“Bhikkhus, there are these four modes of practice. What four?
(1) Practice that is painful with sluggish direct knowledge; (2) practice that is painful with quick direct knowledge; (3) practice that is pleasant with sluggish direct knowledge; and (4) practice that is pleasant with quick direct knowledge. These are the four modes of practice.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these four modes of practice. What four?
(1) Practice that is painful with sluggish direct knowledge; (2) practice that is painful with quick direct knowledge; (3) practice that is pleasant with sluggish direct knowledge; and (4) practice that is pleasant with quick direct knowledge.
(1) “And what, bhikkhus, is the practice that is painful with sluggish direct knowledge? Here, someone is by nature strongly prone to lust and often experiences pain and dejection born of lust. By nature he is strongly prone to hatred and often experiences pain and dejection born of hatred. By nature he is strongly prone to delusion and often experiences pain and dejection born of delusion. These five faculties arise in him feebly: the faculty of faith, the faculty of energy, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, and the faculty of wisdom. Because these five faculties are feeble in him, he sluggishly attains the immediacy condition for the destruction of the taints. This is called practice that is painful with sluggish direct knowledge.
(2) “And what is practice that is painful with quick direct knowledge? Here, someone is by nature strongly prone to lust ... hatred ... delusion and often experiences pain and dejection born of delusion. These five faculties arise in him prominently: the faculty of faith ... the faculty of wisdom. Because these five faculties are prominent in him, he quickly attains the immediacy condition for the destruction of the taints. This is called practice that is painful with quick direct knowledge.
(3) “And what is practice that is pleasant with sluggish direct knowledge? Here, someone by nature is not strongly prone to lust and does not often experience pain and dejection born of lust. By nature he is not strongly prone to hatred and does not often experience pain and dejection born of hatred. By nature he is not strongly prone to delusion and does not often experience pain and dejection born of delusion. These five faculties arise in him feebly: the faculty of faith ... the faculty of wisdom. Because these five faculties are feeble in him, he sluggishly attains the immediacy condition for the destruction of the taints. This is called practice that is pleasant with sluggish direct knowledge.
(4) “And what is practice that is pleasant with quick direct knowledge? Here, someone by nature is not strongly prone to lust ... hatred ... delusion and does not often experience pain and dejection born of delusion. These five faculties arise in him prominently: the faculty of faith ... the faculty of wisdom. Because these five faculties are prominent in him, he quickly attains the immediacy condition for the destruction of the taints. This is called practice that is pleasant with quick direct knowledge.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four modes of practice.”
[Opening paragraph as above.]
(1) “And what, bhikkhus, is practice that is painful with sluggish direct knowledge? Here, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the unattractiveness of the body, perceiving the repulsiveness of food, perceiving non-delight in the entire world, contemplating impermanence in all conditioned phenomena; and he has the perception of death well established internally. He dwells depending upon these five trainee powers: the power of faith, the power of moral shame, the power of moral dread, the power of energy, and the power of wisdom. These five faculties arise in him feebly: the faculty of faith, the faculty of energy, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, and the faculty of wisdom. Because these five faculties are feeble, he sluggishly attains the immediacy condition for the destruction of the taints. This is called practice that is painful with sluggish direct knowledge.
(2) “And what is practice that is painful with quick direct knowledge? Here, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the unattractiveness of the body ... and he has the perception of death well established internally. He dwells depending upon these five trainee powers: the power of faith ... the power of wisdom. These five faculties arise in him prominently: the faculty of faith ... the faculty of wisdom. Because these five faculties are prominent, he quickly attains the immediacy condition for the destruction of the taints. This is called practice that is painful with quick direct knowledge.
(3) “And what is practice that is pleasant with sluggish direct knowledge? Here, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which consists of rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by thought and examination. With the subsiding of thought and examination, he enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which has internal placidity and unification of mind and consists of rapture and pleasure born of concentration, without thought and examination. With the fading away as well of rapture, he dwells equanimous and, mindful and clearly comprehending, he experiences pleasure with the body; he enters and dwells in the third jhāna of which the noble ones declare: ‘He is equanimous, mindful, one who dwells happily.’ With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and dejection, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, neither painful nor pleasant, which has purification of mindfulness by equanimity. He dwells depending upon these five trainee powers: the power of faith ... the power of wisdom. These five faculties arise in him feebly: the faculty of faith ... the faculty of wisdom. Because these five faculties are feeble, he sluggishly attains the immediacy condition for the destruction of the taints. This is called practice that is pleasant with sluggish direct knowledge.
