The Group of Ones
§1. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Abandon one quality, monks,
and I guarantee you non-return.
Which one quality?
Abandon greed as the one quality,
and I guarantee you non-return.”
This is the meaning of what the Blessed One said. So with regard to this it was said:
The greed with which beings go to a bad destination, coveting:
from rightly knowing that greed, those who see clearly let go.
Letting go, they never come to this world again.
This, too, was the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One, so I have heard.
§2. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Abandon one quality, monks,
and I guarantee you non-return.
Which one quality?
Abandon aversion as the one quality,
and I guarantee you non-return.”
The aversion with which beings go to a bad destination, upset:
from rightly knowing that aversion, those who see clearly let go.
Letting go, they never come to this world again.
§3. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Abandon one quality, monks,
and I guarantee you non-return.
Which one quality?
Abandon delusion as the one quality,
and I guarantee you non-return.”
The delusion with which beings go to a bad destination, confused:
from rightly knowing that delusion, those who see clearly let go.
Letting go, they never come to this world again.
§4. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Abandon one quality, monks,
and I guarantee you non-return.
Which one quality?
Abandon anger as the one quality,
and I guarantee you non-return.”
The anger with which beings go to a bad destination, enraged:
from rightly knowing that anger, those who see clearly let go.
Letting go, they never come to this world again.
§5. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Abandon one quality, monks,
and I guarantee you non-return.
Which one quality?
Abandon contempt as the one quality,
and I guarantee you non-return.”
The contempt with which beings go to a bad destination, disdainful:
from rightly knowing that contempt, those who see clearly let go.
Letting go, they never come to this world again.
§6. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Abandon one quality, monks,
and I guarantee you non-return.
Which one quality?
Abandon conceit as the one quality,
and I guarantee you non-return.”
The conceit with which beings go to a bad destination, proud:
from rightly knowing that conceit, those who see clearly let go.
Letting go, they never come to this world again.
§7. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, one who has not fully known & fully understood the All,
whose mind has not been cleansed of passion for it, has not abandoned it,
is incapable of putting an end to stress.
But one who has fully known & fully understood the All,
whose mind has been cleansed of passion for it, has abandoned it,
is capable of putting an end to stress.”
Knowing the All from all around, not stirred by passion in all places:
he, having comprehended the All, has gone beyond all stress.
§8. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, one who has not fully known & fully understood conceit,
whose mind has not been cleansed of it, has not abandoned it,
is incapable of putting an end to stress.
But one who has fully known & fully understood conceit,
whose mind has been cleansed of it, has abandoned it,
is capable of putting an end to stress.”
People are possessed by conceit,
bound with conceit delighted with becoming.
Not comprehending conceit, they come to further becoming.
But those who, letting go of conceit, are, in its destruction, released,
conquering the bond of conceit, go beyond all bonds.
§9. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, one who has not fully known & fully understood greed,
who has not detached his mind from it and let go of it,
is incapable of putting an end to stress.
But one who has fully known & fully understood greed,
who has detached his mind from it and let go of it,
is capable of putting an end to stress.”
The greed with which beings go to a bad destination, coveting:
from rightly knowing that greed, those who see clearly let go.
Letting go, they never come to this world again.
§§10—13. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, one who has not fully known & fully understood aversion
... delusion... anger... contempt,
who has not detached his mind from it and let go of it,
is incapable of putting an end to stress.
But one who has fully known & fully understood aversion.
delusion. anger. contempt,
who has detached his mind from it and let go of it,
is capable of putting an end to stress.”
[THE VERSES FOR THESE DISCOURSES ARE IDENTICAL WITH THOSE FOR §§2—5.]
§14. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, I don't envision even one other hindrance-
hindered by which
people go wandering & transmigrating on for a long, long time-
like the hindrance of ignorance.
Hindered by the hindrance of ignorance,
people go wandering & transmigrating on for a long, long time.”
No one other thing so hinders people that they wander on, day & night,
as when they're obstructed by delusion.
But those who, letting go of delusion,
shatter the mass of darkness, wander no further. Their cause isn't found.
§15. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, I don't envision even one other fetter-
fettered by which
beings conjoined go wandering & transmigrating on for a long, long time-
like the fetter of craving.
Fettered with the fetter of craving,
beings conjoined go wandering & transmigrating on for a long, long time.”
With craving his companion,
a man wanders on a long, long time.
Neither in this state here nor anywhere else
does he go beyond the wandering- on.
