THE WORDS OF THE BUDDHA
The Path to Enlightenment
Revealing The Hidden
Lowly Arts
Volume 12
1

Note from Author 10
Preface 16
Lowly Arts 16
Chapter 1 21
What are the Lowly Arts? 21
Chapter 2 23
The Ascetic Gotama Refrains from Such Base Arts 23
Chapter 3 28
A Monk Who Is Perfected in Morality A Monk Refrains from Such Base Arts and Wrong
Means of Livelihood 28
Chapter 4 33
The Various Kinds of Pointless Talk 33
Chapter 5 35
The Ascetic Gotama Refrained from Pointless Talk 35
Chapter 6 36
A Monk Refrains from Pointless Talk 36
Chapter 7 39
Three Kinds of Wonders (First Discourse) 39
Chapter 8 41
Three Kinds of Wonders (Second Discourse) 41
Chapter 9 47
The Perfectly Enlightened One Prohibits Monks from 47
Exhibiting a Wonder of Mystic Power 47
Chapter 10 49
The Perfectly Enlightened One Prohibits Monks from Boasting about a Non-Existence of
State of Further-Men in Oneself 49
Chapter 11 51
The Perfectly Enlightened One Prohibits Monks from Boasting About a Non-Existence of
State of Further-Men in Oneself 51
Chapter 12 52
Do Not Be Judgmental Regarding People 52
Chapter 13 55
The Five Great Thieves 55
Chapter 14 62
2

A Noble Disciple Abandons Wrong Livelihood 62
Chapter 15 75
Six Cases of Incapability by One Accomplished in View (First Discourse) 75
Chapter 16 79
Six Cases of Incapability by One Accomplished in View (Second Discourse) 79
Chapter 17 81
Six Cases of Incapability by One Accomplished in View (Third Discourse) 81
Chapter 18 83
Six Cases of Incapability by One Accomplished in View (Fourth Discourse) 83
Chapter 19 86
Six Benefits in Realizing the Fruit of Stream-Entry 86
Chapter 20 89
Three Wrong Views about Sectarian Tenets That a Noble Disciple Must Abandon 89
Chapter 21 95
Six Unsurpassed Things 95
Chapter 22 99
Demonstration of Confidence in One Endowed with Confidence 99
Chapter 23 105
The Perfectly Enlightened One Taught Monks to Eat at a Single Session 105
Chapter 24 113
The Noble Disciples Will Not Transgress the Training Guidelines Even for Life’s Sake 113
Chapter 25 115
Four Defilements of Ascetics and Brāhmins 115
Chapter 26 123
Unwholesome Habits 123
Chapter 27 126
Words Which Should Be Studied, Learned, and 126
Investigated in The Foremost Assembly 126
Chapter 28 130
Why Every Practitioner Should Study The Tathāgata’s Words 130
Chapter 29 134
Those Who Cause the Good Teachings to Disappear (First Discourse) 134
Chapter 30 137
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Those Who Sustain the Good Teachings (First Discourse) 137
Chapter 31 140
Those Who Cause the Good Teachings to Disappear (Second Discourse) 140
Chapter 32 141
Those Who Sustain the Good Teachings (Second Discourse) 141
Chapter 33 142
Ten Roots of Disputes 142
Chapter 34 145
Disciples Who Behave Towards The Teacher with Hostility and with Friendliness 145
Chapter 35 147
Difference Between The Perfectly Enlightened One and a Monk Liberated by Wisdom 147
Chapter 36 149
The Tathāgata Taught Very Few Compared to the Numerous Things He Had Known 149
Chapter 37 151
One Who Points Out Treasure 151
Chapter 38 156
The Introduction of Ajjhāyaka 156
Chapter 39 157
Reciting The Teachings The Basis of Liberation 157
Chapter 40 161
Misunderstanding Regarding 161
Benefits of Creating Buddha Images 161
Chapter 41 166
Misunderstanding Regarding 166
Listening to the Great Birth Sermon 166
Chapter 42 173
Misunderstanding Regarding 173
Pouring Water to Transfer Merit 173
Chapter 43 175
Misunderstanding Regarding 175
Holy Water 175
Chapter 44 177
Misunderstanding Regarding 177
4

