8.
The Third Discourse on Training
89.
"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 fulfils concentration, one who fulfils 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 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. Or else, not having attained that, not having penetrated that, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters he becomes an attainer of final nibbāna in the interval. Or else, not having attained that, not having penetrated that, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters he becomes an attainer of final nibbāna after the interval. Or else, not having attained that, not having penetrated that, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters he becomes an attainer of final nibbāna without exertion. Or else, not having attained that, not having penetrated that, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters he becomes an attainer of final nibbāna through exertion. Or else, not having attained that, not having penetrated that, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters he becomes an upstream-goer heading toward the Akaniṭṭha realm. Or else, not having attained that, not having penetrated that, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters and with the reduction of lust, hate, and delusion, he becomes a once-returner, who, having come to this world only once more, makes an end of suffering. Or else, not having attained that, not having penetrated that, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters he becomes one who has sown the seed of rebirth one last time, having produced just one human existence, he makes an end of suffering. Or else, not having attained that, not having penetrated that, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters he becomes a family-to-family goer, having transmigrated and wandered through two or three families, he makes an end of suffering. Or else, not having attained that, not having penetrated that, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters he 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.
"Thus indeed, monks, one who fulfils the complete attains the complete, one who fulfils a portion attains a portion. The training rules are not barren, monks, I say." The eighth.