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AN 4.245
PTS: A ii 243
Sikkha Sutta: Training
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
© 2012

"Monks, this holy life is lived with training as a reward, with discernment as its surpassing state, with release as its heartwood, and with mindfulness as its governing principle.

"And how is training a reward? There is the case where the training I have formulated for my disciples with regard to good conduct is for the arousing of faith in those without faith, and for the increase of the faithful. And however I have formulated the training for my disciples with regard to good conduct for the arousing of faith in those without faith, and for the increase of the faithful, one behaves in a way that is untorn in line with that training — unbroken, unspotted, unsplattered. Having undertaken them, one trains in line with the training rules.

"And further, the training I have formulated for my disciples with regard to the basics of the holy life is entirely for the right ending of suffering & stress. And however I have formulated the training for my disciples with regard to the basics of the holy life for the right ending of suffering & stress, one behaves in a way that is untorn in line with that training — unbroken, unspotted, unsplattered. Having undertaken them, one trains in line with the training rules.

"This is how training is a reward.

"And how is discernment the surpassing state? There is the case where the Dhammas I have pointed out to my disciples are entirely for the right ending of suffering & stress. And however I have pointed out Dhammas for my disciples entirely for the right ending of suffering & stress, one has scrutinized them all with discernment.

"This is how discernment is the surpassing state.

"And how is release the heartwood? There is the case where the Dhammas I have pointed out to my disciples are entirely for the right ending of suffering & stress. And however I have pointed out Dhammas for my disciples entirely for the right ending of suffering & stress, one has touched them all through release.

"This is how release is the heartwood.

"And how is mindfulness the governing principle? The mindfulness that 'I will make complete any training with regard to good conduct that is not yet complete, or I will protect with discernment any training with regard to good conduct that is complete' is well established right within. The mindfulness that 'I will make complete any training with regard to the basics of the holy life that is not yet complete, or I will protect with discernment any training with regard to the basics of the holy life that is complete' is well established right within. The mindfulness that 'I will scrutinize with discernment any Dhamma that is not yet scrutinized, or I will protect with discernment any Dhamma that has been scrutinized' is well established right within. The mindfulness that 'I will touch through release any Dhamma that is not yet touched, or I will protect with discernment any Dhamma that has been touched' is well established right within.

"This is how mindfulness is the governing principle.

"'Monks, this holy life is lived with training as a reward, with discernment as its surpassing state, with release as its heartwood, and with mindfulness as its governing principle': Thus it was said. And in reference to this was it said."

See also: MN 29; MN 30; MN 117; AN 10.58.