One Who is a Trainee

And what, Monks, is the method by means of which a Monk who is a trainee, standing on the plane of a trainee, understands: ‘I am a trainee’?

Here, Monks, a Monk who is a trainee understands as it really is: ‘This is discontentedness’; he understands as it really is: ‘This is the cause of discontentedness’; he understands as it really is: ‘This is the elimination of discontentedness’; he understands as it really is: ‘This is the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness’. This is a method by means of which a Monk who is a trainee, standing on the plane of a trainee, understands: ‘I am a trainee.’

Again, Monks, a Monk who is a trainee considers thus: Is there outside here another Ascetic or Brāhmin who teaches Teachings so real, true, actual as The Perfectly Enlightened One does? He understands thus: There is no other Ascetic or Brāhmin outside here who teaches Teachings so real, true, actual as The Perfectly Enlightened One does. This too is a method by means of which a Monk who is a trainee, standing on the plane of a trainee, understands: ‘I am a trainee.’

Again, Monks, a Monk who is a trainee understands the five spiritual faculties - the faculty of confidence, the faculty of energy, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, the faculty of wisdom. He does not yet have direct experience of their destination, their culmination, their fruit, their final goal; but having pierced it through with wisdom, he sees.

This too is a method by means of which a Monk who is a trainee standing on the plane of a trainee, understands: ‘I am a trainee.’ 

(Reference: SN 48.53)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that a Practitioner who is new to his Teachings and would like to be considered a “trainee” would understand The Four Noble Truths, have confidence in The Buddha and The Teachings while understanding the five spiritual faculties.

A trainee will understand the five spiritual facilities but will not have them fully developed in their life practice. The Buddha explains this as “He does not yet have direct experience of their destination, their culmination, their fruit, their final goal; but having pierced it through with wisdom, he sees”. When The Buddha says “he sees”, this means that he understands clearly.

The faculty of confidence: Confirmed confidence in The Buddha, The Teachings, and The Community.

The faculty of energy: Effort, determination, ambition, initiative, motivation, vigor, and enthusiasm; willingness to do something.

The faculty of mindfulness: Awareness of mind as described in The Eight Fold Path as “Right Mindfulness” to include The Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

The faculty of concentration: Mental alertness, attentiveness, the ability to give your attention or thought to a single object or activity. “Singleness of mind” as described in The Eight Fold Path as “Right Concentration”.

The faculty of wisdom: How to obtain wisdom through independent verification of The Teachings. Right Wisdom as part of The Ten Fold Path is a Practitioner’s deep understanding of The Teachings and being able to communicate them with ease.