“Mendicants, I will teach you what the noble upright concentration together with its means and its accessories is, listen well, with consideration, I shall speak!”
The mendicants responded by saying “Yes, venerable sir.” The Fortunate one said this - Mendicants, now what is this noble upright concentration together with the means and the accessories?
It is as follows - upright perspective, upright intention, upright speech, upright action, upright means of support, upright effort and upright mindfulness.
Mendicants, indeed any unification of mind entrenched in these seven factors - is called noble upright concentration together with the means and the accessories.
Mendicants, here upright perspective is the forerunner.
And how is upright perspective the forerunner?
One clearly knows dissident perspective as dissident perspective, one clearly knows upright perspective as upright perspective, this is one's upright perspective.
Mendicants, and what are the dissident perspectives?
There is nothing given, offered or sacrificed, skilful and unskilled acts have no consequences, or end result.
This world, and the other world do not exist, there are no mothers, fathers, or spontaneously born beings, there are also no Recluses and Brahmins who have traversed the upright path until complete perfection, so by their own efforts, realizing this world and the world beyond, are able to declare it.” - Mendicants, these are what dissident perspectives are!
Mendicants, and what is upright perspective?
I declare that upright perspective is twofold - There are the upright perspectives that have effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth; and there is the upright perspective that is noble, without effluents, transcends the worlds and is a factor of the path.
Mendicants, what are the upright perspectives that have effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth?
There is what is given, offered and sacrificed, skilful and unskilled acts do have consequences, and end result.
This world, and the other world do exist, there are mothers, fathers, and spontaneously born beings. there are also Recluses and Brahmins who have traversed the upright path until complete perfection, so by their own efforts, realizing this world and the world beyond, declare it.” - Mendicants, this is what upright perspectives that have effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth are!
Mendicants, and what is the upright perspective, that is noble, without effluents, transcends the worlds and is a factor of the path?
Indeed the noble, passionless mind endowed with the noble path, developing the noble path with discernment, the faculty of discernment, the strength of discernment, the step toward awakening that is investigation of dhamma, the path factor of upright perspective - Mendicants, I say this is upright perspective, that is noble, without effluents, transcends the worlds and is a factor of the path.
They endeavour to give up dissident perspectives and be established in upright perspectives, that is their upright effort.
They mindfully renounce dissident perspectives, and abide established in upright perspectives; that is their upright mindfulness.
Thus these three mental phenomena - upright perspective, upright effort and upright mindfulness - coil around and follow each other, winding in a circle.
Mendicants, here upright perspective is the forerunner.
And how is upright perspective the forerunner?
One clearly knows dissident intentions as dissident intention, one clearly knows upright intentions as upright intention, this is one's upright perspective.
Mendicants, and what are dissident intentions?
Having the intent towards sensuality, ill-will, and harm - these are what dissident intentions are!
Mendicants, and what are upright intentions?
I declare that upright intention is twofold - mendicants, there are upright intention that have effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth; and there is upright intention, that is noble, without effluents, transcending the worlds and is a factor of the path.
Mendicants, what is upright intention that has effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth?
The intention towards renunciation, the intention towards fearlessness, and the intention towards harmlessness - 'Mendicants, these are upright intentions that have effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth'.
Mendicants, there is upright intention, that is noble, without effluents, transcending the worlds and is a factor of the path?
Indeed the noble, passionless mind endowed with the noble path developing the noble path will intend to logically reflect on, and apply the mind to fix upon subjects using verbal fabrications - Mendicants, and there is upright intention, that is noble, without effluents, transcending the worlds and is a factor of the path.
They endeavour to give up dissident intentions and be established in upright intentions, that is their upright effort.
They mindfully renounce dissident intentions, and abide established in upright intentions; that is their upright mindfulness.
Thus these three mental phenomena coil around each other, winding in a circle, such as follows - upright perspective, upright effort and upright mindfulness.
Mendicants, here upright perspective is the forerunner.
And how is upright perspective the forerunner?
One clearly knows dissident speech as dissident speech, one clearly knows upright speech as upright speech, this is one's upright perspective.
Mendicants, and what is dissident speech?
It is false speech, malicious speech, abusive speech, & frivolous talk - mendicants, this is dissident speech.
Mendicants, and what is upright speech?
I declare that upright speech is twofold - Mendicants, this is upright speech that has effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth; Mendicants, and there is upright speech, that is noble, without effluents, transcends the worlds and is a factor of the path.
Mendicants, what is upright speech that has effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth?
Abstaining from false speech, abstaining from malicious speech, abstaining from abusive speech and refraining from frivolous talk - Mendicants, this is upright perspective that has effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth!
Mendicants, and what is upright speech, that is noble, without effluents, transcends the worlds and is a factor of the path?
Indeed the noble, passionless mind endowed with the noble path developing the noble path abstains from the four kinds of unskilled speech, abstains there from, opposes the act, and is the enemy of the pride which causes the act - Mendicants, and there is upright speech, that is noble, without effluents, transcends the worlds and is a factor of the path.
They endeavour to give up dissident speech and be established in upright speech, that is their upright effort.
They mindfully renounce dissident speech, and abide established in upright speech; that is their upright mindfulness.
Thus these three mental phenomena - upright perspective, upright effort and upright mindfulness - coil around and follow each other, winding in a circle.
Mendicants, here upright perspective is the forerunner.
And how is upright perspective the forerunner?
One clearly knows dissident action as dissident action, one clearly knows upright perspective as upright perspective, this is one's upright perspective.
Mendicants, and what are dissident action?
It is intentionally causing living beings to die, thievery, misconduct based on sensual desire - Mendicants, these are dissident actions.
Mendicants, and what are upright action?
