The Chapter on Faculties

AN 4.151 Faculties Indriyasutta

"Mendicants, there are these four faculties. What four? The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, and immersion. These are the four faculties."

AN 4.152 The Power of Faith Saddhābalasutta

"Mendicants, there are these four powers. What four? The powers of faith, energy, mindfulness, and immersion. These are the four powers."

AN 4.153 The Power of Wisdom Paññābalasutta

"Mendicants, there are these four powers. What four? The powers of wisdom, energy, blamelessness, and inclusiveness. These are the four powers."

AN 4.154 The Power of Mindfulness Satibalasutta

"Mendicants, there are these four powers. What four? The powers of mindfulness, immersion, blamelessness, and inclusiveness. These are the four powers."

AN 4.155 The Power of Reflection Paṭisaṅkhānabalasutta

"Mendicants, there are these four powers. What four? The powers of reflection, development, blamelessness, and inclusiveness. These are the four powers."

AN 4.156 Eons Kappasutta

"Mendicants, an eon contains four uncountable periods. What four?

When an eon contracts, it's not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.

When an eon remains fully contracted, it's not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.

When an eon expands, it's not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.

When an eon remains fully expanded, it's not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it takes.

These are the four uncountable periods of an eon."

AN 4.157 Illness Rogasutta

"Mendicants, there are two kinds of illness. What two? Mental and physical. Some sentient beings are seen who can claim to be free of physical illness for a year, or two, or three years ... even up to a hundred years or more. But it's very hard to find any sentient beings in the world who can claim to be free of mental illness even for an hour, apart from those who have ended the defilements.

There are four kinds of illness for those gone forth. What four?

To start with, a mendicant has many wishes, is frustrated, and is not content with any kind of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.

Because of this, they focus their corrupt wishes on status, and on getting material things, honor, and popularity.

They try hard, strive, and make an effort to get these things.

They have an ulterior motive when they visit families. They have an ulterior motive when they sit down, when they speak on Dhamma, and even when they hold it in when they need to go to the toilet.

These are the four kinds of illness for those gone forth.

So you should train like this: 'We will not have many wishes or be frustrated. We will be content with any kind of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. We won't focus our corrupt wishes on status, and on getting material things, honor, and popularity. We won't try hard, strive, and make an effort to get these things. We will endure cold, heat, hunger, and thirst. We will endure the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles. We will endure rude and unwelcome criticism. We will put up with physical pain---sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening.' That's how you should train."

AN 4.158 Decline Parihānisutta

There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants: "Reverends, mendicants!"

"Reverend," they replied. Sāriputta said this:

"Reverends, any monk or nun who sees four things inside themselves should conclude: 'My skillful qualities are declining. For this is what the Buddha calls decline.' What four? They have much greed, much hate, and much delusion; and their wisdom eye doesn't go into the many deep matters. Any monk or nun who sees these four things inside themselves should conclude: 'My skillful qualities are declining. For this is what the Buddha calls decline.'

Any monk or nun who sees four things inside themselves should conclude: 'My skillful qualities are not declining. For this is what the Buddha calls non-decline.' What four? Their greed, hate, and delusion grow less; and their wisdom eye goes into the many deep matters. Any monk or nun who sees these four things inside themselves should conclude: 'My skillful qualities are not declining. For this is what the Buddha calls non-decline.'"

AN 4.159 Nun Bhikkhunīsutta

So I have heard. At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita's Monastery.

And then a certain nun addressed a man, "Please, mister, go to Master Ānanda, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him: 'Sir, the nun named so-and-so is sick, suffering, and gravely ill. She bows with her head to your feet.' And then say: 'Sir, please go to the nuns' quarters to visit that nun out of sympathy.'"

"Yes, ma'am," that man replied. He did as the nun asked. Ānanda consented with silence.

