7.
The Discourse about the Virtuous One
87.
"Monks, an elder monk possessed of five qualities is dear to his fellow monks in the holy life, agreeable, respected and esteemed.
Which five?
He is virtuous, he dwells restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha.
Accomplished in good conduct and lawful resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, having accepted the training rules he trains in them;
he is very learned, remembering what has been learnt, having great accumulation of learning; whatever teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing, that reveal the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure - such teachings are very learned by him, retained, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view;
he is of good speech, of good conversation, endowed with polished speech, distinct, free from drooling, capable of making the meaning clear;
he is one who obtains at will, obtains without difficulty, obtains without trouble, the four meditative absorptions pertaining to the higher mind, which are pleasant abidings in the present life;
with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, he dwells in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions.
Monks, an elder monk possessed of these five qualities is dear to his fellow monks in the holy life, agreeable, respected and esteemed."
The seventh.