The Benefits of Reciting Teachings 177
Chapter 45 180
Reside with The Teachings as Your Refuge 180
Chapter 46 182
Four Criteria that Assure 182
The Words of The Buddha 182
Chapter 47 184
The Supreme Honor and Respect 184
Chapter 48 185
Teachings and Discipline Will Be Your Teacher 185
Chapter 49 199
Ordained Practitioners 199
Chapter 50 203
Things Monks Should Give High Consideration 203
Chapter 51 213
Household Practitioners 213
Chapter 52 232
Mutual Support Between Monks, Brāhmins and Householders 232
Chapter 53 238
The Unobtainable 238
Chapter 54 244
Four Things Wished for, Desired, Agreeable, and Rarely Gained in the World 244
Chapter 55 252
Reappearance in Accordance with One’s Objectives 252
Chapter 56 256
Who Does Sakka Worship? 256
Chapter 57 258
Truly Favorable and Optimistic 258
Chapter 58 260
Right and Wrong Refuge 260
Chapter 59 262
The Paccorohanī Festival in the Noble One’s Discipline (First Discourse) 262
Chapter 60 266
5

The Paccorohanī Festival in the Noble One’s Discipline (Second Discourse) 266
Chapter 61 270
The Noble Paccorohanī Festival (First Discourse) 270
Chapter 62 273
The Noble Paccorohanī Festival (Second Discourse) 273
Chapter 63 276
Responsibilities of a Teacher 276
Chapter 64 284
Who Should You Not Teach and 284
Who Should You Teach 284
Author 288
Restoration of The Buddha’s Teachings 289
The Path to Enlightenment 289
The Goal 291
An Entire Species of Enlightened Beings 291
Why Have I Decided to Teach The Path to Enlightenment as Taught by Gotama Buddha?
294
Why Have I Decided to Reside and Teach in Thailand in Order to Restore The Teachings
of The Buddha Back into Humanity and Create “Heaven on Earth”? 297
6

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this book to charitable work to share The Teachings
of Gotama Buddha.
You are welcome to freely distribute this book.
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continued sharing of these Teachings.
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The Path to Enlightenment.
7

THE WORDS OF THE BUDDHA
The Path to Enlightenment
Revealing The Hidden
Volume 1
Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment
Volume 2
Walking The Path with The Buddha
Volume 3
Foundation in The Teachings
Volume 4
Exploring The Path to Enlightenment
Volume 5
The First Stage of Enlightenment
(Stream-Enterer)
Volume 6
The Natural Law of Kamma
Volume 7
Breathing Mindfulness Meditation
Volume 8
The Foremost Householders
Volume 9
The Six Sense Bases
Volume 10
The Buddha’s Way
Volume 11
The Realms of Existence
Volume 12
Lowly Arts
Volume 13
Generosity
FREE Download, Print, or Kindle
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8

Lowly Arts (Volume 12)
Journey through The Words of The Buddha from the beginning of his first
Teaching until his “last words” prior to death.
The book, “Lowly Arts” is select Teachings from The Buddha organized from
the largest and most complete collection of The Buddha’s Teachings on The
Path to Enlightenment - The Pāli Canon.
The Pāli Canon, or The Pāli Text, comprises forty-five (45) large volumes of
books where Students from the lifetime of The Buddha captured his
Teachings. The discourses of The Buddha in The Pāli Canon represent the
largest and most complete collection we have of The Buddha’s Teachings in
his own words. The Buddha’s Teachings are scattered over multiple volumes
of books in The Pāli Canon making it challenging for the average Practitioner
to glean the benefit of his Teachings.
The Words of The Buddha book series, has consolidated and organized his
Teachings into a series of books, based on specific topics, with explanations
of The Teachings from a dedicated Practitioner and Teacher.
You will find books such as Breathing Mindfulness Meditation (Volume 7) that
are the consolidated Teachings in The Words of The Buddha related to
meditation. The Natural Law of Kamma (Volume 6) provides Teachings
directly from The Buddha related to the important topic of Kamma. The
Foremost Householders (Volume 8) shares Teachings specifically for
Household Practitioners who are pursuing The Path to Enlightenment where
the mind is peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy - permanently.
The Words of The Buddha book series will provide a beginning, middle, and
end with detailed Teachings to develop your life practice and the ability to
seek guidance with the author of the book series. Learn, reflect, and practice
The Teachings of The Buddha, in his own words, with guidance from a
Teacher - offered openly and freely to “all beings”.
BuddhaDailyWisdom.com
9

Note from Author
This book shares Teachings from Gotama Buddha to guide Practitioners on
The Path to Enlightenment.
In various settings, Gotama Buddha is sharing Teachings with either a male
or a female - a husband or a wife.
As you learn, reflect, and practice these Teachings from Gotama Buddha,
you should consider The Teachings shared as multi-gendered. So while
Gotama Buddha may be using a specific gender of he/she, male/female, or a
specific title of husband/wife, son/daughter you can apply these same
Teachings to all genders and roles of the opposite of which he was
addressing his Teachings to in the setting in which The Teachings were
originally shared, or use a gender-neutral pronoun.
If Gotama Buddha is sharing Teachings with a man of how to be a
wholesome husband, you can relate this same Teaching for a female of how
to be a wholesome wife. If he is sharing a Teaching with a male of how to be
a wholesome son, you can relate this same Teaching for a female of how to
be a wholesome daughter. You have the freedom to apply these Teachings
using all genders and titles in use today.
Additionally, Gotama Buddha never used rebirth in the heavenly realm nor
rebirth in the lower realms of hell, animal, or afflicted spirits as a way to guilt,
shame, fear, or otherwise motivate people to learn and practice his
Teachings.
When you come to understand Teachings shared by Gotama Buddha related
to these potential future destinations upon rebirth, he is sharing the truth of
what will or will not occur based on specific Teachings based on The Natural
Laws of Existence. The truth he discovered, observed, and experienced as
The Perfectly Enlightened One.
One should in no way consider these Teachings he shared as a way to guilt,
shame, or fear one into learning and practicing his Teachings but instead,
consider that he is sharing the truth of what will or will not occur ensuring
that Practitioners understand the truth related to The Natural Laws of
Existence. Gotama Buddha’s Teachings on The Path to Enlightenment
involve, among other things, the elimination of guilt, shame, and fear. He
would not use guilt, shame, or fear to motivate someone to learn and
practice his Teachings because his most core and central Teaching of The
Four Noble Truths, and everything else he taught, makes it clear that the
objective is to eliminate discontent feelings such as guilt, shame, and fear.
10

Gotama Buddha shared The Teachings as guidance for anyone who chooses
to learn and practice without forceful influence. Through learning, reflecting,
and practicing his Teachings, one comes to understand the truth as the
condition of the mind and the condition of one’s life gradually improve.
It is not possible to forcefully influence one to attain Enlightenment and that
approach was never employed by The Perfectly Enlightened One, and
should never be employed by anyone else. Learning and practicing these
Teachings is through personal free will choice.
A Buddha only points the way, everyone else must strive.
While this book series contains “The Words of The Buddha” as the
foundation and focus of study, the author has provided you content in which
to understand and reflect on his thoughts related to The Teachings shared by
The Buddha.
A reader and, thus, Practitioner should not rely solely on the author’s content
in their reflection on The Teachings from Gotama Buddha. The author’s
content is to provide you guidance towards understanding but it is you, the
Practitioner, who needs to deeply investigate “The Words of The Buddha” to
determine the truth for yourself. You should not be limited to only what the
author has provided by way of meaning and understanding of “The Words of
The Buddha”. Instead, learn, reflect, practice, and seek guidance from a
Teacher to support you in gaining wisdom. The mind is liberated through
wisdom.
To gain the most benefit from “The Words of The Buddha” book series,
it is suggested that you start with (Volume 1), “Developing a Life
Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment”. That book will provide
a framework to understand all of Gotama Buddha’s Teachings in the
entire book series. Without reading that book first, a Practitioner will
find it very challenging to start with learning from “The Words of The
Buddha”.
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11

The Problem - The Wisdom of Enlightenment Has Been Lost
Gotama Buddha lived over 2,500 years ago sharing The Teachings that lead
to Enlightenment.
During his lifetime, it was well known to people who were learning, reflecting,
and practicing with him as their Teacher, exactly what Enlightenment is and
how to attain it.
This wisdom remained for 500 years after the death of The Buddha. But
thereafter, this wisdom has gradually declined and diminished to the point
where we are today, 2,500 years later. Gotama Buddha predicted this would
occur.
The vast majority of the world does not understand what Enlightenment is
and how to attain it. The Path to Enlightenment, while once was strong and
vibrant during the lifetime of The Buddha, has now practically disappeared.
There are very few beings in existence today who understand what
Enlightenment is and how to attain it.
The Universal Truth of Impermanence has drastically affected humanity’s
understanding of The Path to Enlightenment.
This occurred through the lack of focus and diligence to maintain The
Teachings of The Buddha as vibrantly as existed during his lifetime. People
gradually and slowly mixed and blended various traditions and thoughts into
The Buddha’s Teachings which, while perhaps well intended, have only
served to dilute humanity’s understanding of The Path to Enlightenment and,
thus, have made it extremely difficult for countless beings to experience
Enlightenment.
Enlightenment is a peaceful, calm, serene, and content mind with joy that is
permanent. The Enlightened mind no longer experiences any discontent
feelings. All discontentedness such as sadness, anger, frustration, irritation,
annoyance, guilt, shame, fears, boredom, loneliness, shyness, jealousy,
resentment, stress, anxiety, etc., has been completely eliminated from the
Enlightened mind.
Gotama Buddha’s objective is for his Teachings to be shared worldwide so
that all beings can experience the Enlightened mental state. However, during
his lifetime, it was impossible to share his Teachings worldwide. It has now
come to us to be able to actively learn, reflect, and practice his Teachings, in
such a way, that they are restored and shining in the world so that countless
12

individuals can attain Enlightenment today and in multiple generations to
come.
But, in order to accomplish this goal, we will need to stay determined,
dedicated, and diligent to learning, reflecting, and practicing The Teachings
of The Buddha that he shared over 2,500 years ago. We will need to be
diligent to ensure that we are not diluting his Teachings through mixing
various traditions and practices that are not part of The Path to
Enlightenment.
Every Practitioner will need to decide, are they interested in being part of the
problem or part of the solution.
The solution takes time, effort, energy, and resources to be committed
enough to restoring The Buddha’s Teachings back into humanity, in such a
way, that is highly beneficial to countless individuals today and long into the
future.
Remaining part of the problem requires no time, effort, energy, or resources.
It just requires continued complacency and lack of attention to the active
learning, reflecting, and practicing of “The Words of The Buddha”. I suggest
it would be unwise to remain part of the problem as one will continue to
experience discontentedness and the suffering it causes.
The Solution - Restoring The Buddha’s Teachings Back into Humanity
If you would like to be part of the solution, I would like to encourage you to
actively learn, reflect, and practice The Teachings of The Buddha, in such a
way, that does not include the diluting or mixing of his Teachings with other
traditions. It is The Teachings of The Buddha that lead to Enlightenment, not
those that are blended and mixed that only serve to dilute The Path to
Enlightenment for all those who aspire to experience Enlightenment.
The primary obstacle or obstruction that hinders Practitioners from the
attainment of Enlightenment is ignorance (unknowing of true reality). This is a
taint/pollution of mind where the Practitioner lacks wisdom to understand the
true Path to Enlightenment. This unknowing of true reality creates an
obstacle or obstruction that keeps the mind trapped in the unEnlightened
state continuing to experience continued discontentedness and the suffering
it causes. The only way to remove this hindrance is to seek guidance with a
Teacher in the true Teachings of The Buddha using The Words of The
Buddha. It is The Teachings of The Buddha that will awaken the mind to
Enlightenment through independent verification of his Teachings to acquire
wisdom, thus, removing this obstruction to Enlightenment.
13

Through dedication to restoring The Teachings of The Buddha within your
own life practice by acquiring wisdom using The Words of The Buddha, you
are doing your part to contribute to restoring his Teachings back into
humanity for the benefit of countless beings that exist now and long into the
future. All of humanity can evolve so that everyone can attain Enlightenment
creating the most peaceful world we have ever imagined. It will be like
“heaven on earth”.
You are invited to join this Community to only learn and practice “The Words
of The Buddha”, in such a way, that leads to your Enlightenment and the
restoration of The Buddha’s Teachings so that you and countless beings can
experience the peacefulness, liberation of mind, and complete elimination of
discontentedness and the suffering it causes, known as Enlightenment.
The Words of The Buddha Book Series
https://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/freebuddhabooks
“Thank you” for choosing to learn and
practice Gotama Buddha’s Teachings.
You are making the world a better place
through developing your life practice based
on “The Words of The Buddha”.
14

