The Chapter on Practice
AN 4.161 In Brief Saṁkhittasutta
"Mendicants, there are four ways of practice. What four?
Painful practice with slow insight,
painful practice with swift insight,
pleasant practice with slow insight, and
pleasant practice with swift insight.
These are the four ways of practice."
AN 4.162 In Detail Vitthārasutta
"Mendicants, there are four ways of practice. What four?
Painful practice with slow insight,
painful practice with swift insight,
pleasant practice with slow insight, and
pleasant practice with swift insight.
And what's the painful practice with slow insight? It's when someone is ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They often feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring. These five faculties manifest in them weakly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they only slowly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the painful practice with slow insight.
And what's the painful practice with swift insight? It's when someone is ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They often feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring. And these five faculties manifest in them strongly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they swiftly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the painful practice with swift insight.
And what's pleasant practice with slow insight? It's when someone is not ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They rarely feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring. These five faculties manifest in them weakly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they only slowly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the pleasant practice with slow insight.
And what's the pleasant practice with swift insight? It's when someone is not ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They rarely feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring. These five faculties manifest in them strongly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they swiftly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the pleasant practice with swift insight.
These are the four ways of practice."
AN 4.163 Ugly Asubhasutta
"Mendicants, there are four ways of practice. What four?
Painful practice with slow insight,
painful practice with swift insight,
pleasant practice with slow insight, and
pleasant practice with swift insight.
And what's the painful practice with slow insight? It's when a mendicant meditates observing the ugliness of the body, perceives the repulsiveness of food, perceives dissatisfaction with the whole world, observes the impermanence of all conditions, and has well established the perception of their own death. They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. But these five faculties manifest in them weakly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they only slowly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the painful practice with slow insight.
And what's the painful practice with swift insight? It's when a mendicant meditates observing the ugliness of the body, perceives the repulsiveness of food, perceives dissatisfaction with the whole world, observes the impermanence of all conditions, and has well established the perception of their own death. They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. And these five faculties manifest in them strongly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they swiftly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the painful practice with swift insight.
And what's the pleasant practice with slow insight? It's when a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, they enter and remain in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. And with the fading away of rapture, they enter and remain in the third absorption, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, personally experiencing the bliss of which the noble ones declare, 'Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.' Giving up pleasure and pain, and ending former happiness and sadness, they enter and remain in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness. They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. But these five faculties manifest in them weakly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they only slowly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the pleasant practice with slow insight.
And what's the pleasant practice with swift insight? It's when a mendicant ... enters and remains in the first absorption ... second absorption ... third absorption ... fourth absorption ... They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. And these five faculties manifest in them strongly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they swiftly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the pleasant practice with swift insight.
These are the four ways of practice."
AN 4.164 Patient (1st) Paṭhamakhamasutta
"Mendicants, there are four ways of practice. What four? Impatient practice, patient practice, taming practice, and calming practice.
And what's the impatient practice? It's when someone abuses, annoys, or argues with you, and you abuse, annoy, or argue right back at them. This is called the impatient practice.
And what's the patient practice? It's when someone abuses, annoys, or argues with you, and you don't abuse, annoy, or argue back at them. This is called the patient practice.
And what's the taming practice? When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, they don't get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving restraint over it. When they hear a sound with their ears ... When they smell an odor with their nose ... When they taste a flavor with their tongue ... When they feel a touch with their body ... When they know an idea with their mind, they don't get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving restraint over it. This is called the taming practice.
And what's the calming practice? It's when a mendicant doesn't tolerate a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought. They don't tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen, but give them up, get rid of them, calm them, eliminate them, and obliterate them. This is called the calming practice.
These are the four ways of practice."
AN 4.165 Patience (2nd) Dutiyakhamasutta
"Mendicants, there are four ways of practice. What four? Impatient practice, patient practice, taming practice, and calming practice.
And what's the impatient practice? It's when someone cannot endure cold, heat, hunger, and thirst. They cannot endure the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles. They cannot endure rude and unwelcome criticism. And they cannot put up with physical pain---sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening. This is called the impatient practice.
And what's the patient practice? It's when someone endures cold, heat, hunger, and thirst. They endure the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles. They endure rude and unwelcome criticism. And they put up with physical pain---sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening. This is called the patient practice.
And what's the taming practice? When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, they don't get caught up in the features and details. ... When they hear a sound with their ears ... When they smell an odor with their nose ... When they taste a flavor with their tongue ... When they feel a touch with their body ... When they know an idea with their mind, they don't get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving restraint over it. This is called the taming practice.