Knowing this drawback- that craving brings stress into play-
free from craving, devoid of clinging, mindful,
the monk lives the mendicant life.
§16. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, with regard to internal factors,
I don't envision any other single factor
like appropriate attention
as doing so much for a monk in training,
who has not attained the heart's goal
but remains intent on the unsurpassed safety from bondage.
A monk who attends appropriately
abandons what is unskilful and develops what is skilful.
Appropriate attention as a quality of a monk in training:
nothing else does so much for attaining the superlative goal.
A monk, striving appropriately, attains the ending of stress.
§17. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, with regard to external factors,
I don't envision any other single factor
like friendship with admirable people
as doing so much for a monk in training,
who has not attained the heart's goal
but remains intent on the unsurpassed safety from bondage.
A monk who is a friend with admirable people
abandons what is unskilful and develops what is skilful.”
A monk who's a friend to admirable people –
who's reverential, respectful, doing what his friends advise-
mindful, alert, attains step by step the ending of all fetters.
§18. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“One thing, monks, when arising in the world,
arises for the detriment of many, for the unhappiness of many,
for the detriment & unhappiness of many beings, both human & divine.
Which one thing?
Schism in the Sangha.
When the Sangha is split, there are arguments with one another,
there is abuse of one another, ganging up on one another,
abandoning of one another.
There those with little confidence [in the teaching] lose all confidence,
while some of those who are confident become otherwise.”
Doomed for an eon to deprivation, to hell: one who has split the Sangha.
Delighting in factions, unjudicious- he's barred from safety from bondage.
Having split a Sangha in concord, he cooks for an eon in hell.
§19. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“One thing, monks, when arising in the world,
arises for the welfare of many, for the happiness of many,
for the welfare & happiness of many beings, both human & divine.
Which one thing?
Concord in the Sangha.
When the Sangha is in concord, there are no arguments with one another,
no abuse of one another, no ganging up on one another,
no abandoning of one another.
There those with little confidence [in the teaching] become confident,
while those already confident become even more so.”
Blissful is concord in the Sangha. One who assists in concord-
delighting in concord, judicious- isn't barred from safety from bondage.
Having brought concord to the Sangha, he rejoices for an eon in heaven.
§20. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, there is the case where a certain person is corrupt-minded.
Having encompassed that mind with [my] awareness,
I discern, 'If this person were to die at this instant,
then as if he were to be carried off, he would thus be placed in hell.'
Why is that? Because his mind is corrupt.
It's because of corrupt-mindedness that there are cases
where beings-at the break-up of the body, after death-
reappear in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell.”
Knowing the case of a corrupt-minded person,
the One Awakened explained its meaning in the presence of the monks.
If that person were to die at this instant,
he'd reappear in hell because his mind is corrupt-
as if he were carried off and placed there.
It's because of corrupt-mindedness that beings go to a bad destination.
§21. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, there is the case where a certain person is clear-minded.
Having encompassed that mind with [my] awareness,
I discern, 'If this person were to die at this instant,
then as if he were to be carried off, he would thus be placed in heaven.'
Why is that? Because his mind is clear.
It's because of clear-mindedness that there are cases
where some beings-at the break-up of the body, after death-
reappear in a heavenly world.”
Knowing the case of a clear-minded person,
the One Awakened explained its meaning in the presence of the monks.
If that person were to die at this instant,
he'd reappear in heaven because his mind is clear-
as if he were carried off and placed there.
It's because of clear-mindedness that beings go to a good destination.
§22. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, don't be afraid of acts of merit.
This is a synonym for what is blissful, desirable, pleasing,
endearing, charming-i.e., acts of merit.
I directly know that, having long performed meritorious deeds,
I long experienced desirable, pleasing, endearing, charming results.
Having developed a mind of good will for seven years,
then for seven eons of contraction & expansion
I didn't return to this world.
Whenever the eon was contracting, I entered the [realm of] Radiance.
Whenever the eon was expanding, I reappeared in an empty Brahma-abode.
There I was Brahma, the Great Brahma,
the Unconquered Conqueror, Total Seer, Wielder of Power.
Then for thirty-six times I was Sakka, ruler of the gods.
For many hundreds of times I was a king,
a wheel-turning emperor, a righteous king of Dhamma,
conqueror of the four corners of the earth,
maintaining stable control over the countryside,
endowed with the seven treasures
-to say nothing of the times I was a local king.
The thought occurred to me,
'Of what action of mine is this the fruit, of what action the result,
that I now have such great power & might?'
