Virtue’s the base
Sīlalakkhaṇapañha (Mil 3.1 9)
The king said: ‘When you said just now, “And by other good qualities,” to which did you refer?’
‘Good conduct, great king, and faith, and perseverance, and mindfulness, and meditation.
‘And what is the characteristic mark of good conduct?’
‘It has as its characteristic that it is the basis of all good qualities. The five moral powers —faith, perseverance, mindfulness, meditation, and wisdom-; the seven conditions of Arahatship —self-possession, investigation of the Dhamma, perseverance, joy, calm, meditation, and equanimity—; the Path; readiness of memory (unbroken self-possession) ; the four kinds of right exertion ; the four constituent bases of extraordinary powers ;the four stages of ecstasy ; the eight forms of spiritual emancipation ; the four modes of self-concentration ; and the eight states of intense contemplation have each and all of them good conduct (the observance of outward morality) as their basis. And to him who builds upon that foundation, O king, all these good conditions will not decrease.’
‘Give me an illustration.’
‘Just, O king, as all those forms of animal and vegetable life which grow, develope, and mature, do so with the earth as their basis; just so does the recluse, who is devoted in effort, develope in himself the five moral powers, and so on, by means of virtue, on the basis of virtue.’
‘Give me a further illustration.’
‘Just, O king, as all the occupations which involve bodily exertion are carried on in ultimate dependence upon the earth, just so does the recluse develope in himself the five moral powers, and so on, by means of virtue, on the basis of virtue.’
‘Give me a still better illustration.’
‘Just, O king, as the architect of a city, when he wants to build one, first clears the site of the town, and then proceeds to get rid of all the stumps and thorny brakes, and thus makes it level, and only then does he lay out the streets and squares, and crossroads and market places, and so build the city; just so does the recluse develope in himself the five moral powers, and so on, by means of virtue, on the basis of virtue.’
‘Can you give me one more simile?’
‘Just, O king, as an acrobat, when he wants to exhibit his skill, first digs over the ground, and proceeds to get rid of all the stones and fragments of broken pottery, and thus to make it smooth, and only then, on soft earth, shows his tricks; just even so does the recluse develope in himself the five moral powers, and so on, by means of virtue, on the basis of virtue. For it has been said, Sire, by the Blessed One:
“Virtue’s the base on which the man who’s wise
Can train his heart, and make his wisdom grow.
Thus shall the strenuous Bhikkhu, undeceived,
Unravel all the tangled skein of life.
“This is the base—like the great earth to men—
And this the root of all increase in goodness,
The starting-point of all the Buddhas’ teaching,
Virtue, to wit, on which true bliss depends.”
‘Well said, Nāgasena!’
‘Good conduct, great king, and faith, and perseverance, and mindfulness, and meditation.
‘And what is the characteristic mark of good conduct?’
‘It has as its characteristic that it is the basis of all good qualities. The five moral powers —faith, perseverance, mindfulness, meditation, and wisdom-; the seven conditions of Arahatship —self-possession, investigation of the Dhamma, perseverance, joy, calm, meditation, and equanimity—; the Path; readiness of memory (unbroken self-possession) ; the four kinds of right exertion ; the four constituent bases of extraordinary powers ;the four stages of ecstasy ; the eight forms of spiritual emancipation ; the four modes of self-concentration ; and the eight states of intense contemplation have each and all of them good conduct (the observance of outward morality) as their basis. And to him who builds upon that foundation, O king, all these good conditions will not decrease.’
‘Give me an illustration.’
‘Just, O king, as all those forms of animal and vegetable life which grow, develope, and mature, do so with the earth as their basis; just so does the recluse, who is devoted in effort, develope in himself the five moral powers, and so on, by means of virtue, on the basis of virtue.’
‘Give me a further illustration.’
‘Just, O king, as all the occupations which involve bodily exertion are carried on in ultimate dependence upon the earth, just so does the recluse develope in himself the five moral powers, and so on, by means of virtue, on the basis of virtue.’
‘Give me a still better illustration.’
‘Just, O king, as the architect of a city, when he wants to build one, first clears the site of the town, and then proceeds to get rid of all the stumps and thorny brakes, and thus makes it level, and only then does he lay out the streets and squares, and crossroads and market places, and so build the city; just so does the recluse develope in himself the five moral powers, and so on, by means of virtue, on the basis of virtue.’
‘Can you give me one more simile?’
‘Just, O king, as an acrobat, when he wants to exhibit his skill, first digs over the ground, and proceeds to get rid of all the stones and fragments of broken pottery, and thus to make it smooth, and only then, on soft earth, shows his tricks; just even so does the recluse develope in himself the five moral powers, and so on, by means of virtue, on the basis of virtue. For it has been said, Sire, by the Blessed One:
“Virtue’s the base on which the man who’s wise
Can train his heart, and make his wisdom grow.
Thus shall the strenuous Bhikkhu, undeceived,
Unravel all the tangled skein of life.
“This is the base—like the great earth to men—
And this the root of all increase in goodness,
The starting-point of all the Buddhas’ teaching,
Virtue, to wit, on which true bliss depends.”
‘Well said, Nāgasena!’
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