Continue to read and understand “The Words of The Buddha - The Path to
Enlightenment - Revealing The Hidden” book series that has been laid out
for all of us to achieve a better way of life.
You can connect to a group of people in a supportive environment for
discussion, sharing, and learning through the Facebook group.
Daily Wisdom - Walking The Path with The Buddha
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DailyWisdom999/
All members are accepted without judgment. It is a healthy place to talk,
discuss, learn, and grow. There are resources to help you further on this
Path to Enlightenment accessible online through a Group Learning
Program.
Group Learning Program: LIVE Interactive Online Classes, Books,
Audiobooks, Videos, Podcast and Personal Guidance are available for you.
15

Preface
Lowly Arts
This book is dedicated to “you” and the complete elimination, destruction,
and cessation of suffering or “discontentedness” of the mind. Thus, this
book is dedicated to the elimination of discontentedness and the suffering
that it causes in the entire world.
The Teachings in this book series, with some effort on your part, will lead you
to everlasting peace - a peaceful mind and a peaceful life. It’s your personal
choices, with these Teachings serving as a guide, that will bring you these
results.
We are all walking towards the darkness or towards the light. Which
direction you walk is completely your choice.
This book and Teachings are meant to guide you in learning, reflecting, and
practicing The Teachings of The Perfectly Enlightened Buddha who lived
over 2,500 years ago.
The Teachings of The Buddha are timeless, meaning they are just as
applicable today as they were 2,500 years ago.
Gotama Buddha’s Teachings are not a religion but instead, a “better way of
life”. Through learning, reflecting, and practicing these Teachings to
independently verify the truth, the mind will acquire wisdom awakening to
Enlightenment.
It is suggested that you first read “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That
Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1) of this same book series while seeking
guidance from a Teacher. It is that book that provides a Practitioner with a
solid foundation in developing a life practice that will lead to the Enlightened
mind.
In order to progress on The Path to Enlightenment, a Practitioner will need a
Teacher to receive guidance. One would not be able to only read a book and
attain the results of an Enlightened mind.
Nothing in Gotama Buddha’s Teachings is based on belief. A Buddha has
already done the hard work of figuring out how to attain Enlightenment. You
just need to learn and practice his Teachings to improve the condition of the
mind and your life.
16

All his Teachings can be learned and practiced to independently observe the
truth as the mind “gradually” acquires wisdom through independent
verification of his Teachings and through practice of his Teachings.
This new found wisdom “gradually” improves the way the mind functions in
the world through eliminating discontentedness of mind. The mind can
completely eliminate all discontent feelings such as sadness, anger,
frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fears, boredom, loneliness,
shyness, jealousy, resentment, stress, anxiety, etc. on The Path to
Enlightenment.
Through learning and practicing Gotama Buddha’s Teachings with guidance,
the mind becomes Enlightened in that you can observe the improvement in
the condition of the mind as you eliminate all discontent feelings where the
mind can reside peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy - permanently.
You are not believing The Teachings wishing for a positive outcome at some
point in the future or after death. Instead, you are observing the
improvements to the condition of the mind right now - in the present
moment.
Only a Buddha would be able to attain Enlightenment on their own without
Teachers. These are some of the criteria that make a Buddha a Buddha is
that they discover The Teachings on their own attaining Enlightenment
without help from a Teacher, shares their independently discovered
Teachings to guide countless others to Enlightenment during the remaining
time of their life, and they leave their Teachings in a condition that they guide
countless others to Enlightenment after their death.
The last Buddha currently known to the world existed over 2,500 years ago.
That means you and everyone else will need Teachers on this Path to
Enlightenment.
Your journey to learn, reflect, and practice these Teachings is significantly
improved through making the choice to learn directly with “The Words of The
Buddha”.
Today, there are many resources for Teachings described as Buddhist or
originating with The Buddha. But, it is only when a Practitioner chooses to
investigate “The Words of The Buddha” being sourced directly from the
original source, The Pāli Canon, that a Practitioner will come to understand
the truth of what The Buddha actually taught and be able to implement these
Teachings into your daily life to experience the results of Enlightenment.
17

