10.
The Discourse on the Market Town
520.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Aṅgas, where there was a market town of the Aṅgas named Āpaṇa.
There the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Sāriputta -
"Sāriputta, would a noble disciple who has gone to the Truth-finder with complete confidence, who is devoted to him, be uncertain or have sceptical doubt about the Truth-finder or the Truth-finder's teaching?"
"Venerable sir, a noble disciple who has gone to the Truth-finder with complete confidence, who is devoted to him, would not be uncertain or have sceptical doubt about the Truth-finder or the Truth-finder's teaching. For, venerable sir, for a noble disciple with faith this is to be expected - that he will dwell putting forth strenuous energy for the abandoning of unwholesome mental states and for the acquisition of wholesome mental states, steadfast, of firm effort, not shirking the responsibility regarding wholesome mental states. Whatever is his energy, venerable sir, that is his energy faculty.
"For, venerable sir, for a noble disciple with faith, putting forth strenuous energy, this is to be expected - that he will be mindful, endowed with the highest mindfulness and discretion, remembering and recollecting what was done long ago and what was said long ago. Whatever is his mindfulness, venerable sir, that is his mindfulness faculty.
"For, venerable sir, for a noble disciple with faith, putting forth strenuous energy, mindful, this is to be expected - that having made release the object, he will gain concentration, he will gain unified focus of mind. Whatever is his concentration, venerable sir, that is his concentration faculty.
"For, venerable sir, for a noble disciple with faith, putting forth strenuous energy, mindful, with concentrated mind, this is to be expected - that he will thus understand: 'This wandering in the round of rebirths is without discernible beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings hindered by ignorance, fettered by craving, transmigrating and wandering in the round of rebirths. But with the complete fading away and cessation without remainder of that mass of darkness which is ignorance, this is the peaceful state, this is the sublime state, that is to say - the stilling of all activities, the relinquishment of all clinging, the elimination of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. Whatever is his wisdom, venerable sir, that is his wisdom faculty.
"That noble disciple with faith, venerable sir, having thus striven again and again, having thus remembered again and again, having thus concentrated again and again, having thus understood again and again, thus believes: 'These indeed are those teachings which I had previously heard. Therefore I now dwell having touched them with the body, and having penetrated them with wisdom, I see.' Whatever is his faith, venerable sir, that is his faith faculty."
"Good, good, Sāriputta! Sāriputta, a noble disciple who has gone to the Truth-finder with complete confidence, who is devoted to him, would not be uncertain or have sceptical doubt about the Truth-finder or the Truth-finder's teaching. For, Sāriputta, for a noble disciple with faith this is to be expected - that he will dwell putting forth strenuous energy for the abandoning of unwholesome mental states and for the acquisition of wholesome mental states, steadfast, of firm effort, not shirking the responsibility regarding wholesome mental states. Whatever is his energy, Sāriputta, that is his energy faculty.
"For, Sāriputta, for a noble disciple with faith, putting forth strenuous energy, this is to be expected - that he will be mindful, endowed with the highest mindfulness and discretion, remembering and recollecting what was done long ago and what was said long ago. Whatever is his mindfulness, Sāriputta, that is his mindfulness faculty.
"For, Sāriputta, for a faithful noble disciple with aroused energy, having established mindfulness, this is to be expected: having made release the object, he will gain concentration, he will gain unified focus of mind. Whatever is his concentration, Sāriputta, that is his concentration faculty.
"For, Sāriputta, for a faithful noble disciple with aroused energy, having established mindfulness, with concentrated mind, this is to be expected: he will thus understand - 'This wandering in the round of rebirths is without discernible beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings hindered by ignorance, fettered by craving, transmigrating and wandering in the round of rebirths. But with the complete fading away and cessation without remainder of that mass of darkness which is ignorance, this is the peaceful state, this is the sublime state, that is to say - the stilling of all activities, the relinquishment of all clinging, the elimination of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. Whatever is his wisdom, Sāriputta, that is his wisdom faculty.
"That faithful noble disciple, Sāriputta, having thus striven again and again, having thus remembered again and again, having thus concentrated again and again, having thus understood again and again, thus believes - 'These indeed are those teachings which I had previously heard. Therefore I now dwell having touched them with the body, and having penetrated them with wisdom, I see.' Whatever is his faith, Sāriputta, that is his faith faculty." The tenth.