Monk Who is Perfected in Morality (Third Discourse)

Whereas, Sir, some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, are addicted to the destruction of such seeds as are propagated from roots, from stems, from joints, from cuttings, from seeds, a Monk refrains from such destruction. Thus he is perfected in morality.

Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, remain addicted to the enjoyment of stored-up goods such as food, drink, clothing, carriages, beds, perfumes, meat, a Monk refrains from such enjoyment. Thus he is perfected in morality.

Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, remain addicted to attending such shows as dancing, singing, music, displays, recitations, hand-music, cymbals and drums, fairy-shows, acrobatic and conjuring tricks, combats of elephants, buffaloes, bulls, goats, rams, cocks and quail, fighting with staves, boxing, wrestling, sham-fights, parades, manoeuvres and military reviews, a Monk refrains from attending such displays. Thus he is perfected in morality.

Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, make their living by such base arts, such wrong means of livelihood as palmistry, divining by signs, portents, dreams, body-marks, mouse gnawings, fire-oblations, oblations from a ladle, of husks, rice-powder, rice grains, ghee or oil, from the mouth or of blood, reading the finger-tips, house- and garden-lore, skill in charms, ghost-lore, earth-house lore, snake lore, poison-lore, rat-lore, bird-lore, crow-lore, foretelling a person’s life span, charms against arrows, knowledge of animals’ cries, a Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he is perfected in morality.

Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, make their living by such base arts as predicting an eclipse of the moon, the sun, a star; that the sun and moon will on their proper course - will go astray; that a star will go on its proper course will go astray; that there will be a shower of meteors, a blaze in the sky, an earthquake, thunder; a rising, setting, darkening, brightening of the moon, the sun, the stars; and ‘such will be the outcome of these things’, a Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he is perfected in morality.

Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, make their living by such base arts as predicting good or bad rainfall; a good or bad harvest; security, danger; disease, health; or accounting, computing, calculating, poetic composition, philosophizing, a Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he is perfected in morality.

Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, make their living by such base arts as arranging the giving and taking in marriage, engagements and divorces; (declaring the time for) saving and spending, bringing good or bad luck, procuring abortions, using spells to bind the tongue, binding the jaw, making the hands jerk, causing deafness, getting answers with a mirror, a girl-medium, a heavenly being; worshipping the sun or Great Brahma (God), breathing fire, invoking the goddess of luck, a Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he is perfected in morality.

Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, make their living by such base arts, such wrong means of livelihood as appeasing the heavenly beings and redeeming vows to them, making earth-house spells, causing virility or impotence, preparing and consecrating building-sites, giving ritual rinsings and bathings, making sacrifices, giving emetics, purges, expectorants and phlegmagogues, giving ear-, eye-, nose-medicine, ointments and counter-ointments, eye-surgery, surgery, pediatry, using balms to counter the side-effects of previous remedies, a Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he is perfected in morality.

(Reference: DN 1.11)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares guidance to help Ordained Practitioners to further purify Right Action and Right Livelihood.

“Feeding on the food of the dedicated” are the Household Practitioners who are providing regular offerings of food to sustain the life of the Ordained Practitioners. Ordained Practitioners should be appreciative and have significant gratitude for the energy and effort applied by Household Practitioners to support their progress on The Path to Enlightenment. The Ordained Practitioners should have deep respect for the Household Practitioners and not be interested in causing harm to them but instead, support the Household Practitioners in their growth on The Path to Enlightenment.

“Whereas, Sir, some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, are addicted to the destruction of such seeds as are propagated from roots, from stems, from joints, from cuttings, from seeds, a Monk refrains from such destruction” helps ensure there is no harm to the crops of farmers. Through Ordained Practitioners roaming the countryside, if they destroyed crops of the farmers this would cause harm to the farmers family and to the surrounding people as the harvest could not support the people.

“Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, remain addicted to the enjoyment of stored-up goods such as food, drink, clothing, carriages, beds, perfumes, meat, a Monk refrains from such enjoyment” ensures Ordained Practitioners are coming into contact with Household Practitioners on a daily basis. Through this interaction, the Household Practitioners have the opportunity to learn from the Ordained Practitioners who should be dedicated to sharing The Teachings. Through the Household Practitioners supporting the Ordained Practitioners with offerings, the Ordained Practitioners should be supporting the Household Practitioners with Teachings to benefit their life. This is the exchange of Kamma between the two groups of Practitioners.

“Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, remain addicted to attending such shows as dancing, singing, music, displays, recitations, hand-music, cymbals and drums, fairy-shows, acrobatic and conjuring tricks, combats of elephants, buffaloes, bulls, goats, rams, cocks and quail, fighting with staves, boxing, wrestling, sham-fights, parades, manoeuvres and military reviews, a Monk refrains from attending such displays” helps an Ordained Practitioner eliminate craving/desire/ attachment to entertainment and viewing of harmful content that can pollute the mind inhibiting Enlightenment.

“Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, make their living by such base arts, such wrong means of livelihood as palmistry, divining by signs, portents, dreams, body-marks, mouse gnawings, fire-oblations, oblations from a ladle, of husks, rice-powder, rice grains, ghee or oil, from the mouth or of blood, reading the finger-tips, house- and garden-lore, skill in charms, ghost-lore, earth-house lore, snake lore, poison-lore, rat-lore, bird-lore, crow-lore, foretelling a person’s life span, charms against arrows, knowledge of animals’ cries, a Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood”…

“Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, make their living by such base arts as predicting an eclipse of the moon, the sun, a star; that the sun and moon will on their proper course - will go astray; that a star will go on its proper course will go astray; that there will be a shower of meteors, a blaze in the sky, an earthquake, thunder; a rising, setting, darkening, brightening of the moon, the sun, the stars; and ‘such will be the outcome of these things’, a Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood”…

“Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, make their living by such base arts as predicting good or bad rainfall; a good or bad harvest; security, danger; disease, health; or accounting, computing, calculating, poetic composition, philosophizing, a Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood”…

“Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, make their living by such base arts as arranging the giving and taking in marriage, engagements and divorces; (declaring the time for) saving and spending, bringing good or bad luck, procuring abortions, using spells to bind the tongue, binding the jaw, making the hands jerk, causing deafness, getting answers with a mirror, a girl-medium, a heavenly being; worshipping the sun or Great Brahma (God), breathing fire, invoking the goddess of luck, a Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood”…

“Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated, make their living by such base arts, such wrong means of livelihood as appeasing the heavenly beings and redeeming vows to them, making earth-house spells, causing virility or impotence, preparing and consecrating building-sites, giving ritual rinsings and bathings, making sacrifices, giving emetics, purges, expectorants and phlegmagogues, giving ear-, eye-, nose-medicine, ointments and counter-ointments, eye-surgery, surgery, pediatry, using balms to counter the side-effects of previous remedies, a Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood”…

…all help an Ordained Practitioner to practice Right View basing their life practice on The Teachings that lead to Enlightenment. Through the Ordained Practitioners deeply practicing The Teachings, they will be role models for Household Practitioners to deeply learn and practice these Teachings. If Ordained Practitioners are basing their livelihood or even practicing any of these for any reason, it would promote “wrong view” distracting The Community from being able to deeply understand and practice Right View.

Additionally, for an Ordained Practitioner to take time away from learning and practicing The Teachings from The Buddha that lead to Enlightenment, they are choosing to be distracted from their primary objective to attain Enlightenment. Through deciding to ordain and live on “the food of the dedicated”, they should be devoted to learning, reflecting, and practicing these Teachings to attain Enlightenment and then be able to offer guidance to other Ordained Practitioners and Household Practitioners to attain Enlightenment. If Ordained Practitioners were devoting time to learning and practicing any of the above mentioned “lowly arts”, they are not fulfilling their duty and responsibility to the dedicated Household Practitioners who are supporting them in their pursuit to attain Enlightenment. Ordained Practitioners who choose to learn and practice these lowly arts would be unable to responsibly share The Teachings and experiences with others, that lead to Enlightenment, to support others in the attainment of Enlightenment.

“Thus he is perfected in morality” means that having practiced all the other Teachings of The Buddha including these, an Ordained Practitioner is perfect in moral conduct. If an Ordained Practitioner is not practicing in this way, they are not perfect in moral conduct.

Detailed explanation of Teachings to guide Ordained Practitioners is available in this same book series found in the book “Lowly Arts” (Volume 12). There are also Teachings in Volume 12 that will help Household Practitioners.

Now that you have completed reading (Volume 4) of this book series and may decide to read this book multiple times, I would like to take a moment to personally “thank you” for your determination, dedication, and diligence to learn, reflect, and practice The Teachings of The Buddha on The Path to Enlightenment.

The time, effort, energy, and resources that you devote to this path are serving to help you and countless other beings. As you choose to learn and practice these Teachings, you will significantly reduce then eliminate any harm that you are putting into the world through your unknowing of true reality. The unEnlightened mind does not understand what it does not understand.

You are now applying time, effort, energy, and resources to improving the condition of the mind, the condition of your life, and, thus, the condition of the world through investigating The Teachings to acquire wisdom. The world becomes a better place when we each individually choose to improve our own life practice taking responsibility for our own intentions, speech, actions, and livelihood while improving our wisdom and mental discipline.

I admire individuals who choose to walk towards harmlessness. I admire individuals who choose to realize there is a better way of life and create that better way of life for themselves through seeking guidance. And, I admire individuals who do not shrink back from the struggle to move the mind towards Enlightenment when the natural tendency might be to remain complacent.

Why have I chosen to share these Teachings with you? 

“That it may be for the benefit and peacefulness of the multitude (many people), out of compassion for the world, for the benefit and peacefulness of heavenly beings and humans”. (Gotama Buddha)

“Because if they understand even a single sentence, that will lead to their welfare and peacefulness for a long time”. (Gotama Buddha)

May you discover the freedom associated with a mind that is peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy permanently - the Enlightened mind.

As you need help to learn, reflect, and practice these Teachings, you are welcome to seek guidance which is available openly and freely to “all beings”.