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9. Sīlalakkhaṇapañha

Distinguishing Characteristic of Virtue Question

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, yaṁ panetaṁ brūsi ‘aññehi ca kusalehi dhammehī’ti, katame te kusalā dhammā”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, that which you called ‘and other wholesome mental states’, what are these wholesome mental states?”

“Sīlaṁ, mahārāja, saddhā vīriyaṁ sati samādhi, ime te kusalā dhammā”ti.
“Virtue, your majesty, faith, energy, mindfulness, and absorption; these are those wholesome mental states.”

“Kiṁlakkhaṇaṁ, bhante, sīlan”ti?
“What, venerable sir, is the distinguishing characteristic of virtue?”

“Patiṭṭhānalakkhaṇaṁ, mahārāja, sīlaṁ sabbesaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ, indriyabalabojjhaṅgamaggaṅgasatipaṭṭhānasammappadhānaiddhipādajhānavimokkhasamādhisamāpattīnaṁ sīlaṁ patiṭṭhaṁ, sīle patiṭṭhito kho, mahārāja, yogāvacaro sīlaṁ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya pañcindriyāni bhāveti saddhindriyaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ satindriyaṁ samādhindriyaṁ paññindriyanti, sabbe kusalā dhammā na parihāyantī”ti.
“Virtue, your majesty, has the distinguishing characteristic of being the ground for all wholesome mental states. Virtue is the ground for the faculties, the powers, the enlightenment factors, the path factors, the establishments of mindfulness, the right efforts, the bases of psychic power, meditation, emancipation, concentration, and the attainments. A spiritual aspirant, your majesty, dependent on virtue, grounded in virtue, develops the five faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. None of these wholesome mental states decrease.”

“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Please give me an analogy.”

“Yathā, mahārāja, ye keci bījagāmabhūtagāmā vuḍḍhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjanti, sabbe te pathaviṁ nissāya pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhāya vuḍḍhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjanti;
“Just as, your majesty, whatever seeds and plants attain to growth, development, and abundance, do so in dependence on the earth, and grounded by the earth.

evameva kho, mahārāja, yogāvacaro sīlaṁ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya pañcindriyāni bhāveti saddhindriyaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ satindriyaṁ samādhindriyaṁ paññindriyan”ti.
In the same way, a spiritual aspirant, your majesty, dependent on virtue, grounded in virtue, develops the five faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom.”

“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”

“Yathā, mahārāja, ye keci balakaraṇīyā kammantā kayiranti, sabbe te pathaviṁ nissāya pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhāya kayiranti;
“Just as, your majesty, whatever actions are to be done with strength, all of these are done in dependence on the earth, and grounded by the earth.

evameva kho, mahārāja, yogāvacaro sīlaṁ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya pañcindriyāni bhāveti saddhindriyaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ satindriyaṁ samādhindriyaṁ paññindriyan”ti.
In the same way, a spiritual aspirant, your majesty, dependent on virtue, grounded in virtue, develops the five faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom.”

“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”

“Yathā, mahārāja, nagaravaḍḍhakī nagaraṁ māpetukāmo paṭhamaṁ nagaraṭṭhānaṁ sodhāpetvā khāṇukaṇṭakaṁ apakaḍḍhāpetvā bhūmiṁ samaṁ kārāpetvā tato aparabhāge vīthicatukkasiṅghāṭakādiparicchedena vibhajitvā nagaraṁ māpeti;
“Just as, your majesty, a city architect, desiring to build a city, would first clear a site for the city, remove the trees and stumps, make the ground even, and there at a future time, divide it up into streets and four-way crossroads, and build the city.

evameva kho, mahārāja, yogāvacaro sīlaṁ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya pañcindriyāni bhāveti saddhindriyaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ satindriyaṁ samādhindriyaṁ paññindriyan”ti.
In the same way, a spiritual aspirant, your majesty, dependent on virtue, grounded in virtue, develops the five faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom.”

“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”

“Yathā, mahārāja, laṅghako sippaṁ dassetukāmo pathaviṁ khaṇāpetvā sakkharakathalaṁ apakaḍḍhāpetvā bhūmiṁ samaṁ kārāpetvā mudukāya bhūmiyā sippaṁ dasseti;
“Just as, your majesty, an acrobat, desiring to display their craft, would dig the earth, remove the gravel and stones, make the ground even, and thus display their craft on soft earth.

evameva kho, mahārāja, yogāvacaro sīlaṁ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya pañcindriyāni bhāveti saddhindriyaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ satindriyaṁ samādhindriyaṁ paññindriyanti.
In the same way, a spiritual aspirant, your majesty, dependent on virtue, grounded in virtue, develops the five faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom.”

Bhāsitampetaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā—
“And this too was said, your majesty, by the Blessed One:

‘Sīle patiṭṭhāya naro sapañño,
A wise person, grounded in virtue,

Cittaṁ paññañca bhāvayaṁ;
developing the mind and wisdom,

Ātāpī nipako bhikkhu,
A bhikkhu, diligent and intelligent,

So imaṁ vijaṭaye jaṭanti.
would disentangle the tangle.

Ayaṁ patiṭṭhā dharaṇīva pāṇinaṁ,
This is the support, as the earth is for living beings.

Idañca mūlaṁ kusalābhivuḍḍhiyā;
And this is the root for growth in wholesome qualities.

Mukhañcidaṁ sabbajinānusāsane,
It is the starting point for all the Conqueror’s teachings.

Yo sīlakkhandho varapātimokkhiyo’”ti.
This collection of virtue is supremely binding.”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena!”

Sīlalakkhaṇapañho navamo.
Distinguishing Characteristic of Virtue Question ninth