Through learning and practicing Gotama Buddha’s Teachings, in his own
words, The Perfectly Enlightened One’s wisdom can penetrate the mind and
you can experience the breakthrough to realizing the Enlightened mind.
I have significant gratitude, appreciation, admiration, and respect for Master
Teacher Gotama Buddha as his Teachings lead exactly where he said they
would. To a steady, calm, stable, and unshakable mind, known as
Enlightenment.
There are countless unknown and unnamed individuals who are responsible
for these Teachings reaching you in this book series. These Teachings have
been preserved throughout history over the last 2,500 years through the
tireless efforts of Ordained and Household Practitioners. These Teachings
have been preserved and shared from one generation to the next because
they work.
It is now up to us to learn, reflect, and practice these Teachings to
experience the Enlightened mind, so that we may benefit from an improved
existence while also preserving these Teachings for future generations in our
hearts and minds.
While books are an outstanding tool to capture The Teachings and share
them worldwide, there is nothing more significant than having massive
numbers of Enlightened beings in the world who can directly share these
Teachings with those who choose to seek guidance in developing their life
practice on The Path to Enlightenment. Each of us individually and
collectively, are just one link in a long chain of Practitioners and Teachers
spanning over 2,500 years.
What we choose to do in this time and place will determine how vibrant and
sustaining these Teachings are for future generations. It is our work and
effort to seek our own Enlightenment that we will experience results for our
own mind and lay the groundwork for countless more beings after us to
experience the same freedom of mind that you are now choosing to pursue.
Many people are interested in improving the world, but do not know how. It
is only when we are dedicated to improving our own wisdom, moral conduct,
and mental discipline that we will improve the world. Through improving our
own life practice through learning “The Words of The Buddha” then, we will
have collectively improved the world.
The problem that the unEnlightened mind is experiencing is not the outside
world, but the inner world. Training the mind, the inner world, is what
produces a peaceful existence. You can’t control other people and what they
18

do. You can only decide to train your own mind to be unaffected by what
others do.
It is a real struggle to exist in a world that the mind does not understand. It is
“The Words of The Buddha” that explains The Natural Laws of Existence
guiding the mind to acquire deep wisdom to make better free will decisions
through a purified mind.
Master Teacher Gotama Buddha
(The Tathāgata)
19

What Are Lowly Arts?
20


Chapter 1
What are the Lowly Arts?
Venerable Sir, where as some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of
the dedicated, make their living by such base arts, such wrong means of
livelihood as palmistry, divining by signs, portents, dreams, body-marks,
mouse-gnawings, fire-oblations, oblations from a ladle, of husks, rice-
powder, rice grains, ghee or oil, from the mouth or of blood, reading the
finger-tips, house- and garden-lore, skill in charms, ghost-lore, earth-house
lore, snake-lore, poison-lore, rat-lore, bird-lore, crow-lore, foretelling a
person’s life-span, charms against arrows, knowledge of animals’ cries, …
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
judging the marks of gems, sticks, clothes, swords, spears, arrows,
weapons, women, men, boys, girls, male and female slaves, elephants,
horses, buffaloes, bulls, cows, goats, rams, cocks, quail, iguanas, bamboo
rats, tortoises, deer, …
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
predicting: The chiefs will march out - the chiefs will march back, our chiefs
will advance and the other chiefs will retreat, our chiefs will win and the other
chiefs will lose, the other chiefs will win and ours will lose, thus there will be
victory for one side and defeat for the other, …
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
predicting an eclipse of the moon, the sun, a star; that the sun and moon will
go on their proper course - will go astray; that a star will go on its proper
course - will go astray; that there will be a shower of meteors, a blaze in the
sky, an earthquake, thunder; a rising, setting, darkening, brightening of the
moon, the sun, the stars; and such will be the outcome of these things, …
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
predicting good or bad rainfall; a good or bad harvest; security, danger;
disease, health; or accounting, computing, calculating, poetic composition,
philosophizing, …
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
arranging the giving and taking in marriage, engagements and divorces;
[declaring the time for] saving and spending, bringing good or bad luck,
procuring abortions, using spells to bind the tongue, binding the jaw, making
the hands jerk, causing deafness, getting answers with a mirror, a girl-
21


medium, a heavenly being; worshipping the sun or Great Brahmā (God),
breathing fire, invoking the goddess of luck, …
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated,
make their living by such base arts, such wrong means of livelihood as
appeasing the heavenly beings and redeeming vows to them, making earth-
house spells, causing virility or impotence, preparing and consecrating
building-sites, giving ritual rinsings and bathings, making sacrifices, giving
emetics, purges, expectorants and phlegmagogues, giving ear-, eye-, nose-
medicine, ointments and counter-ointments, eye-surgery, surgery, pediatry,
using balms to counter the side-effects of previous remedies, …
(Reference: DN 1)
In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares a description of the lowly arts.
22


