Translating Classical Buddhism to Modern English

The Medium Discourses

45. Conscience and Modesty

1. Thus I have heard:[1] One time, the Buddha traveled to the country of Śrāvastī and stayed at Anāthapiṇḍada Park in Jeta Grove.

2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “If a monk has no conscience and no modesty, then that’s detrimental to affection and respect. If he has no affection and respect, then that’s detrimental to his faith. If he doesn’t have faith, then that’s detrimental to right thinking. If he doesn’t have right thinking, then that’s detrimental to right mindfulness and right knowledge. If he doesn’t have right mindfulness and right knowledge, then that’s detrimental to guarding his faculties, guarding the precepts, not having regrets, gladness, joy, calm, happiness, samādhi, seeing as it really is and knowing as it truly is, disenchantment, lack of desire, and liberation. If he doesn’t have liberation, then that’s detrimental to nirvāṇa.

3. “If a monk has conscience and has modesty, he readily cultivates affection and respect. If he has affection and respect, he readily cultivates his faith. If he has faith, he readily cultivates right thinking. If he has right thinking, he readily cultivates right mindfulness and right knowledge. If he has right mindfulness and right knowledge, he readily cultivates guarding his faculties, guarding the precepts, not having regrets, gladness, joy, calm, happiness, samādhi, seeing as it really is and knowing as it truly is, disenchantment, lack of desire, and liberation. If he has liberation, he readily cultivates nirvāṇa.”

4. The Buddha spoke thus. Those monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.

Notes

  1. Parallels include AN 7.65 and AN 11.3. This sutra is similar to AN 7.65 because it’s point of departure is conscience and modesty, but it uses the larger list from AN 11.1 and lacks the tree metaphors. [Back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 9 June 2022