5: The Book of the Fives
XI. Living Comfortably — AN 5.109: All Four Directions
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1“Mendicants, a mendicant with five qualities has all four directions covered. What five?
It’s when mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.
They’re very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reinforcing them by recitation, mentally scrutinizing them, and comprehending them theoretically.
They’re content with any kind of robes, alms-food, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.
They get the four absorptions — blissful meditations in the present life that belong to the higher mind — when they want, without trouble or difficulty.
They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.
A mendicant with these five qualities has all four directions covered.”
1"Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu cātuddiso hoti. Katamehi pañcahi?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu;
bahussuto hoti sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpāssa dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā;
santuṭṭho hoti itarītaracīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārena;
catunnaṁ jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī;
āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.
Imehi, kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu cātuddiso hotī"ti.
Navamaṁ.