The Medium Discourses

Chapter 5: Related to Cultivation

46. Conscience and Modesty (2)

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

2. It was then that Venerable Śāriputra addressed the monks, “Good men, if a monk doesn’t have conscience or modesty, then that’s detrimental to affection and respect. If he doesn’t have affection or respect, then that’s detrimental to 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 has no right mindfulness and right knowledge, then that’s detrimental to guarding his faculties … guarding the precepts … having no regrets … gladness … joy … calmness … happiness … samādhi … true seeing and true knowing … disenchantment … lack of desire … liberation. If he doesn’t have liberation, then that’s detrimental to nirvāṇa.

3. “Good men, it’s like a tree that has damaged outer bark. It’s inner bark then doesn’t form. When the inner bark doesn’t form, then the branches … trunk … core … joints … limbs … leaves … flowers … fruit doesn’t form.

4. “Good men, you should know that a monk is likewise. If he doesn’t have conscience or modesty, that’s detrimental to affection and respect. if he doesn’t have affection or respect, that’s detrimental to faith. If he doesn’t have faith, that’s detrimental to right thinking. If he doesn’t have right thinking, that’s detrimental to right mindfulness and right knowledge. If he doesn’t have right mindfulness and right knowledge, that’s detrimental to guarding his faculties … guarding the precepts … having no regrets … gladness … joy … calmness … happiness … samādhi … true seeing and true knowing … disenchantment … lack of desire … liberation. If he doesn’t have liberation, that’s detrimental to nirvāṇa.

5. “Good men, if a monk has conscience and modesty, he readily cultivates affection and respect. If he has affection and respect, he readily cultivates 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 … having no regrets … gladness … joy … calmness … happiness … samādhi … true seeing and true knowing … disenchantment … lack of desire … liberation. If he has liberation, he readily cultivates nirvāṇa.

6. “Good men, it’s like a tree that doesn’t have damaged outer bark. It’s inner bark then will form. When the inner bark forms, then the branches … trunk … core … joints … limbs … leaves … flowers … fruit then will form.

7. “Good men, you should know that a monk is likewise. If he has conscience and modesty, he readily cultivates affection and respect. If he has affection and respect, he readily cultivates 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 … having no regrets … gladness … joy … calmness … happiness … samādhi … true seeing and true knowing … disenchantment … lack of desire … liberation. If he has liberation, he readily cultivates nirvāṇa.”

8. Venerable Śāriputra spoke thus. Those monks who heard what Venerable Śāriputra taught rejoiced and approved.

Notes

1. For the source text, cf. T26.1.486a21-b21. This sūtra is parallel with AN 7.65 and AN 11.3. It has the tree metaphors found in AN 7.65 and the longer list found in AN 11.3. [Back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 28 March 2024