Then Ānanda robed up and went to the nuns' quarters to visit that nun, taking his bowl and robe. That nun saw Ānanda coming off in the distance. She wrapped herself up from head to foot and laid down on her cot. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to her, and sat down on the seat spread out. Then Ānanda said to the nun:

"Sister, this body is produced by food. Relying on food, you should give up food. This body is produced by craving. Relying on craving, you should give up craving. This body is produced by conceit. Relying on conceit, you should give up conceit. This body is produced by sex. The Buddha spoke of breaking off everything to do with sex.

'This body is produced by food. Relying on food, you should give up food.' This is what I said, but why did I say it? Take a mendicant who reflects rationally on the food that they eat: 'Not for fun, indulgence, adornment, or decoration, but only to sustain this body, to avoid harm, and to support spiritual practice. In this way, I shall put an end to old discomfort and not give rise to new discomfort, and I will have the means to keep going, blamelessness, and a comfortable abiding.' After some time, relying on food, they give up food. That's why I said what I said.

'This body is produced by craving. Relying on craving, you should give up craving.' This is what I said, but why did I say it? Take a mendicant who hears this: 'They say that the mendicant named so-and-so has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.' They think: 'Oh, when will I too realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. ...' After some time, relying on craving, they give up craving. That's why I said what I said.

'This body is produced by conceit. Relying on conceit, you should give up conceit.' This is what I said, but why did I say it? Take a mendicant who hears this: 'They say that the mendicant named so-and-so has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.' They think: 'Well, that venerable can realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. ... Why can't I?' After some time, relying on conceit, they give up conceit. That's why I said what I said.

'This body is produced by sex. The Buddha spoke of breaking off everything to do with sex.'"

Then that nun rose from her cot, placed her robe over one shoulder, bowed with her head at Ānanda's feet, and said, "I have made a mistake, sir. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of me to act in that way. Please, sir, accept my mistake for what it is, so I can restrain myself in future."

"Indeed, sister, you made a mistake. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of you to act in that way. But since you have recognized your mistake for what it is, and have dealt with it properly, I accept it. For it is growth in the training of the Noble One to recognize a mistake for what it is, deal with it properly, and commit to restraint in the future."

AN 4.160 The Training of a Holy One Sugatavinayasutta

"Mendicants, a Holy One or a Holy One's training remain in the world for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of sympathy for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans.

And who is a Holy One? It's when a Realized One arises in the world, perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed. This is a Holy One.

And what is the training of a Holy One? He proclaims a teaching that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And he reveals a spiritual practice that's entirely full and pure. This is the training of a Holy One. This is how a Holy One or a Holy One's training remain in the world for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of sympathy for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans.

These four things lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching. What four?

Firstly, the mendicants memorize discourses that they learned incorrectly, with misplaced words and phrases. When the words and phrases are misplaced, the meaning is misinterpreted. This is the first thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the mendicants are hard to admonish, having qualities that make them hard to admonish. They're impatient, and don't take instruction respectfully. This is the second thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the mendicants who are very learned---inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines---don't carefully make others recite the discourses. When they pass away, the discourses are cut off at the root, with no-one to preserve them. This is the third thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the senior mendicants are indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, not rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. Those who come after them follow their example. They too become indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, not rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. This is the fourth thing that leads to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

These are four things that lead to the decline and disappearance of the true teaching.

These four things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. What four?

Firstly, the mendicants memorize discourses that have been learned correctly, with well placed words and phrases. When the words and phrases are well placed, the meaning is interpreted correctly. This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the mendicants are easy to admonish, having qualities that make them easy to admonish. They're patient, and take instruction respectfully. This is the second thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the mendicants who are very learned---inheritors of the heritage, who have memorized the teachings, the monastic law, and the outlines---carefully make others recite the discourses. When they pass away, the discourses aren't cut off at the root, and they have someone to preserve them. This is the third thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the senior mendicants are not indulgent or slack, nor are they backsliders; instead, they take the lead in seclusion, rousing energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. Those who come after them follow their example. They too aren't indulgent or slack ... This is the fourth thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.

These are four things that lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching."