7.
The Great Discourse on the Forty
136. 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 - "I will teach you, monks, noble right concentration with its proximate cause and with its accessories. Listen to that, pay close attention; I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this -
"And what, monks, is noble right concentration with its proximate cause and with its accessories? That is: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness; that, monks, unified focus of mind which is equipped with these seven factors - this is called, monks, noble right concentration with its proximate cause and also with its accessories. Therein, monks, right view is the forerunner. And how, monks, is right view the forerunner? One understands wrong view as 'wrong view', one understands right view as 'right view' - that is his right view.
"And what, monks, is wrong view? 'There is not what is given, there is not what is sacrificed, there is not what is offered, there is no result and consequence of good and bad actions, there is not this world, there is not the other world, there is not mother, there is not father, there are no spontaneously reborn beings, there are not in the world ascetics and brahmins who have gone the right way, who have rightly practised, who proclaim this world and the other world, having realised them by direct knowledge themselves' - this, monks, is wrong view.
"And what, monks, is right view? I speak of right view, monks, as twofold - there is, monks, right view with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging; there is, monks, right view that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor. And what, monks, is right view with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging? 'There is what is given, there is what is sacrificed, there is what is offered, there is result and consequence of good and bad actions, there is this world, there is the other world, there is mother, there is father, there are spontaneously reborn beings, there are in the world ascetics and brahmins who have gone the right way, who have rightly practised, who proclaim this world and the other world, having realised them by direct knowledge themselves' - this, monks, is right view with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging.
"And what, monks, is right view that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor? Whatever wisdom, wisdom faculty, power of wisdom, enlightenment factor of investigation of phenomena, right view as a path factor, of one with a noble mind, with a mind without mental corruptions, of one possessing the noble path, developing the noble path - this is called, monks, right view that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor. He strives for the abandoning of wrong view, for the acquisition of right view; that is his right effort. Mindful, he abandons wrong view; mindful, having attained right view, he dwells; that is his right mindfulness. Thus these three mental states run around and revolve around right view, as follows - right view, right effort, right mindfulness.
137. "Therein, monks, right view is the forerunner. And how, monks, is right view the forerunner? He understands wrong thought as 'wrong thought', he understands right thought as 'right thought'; that is his right view.
"And what, monks, is wrong thought? Thought of sensuality, thought of anger, thought of violence - this, monks, is wrong thought.
"And what, monks, is right thought? I speak of right thought, monks, as twofold - there is, monks, right thought with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging; there is, monks, right thought that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor. And what, monks, is right thought with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging? Thought of renunciation, thought of non-anger, thought of non-violence - this, monks, is right thought with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging.
"And what, monks, is right thought that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor? Whatever reasoning, applied thought, thought, absorption, full absorption, directing of mind, verbal activity, of one with a noble mind, with a mind without mental corruptions, of one possessing the noble path, developing the noble path - this, monks, is right thought that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor. He strives for the abandoning of wrong thought, for the acquisition of right thought; that is his right effort. Mindful, he abandons wrong thought; mindful, having attained right thought, he dwells; that is his right mindfulness. Thus these three mental states run around and revolve around right thought, as follows - right view, right effort, right mindfulness.
138. "Therein, monks, right view is the forerunner. And how, monks, is right view the forerunner? One understands wrong speech as 'wrong speech', one understands right speech as 'right speech'; that is his right view. And what, monks, is wrong speech? Lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, idle chatter - this, monks, is wrong speech. And what, monks, is right speech? I speak of right speech, monks, as twofold - there is, monks, right speech with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging; there is, monks, right speech that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor. And what, monks, is right speech with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging? Abstention from lying, abstention from divisive speech, abstention from harsh speech, abstention from idle chatter - this, monks, is right speech with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging. And what, monks, is right speech that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor? Whatever abstinence, avoidance, complete abstinence, abstention from the four kinds of verbal misconduct of one with a noble mind, with a mind without mental corruptions, of one possessing the noble path, developing the noble path - this, monks, is right speech that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor. He strives for the abandoning of wrong speech, for the acquisition of right speech; that is his right effort. Mindful, he abandons wrong speech; mindful, having attained right speech, he dwells; that is his right mindfulness. Thus these three mental states run around and revolve around right speech, as follows - right view, right effort, right mindfulness.
139. "Therein, monks, right view is the forerunner. And how, monks, is right view the forerunner? One understands wrong action as 'wrong action', one understands right action as 'right action'; that is his right view. And what, monks, is wrong action? Killing living beings, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct - this, monks, is wrong action. And what, monks, is right action? I speak of right action, monks, as twofold - there is, monks, right action with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging; there is, monks, right action that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor. And what, monks, is right action with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging? Abstention from killing living beings, abstention from taking what is not given, abstention from sexual misconduct - this, monks, is right action with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging. And what, monks, is right action that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor? Whatever abstinence, avoidance, complete abstinence, abstention from the three kinds of bodily misconduct of one with a noble mind, with a mind without mental corruptions, of one possessing the noble path, developing the noble path - this, monks, is right action that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor. He strives for the abandoning of wrong action, for the acquisition of right action; that is his right effort. Mindful, he abandons wrong action; mindful, having attained right action, he dwells; that is his right mindfulness. Thus these three mental states run around and revolve around right action, as follows - right view, right effort, right mindfulness.