(4) “And what is practice that is pleasant with quick direct knowledge? Here, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna ... the second jhāna ... the third jhāna ... the fourth jhāna. He dwells depending upon these five trainee powers: the power of faith ... the power of wisdom. These five faculties arise in him prominently: the faculty of faith ... the faculty of wisdom. Because these five faculties are prominent, he quickly attains the immediacy condition for the destruction of the taints. This is called practice that is pleasant with quick direct knowledge.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four modes of practice.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these four modes of practice. What four? The impatient practice, the patient practice, the taming practice, and the calming practice.
(1) “And what, bhikkhus, is the impatient practice? Here, someone insults one who insults him, scolds one who scolds him, and argues with one who picks an argument with him. This is called the impatient practice.
(2) “And what is the patient practice? Here, someone does not insult one who insults him, does not scold one who scolds him, and does not argue with one who picks an argument with him. This is called the patient practice.
(3) “And what is the taming practice? Here, having seen a form with the eye, a bhikkhu does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the eye faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it; he guards the eye faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the eye faculty. Having heard a sound with the ear... Having smelled an odor with the nose ... Having tasted a taste with the tongue ... Having felt a tactile object with the body ... Having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, a bhikkhu does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the mind faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it; he guards the mind faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the mind faculty. This is called the taming practice.
(4) “And what is the calming practice? Here, a bhikkhu does not tolerate an arisen sensual thought; he abandons it, dispels it, calms it down, terminates it, and obliterates it. He does not tolerate an arisen thought of ill will ... an arisen thought of harming ... bad unwholesome states whenever they arise; he abandons them, dispels them, calms them down, terminates them, and obliterates them. This is called the calming practice.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four modes of practice.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these four modes of practice. What four? The impatient practice, the patient practice, the taming practice, and the calming practice.
(1) “And what, bhikkhus, is the impatient practice? Here, someone does not patiently endure cold and heat; hunger and thirst; contact with flies, mosquitoes, wind, the burning sun, and serpents; rude and offensive ways of speech; he is unable to bear up with arisen bodily feelings that are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, harrowing, disagreeable, sapping one’s vitality. This is called the impatient practice.
(2) “And what is the patient practice? Here, someone patiently endures cold and heat ... rude and offensive ways of speech; he is able to bear up with arisen bodily feelings that are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, harrowing, disagreeable, sapping one’s vitality. This is called the patient practice.
(3) “And what, bhikkhus, is the taming practice? ... [as in 4:164] ...
(4) “And what, bhikkhus, is the calming practice? ... [as in 4:164] ...
“These, bhikkhus, are the four modes of practice.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these four modes of practice. What four?
(1) Practice that is painful with sluggish direct knowledge; (2) practice that is painful with quick direct knowledge; (3) practice that is pleasant with sluggish direct knowledge; and (4) practice that is pleasant with quick direct knowledge.
(1) “The mode of practice that is painful with sluggish direct knowledge is declared to be inferior for both reasons: because it is painful and because direct knowledge is sluggish. This mode of practice is declared to be inferior for both reasons.
(2) “The mode of practice that is painful with quick direct knowledge is declared to be inferior because of its painfulness.
(3) “The mode of practice that is pleasant with sluggish direct knowledge is declared to be inferior because of its sluggishness.
(4) “The mode of practice that is pleasant with quick direct knowledge is declared to be superior for both reasons: because practice is pleasant and because direct knowledge is quick. This mode of practice is declared to be superior for both reasons.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four modes of practice.”
Then the Venerable Sāriputta approached the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: “Friend Moggallāna, there are these four modes of practice. What four? (1) Practice that is painful with sluggish direct knowledge; (2) practice that is painful with quick direct knowledge; (3) practice that is pleasant with sluggish direct knowledge; and (4) practice that is pleasant with quick direct knowledge. Through which of these four modes of practice was your mind liberated from the taints by non-clinging?”
