirty-three gods, friend, are more superior and more sublime than the gods (ruled by) the four great kings. It would be good, venerable one, if, having turned the mind away from the gods (ruled by) the four great kings, you would fix the mind on the Thirty-three gods.'"
"If he should say thus - 'My mind has turned away from the gods (ruled by) the four great kings, my mind is fixed on the Thirty-three gods,' he should be addressed thus - 'The Yāma gods, friend, are more superior and more sublime than the Thirty-three gods... etc. the Tusita gods... etc. the Nimmānaratī gods... etc. the Paranimmitavasavattī gods... etc. The Brahma world, friend, is more superior and more sublime than the Paranimmitavasavattī gods. It would be good, venerable one, if, having turned the mind away from the Paranimmitavasavattī gods, you would fix the mind on the Brahma world.' If he should say thus - 'My mind has turned away from the Paranimmitavasavattī gods, my mind is fixed on the Brahma world,' he should be addressed thus - 'The Brahma world too, friend, is impermanent, unstable, included in identity. It would be good, venerable one, if, having turned the mind away from the Brahma world, you would direct the mind to the cessation of identity.'"
"If he should say thus - 'My mind has emerged from the Brahma world, I am focusing my mind on the cessation of identity'; for a lay follower with mind thus liberated, Mahānāma, I say there is no difference from a monk with mind liberated from the mental corruptions, that is to say - liberated through liberation." The fourth.
5.
The Discourse on the Fruition of Stream-Entry
1051. "Monks, these four mental states, when developed and cultivated, lead to the realisation of the fruition of stream-entry. Which four? Associating with good persons, hearing the Good Teaching, wise attention, practice in accordance with the Teaching - these, monks, are the four mental states which, when developed and cultivated, lead to the realisation of the fruition of stream-entry." The fifth.
6.
The Discourse on the Fruition of Once-Returning
1052. "Monks, these four mental states, when developed and cultivated, lead to the realisation of the fruition of once-returning. Which four? Etc. lead to." The sixth.
7.
The Discourse on the Fruition of Non-Returning
1053. Etc. for the realisation of the fruition of non-returning, etc. lead to." The seventh.
8.
The Discourse on the Fruition of Arahantship
1054. Etc. for the realisation of the fruition of arahantship, etc. lead to." The eighth.
9.
The Discourse on the Attainment of Wisdom
1055. Etc. for the attainment of wisdom, etc. lead to." The ninth.
10.
The Discourse on the Growth of Wisdom
1056. Etc. for the increase of wisdom, etc. lead to." The tenth.
11.
The Discourse on the Expansion of Wisdom
1057. Etc. To the expansion of wisdom, etc. lead to." The eleventh.
The Chapter on the Wise is the sixth.
Its summary:
Four on fruit, acquisition, growth, and with expansion.