1.
The Chapter on the Trainee’s Powers
1.
The Discourse in Brief
1. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. There the Blessed One addressed the monks - "Monks." "Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this -
"There are, monks, these five powers of a trainee. Which five? The power of faith, the power of shame, the power of moral fear, the power of energy, the power of wisdom - these, monks, are the five powers of a trainee.
"Therefore, monks, you should train thus - 'We will be endowed with the power of faith, a power of a trainee; we will be endowed with the power of shame, a power of a trainee; we will be endowed with the power of moral fear, a power of a trainee; we will be endowed with the power of energy, a power of a trainee; we will be endowed with the power of wisdom, a power of a trainee.' Thus indeed, monks, should you train." This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said. The first.
2.
The Discourse in Detail
2. "There are, monks, these five powers of a trainee. Which five? The power of faith, the power of shame, the power of moral fear, the power of energy, the power of wisdom. And what, monks, is the power of faith? Here, monks, a noble disciple has faith, he believes in the enlightenment of the Truth-finder - 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One: the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, the Fortunate One, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' This is called, monks, the power of faith.
"And what, monks, is the power of shame? Here, monks, a noble disciple has shame, he is ashamed of bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct, he is ashamed of the attainment of evil unwholesome mental states. This is called, monks, the power of shame.
"And what, monks, is the power of moral fear? Here, monks, a noble disciple has moral fear, he fears bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct, he fears the attainment of evil unwholesome mental states. This is called, monks, the power of moral fear.
"And what, monks, is the power of energy? Here, monks, a noble disciple dwells putting forth strenuous energy for the abandoning of unwholesome mental states and for the acquisition of wholesome mental states, steadfast, of firm effort, not shirking the responsibility regarding wholesome mental states. This is called, monks, the power of energy.
"And what, monks, is the power of wisdom? Here, monks, a noble disciple is wise, endowed with wisdom that discerns rise and fall, noble, penetrative, leading rightly to the complete destruction of suffering. This is called, monks, the power of wisdom. These, monks, are the five powers of a trainee.
"Therefore, monks, you should train thus - 'We will be endowed with the power of faith, a power of a trainee; with the power of shame, etc. with the power of moral fear, etc. with the power of energy, etc. we will be endowed with the power of wisdom, a power of a trainee.' Thus indeed, monks, should you train." The second.
3.
The Discourse on Suffering
3. "Monks, a monk possessed of five qualities dwells in suffering in this very life, with vexation, with anguish, with fever, and upon the body's collapse at death, an unfortunate realm is to be expected. Which five? Here, monks, a monk is faithless, is shameless, has no moral fear, is lazy, is unwise. Monks, a monk possessed of these five qualities dwells in suffering in this very life, with vexation, with anguish, with fever, and upon the body's collapse at death, an unfortunate realm is to be expected.
"Monks, a monk possessed of five qualities dwells happily in this very life, without vexation, without anguish, without fever, and upon the body's collapse at death, a fortunate realm is to be expected. Which five? Here, monks, a monk has faith, has shame, has moral fear, is putting forth strenuous energy, is wise. Monks, a monk possessed of these five qualities dwells happily in this very life, without vexation, without anguish, without fever, and upon the body's collapse at death, a fortunate realm is to be expected." The third.
4.
The Discourse on As It Was Carried
4. "Monks, a monk possessed of five qualities is deposited in hell as if carried there. Which five? Here, monks, a monk is faithless, is shameless, has no moral fear, is lazy, is unwise. Monks, a monk possessed of these five qualities is deposited in hell as if carried there.
"Monks, a monk possessed of five qualities is deposited in heaven as if carried there. Which five? Here, monks, a monk has faith, has shame, has moral fear, is putting forth strenuous energy, is wise. Monks, a monk possessed of these five qualities is deposited in heaven as if carried there." The fourth.
5.
The Discourse on Training
5. "Whoever indeed, monks, whether monk or nun, having rejected the training, returns to the lower life, for that one in this very life five reasonable counter-arguments come to blameworthy positions. Which five? 'You had no faith in wholesome mental states, you had no shame in wholesome mental states, you had no moral fear in wholesome mental states, you had no energy in wholesome mental states, you had no wisdom in wholesome mental states.' Whoever indeed, monks, whether monk or nun, having rejected the training, returns to the lower life, for that one in this very life these five reasonable counter-arguments come to blameworthy positions.
"Whoever indeed, monks, whether monk or nun, together with suffering, together with displeasure, with tearful face, weeping, lives the holy life that is complete and pure, for that one in this very life five reasonable grounds for praise come. Which five? 'You had faith in wholesome mental states, you had shame in wholesome mental states, you had moral fear in wholesome mental states, you had energy in wholesome mental states, you had wisdom in wholesome mental states.' Whoever indeed, monks, whether monk or nun, together with suffering, together with displeasure, with tearful face, weeping, lives the holy life that is complete and pure, for that one in this very life these five reasonable grounds for praise come." The fifth.
6.
The Discourse on Attainment
6. "Monks, there is no attainment of the unwholesome so long as faith is present in wholesome mental states. But when, monks, faith has disappeared, and faithlessness pervades and remains; then there is attainment of the unwholesome.
"Monks, there is no attainment of the unwholesome so long as shame is present in wholesome mental states. But when, monks, shame has disappeared, and shamelessness pervades and remains; then there is attainment of the unwholesome.
