[A certain monk said to the Buddha:] "It would be well for me, Lord, if the Blessed One would teach me briefly a doctrine so that having heard it I might dwell alone, in seclusion, unwearied, ardent and resolute."

"Well then, monk, you should purify the rudiments of skill. And what are the rudiments of skill?

"In this, monk, you must dwell restrained according to the restraint of the Obligations,[1] having perfected the scope of your practice,[2] aware of danger in the slightest faults, undertaking the precepts and training yourself in them.[3]

"Having done this, then, monk, with morality[4] as your support, established in morality, you must practice the four foundations of mindfulness. Which four?

"In this, monk, you must dwell in contemplation of body... feelings... mind... mind-objects, ardent, clearly aware, mindful, having got rid of worldly longing and depression.

"Then, monk, when, with morality as your support, established in morality, you have cultivated the four foundations of mindfulness, then you will obtain by night and by day that hoped-for increase in skilled states, which will not decline."

[Delighted, the monk practiced as instructed and, in due course, became an Arahant.]

Notes

1.: Paa.timokkha, the monastic code of conduct, now enshrined in the 227 rules which are recited fortnightly.
2.: Acaara-gocara-sampanno, i.e., "having perfected the training up to the stage you have reached."
3.: Reading with Woodward sikkhaahi "train yourself" (imperative) instead of Feer's sikkhasi.
4.: Siila: "disciplined behavior."

Copyright © 1985 Buddhist Publication Society. The text of this page (“Paa.timokkha Sutta: Obligation”, by Maurice O'Connell Walshe) is licensed under a Buddhist Publication Society free-distribution licence. From Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013. You may copy, reformat, reprint, republish, and redistribute this work in any medium whatsoever, provided that: (1) you only make such copies, etc. available free of charge and, in the case of reprinting, only in quantities of no more than 50 copies; (2) you clearly indicate that any derivatives of this work (including translations) are derived from this source document; and (3) you include the full text of this license in any copies or derivatives of this work. Otherwise, all rights reserved. This presentation is a derivative of that source document: it has been restyled and its links rewritten. The translation itself is unaltered.