"If, monks, three things were not to be found in the world, the Tathaagata, the Holy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, would not appear in the world, nor would the teaching and discipline proclaimed by him shed its light over the world. What are these three things? Birth, old age and death. But since these three things are to be found in the world, therefore the Tathaagata appears in the world, the Holy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, and the teaching and discipline proclaimed by him sheds its light over the world."
"There is a person, monks, who is shameless, unscrupulous and heedless. Being heedless, he cannot give up disrespect, stubbornness and bad friendships. Having bad friends, he cannot give up lack of faith, unfriendliness and laziness. Being lazy, he cannot give up restlessness, lack of self-control and immorality. Being immoral, he cannot give up disinterest in seeing noble ones, disinterest in listening to their teachings, and a fault-finding mentality. Being a fault-finder, he cannot give up unmindfulness, lack of clear comprehension, and mental distraction. Having a distracted mind, he cannot give up unwise attention, the pursuit of wrong ways, and mental lassitude. With mental lassitude, he cannot give up personality belief, skeptical doubt, and clinging to rites and rituals. Having skeptical doubt, he cannot give up greed, hate and delusion. And without giving up greed, hate and delusion, he cannot abandon birth, old age and death."
"There is a person, monks, who has shame, moral scruples and is heedful. Being heedful, he can give up disrespect, stubbornness and bad friendships. Having noble friends, he can give up lack of faith, unfriendliness and laziness. Being energetic, he can give up restlessness, lack of self-control and immorality. Being virtuous, he can give up disinterest in seeing noble ones, disinterest in listening to their teachings, and a fault-finding mentality. Not being a fault-finder, he can give up unmindfulness, lack of clear comprehension, and mental distraction. Having an undistracted mind, he can give up unwise attention, pursuit of wrong ways and mental lassitude. Being without mental lassitude, he can give up personality belief, skeptical doubt and clinging to rites and rituals. Being free from doubt, he can give up greed, hate and delusion. Having given up greed, hate and delusion, he can give up birth, old age and death."
Extracted from AN10.76
by Nyanaponika Thera