And what's the calming practice? It's when a mendicant doesn't tolerate a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought. They don't tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen, but give them up, get rid of them, calm them, eliminate them, and obliterate them. This is called the calming practice.
These are the four ways of practice."
AN 4.166 Both Ubhayasutta
"Mendicants, there are four ways of practice. What four?
Painful practice with slow insight,
painful practice with swift insight,
pleasant practice with slow insight, and
pleasant practice with swift insight.
Of these, the painful practice with slow insight is said to be inferior in both ways: because it's painful and because it's slow. This practice is said to be inferior in both ways.
The painful practice with swift insight is said to be inferior because it's painful.
The pleasant practice with slow insight is said to be inferior because it's slow.
The pleasant practice with swift insight is said to be superior in both ways: because it's pleasant, and because it's swift. This practice is said to be superior in both ways.
These are the four ways of practice."
AN 4.167 Moggallāna's Practice Mahāmoggallānasutta
Then Venerable Sāriputta went up to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, Sāriputta sat down to one side and said to Mahāmoggallāna:
"Reverend Moggallāna, there are four ways of practice. What four?
Painful practice with slow insight,
painful practice with swift insight,
pleasant practice with slow insight, and
pleasant practice with swift insight.
These are the four ways of practice. Which one of these four ways of practice did you rely on to free your mind from defilements by not grasping?"
"Reverend Sāriputta ... I relied on the painful practice with swift insight to free my mind from defilements by not grasping."
AN 4.168 Sāriputta's Practice Sāriputtasutta
Then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, Mahāmoggallāna sat down to one side, and said to Sāriputta:
"Reverend Sāriputta, there are four ways of practice. What four?
Painful practice with slow insight,
painful practice with swift insight,
pleasant practice with slow insight, and
pleasant practice with swift insight.
These are the four ways of practice. Which one of these four ways of practice did you rely on to free your mind from defilements by not grasping?"
"Reverend Moggallāna ... I relied on the pleasant practice with swift insight to free my mind from defilements by not grasping."
AN 4.169 Extra Effort Sasaṅkhārasutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
One person is fully extinguished in this very life by making extra effort.
One person is fully extinguished when the body breaks up by making extra effort.
One person is fully extinguished in this very life without making extra effort.
One person is fully extinguished when the body breaks up without making extra effort.
And how is a person fully extinguished in this very life by making extra effort? It's when a mendicant meditates observing the ugliness of the body, perceives the repulsiveness of food, perceives dissatisfaction with the whole world, observes the impermanence of all conditions, and has well established the perception of their own death. They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. And these five faculties manifest in them strongly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of the strength of the five faculties, they are fully extinguished in this very life by making extra effort. That's how a person is fully extinguished in this very life by making extra effort.
How is a person fully extinguished when the body breaks up by making extra effort? It's when a mendicant meditates observing the ugliness of the body, perceives the repulsiveness of food, perceives dissatisfaction with the whole world, observes the impermanence of all conditions, and has well established the perception of their own death. They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. But these five faculties manifest in them weakly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of the weakness of the five faculties, they are fully extinguished when the body breaks up by making extra effort. That's how a person is fully extinguished when the body breaks up by making extra effort.
And how is a person fully extinguished in this very life without making extra effort? It's when a mendicant ... enters and remains in the first absorption ... second absorption ... third absorption ... fourth absorption ... They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. And these five faculties manifest in them strongly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of the strength of the five faculties, they are fully extinguished in this very life without making extra effort. That's how a person is fully extinguished in this very life without making extra effort.
And how is a person fully extinguished when the body breaks up without making extra effort? It's when a mendicant ... enters and remains in the first absorption ... second absorption ... third absorption ... fourth absorption ... They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. But these five faculties manifest in them weakly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of the weakness of the five faculties, they are fully extinguished when the body breaks up without making extra effort. That's how a person is fully extinguished when the body breaks up without making extra effort.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.170 In Conjunction Yuganaddhasutta
So I have heard. At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita's Monastery. There Ānanda addressed the mendicants: "Reverends, mendicants!"
"Reverend," they replied. Ānanda said this:
"Reverends, all of the monks and nuns who declare in my presence that they have attained perfection, did so by one or other of four paths.
What four?
Take a mendicant who develops serenity before discernment. As they do so, the path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.
Another mendicant develops discernment before serenity. As they do so, the path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.
Another mendicant develops serenity and discernment in conjunction. As they do so, the path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.
Another mendicant's mind is seized by restlessness to realize the teaching. But there comes a time when their mind is stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi. The path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.
All of the monks and nuns who declare in my presence that they have attained perfection, did so by one or other of these four paths."