2.

The Chapter on Underlying Tendencies

1.

The First Discourse on Underlying Tendencies

11. "Monks, there are these seven underlying tendencies. Which seven? The underlying tendency to sensual lust, the underlying tendency to aversion, the underlying tendency to wrong view, the underlying tendency to sceptical doubt, the underlying tendency to conceit, the underlying tendency to lust for existence, the underlying tendency to ignorance. These, monks, are the seven underlying tendencies." The first.

2.

The Second Discourse on Underlying Tendencies

12. "Monks, the holy life is lived for the abandoning and eradication of seven underlying tendencies. Which seven? The holy life is lived for the abandoning and eradication of the underlying tendency to sensual lust, of the underlying tendency to aversion, etc. of the underlying tendency to wrong view... of the underlying tendency to sceptical doubt... of the underlying tendency to conceit... of the underlying tendency to lust for existence... the holy life is lived for the abandoning and eradication of the underlying tendency to ignorance. For the abandoning and eradication of these seven underlying tendencies, monks, the holy life is lived.

"And when, monks, for a monk the underlying tendency to sensual lust has been abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. The underlying tendency to aversion, etc. the underlying tendency to wrong view... the underlying tendency to sceptical doubt... the underlying tendency to conceit... the underlying tendency to lust for existence... the underlying tendency to ignorance has been abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. This is called, monks, a monk who has cut off craving, turned back the mental fetters, through the complete full realisation of conceit has made an end of suffering." The second.

3.

The Discourse on the Family

13. "Monks, a family possessed of seven factors is unsuitable to approach if not approached, and unsuitable to sit close to if approached. Which seven? They do not rise up in respect with an agreeable manner, they do not pay respect with an agreeable manner, they do not give a seat with an agreeable manner, they conceal what they have, even if there is much they give little, even if there is superior they give coarse, they give inattentively, not attentively. Monks, a family possessed of these seven factors is unsuitable to approach if not approached, and unsuitable to sit close to if approached.

"Monks, a family possessed of seven factors is suitable to approach if not approached, and suitable to sit close to if approached. Which seven? They rise up in respect with an agreeable manner, they pay respect with an agreeable manner, they give a seat with an agreeable manner, they do not conceal what they have, even if there is much they give much, even if there is superior they give superior, they give attentively, not inattentively. Monks, a family possessed of these seven factors is suitable to approach if not approached, and suitable to sit close to if approached." The third.

4.

The Person Discourse

14. "Monks, there are these seven persons worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Which seven? One liberated in both ways, one liberated by wisdom, a body-witness, one attained to right view, one liberated by faith, a follower of the Teaching, a faith-follower. These, monks, are the seven persons worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world." The fourth.

5.

The Discourse on the Water Simile

15. "Monks, there are these seven persons like water existing and found in the world. Which seven? Here, monks, a certain person once submerged remains submerged; here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, sinks down; here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, remains standing; here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, sees with insight and looks around; here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, crosses over; here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, has gained a foothold; here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, has crossed over, gone beyond, the brahmin stands on dry ground.

And how, monks, is a person once submerged one who remains submerged? Here, monks, a certain person is endowed with exclusively dark unwholesome mental states. Thus, monks, a person once submerged remains submerged.

And how, monks, does a person having emerged sink down? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' That faith of his neither remains nor grows, it only diminishes; that shame of his, etc. that moral fear of his, that energy of his, that wisdom of his neither remains nor grows, it only diminishes. Thus, monks, a person having emerged sinks down.

And how, monks, does a person having emerged remain standing? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' That faith of his neither diminishes nor grows, it remains stable. That shame of his, etc. that moral fear of his, that energy of his, that wisdom of his neither diminishes nor grows, it remains stable. Thus, monks, a person having emerged remains standing.

And how, monks, does a person, having emerged, see with insight and survey? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' He, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters, becomes a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment. Thus, monks, a person, having emerged, sees with insight and surveys.

And how, monks, does a person, having emerged, swim across? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' He, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters and with the reduction of lust, hate, and delusion, becomes a once-returner, who, having come to this world only once more, makes an end of suffering. Thus, monks, a person, having emerged, swims across.

And how, monks, does a person, having emerged, gain a foothold? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' He, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes one of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world. Thus, monks, a person, having emerged, gains a foothold.

And how, monks, does a person, having emerged, become one who has crossed over, gone beyond, the brahmin stands on dry ground? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' He, through the elimination of the mental corruptions, realises for himself, with direct knowledge, in this very life, the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are free from mental corruptions, and, having entered upon them, he dwells in them. Thus, monks, a person, having emerged, becomes one who has crossed over, gone beyond, the brahmin stands on dry ground.

These, monks, are the seven persons like water existing and found in the world. The fifth.

6.

The Discourse on Observing Impermanence

16. "Monks, there are these seven persons worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Which seven? Here, monks, a certain person dwells observing impermanence in all activities, perceiving impermanence, experiencing impermanence, constantly, continuously, uninterruptedly, resolving with the mind, penetrating with wisdom. He, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, etc. having realised, having attained, dwells. This, monks, is the first person worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

"Furthermore, monks, here a certain person dwells observing impermanence in all activities, perceiving impermanence, experiencing impermanence, constantly, continuously, uninterruptedly, resolving with the mind, penetrating with wisdom. For him, simultaneously, there is both the exhaustion of the mental corruptions and the exhaustion of life. This, monks, is the second person worthy of offerings, etc. an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

"Furthermore, monks, here a certain person dwells observing impermanence in all activities, perceiving impermanence, experiencing impermanence, constantly, continuously, uninterruptedly, resolving with the mind, penetrating with wisdom. He, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes an attainer of final nibbāna in the interval, etc. becomes an attainer of final nibbāna after the interval, etc. becomes an attainer of final nibbāna without exertion, etc. becomes an attainer of final nibbāna through exertion, etc. becomes an upstream-goer heading toward the Akaniṭṭha realm. This, monks, is the seventh person worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. These, monks, are the seven persons worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world." The sixth.

7.

The Discourse on Observing Suffering

17. "Monks, there are these seven persons worthy of offerings, etc. an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Which seven? Here, monks, a certain person dwells observing suffering in all activities, etc. The seventh.

8.

The Discourse on Observing Non-self

18. He dwells observing non-self in all phenomena, etc. The eighth.

9.

The Discourse on Nibbāna

19. He dwells observing happiness in Nibbāna, perceiving happiness, experiencing happiness, constantly, continuously, uninterruptedly, resolving with the mind, penetrating with wisdom. He, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, etc. having realised, having attained, dwells. This, monks, is the first person worthy of offerings, etc. a field of merit for the world.

"Furthermore, monks, here a certain person dwells observing happiness in Nibbāna, perceiving happiness, experiencing happiness, constantly, continuously, uninterruptedly, resolving with the mind, penetrating with wisdom. For him, simultaneously, there is both the exhaustion of the mental corruptions and the exhaustion of life. This, monks, is the second person worthy of offerings, etc. an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

"Furthermore, monks, here a certain person dwells observing happiness in Nibbāna, perceiving happiness, experiencing happiness, constantly, continuously, uninterruptedly, resolving with the mind, penetrating with wisdom. He, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes an attainer of final nibbāna in the interval, etc. becomes an attainer of final nibbāna after the interval, etc. becomes an attainer of final nibbāna without exertion, etc. becomes an attainer of final nibbāna through exertion, etc. becomes an upstream-goer heading toward the Akaniṭṭha realm. This, monks, is the seventh person worthy of offerings, etc. an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. These, monks, are the seven persons worthy of offerings, etc. an unsurpassed field of merit for the world." The ninth.

10.

The Discourse on the Ways for Being ‘Beyond the Count of Decades’

20. "There are, monks, these seven ways for being ‘beyond the count of decades’ . What seven? Here, monks, a monk has a keen desire for undertaking the training and does not lose his fondness for undertaking the training in the future; he has a keen desire to attend to the Teaching and does not lose his fondness for attending to the Teaching in the future; he has a keen desire to remove vain wishes and does not lose his fondness for removing vain wishes in the future; he has a keen desire for seclusion and does not lose his fondness for seclusion in the future; he has a keen desire to arouse energy and does not lose his fondness for arousing energy in the future; he has a keen desire for mindfulness and prudence, and does not lose his fondness for mindfulness and prudence in the future; he has a keen desire to penetrate by view and does not lose his fondness for penetrating by view in the future. These, monks, are the seven ways for being ‘beyond the count of decades’." The tenth.

The Chapter on Underlying Tendencies is the second.

Its summary: