10.8. Faith (AN10.8)

(1) “Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu may be endowed with faith but he is not virtuous; thus he is incomplete with respect to that factor. He should fulfill that factor, thinking: ‘How can I be endowed with faith and also be virtuous?’ But when a bhikkhu is endowed with faith and is also virtuous, then he is complete with respect to that factor.

(2) “A bhikkhu may be endowed with faith and virtuous, but he is not learned … (3) … learned, but not a speaker on the Dhamma … (4) … a speaker on the Dhamma, but not one who frequents assemblies … (5) … one who frequents assemblies, but not one who confidently teaches the Dhamma to an assembly … (6) … one who confidently teaches the Dhamma to an assembly, but not an expert on the discipline … (7) … an expert on the discipline, but not a forest-dweller who resorts to remote lodgings … (8) … a forest-dweller who resorts to remote lodgings, but not one who gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhānas that constitute the higher mind and are pleasant dwellings in this very life … (9) … one who gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhānas that constitute the higher mind and are pleasant dwellings in this very life, but not one who, with the destruction of the taints, has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, dwells in it.

“Thus he is incomplete with respect to that factor. He should fulfill that factor, thinking: ‘How can I be endowed with faith … … and also be one who, with the destruction of the taints, has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, dwells in it?’

(10) “But when a bhikkhu is i endowed with faith, ii virtuous, and iii learned; iv a speaker on the Dhamma; v one who frequents assemblies; vi one who confidently teaches the Dhamma to an assembly; vii an expert on the discipline; viii a forest-dweller who resorts to remote lodgings; ix one who gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhānas that constitute the higher mind and are pleasant dwellings in this very life; and x one who, with the destruction of the taints, has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, dwells in it, then he is complete with respect to that factor.

“A bhikkhu who possesses these ten qualities is one who inspires confidence in all respects and who is complete in all aspects.”

© Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2012)

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