Those days, the Buddha was living in the city of Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Park, at Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time a certain monk who had completed the rainy season retreat in Sāvatthī arrived at Kapilavatthu on some business. The Sakyans of Kapilavatthu heard about the monk’s arrival.

They went to that monk, bowed respectfully, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Bhante, we hope that the Blessed One is healthy and well.”

“Dear Sakyans, yes, the Blessed One is healthy and well.”

“And we hope that Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Moggallāna are healthy and well.”

“They are.”

“And we hope that all the monks are healthy and well.”

“They are.”

“Bhante, during this rainy season retreat did you hear and learn anything from the Buddha?”

“Dear Sakyans, I heard and learned this from the Buddha, ‘There are fewer monks who realize the undefiled liberation of the mind and liberation by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements 1. There are more monks who, having abandoned the five lower fetters, will be reborn spontaneously in the Suddhāvasa Brahma world, and will attain final Nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world 2.’

“In addition, I heard and learned this from the Buddha, ‘There are fewer monks who, having abandoned the five lower fetters, will be reborn spontaneously in the Suddhāvasa Brahma world, and will attain final Nibbāna there, not liable to return from that world. There are more monks who, with the abandoning of the three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, are once-returners, who will come back to this sensory world only once, then make an end of suffering.’

“In addition, I heard and learned this from the Buddha, ‘There are fewer monks who, with the abandoning of the three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, are once-returners, who will come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering. There are more monks who, with the abandoning of the three fetters are stream-enterers, not liable to be reborn in the lower worlds and is headed towards Nibbāna.’”

One day, the Buddha was living in the kingdom of the Sakyans, at the city of Kapilavatthu, in the Nigrodha Monastery. On a full-moon day, several Sakyan lay followers went to the Buddha, bowed respectfully, and sat down to one side. The Buddha asked them:

“Sakyans, do you observe eight precepts?”

“Bhante, sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t.”

“Sakyans, you have this life which is subject to fear, sorrow and death. However, you are negligent in finding the way out. Sometimes you keep the eight precepts, and sometimes you don’t. That’s a great loss for you, it’s your misfortune.

“What do you think, Sakyans? Take a person who earns one hundred dollars per day by doing a certain job. Is this enough to call him a talented and energetic person?”

“Yes, Bhante.”

“What do you think, Sakyans? Take a person who earns two hundred dollars per day by doing a certain job. Is this enough to call him a talented and energetic person?”

“Yes, Bhante.”

“What do you think, Sakyans? Take a person who earns three hundred dollars… four hundred dollars… five hundred dollars… six hundred dollars… seven hundred dollars… eight hundred dollars… nine hundred dollars… one thousand dollars… ten thousand dollars… twenty thousand dollars… thirty thousand dollars… forty thousand dollars… fifty thousand dollars… a hundred thousand dollars. Is this enough to call him a talented and energetic person?”

“Yes, Bhante.”

“What do you think, Sakyans? Suppose that person earned a thousand or a hundred thousand dollars every day and saved it all up. If he lived for a hundred years, would he not accumulate a large mass of wealth?”

“Yes, Bhante.”

“What do you think, Sakyans? Would that person, using that wealth, experience perfect happiness for a single day, or even half a day?”

“No, Bhante.”

“Why is that?”

“Bhante, because worldly pleasures are impermanent, subject to change, and they give temporary happiness. Worldly pleasures deceive people in the guise of great happiness.”

“Sakyans, take one of my followers who lives diligent, keen, and energetic for ten years, practicing in line with my instructions. As a result, he can experience perfect happiness for a hundred years, ten thousand years, or a hundred thousand years. Also, he could become a non-returner, a once-returner, or at the very least, a stream-enterer.

“Let alone ten years, take one of my followers who lives diligent, keen, and energetic for nine years… eight years… seven years… six years… five years… four years… three years… two years… one year… ten months… nine months… eight months… seven months… six months… five months… four months… three months… two months… one month… two weeks… ten days… nine days… eight days… seven days… six days… five days… four days… three days… two days…

“Let alone two days, take one of my followers who lives diligent, keen, and energetic for just one day, practicing in line with my instructions. As a result, he can experience perfect happiness for a hundred years, ten thousand years, or a hundred thousand years. Also, he could become a non-returner, a once-returner, or at the very least, a stream-enterer.

“Sakyans, you have this life which is subject to fear, sorrow and death. However, you are negligent in finding the way out. Sometimes you keep the eight precepts, and sometimes you don’t. That’s a great loss for you, it’s your misfortune.”

“Bhante, from this day onwards, we will observe the eight precepts.”

