The Chapter on Practices
AN 3.156--162 Untitled Discourses on Three Practices Acelakavagga
"Mendicants, there are three practices. What three? The addicted practice, the scorching practice, and the middle practice.
And what's the addicted practice? It's when someone has this doctrine and view: 'There's nothing wrong with sensual pleasures'; so they throw themselves into sensual pleasures. This is called the addicted practice.
And what's the scorching practice? It's when someone goes naked, ignoring conventions. They lick their hands, and don't come or wait when called. They don't consent to food brought to them, or food prepared on their behalf, or an invitation for a meal. They don't receive anything from a pot or bowl; or from someone who keeps sheep, or who has a weapon or a shovel in their home; or where a couple is eating; or where there is a woman who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or who lives with a man; or where there's a dog waiting or flies buzzing. They accept no fish or meat or beer or wine, and drink no fermented gruel. They go to just one house for alms, taking just one mouthful, or two houses and two mouthfuls, up to seven houses and seven mouthfuls. They feed on one saucer a day, two saucers a day, up to seven saucers a day. They eat once a day, once every second day, up to once a week, and so on, even up to once a fortnight. They live pursuing the practice of eating food at set intervals.
They eat herbs, millet, wild rice, poor rice, water lettuce, rice bran, scum from boiling rice, sesame flour, grass, or cow dung. They survive on forest roots and fruits, or eating fallen fruit.
They wear robes of sunn hemp, mixed hemp, corpse-wrapping cloth, rags, lodh tree bark, antelope hide (whole or in strips), kusa grass, bark, wood-chips, human hair, horse-tail hair, or owls' wings. They tear out their hair and beard, committed to this practice. They constantly stand, refusing seats. They squat, committed to persisting in the squatting position. They lie on a mat of thorns, making a mat of thorns their bed. They're devoted to ritual bathing three times a day, including the evening. And so they live pursuing these various ways of mortifying and tormenting the body. This is called the scorching practice.
And what's the middle practice? It's when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body---keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings ... They meditate observing an aspect of the mind ... They meditate observing an aspect of principles---keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. This is called the middle practice.
These are the three practices.
Mendicants, there are three practices. What three? The addicted practice, the scorching practice, the middle practice.
And what's the addicted practice? ... This is called the addicted practice.
And what is the scorching practice? ... This is called the scorching practice.
And what's the middle practice? It's when a mendicant generates enthusiasm, tries, makes an effort, exerts the mind, and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don't arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are completed by development. ...
They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm, and active effort. They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to energy, and active effort. They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to mental development, and active effort. They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to inquiry, and active effort. ...
They develop the faculty of faith ... energy ... mindfulness ... immersion ... wisdom ...
They develop the power of faith ... energy ... mindfulness ... immersion ... wisdom ...
They develop the awakening factor of mindfulness ... investigation of principles ... energy ... rapture ... tranquility ... immersion ... equanimity ...
They develop right view ... right thought ... right speech ... right action ... right livelihood ... right effort ... right mindfulness ... right immersion ... This is called the middle practice. These are the three practices."
The Chapter on Ways of Performing Deeds
AN 3.163--182 Untitled Discourses on Three Qualities Kammapathapeyyāla
"Someone with three qualities is cast down to hell. What three? They themselves kill living creatures. They encourage others to kill living creatures. And they approve of killing living creatures.
Someone with these three qualities is cast down to hell.
Someone with three qualities is raised up to heaven. What three? They don't themselves kill living creatures. They encourage others to not kill living creatures. And they approve of not killing living creatures. ...
They themselves steal. They encourage others to steal. And they approve of stealing. ...
They don't themselves steal. They encourage others to not steal. And they approve of not stealing. ...
They themselves commit sexual misconduct. They encourage others to commit sexual misconduct. And they approve of committing sexual misconduct. ...
They don't themselves commit sexual misconduct. They encourage others to not commit sexual misconduct. And they approve of not committing sexual misconduct. ...
They themselves lie. They encourage others to lie. And they approve of lying. ...
They don't themselves lie. They encourage others to not lie. And they approve of not lying. ...
They themselves speak divisively. They encourage others to speak divisively. And they approve of speaking divisively. ...
They don't themselves speak divisively. They encourage others to not speak divisively. And they approve of not speaking divisively. ...
They themselves speak harshly. They encourage others to speak harshly. And they approve of speaking harshly. ...
They don't themselves speak harshly. They encourage others to not speak harshly. And they approve of not speaking harshly. ...
They themselves talk nonsense. They encourage others to talk nonsense. And they approve of talking nonsense. ...
They don't themselves talk nonsense. They encourage others to not talk nonsense. And they approve of not talking nonsense. ...
They themselves are covetous. They encourage others to be covetous. And they approve of covetousness. ...
They themselves are content. They encourage others to be contented. And they approve of being contented. ...
They themselves have ill will. They encourage others to have ill will. And they approve of having ill will. ...
They themselves are kind-hearted. They encourage others to be kind-hearted. And they approve of kind-heartedness. ...
They themselves have wrong view. They encourage others to have wrong view. And they approve of wrong view. ...
They themselves have right view. They encourage others to have right view. And they approve of right view.
Someone with these three qualities is raised up to heaven."
The Chapter on Abbreviated Texts Beginning with Greed
AN 3.183--352 Untitled Discourses on Greed, Etc. Rāgapeyyāla
"For insight into greed, three things should be developed. What three? Emptiness immersion; signless immersion; and undirected immersion. For insight into greed, these three things should be developed.
For the complete understanding of greed ... complete ending ... giving up ... ending ... vanishing ... fading away ... cessation ... giving away ... letting go ...
hate ... delusion ... anger ... acrimony ... disdain ... contempt ... jealousy ... stinginess ... deceitfulness ... deviousness ... obstinacy ... aggression ... conceit ... arrogance ... vanity ... negligence ... insight ... complete understanding ... complete ending ... giving up ... ending ... vanishing ... fading away ... cessation ... giving away ... For the letting go of negligence, these three things should be developed."
That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.