One Who is Near to Nibbāna (Enlightenment)

Monks, possessed of four qualities a man is incapable of falling away; he is near to Nibbāna (Enlightenment).

What are the four?

Herein a Monk is perfect in virtue (practicing moral conduct), He is guarded as to the doors of the sense bases, He is moderate in eating, He is devoted to watchfulness.

And in what way is a Monk perfect in virtue (moral conduct)?

Herein a Monk is virtuous, he resides restrained with the restraint of the training guidelines; perfect in the practice of right (moral) conduct he sees danger in the slightest faults; he takes up and trains himself in the stages of training. Thus a Monk is perfect in virtue (moral conduct).

And how is a Monk guarded as to the doors of the sense bases?

Herein a Monk, seeing a form with the eye, does not grasp at the general features or at the details. Since craving and aversion, evil, unprofitable states, might flow in upon one who resides with the sense base of the eye uncontrolled, he applies himself to such control, he sets a guard over the sense base of the eye, and he attains control. When he hears a sound with the ear, or with the nose smells an odor, or with the tongue tastes a flavor, or with the body touches a physical object; when with the mind he recognizes a mental object, he does not grasp at the general features or details. But since craving and aversion, evil, unprofitable states, might flow in upon one who resides with the sense base of the eye uncontrolled, he applies himself to such control, he sets a guard over the sense base of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, and attains control. That is how a Monk has the doors of the sense bases guarded.

And how is a Monk moderate in eating?

Herein a Monk takes his food thoughtfully and carefully, not for sport, not for indulgence, not for personal charm or adornment, but just enough for the support, for the continuance of the body, for its resting unharmed, to help the living of the holy life, with this thought: My former feeling I check and I set going no new feeling. Thus maintenances shall be mine, blamelessness and comfort in life. Thus a Monk is moderate in eating.

And how is a Monk devoted to watchfulness?

By day a Monk walks up and down and then sits, thus purify the mind of obstructive states. By night for the first watch he does likewise. In the middle watch of the night, lying on his right side he takes up the lion posture, resting one foot on the other, and thus collected and composed fixes his thoughts on rising up again. In the last watch of the night, at early dawn, he walks up and down, then sits, and so purifies the mind of obstructive states. That is how a Monk is devoted to watchfulness.

Possessed of these four qualities a Monk is incapable of falling away; he is near to Nibbāna (Enlightenment).

(Reference: AN 4.37)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares four qualities that a Student would be practicing who is close to attain Enlightenment and would be incapable of the mind regressing.

Perfect in Virtue (moral conduct) is to be deeply practicing Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood of The Eight Fold Path.

Guarding The Six Sense Bases is to practice restraint through The Six Sense Bases not allowing the mind to have craving or aversion through The Six Sense Bases.

Moderation in eating is to train the mind to not overeat causing the physical body to work hard through digestion, which would not be “the middle way”. Food should not be seen as being digested for pleasing the tongue and thus, the mind, but for the endurance and “continuance of the body”, for ending discomfort. Food is only to sustain the health of the body and, thus, the mind. Be sure to make wise choices about the quality of food that you choose to ingest as this will directly result in the health of the body. Through maintaining the health of the body for a longer period of time, this reduces the burden placed on the mind and elongates the amount of time one would have in the human realm to cultivate the mind on The Path to Enlightenment.

Devoted to watchfulness is related to the mind being “calm and relaxed” while also being “alert and attentive” being devoted to awakening the mind to Enlightenment. Through purification of the mind in learning, reflecting, and practicing The Eight Fold Path one will eliminate “obstructive states”.

While The Buddha is describing his sleeping position in the “lion’s pose”, one does not need to sleep in that pose to attain Enlightenment. This practice is not about training the physical body to permanently assume a specific position during sleep but instead, learning, reflecting, and practicing Teachings to train the mind to acquire wisdom.