7.
The Second Discourse on Training
88.
"This more than one hundred and fifty training rules comes up for recitation fortnightly, monks, in which sons of good family desiring their own welfare train.
There are these three trainings, monks, in which all this is contained.
Which three?
The training in higher morality, the training in higher consciousness, the training in higher wisdom -
these, monks, are the three trainings in which all this is contained.
"Here, monks, a monk is one who fulfils the moral precepts, one who practises to a moderate degree in concentration, one who practises to a moderate degree in wisdom. He commits and emerges from whatever lesser and minor training rules there are. What is the reason for this? For I have not declared inability here, monks. But whatever training rules are the fundamentals of the holy life, befitting the holy life, there he is one of stable morality and established morality, having accepted the training rules he trains in them. He, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters, becomes one with seven rebirths at the utmost. Having transmigrated and wandered among gods and humans for seven rebirths at the utmost, he makes an end of suffering. He, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters, becomes a family-to-family goer, having transmigrated and wandered through two or three families, he makes an end of suffering. He, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters, becomes one who has sown the seed of rebirth one last time, having produced just one human existence, he makes an end of suffering. He, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters and with the reduction of lust, hate, and delusion, becomes a once-returner, who, having come to this world only once more, makes an end of suffering.
"Here again, monks, a monk is one who fulfils the moral precepts, one who fulfils concentration, one who practises to a moderate degree in wisdom. He commits and emerges from whatever lesser and minor training rules there are. What is the reason for this? For I have not declared inability here, monks. But whatever training rules are the fundamentals of the holy life, befitting the holy life, there he is one of stable morality and established morality, having accepted the training rules he trains in them. He, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes an upstream-goer heading toward the Akaniṭṭha realm. He, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes an attainer of final nibbāna through exertion. He, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes an attainer of final nibbāna without exertion. He, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes an attainer of final nibbāna after the interval. He, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes an attainer of final nibbāna in the interval.
"Here again, monks, a monk is one who fulfils the moral precepts, one who fulfils concentration, one who fulfils wisdom. He is one of stable morality and established morality regarding whatever training rules there are, having accepted the training rules he trains in them. He, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, dwells in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions.
"Thus indeed, monks, one who fulfils a portion attains a portion, one who fulfils the complete attains the complete. The training rules are not barren, monks, I say." The seventh.