“Of these four modes of practice, friend Sāriputta, it was through the mode that is painful with quick direct knowledge that my mind was liberated from the taints by nonclinging.”
Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna approached the Venerable Sāriputta ... and said to him:
“Friend Sāriputta, there are these four modes of practice... .
Through which of these four modes of practice was your mind liberated from the taints by non-clinging?”
“Of these four modes of practice, friend Moggallāna, it was through the mode that is pleasant with quick direct knowledge that my mind was liberated from the taints by non-clinging.”
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four?
(1) “Here, some person attains nibbāna through exertion in this very life. (2) Another person attains nibbāna through exertion with the breakup of the body. (3) Still another person attains nibbāna without exertion in this very life. (4) And still another person attains nibbāna without exertion with the breakup of the body.
(1) “And how, bhikkhus, does a person attain nibbāna through exertion in this very life? Here, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the unattractiveness of the body, perceiving the repulsiveness of food, perceiving non-delight in the entire world, contemplating impermanence in all conditioned phenomena; and he has the perception of death well established internally. He dwells depending upon these five trainee powers: the power of faith, the power of moral shame, the power of moral dread, the power of energy, and the power of wisdom. These five faculties arise in him prominently: the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. Because these five faculties are prominent, he attains nibbāna through exertion in this very life. This is how a person attains nibbāna through exertion in this very life.
(2) “And how does a person attain nibbāna through exertion with the breakup of the body? Here, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the unattractiveness of the body ... and he has the perception of death well established internally. He dwells depending upon these five trainee powers: the powers of faith ... and wisdom. These five faculties arise in him feebly: the faculties of faith ... and wisdom. Because these five faculties are feeble, he attains nibbāna through exertion with the breakup of the body. This is how a person attains nibbāna through exertion with the breakup of the body.
(3) “And how does a person attain nibbāna without exertion in this very life? Here, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna ... the fourth jhāna. He dwells depending upon these five trainee powers: the powers of faith ... and wisdom. These five faculties arise in him prominently: the faculties of faith ... and wisdom. Because these five faculties are prominent, he attains nibbāna without exertion in this very life. This is how a person attains nibbāna without exertion in this very life.
(4) “And how does a person attain nibbāna without exertion with the breakup of the body? Here, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna ... the fourth jhāna. He dwells depending upon these five trainee powers: the powers of faith ... and wisdom. These five faculties arise in him feebly: the faculties of faith ... and wisdom. Because these five faculties are feeble, he attains nibbāna without exertion with the breakup of the body. This is how a person attains nibbāna without exertion with the breakup of the body.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”
On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Kosambī in Ghosita’s Park. There the Venerable Ānanda addressed the bhikkhus:
“Friends, bhikkhus!”
“Friend,” those bhikkhus replied. The Venerable Ānanda said this:
“Friends, whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhunī has declared the attainment of arahantship in my presence has done so by these four paths or by a certain one among them. What four?
(1) “Here, a bhikkhu develops insight preceded by serenity. As he is developing insight preceded by serenity, the path is generated. He pursues this path, develops it, and cultivates it. As he is pursuing, developing, and cultivating this path, the fetters are abandoned and the underlying tendencies are uprooted.
(2) “Again, a bhikkhu develops serenity preceded by insight. As he is developing serenity preceded by insight, the path is generated. He pursues this path, develops it, and cultivates it. As he is pursuing, developing, and cultivating this path, the fetters are abandoned and the underlying tendencies are uprooted.
(3) “Again, a bhikkhu develops serenity and insight in conjunction. As he is developing serenity and insight in conjunction, the path is generated. He pursues this path, develops it, and cultivates it. As he is pursuing, developing, and cultivating this path, the fetters are abandoned and the underlying tendencies are uprooted.
(4) “Again, a bhikkhu’s mind is seized by restlessness about the Dhamma. But there comes an occasion when his mind becomes internally steady, composed, unified, and concentrated. Then the path is generated in him. He pursues this path, develops it, and cultivates it. As he is pursuing, developing, and cultivating this path, the fetters are abandoned and the underlying tendencies are uprooted.
“Whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhunī, friends, has declared the attainment of arahantship in my presence has done so by these four paths or by a certain one among them.”