I declare that upright action is twofold - Mendicants, there is upright action that has effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth; Mendicants, and there is upright action, that is noble, without effluents, transcending the worlds and is a factor of the path.
Mendicants, what are the upright actions that have effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth?
It is Abstaining from intentionally causing living beings to die, Abstaining from thievery, and Abstaining from misconduct based on sensual desire - Mendicants, this is the upright action that has effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth.
Mendicants, what is upright actions, that is noble, without effluents, transcending the worlds and is a factor of the path?
Indeed the noble, passionless mind endowed with the noble path developing the noble path abstains from the three kinds of unskilled conduct of the body, abstains there from, opposes the act, and is the enemy of the pride which causes the act - Mendicants, this is upright action, that is noble, without effluents, transcending the worlds and is a factor of the path.
They endeavour to give up dissident actions and be established in upright actions, that is their upright effort.
They mindfully renounce dissident actions, and abide established in upright actions; that is their upright mindfulness.
Thus these three mental phenomena - upright perspective, upright effort and upright mindfulness - coil around and follow each other, winding in a circle.
Mendicants, here upright perspective is the forerunner.
And how is upright perspective the forerunner?
One clearly knows dissident means of support as dissident means of support, one clearly knows upright means of support as upright means of support, this is one's upright perspective.
Mendicants, and what is dissident means of support?
Deceit, flattery, soothsaying, performing and perusing gain with gain - This are dissident means of support.
Mendicants, what are upright means of support?
I declare that upright means of support is twofold - Mendicants, there is upright means of support that has effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth; Mendicants, this is the upright means of support, that is noble, without effluents, transcending the worlds and is a factor of the path.
Mendicants, what is the upright means of support that have effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth; mendicants. the noble disciple gives up dissident means of support and becomes established in upright livelihood - Mendicants, this is the upright means of support that has effluents, shares merit, and results in acquiring rebirth; Mendicants, what is the upright means of support, that is noble, without effluents, transcending the worlds and is a factor of the path?
Indeed the noble, passionless mind endowed with the noble path developing the noble path abstains from dissident means of support, abstains there from, opposes the act, and is the enemy of the pride which causes the act - mendicants, this is the upright means of support, that is noble, without effluents, transcending the worlds and is a factor of the path.
They endeavour to give up dissident means of support and be established in upright means of support, that is their upright effort.
They mindfully renounce dissident means of support, and abide established in upright means of support; that is their upright mindfulness.
Thus these three mental phenomena - upright perspective, upright effort and upright mindfulness - coil around and follow each other, winding in a circle.
Mendicants, here upright perspective is the forerunner.
And how is upright perspective the forerunner?
for one with upright perspective, upright intention arises.
for one with upright intention, upright speech arises.
for one with upright speech, upright action arises.
for one with upright action, upright upright means of support arises.
for one with upright upright means of support, upright effort arises.
for one with upright effort, upright mindfulness arises.
for one with upright mindfulness, upright concentration arises.
for one with upright concentration, complete wisdom arises.
for one with complete wisdom, complete awakening arises.
Mendicants, Thus the one in training is endowed with eight factors and the perfected one is endowed with ten factors.
Even so the various unskilled mental phenomena cease with the movement toward complete cultivation
Mendicants, here upright perspective is the forerunner.
And how is upright perspective the forerunner?
mendicants, one with upright perspective, dissident perspective is exhausted.
With dissident perspective as the condition the various unskilled mental phenomena come into being are also exhausted.
With upright perspective as the condition the various skilful mental phenomena move toward the completion of cultivation.
mendicants, one with upright intention, dissident intention is exhausted...
mendicants, one with upright speech, dissident speech is exhausted...
mendicants, one with upright action, dissident action is exhausted...
mendicants, one with upright means of support, dissident means of support is exhausted...
mendicants, one with upright effort, dissident effort is exhausted...
mendicants, one with upright mindfulness, dissident mindfulness is exhausted...
mendicants, one with upright concentration, dissident concentration is exhausted...
mendicants, one with complete wisdom, false wisdom is exhausted...
mendicants, one with complete awakening, false awakening is exhausted...
With false awakening as condition the various unskilled mental phenomena come into being are also exhausted.
With complete awakening as condition the various skilful mental phenomena move toward the completion of cultivation.
"Mendicants, Thus there are twenty factors siding with the skilled, and twenty with that which is unskilled.
The longer discourse on the forty has now been set rolling, not to be stopped by any recluse, or brahmin, god, or demon, divine being, or anyone else in the world.
Mendicants, if Recluses and Brahmins should think to scold and reject this longer discourse of dhamma on the Forty, there are these ten reasons that are in line with reality that would form grounds for scolding their statement here & now -
to scold upright perspective, one reveres and praises those Recluses and Brahmins of dissident perspective.
to scold upright intention, one reveres and praises those Recluses and Brahmins of dissident intentions.
to scold upright speech...
to scold upright action...
to scold upright means of support...
to scold upright effort...
to scold upright mindfulness...
to scold upright concentration...
to scold complete wisdom...
to scold complete awakening, one reveres and praises those Recluses and Brahmins of false awakening.
Mendicants, if Recluses and Brahmins should think to scold and reject this longer discourse of dhamma on the Forty, these ten reasons that are in line with reality would form grounds for scolding their statement here & now.
"Even Vassa & Bhañña — those teachers from Okkala who speak of things as un-caused, of no result of action, & nihilistic views — should think to scold and reject this longer discourse of dhamma on the Forty.
For what reason?
For the fear of insults, hatred, censure.”
[Once the fortunate one had said this,] those meditators were delighted by these words of the fortunate one and greatly rejoiced in them.
The End of the Longer Discourse on the forty.