Then the thought occurred to me,
'This is the fruit of my three [types of] action,
the result of three types of action,
that I now have such great power & might:
i.e., generosity, self-control, & restraint.'”
Train in acts of merit that yield the foremost profit of bliss-
develop generosity, a life in tune, a mind of good will.
Developing these three things that bring about bliss,
the wise reappear in a world of bliss unalloyed.
§23. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“This one quality, monks, when developed & pursued,
keeps both kinds of benefit secure:
benefit in this life & in lives to come.
Which one quality?
Heedfulness with regard to skilful qualities.
This is the one quality that, when developed & pursued,
keeps both kinds of benefit secure:
benefit in this life & in lives to come.”
They praise heedfulness, the wise, in doing acts of merit.
When heedful, wise, you achieve both kinds of benefit:
benefits in this life, & benefits in lives to come.
By breaking through to your benefit, you're called enlightened, wise.
§24. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, if a single person were to wander & transmigrate on for an eon,
he/she would leave behind a chain of bones, a pile of bones,
a heap of bones, as large as this Mount Vepulla,
if there were someone to collect them
and the collection were not destroyed.”
The accumulation of a single person's bones for an eon
would be a heap on a par with the mountain, so said the Great Seer.
(He declared this to be the great Mount Vepulla
to the north of Vulture Peak in the mountain-ring of the Magadhans.)
But when that person sees with right discernment the four Noble Truths-
stress, the cause of stress, the transcending of stress,
& the noble eightfold path, the way to the stilling of stress-
having wandered on seven times at most,
then, with the ending of all fetters, he makes an end of stress.
§25. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, for the person who transgresses in one thing,
I tell you, there is no evil deed that is not to be done.
Which one thing?
This: telling a deliberate lie.”
For the person who lies, who transgresses in this one thing,
transcending concern for the world beyond:
there's no evil not to be done.
§26. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, if beings knew, as I know, the results of giving & sharing,
they would not eat without having given,
nor would the stain of selfishness overcome their minds.
Even if it were their last bite, their last mouthful,
they would not eat without having shared,
if there were someone to receive their gift.
But because beings do not know, as I know,
the results of giving & sharing,
they eat without having given.
The stain of selfishness overcomes their minds.”
If beings knew what the Great Seer said,
how the result of sharing has such great fruit,
then, subduing the stain of selfishness with brightened awareness,
they'd give in season to the noble ones, where a gift bears great fruit.
Having given food as an offering to those worthy of offerings,
many donors, when they pass away from here, the human state, go to heaven.
They, having gone there to heaven, rejoice, enjoying sensual pleasures.
Unselfish, they partake of the result of sharing.
§27. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
“Monks, all the grounds for making merit
leading to spontaneously arising [in heaven]
do not equal one-sixteenth of the awareness-release through good will.
Good will - surpassing them-shines, blazes, & dazzles.
“Just as the radiance of all the stars
does not equal one-sixteenth of the radiance of the moon,
as the moon-surpassing them-shines, blazes, & dazzles,
even so, all the grounds for making merit
leading to spontaneously arising [in heaven]
do not equal one-sixteenth of the awareness-release through good will.
Good will-surpassing them-shines, blazes, & dazzles.
“Just as in the last month of the rains, in autumn,
when the sky is clear & cloudless,
the sun, on ascending the sky,
overpowers the space immersed in darkness, shines, blazes, & dazzles,
even so, all the grounds for making merit
leading to spontaneously arising [in heaven]
do not equal one-sixteenth of the awareness-release through good will.
Good will-surpassing them-shines, blazes, & dazzles.
“Just as in the last stage of the night
the morning star shines, blazes, & dazzles,
even so, all the grounds for making merit
leading to spontaneously arising [in heaven]
do not equal one-sixteenth of the awareness-release through good will.
Good will-surpassing them-shines, blazes, & dazzles.”
When one develops-mindful- good will without limit,
fetters are worn through, on seeing the ending of acquisitions.
If with uncorrupted mind you feel good will for even one being,
you become skilled from that.
But a noble one produces a mind of sympathy for all beings, an abundance of merit.
Kingly seers, who conquered the earth swarming with beings,
went about making sacrifices:
the horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,
water rites, soma rites, & the “Unobstructed,”
but these don't equal one sixteenth of a well-developed mind of good will-
as all the constellations don't,
one sixteenth of the radiance of the moon.
One who neither kills nor gets others to kill,
neither conquers, nor gets others to conquer,
with good will for all beings, has no hostility with anyone at all.