iti.104 Itivuttaka

Accomplished in Ethics

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
“Mendicants, take a mendicant who is accomplished in ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and the knowledge and vision of freedom. They advise and instruct. They educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire, and can rightly explain the true teaching. Even the sight of those mendicants is very helpful, I say.
Even to hear them,
approach them,
pay homage to them,
recollect them,
or go forth after them is very helpful, I say.
For one who frequents and associates with such mendicants, their incomplete spectrum of ethics is completed. Their incomplete spectrum of immersion … wisdom … freedom … knowledge and vision of freedom is completed.
Such mendicants are called ‘teachers’, ‘leaders of the caravan’, ‘vice-discarders’, ‘dispellers of darkness’, ‘bringers of light’, ‘luminaries’, ‘lamps’, ‘candlebearers’, ‘beacons’, ‘noble ones’, and ‘seers’.
The Buddha spoke this matter.
On this it is said:
“This is a reason for joy
for those who understand:
that is, those who are evolved,
the noble ones living righteously.
They illuminate the true teaching,
beacons beaming light,
the wise ones bringing light,
seers with vices discarded.
Having heard their instruction,
the astute, understanding rightly,
directly know the ending of rebirth,
they come not back to future lives.”
This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.