Chapter 2
The Ascetic Gotama Refrains from Such Base Arts
Monks, whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the
dedicated, make their living by such base arts, such wrong means of
livelihood as palmistry, divining by signs, portents, dreams, body-marks,
mouse gnawings, fire-oblations, oblations from a ladle, of husks, rice-
powder, rice grains, ghee or oil, from the mouth or of blood, reading the
finger-tips, house- and garden-lore, skill in charms, ghost-lore, earth-house
lore, snake-lore, poison-lore, rat-lore, bird-lore, crow-lore, foretelling a
person’s life-span, charms against arrows, knowledge of animals’ cries, the
Ascetic Gotama refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood.
Thus the worldling would praise The Tathāgata.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
judging the marks of gems, sticks, clothes, swords, spears, arrows,
weapons, women, men, boys, girls, male and female slaves, elephants,
horses, buffaloes, bulls, cows, goats, rams, cocks, quail, iguanas, bamboo-
rats, tortoises, deer, the Ascetic Gotama refrains from such base arts.
Thus the worldling would praise The Tathāgata.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
predicting: The chiefs will march out - the chiefs will march back, our chiefs
will advance and the other chiefs will retreat, our chiefs will win and the other
chiefs will lose, the other chiefs will win and ours will lose, thus there will be
victory for one side and defeat for the other’, the Ascetic Gotama refrains
from such base arts.
Thus the worldling would praise The Tathāgata.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
predicting an eclipse of the moon, the sun, a star; that the sun and moon will
go on their proper course - will go astray; that a star will go on its proper
course - will go astray; that there will be a shower of meteors, a blaze in the
sky, an earthquake, thunder; a rising, setting, darkening, brightening of the
moon, the sun, the stars; and such will be the outcome of these things, the
Ascetic Gotama refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood.
Thus the worldling would praise The Tathāgata.
23


Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
predicting good or bad rainfall; a good or bad harvest; security, danger;
disease, health; or accounting, computing, calculating, poetic composition,
philosophizing, the Ascetic Gotama refrains from such base arts and wrong
means of livelihood.
Thus the worldling would praise The Tathāgata.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
arranging the giving and taking in marriage, engagements and divorces;
[declaring the time for] saving and spending, bringing good or bad luck,
procuring abortions, using spells to bind the tongue, binding the jaw, making
the hands jerk, causing deafness, getting answers with a mirror, a girl-
medium, a heavenly being; worshipping the sun or Great Brahmā (God),
breathing fire, invoking the goddess of luck, the Ascetic Gotama refrains
from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood.
Thus the worldling would praise The Tathāgata.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated,
make their living by such base arts, such wrong means of livelihood as
appeasing the heavenly beings and redeeming vows to them, making earth-
house spells, causing virility or impotence, preparing and consecrating
building-sites, giving ritual rinsings and bathings, making sacrifices, giving
emetics, purges, expectorants and phlegmagogues, giving ear-, eye-, nose-
medicine, ointments and counter-ointments, eye-surgery, surgery, pediatry,
using balms to counter the side-effects of previous remedies, the Ascetic
Gotama refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood.
Thus the worldling would praise The Tathāgata.
It is, Monks, for such basic, minor matters of moral practice that the
worldling would praise The Tathāgata.
(Reference: DN 1)