"Monks, there is no attainment of the unwholesome so long as moral fear is present in wholesome mental states. But when, monks, moral fear has disappeared, and moral fearlessness pervades and remains; then there is attainment of the unwholesome.
"Monks, there is no attainment of the unwholesome so long as energy is present in wholesome mental states. But when, monks, energy has disappeared, and idleness pervades and remains; then there is attainment of the unwholesome.
"Monks, there is no attainment of the unwholesome so long as wisdom is present in wholesome mental states. But when, monks, wisdom has disappeared, and lack of wisdom pervades and remains; then there is attainment of the unwholesome." The sixth.
7.
The Discourse on Sensual Pleasure
7. "Mostly, monks, beings are delighted in sensual pleasures. When a son of good family, monks, having left behind sickle and carrying-pole, has gone forth from home into homelessness, it is fitting to say 'a son of good family gone forth through faith'. What is the reason for this? Sensual pleasures, monks, are obtainable through youth, and those of whatever kind or such kind. And whatever, monks, are inferior sensual pleasures, whatever are middling sensual pleasures, whatever are superior sensual pleasures, all sensual pleasures go by the term 'sensual pleasures'. Just as, monks, a young boy, dull, an infant lying on his back, through the nurse's negligence, might put a stick or a potsherd in his mouth. The nurse should very quickly attend to him; having very quickly attended, she should very quickly remove it. If she could not very quickly remove it, having grasped his head with her left hand, having made a crooked finger with her right hand, she should remove it even with blood. What is the reason for this? 'There is this harming of the boy, monks; I do not say it does not exist.' And this is to be done, monks, by the nurse who desires his welfare, who seeks his benefit, who is compassionate, out of compassion. But when, monks, that boy has grown up and is mature in wisdom, the nurse is now without concern for that boy, monks - 'The boy is now self-guarded, not fit for negligence.'
"Just so, monks, as long as for a monk what is to be done by faith in wholesome mental states has not been done, what is to be done by shame in wholesome mental states has not been done, what is to be done by moral fear in wholesome mental states has not been done, what is to be done by energy in wholesome mental states has not been done, what is to be done by wisdom in wholesome mental states has not been done, that monk, monks, is to be protected by me for that long. But when, monks, for a monk what is to be done by faith in wholesome mental states has been done, what is to be done by shame in wholesome mental states has been done, what is to be done by moral fear in wholesome mental states has been done, what is to be done by energy in wholesome mental states has been done, what is to be done by wisdom in wholesome mental states has been done, I am now without concern for that monk, monks - 'The monk is now self-guarded, not fit for negligence.'" The seventh.
8.
The Discourse on Passing Away
8. "Monks, a monk possessed of five qualities passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. Which five? A faithless monk, monks, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. A shameless monk, monks, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. A monk without moral fear, monks, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. A lazy monk, monks, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. An unwise monk, monks, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. Monks, a monk possessed of these five qualities passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching.
"Monks, a monk possessed of five qualities does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. Which five? A faithful monk, monks, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. A monk with shame, monks, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. A monk with moral fear, monks, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. A monk putting forth strenuous energy, monks, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. A wise monk, monks, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. Monks, a monk possessed of these five qualities does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching." The eighth.
9.
The First Discourse on Disrespect
9. "Monks, a monk possessed of five qualities, disrespectful, not deferential, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. Which five? A faithless monk, monks, disrespectful, not deferential, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. A shameless monk, monks, disrespectful, not deferential, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. A monk without moral fear, monks, disrespectful, not deferential, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. A lazy monk, monks, disrespectful, not deferential, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. An unwise monk, monks, disrespectful, not deferential, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching. Monks, a monk possessed of these five qualities, disrespectful, not deferential, passes away, he is not established in the Good Teaching.
"Monks, a monk possessed of five qualities, respectful, deferential, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. Which five? A faithful monk, monks, respectful, deferential, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. A monk with shame, monks, respectful, deferential, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. A monk with moral fear, monks, respectful, deferential, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. A monk putting forth strenuous energy, monks, respectful, deferential, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. A wise monk, monks, respectful, deferential, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching. Monks, a monk possessed of these five qualities, respectful, deferential, does not pass away, he is established in the Good Teaching." The ninth.
10.
The Second Discourse on Disrespect
10. "Monks, a monk possessed of five qualities, disrespectful, not deferential, is incapable of attaining growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline. Which five? A faithless monk, monks, disrespectful, not deferential, is incapable of attaining growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline. A shameless monk, monks, disrespectful, not deferential, is incapable of attaining growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline. A monk without moral fear, monks, disrespectful, not deferential, is incapable of attaining growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline. A lazy monk, monks, disrespectful, not deferential, is incapable of attaining growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline. An unwise monk, monks, disrespectful, not deferential, is incapable of attaining growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline. Monks, a monk possessed of these five qualities, disrespectful, not deferential, is incapable of attaining growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline.
"Monks, a monk possessed of five qualities, respectful, deferential, is capable of attaining growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline. Which five? A faithful monk, monks, respectful, deferential, is capable of attaining growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline. A monk with shame, monks, etc. a monk with moral fear, monks, etc. a monk putting forth strenuous energy, monks, etc. A wise monk, monks, respectful, deferential, is capable of attaining growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline. Monks, a monk possessed of these five qualities, respectful, deferential, is capable of attaining growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline." The tenth.
The Chapter on the Learner's Powers is first.
Its summary:
Attainment and in sensual pleasures, passing away, two on disrespect.