Demonstration of Confidence in One Endowed with Confidence

This is the time for it, Fortunate One! This is the time for it.

Fortunate One! The Perfectly Enlightened One should explain the demonstrations of confidence. Now I will find out whether or not this Monk exhibits the demonstrations of confidence.

Then listen, Subhūti, and attend closely. I will speak.

(1) Here, Subhūti, a Monk is virtuous (practicing moral conduct); he resides restrained by the training guidelines, possessed of good conduct and wise decision making, seeing danger in the slightest faults.

Having undertaken the training guidelines, he trains in them.

This is a demonstration of confidence in one endowed with confidence.

(2) Again, a Monk has learned much, remembers what he has learned, and accumulates what he has learned. Those Teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, which proclaim the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life such Teachings as these he has learned much of, retained in mind, recited verbally, mentally investigated, and penetrated well by view.

This, too, is a demonstration of confidence in one endowed with confidence.

(3) Again, a Monk has wholesome friends, wholesome companions, wholesome comrades.

This, too, is a demonstration of confidence in one endowed with confidence.

(4) Again, a Monk is easy to correct and possesses qualities that make him easy to correct; he is patient and receives instruction respectfully.

This, too, is a demonstration of confidence in one endowed with confidence.

(5) Again, a Monk is skillful and diligent in attending to the diverse chores that are to be done for his fellow Monks; he possesses sound ability to make decisions about them in order to carry out and arrange them properly.

This, too, is a demonstration of confidence in one endowed with confidence.

(6) Again, a Monk adores The Teachings and is pleasing in his statements, filled with significant joy in regard to The Teachings and discipline.

This, too, is a demonstration of confidence in one endowed with confidence.

(7) Again, a Monk has aroused energy for abandoning unwholesome qualities and acquiring wholesome qualities; he is strong, firm in effort not casting off the duty of cultivating wholesome qualities.

This, too, is a demonstration of confidence in one endowed with confidence.

(8) Again, a Monk gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four Jhānas that constitute the higher mind and are peaceful dwellings in this very life.

This, too, is a demonstration of confidence in one endowed with confidence.

(9) Again, a Monk recollects (recalls/remembers) his countless past lives, that is, one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many eons of world-dissolution, many eons of world-evolution, many eons of world dissolution and world-evolution thus: There I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life span; passing away from there, I was reborn elsewhere, and there too I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life span; passing away from there, I was reborn here.

Thus he recollects (recalls/remembers) his countless past lives with their aspects and details.

This, too, is a demonstration of confidence in one endowed with confidence.

(10) Again, with the divine eye (third eye), which is purified and surpasses the human, a Monk sees beings passing away and being reborn, unwholesome and wholesome, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands how beings fare in accordance with their Kamma thus: These beings who engaged in misconduct by body, speech, and mind, who abusively criticized The Noble Ones, held wrong view, and undertook (unwholesome) Kamma based on wrong view, with the breakup of the body, after death, have been reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell; but these beings who engaged in wholesome conduct by body, speech, and mind, who did not abusively criticize The Noble Ones, who held Right View, and undertook (wholesome) Kamma based on Right View, with the breakup of the body, after death, have been reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world: Thus with the divine eye (third eye), which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and being reborn, unwholesome and wholesome, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands how beings fare in accordance with their Kamma.

This, too, is a demonstration of confidence in one endowed with confidence.

(11) Again, with the destruction of the taints a Monk has realized for himself with direct knowledge (experience) in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he resides in it.

This, too, is a demonstration of confidence in one endowed with confidence.

(Reference: AN 11.14)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares a discourse on aspects of one’s practice that would be developed demonstrating confidence in The Buddha, The Teachings, and The Community, Your Teacher, and your ability to attain Enlightenment, thus, eliminating the fetter/taint/pollution of mind described as “doubt”.

1.) A Practitioner would be practicing virtuous conduct based on The Eight Fold Path with wise decision making and understanding that there is danger with the slightest faults of moral conduct as this will only lead to harming others, thus, harm will come to them.

2.) A Practitioner will have deeply learned, remembers, and fully develops what they have learned (i.e. accumulates). They would view these Teachings as good in the beginning, middle, and end based on learning them with the proper meaning and phrasing revealing “the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life”. Having learned a lot, the Practitioner would retain The Teachings being able to explain them verbally, from memory, based on their deep investigation and penetrating them well through reflecting and observing them as truth having acquired deep wisdom.

3.) A Practitioner will develop wholesome friends and associates. Through developing wholesome relationships, a Practitioner can ensure there are not any unwholesome or negative influences in their life as they make their journey towards Enlightenment.

4.) A Practitioner is easy to correct regarding the areas of misunderstandings and areas where they are not practicing these Teachings closely ensuring they are patient and receive instruction from their Teacher respectfully. This will aid in the Student’s ability to easily learn and develop their life practice.

5.) A Practitioner applies diligence and skill in completing tasks and assignments that are for the benefit of others. They will ensure all tasks are completed thoroughly with wholesome intentions and of good quality making wise decisions to schedule and complete the tasks in a reasonable timeframe.

6.) A Practitioner has a positive outlook regarding The Teachings and when discussing The Teachings, has only positive comments filled with significant joy.

7.) A Practitioner is deeply practicing Right Effort to eliminate unwholesome mental qualities and arise wholesome mental qualities not allowing the mind to become complacent.

8.) A Practitioner progresses towards the attainment of the four Jhānas being able to observe the improved qualities of mind associated with these attainments. The four Jhānas are preliminary phases the mind goes through prior to the attainment of the first Stage of Enlightenment.

9.) A Practitioner is able to remember their past lives and details from those past lives. Not every Practitioner will have the ability to observe their past lives, but some do.

10.) A Practitioner has opened the third eye being able to observe beings passing away and being reborn, unwholesome and wholesome qualities of mind, beauty and ugliness in the world, fortunate and unfortunate aspects of life, and he understands how beings experience their own Kamma in this life and after death.

11.) A Practitioner has eliminated The Ten Fetters and experiences liberation of mind, freedom from strong feelings, an Enlightened mind that is peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy residing in that mental state permanently. The mind will have deep wisdom of these Teachings and find it easy to explain them to others when asked questions about The Teachings.

These are qualities of one’s life practice that would demonstrate they have confidence in The Buddha, The Teachings, and The Community, your Teacher, and your ability to attain Enlightenment, thus, eliminating the fetter/taint/pollution of mind described as “doubt”.

A Practitioner may not have all of these qualities but each of these would further indicate one’s confidence as their life practice evolves and develops towards the attainment of the first Stage of Enlightenment.