140. "Therein, monks, right view is the forerunner. And how, monks, is right view the forerunner? One understands wrong livelihood as 'wrong livelihood', one understands right livelihood as 'right livelihood'; that is his right view. And what, monks, is wrong livelihood? Scheming, talking, hinting, belittling, seeking gain with gain - this, monks, is wrong livelihood. And what, monks, is right livelihood? I speak of right livelihood, monks, as twofold - there is, monks, right livelihood with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging; there is, monks, right livelihood that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor. And what, monks, is right livelihood with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging? Here, monks, a noble disciple, having abandoned wrong livelihood, earns his living by right livelihood - this, monks, is right livelihood with mental corruptions, conducive to merit, resulting in clinging. And what, monks, is right livelihood that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor? Whatever abstinence, avoidance, complete abstinence, abstention from wrong livelihood of one with a noble mind, with a mind without mental corruptions, of one possessing the noble path, developing the noble path - this, monks, is right livelihood that is noble, without mental corruptions, supramundane, a path factor. He strives for the abandoning of wrong livelihood, for the acquisition of right livelihood; that is his right effort. Mindful, he abandons wrong livelihood; mindful, having attained right livelihood, he dwells; that is his right mindfulness. Thus these three mental states run around and revolve around right livelihood, as follows - right view, right effort, right mindfulness.
141. "Therein, monks, right view is the forerunner. And how, monks, is right view the forerunner? For one with right view, monks, right thought is able to arise; for one with right thought, right speech is able to arise; for one with right speech, right action is able to arise; for one with right action, right livelihood is able to arise; for one with right livelihood, right effort is able to arise; for one with right effort, right mindfulness is able to arise; for one with right mindfulness, right concentration is able to arise; for one with right concentration, right knowledge is able to arise; for one with right knowledge, right liberation is able to arise. Thus indeed, monks, the trainee is one possessed of eight factors, the Worthy One is one possessed of ten factors.
142. "Therein, monks, right view is the forerunner. And how, monks, is right view the forerunner? For one with right view, monks, wrong view has been worn away. And whatever many evil unwholesome mental states come to be with wrong view as condition, those too have been worn away for him. With right view as condition, many wholesome mental states go to fulfilment through development. For one with right thought, monks, wrong thought has been worn away. Etc. For one with right speech, monks, wrong speech has been worn away. For one with right action, monks, wrong action has been worn away. For one with right livelihood, monks, wrong livelihood has been worn away. For one with right effort, monks, wrong effort has been worn away. For one with right mindfulness, monks, wrong mindfulness has been worn away. For one with right concentration, monks, wrong concentration has been worn away. For one with right knowledge, monks, wrong knowledge has been worn away. For one with right liberation, monks, wrong liberation has been worn away. And whatever many evil unwholesome mental states come to be with wrong liberation as condition, those too have been worn away for him. And with right liberation as condition, many wholesome mental states go to fulfilment through development.
"Thus indeed, monks, twenty are on the wholesome side, twenty are on the unwholesome side - the Great Forty exposition of the Teaching has been set rolling, not to be rolled back by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or Brahmā or anyone in the world.
143. "Whoever indeed, monks, whether ascetic or brahmin, should think this Great Forty exposition of the Teaching should be censured and protested against, for him in this very life ten reasonable counter-arguments come to a blameworthy position - if the venerable one censures right view, then those ascetics and brahmins having wrong views are honourable to him, they are praiseworthy to him; if the venerable one censures right thought, then those ascetics and brahmins having wrong thought are honourable to him, they are praiseworthy to him; if the venerable one censures right speech... etc... if the venerable one censures right action... if the venerable one censures right livelihood... if the venerable one censures right effort... if the venerable one censures right mindfulness... if the venerable one censures right concentration... if the venerable one censures right knowledge... if the venerable one censures right liberation, then those ascetics and brahmins having wrong liberation are honourable to him, they are praiseworthy to him. Whoever, monks, whether ascetic or brahmin, should think this Great Forty exposition of the Teaching should be censured and protested against, for him in this very life these ten reasonable counter-arguments come to a blameworthy position. Even those, monks, who were the Okkalā and Vassabhaññā, proponents of non-causality, proponents of the inefficacy of action, proponents of nihilism, even they did not think the Great Forty exposition of the Teaching should be censured and protested against. What is the reason for this? Because of fear of blame, anger, and reproof."
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Great Discourse on the Forty is concluded as seventh.