Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
9. Thera Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
IX. The Elder
Sutta 87
Sīla Suttaṃ
Virtue
Translated by E. M. Hare
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī
and there he addressed the monks,
saying:
"Monks."
'Yes, lord,' they replied;
and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, if an elder monk be possessed of five[1] qualities,
among his fellows in the godly life
he becomes dear
pleasant
respected
and what he ought to become.
What five?
He is virtuous,
abides restrained by the restraint of the Obligations,
is perfect in conduct and habit,
sees peril in the smallest fault,
accepts the training
and trains himself accordantly.[2]
■
He is learned,
with mind retentive and well stored;
those things lovely in the beginning,
lovely in the middle,
lovely in the end,[3]
which set forth in spirit and in letter
the godly life of purity,
perfect in its entirety —
those are fully learnt by him,
resolved upon,
made familiar by speech,
pondered over in the mind,
fully understood in theory.[4]
■
He has a pleasant voice,
a good enunciation,
is urbane in speech,
distinct,
free from hoarseness
and informative.[5]
■
'transcending thought' = Abhicetasika. PED: [abhi + ceto + ika] dependent on the clearest consciousness. I would prefer 'dependent on the clearest heart or mind.
— p.p.
At will,
easily and without trouble,
he attains to the four states of musing,
which bring comfort
both here and now,
transcending thought.
■
By destroying the cankcrs
he enters and abides in the emancipation of the heart
and of insight,
which is free [90] of the cankers,
and this state he knows and realizes for himself,
even in this life.[6]
Monks, if he be possessed of these five qualities,
among his fellows in the godly life
he becomesdear
pleasant
respected
and what he ought to become.
[2] A. iv, 140; D. iii, 78; It. 96 and passim.
[3] Cf. Mrs. Rhys Davids' Sakya, p. 73; Manual, p. 161.
[4] A. iv, 6; D. iii, 267, etc.
[5] A. iv, 279; M. ii, 166; D. iii, 115.
[6] A, iv, 140 for both clauses.
