1.
The Discourse on What has Followed the Ear
191.
"Monks, for teachings that have been heard, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view, four benefits are to be expected.
Which four?
Here, monks, a monk learns the Teaching thoroughly -
discourse, mixed prose and verse, explanation, verse, inspired utterance, thus-it-is-said, birth story, wonderful phenomena, catechism.
For him those teachings have been heard, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view.
He, unmindful, when dying, is reborn in a certain order of gods.
For him, happy there, passages of the Teaching float up.
Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness;
then that being quickly reaches distinction.
For teachings that have been heard, monks, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view, this is the first benefit to be expected.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk learns the Teaching thoroughly - discourse, mixed prose and verse, explanation, verse, inspired utterance, thus-it-is-said, birth story, wonderful phenomena, catechism. For him those teachings have been heard, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view. He, unmindful, when dying, is reborn in a certain order of gods. For him, happy there, passages of the Teaching do not indeed float up; but a monk possessing supernormal power, having attained mastery of mind, expounds the Teaching in the assembly of gods. He thinks thus: 'This is that Teaching and discipline in which I formerly lived the holy life.' Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; then that being quickly reaches distinction. Just as, monks, a man skilled in the sound of a drum. He, travelling on the highway, might hear the sound of a drum. He would not indeed have uncertainty or doubt - 'Is it the sound of a drum or is it not the sound of a drum?' Then he would come to the conclusion: 'It is the sound of a drum.' So too, monks, a monk learns the Teaching thoroughly - discourse, mixed prose and verse, explanation, verse, inspired utterance, thus-it-is-said, birth story, wonderful phenomena, catechism. For him those teachings have been heard, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view. He, unmindful, when dying, is reborn in a certain order of gods. For him, happy there, passages of the Teaching do not indeed float up; but a monk possessing supernormal power, having attained mastery of mind, expounds the Teaching in the assembly of gods. He thinks thus: 'This is that Teaching and discipline in which I formerly lived the holy life.' Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; then that being quickly reaches distinction. For teachings that have been heard, monks, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view, this is the second benefit to be expected.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk learns the Teaching thoroughly - discourse, mixed prose and verse, explanation, verse, inspired utterance, thus-it-is-said, birth story, wonderful phenomena, catechism. For him those teachings have been heard, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view. He, unmindful, when dying, is reborn in a certain order of gods. For him there, being happy, passages of the Teaching do not float up, nor does a monk possessing supernormal power, having attained mastery of mind, expound the Teaching in the assembly of gods; but a young god expounds the Teaching in the assembly of gods. He thinks thus: 'This is that Teaching and discipline in which I formerly lived the holy life.' Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; then that being quickly reaches distinction. Just as, monks, a man skilled in the sound of a conch. He, travelling on the highway, might hear the sound of a conch. He would not indeed have uncertainty or doubt - "Is it the sound of a conch, or is it not the sound of a conch?" Then he would come to the conclusion that it is indeed the sound of a conch. So too, monks, a monk learns the Teaching thoroughly - discourse, mixed prose and verse, explanation, verse, inspired utterance, thus-it-is-said, birth story, wonderful phenomena, catechism. For him those teachings have been heard, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view. He, unmindful, when dying, is reborn in a certain order of gods. For him there, being happy, passages of the Teaching do not float up, nor does a monk possessing supernormal power, having attained mastery of mind, expound the Teaching in the assembly of gods; but a young god expounds the Teaching in the assembly of gods. He thinks thus: 'This is that Teaching and discipline in which I formerly lived the holy life.' Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; then that being quickly reaches distinction. For teachings followed by ear, monks, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view, this is the third benefit to be expected.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk learns the Teaching thoroughly - discourse, mixed prose and verse, explanation, verse, inspired utterance, thus-it-is-said, birth story, wonderful phenomena, catechism. For him those teachings have been heard, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view. He, unmindful, when dying, is reborn in a certain order of gods. For him there, being happy, passages of the Teaching do not float up, nor does a monk possessing supernormal power, having attained mastery of mind, expound the Teaching in the assembly of gods, nor does a young god expound the Teaching in the assembly of gods; but a spontaneously born being reminds a spontaneously born being - "Do you remember, sir, do you remember, sir, where we formerly practised the holy life?" He speaks thus: "I remember, sir, I remember, sir." Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; then that being quickly reaches distinction. Just as, monks, two friends who played together in the dust. They might from time to time meet one another. Then one friend might say to the other friend thus - "Do you remember this too, my dear, do you remember this too, my dear?" He might speak thus - "I remember, my dear, I remember, my dear." So too, monks, a monk learns the Teaching thoroughly - discourse, mixed prose and verse, explanation, verse, inspired utterance, thus-it-is-said, birth story, wonderful phenomena, catechism. For him those teachings have been heard, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view. He, unmindful, when dying, is reborn in a certain order of gods. For him there, being happy, passages of the Teaching do not float up, nor does a monk possessing supernormal power, having attained mastery of mind, expound the Teaching in the assembly of gods, nor does a young god expound the Teaching in the assembly of gods; but a spontaneously born being reminds a spontaneously born being - "Do you remember, sir, do you remember, sir, where we formerly practised the holy life?" He speaks thus: "I remember, sir, I remember, sir." Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; then that being quickly reaches distinction. For teachings followed by ear, monks, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view, this is the fourth benefit to be expected. For teachings followed by ear, monks, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view, these are the four benefits to be expected." The first.