The Tathagata
At Savatthī. “Bhikkhus, whatever beings there are—whether those without feet or those with two feet or those with four feet or those with many feet, whether consisting of form or formless, whether percipient, nonpercipient, or neither percipient nor nonpercipient—the Tathagata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is declared to be the chief among them. So too, whatever wholesome states there are, they are all rooted in diligence, converge upon diligence, and diligence is declared to be the chief among them. When a bhikkhu is diligent, it is to be expected that he will develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path.
“And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu who is diligent develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu who is diligent develops and cultivates the Noble Eightfold Path.”
… “Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion….”
… “Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal….”
… “Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna….”
Each of the following suttas, §§140–148, is to be elaborated in accordance with the fourfold method of §139.
- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Editor: Blake Walsh
The Realized One
At Sāvatthī.
“Mendicants, the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, is said to be the best of all sentient beings—be they footless, with two feet, four feet, or many feet; with form or formless; with perception or without perception or with neither perception nor non-perception.
In the same way, all skillful qualities are rooted in diligence and meet at diligence,
and diligence is said to be the best of them.
A mendicant who is diligent can expect to develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path.
And how does a mendicant who is diligent develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.
That’s how a mendicant who is diligent develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.
Mendicants, the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, is said to be the best of all sentient beings—be they footless, with two feet, four feet, or many feet; with form or formless; with perception or without perception or with neither perception nor non-perception.
In the same way, all skillful qualities are rooted in diligence and meet at diligence, and diligence is said to be the best of them.
A mendicant who is diligent can expect to develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path.
And how does a mendicant who is diligent develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which culminate in the removal of greed, hate, and delusion.
That’s how a mendicant who is diligent develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.
Mendicants, the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, is said to be the best of all sentient beings—be they footless, with two feet, four feet, or many feet; with form or formless; with perception or without perception or with neither perception nor non-perception.
In the same way, all skillful qualities are rooted in diligence and meet at diligence, and diligence is said to be the best of them.
A mendicant who is diligent can expect to develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path.
And how does a mendicant who is diligent develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which culminate, finish, and end in the deathless.
That’s how a mendicant who is diligent develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.
Mendicants, the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, is said to be the best of all sentient beings—be they footless, with two feet, four feet, or many feet; with form or formless; with perception or without perception or with neither perception nor non-perception.
In the same way, all skillful qualities are rooted in diligence and meet at diligence,
and diligence is said to be the best of them.
A mendicant who is diligent can expect to develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path.
And how does a mendicant who is diligent develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.
That’s how a mendicant who is diligent develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.”