This discourse was taught by the Blessed One, taught by the Arahant, the fully enlightened Supreme Buddha. This is as I heard:

“Abandon one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-returning. What is that one quality? Greed is that one quality, monks. Abandon that, and I guarantee you non-returning.”

This is the meaning of what the Blessed One said. So, with regard to this, it was said:

Beings obsessed by greed will be reborn in the plane of misery. But having understood greed with developed wisdom, those with insight abandon it. By abandoning it, they never return to this world.

This, too, is the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One. This is exactly as I heard.

This discourse was taught by the Blessed One, taught by the Arahant, the fully enlightened Supreme Buddha. This is as I heard:

“Abandon one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-returning. What is that one quality? Hatred is that one quality, monks. Abandon that, and I guarantee you non-returning.”

This is the meaning of what the Blessed One said. So, with regard to this, it was said:

Beings burning with hatred will be reborn in the plane of misery. But having understood hatred with developed wisdom, those with insight abandon it. By abandoning it, they never return to this world.

This, too, is the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One. This is exactly as I heard.

This discourse was taught by the Blessed One, taught by the Arahant, the fully enlightened Supreme Buddha. This is as I heard:

“Abandon one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-returning. What is that one quality? Delusion is that one quality, monks. Abandon that, and I guarantee you non-returning.”

This is the meaning of what the Blessed One said. So, with regard to this, it was said:

Beings whose minds are clouded by delusion will be reborn in the plane of misery. But having understood delusion with developed wisdom, those with insight abandon it. By abandoning it, they never return to this world.

This, too, is the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One. This is exactly as I heard.

This discourse was taught by the Blessed One, taught by the Arahant, the fully enlightened Supreme Buddha. This is as I heard:

“Abandon one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-returning. What is that one quality? Anger is that one quality, monks. Abandon that, and I guarantee you non-returning.”

This is the meaning of what the Blessed One said. So, with regard to this, it was said:

Beings enraged with anger will be reborn in the plane of misery. But having understood anger with developed wisdom, those with insight abandon it. By abandoning it, they never return to this world.

This, too, is the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One. This is exactly as I heard.

This discourse was taught by the Blessed One, taught by the Arahant, the fully enlightened Supreme Buddha. This is as I heard:

“Abandon one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-returning. What is that one quality? Contempt is that one quality, monks. Abandon that, and I guarantee you non-returning.”

This is the meaning of what the Blessed One said. So, with regard to this, it was said:

Beings with contempt who destroy the good qualities of others will be reborn in the plane of misery. But having understood contempt with developed wisdom, those with insight abandon it. By abandoning it, they never return to this world.

This, too, is the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One. This is exactly as I heard.

This discourse was taught by the Blessed One, taught by the Arahant, the fully enlightened Supreme Buddha. This is as I heard:

“Abandon one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-returning. What is that one quality? Conceit is that one quality, monks. Abandon that, and I guarantee you non-returning.”

This is the meaning of what the Blessed One said. So, with regard to this, it was said:

Beings puffed up with conceit will be reborn in the planes of misery. But having understood conceit with developed wisdom, those with insight abandon it. By abandoning it, they never return to this world.

This, too, is the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One. This is exactly as I heard.

This discourse was taught by the Blessed One, taught by the Arahant, the fully enlightened Supreme Buddha. This is as I heard:

“Monks, there are three faculties. What three?

The faculty of assurance: I will realize the Four Noble Truths that have not yet been fully realized (in terms of the knowledge of the task to be completed and the knowledge that the task has been accomplished).

The faculty of reaching final knowledge: I have realized the Four Noble Truths (in terms of the knowledge of tasks to be accomplished from the fruit of once returning to the path of Arahantship).

The faculty of final knowledge: I have realized the Four Noble Truths (in terms of the knowledge of truths at the fruit of stream entry, in terms of the knowledge that the task to be completed from the fruit of stream entry to the path of Arahantship, and in terms of the knowledge that the task has been accomplished at the fruit of Arahantship).

Monks, these are the three faculties.”

This is the meaning of what the Blessed One said. So, with regard to this, it was said:

For a trainee who trains along the straight Noble Eightfold Path, the knowledge of destruction of defilements arises first, and the fruit of liberation immediately follows.

He is freed from defilements by the final knowledge and has destroyed the fetters of existence. The liberated one has the knowledge “Unshakable is my liberation.”

Endowed with these three faculties, the peaceful one delights in the peaceful state, Nibbāna. Having conquered Māra and his army, he bears his final body.

This, too, is the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One. This is exactly as I heard.