In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that he does not practice any of the
lowly arts.
He explains that these are all “wrong livelihoods” and that he refrains from practicing
these as a livelihood. An Ordained Practitioner would be unable to attain Enlightenment if
they were practicing any of these “wrong livelihood”.
A worldling is an individual who is engrossed in the worries of the world, worldly matters,
and material things.
Right Livelihood: A livelihood is how you earn your living through daily life to sustain your
life in a career, profession, or lifestyle. Our livelihood is the work or activities we do on a
daily basis such as an occupation or lifestyle to sustain our life (i.e. stay at home parent,
volunteer, retired person, holy life, administrative support, waste removal, cleaning
services, doctor, politician, entrepreneur, etc.). A livelihood to sustain our life should not
cause any harm to other beings. If we cause harm to other beings in order to sustain our
own life, this is going to produce harm in our own life.
For example, are you a doctor, nurse, auto mechanic, street cleaning engineer, food
server, waste removal technician, etc. Are you conducting a livelihood that is wholesome
and helpful to society and humanity, “yes”, this is a Right Livelihood. You should not
cause any harm through your livelihood.
Each person has a livelihood whether the goal is to acquire financial support or not. A
livelihood is the career, profession, or lifestyle one chooses. In some cases, a person may
choose to pursue personal interests and skills rather than financial goals or a career. A
stay at home parent is still a livelihood as this is a contribution to society and humanity
providing life sustaining activities but may not have a direct salary associated with the
day-to-day responsibilities.
A livelihood is not necessarily solely to make money or produce wealth but instead is how
we choose to contribute our time, effort, and energy towards life sustaining activities for
us and our family. Finding life supporting activities, a livelihood, that allow us to generate
income to support our life through helping others or just purely providing life sustaining
activities that we perform as a role in society, is our livelihood. Through finding a
livelihood that you enjoy while also providing income or life sustaining needs will ensure a
successful livelihood.
For those who do generate income through their livelihood, focus on finding something
you enjoy that happens to also provide financial support. This will ensure the best
outcome and enthusiasm for your daily life. If you select a livelihood solely on the bases
of making money, acquiring wealth, power, prestige, or a specific title, then you will find
the mind will struggle to perform your duties and responsibilities on an ongoing consistent
basis perhaps even becoming bored or disinterested.
If you find a livelihood that is helping others, you enjoy the profession, and you
happen to be able to acquire financial income to sustain your life and the life of
those close to you, this will be the best match.
25


The mind will be motivated and enthusiastic to perform the daily responsibilities of the
livelihood with ease. Finding a livelihood where you can acquire an income, help others,
and you enjoy the activities required on a daily basis, will ensure that you never “work” one
day in your life. Your profession will not feel like “work” but instead it is just one way that
you help the world through your daily efforts and it happens to generate life sustaining
resources for you and your family. Your livelihood is part of your life practice and we can
make conscious and wise choices to ensure we are meeting our goals while also helping
others through our livelihood.
Gotama Buddha gave us five livelihoods that we should not engage in as they cause
harm to other beings, thus, unwholesome Kamma production: business in weapons,
business in living beings (animals, slaves, human trafficking), business in meat, business
in substances that cause heedlessness, and business in poisons. These all cause harm in
the world, thus, if we choose to sustain our life based on these “wrong livelihoods” then
we will experience harm.
Trades Not to Be Plied
Monks, a Household Practitioner should not engage in these five trades.
What five?
Business in weapons,
business in living beings,
business in meat,
business in substances that cause heedlessness,
and business in poisons.
A Household Practitioner should not engage in these five trades.
(Reference: AN 5.177)
—————
And what, Monks, is wrong livelihood?
Scheming, flattery, hinting, belittling, pursuing gain with gain: this is wrong livelihood.
(Gotama Buddha)
(Reference: MN 117)
26


These are aspects of practice that one is being guided to avoid while practicing one’s
livelihood.
Scheming: corruption or deception.
Flattery: excessive and insincere praise, given especially to further one’s own interests.
Hinting: suggest or indicate something indirectly or covertly. Not being direct, clear, and
to the point with one’s work activities.
Belittling: talking down to others in negative and disparaging ways in the attempt to
diminish others’ work.
Pursuing gain with gain: doing work just for profit or greed, without a real interest to
provide benefit to humanity through one's livelihood.
As long as your livelihood is not involved in any of these five (5) wrong livelihoods, you are
not pursuing a livelihood solely for the purpose of “gain” or selfish desires (i.e. solely for
fame or fortune), and you conduct your livelihood with high ethics (i.e. without scheming
or corruption), you are practicing “Right Livelihood”.
Ordained Practitioners have guidance from Gotama Buddha beyond these five (5)
livelihoods that are considered “wrong livelihood”. For example, Gotama Buddha
provided guidance that Ordained Practitioners who provide tattoos, palm reading, spells,
predictions based on astronomy, and other types of “livelihoods” are practicing “wrong
livelihood”. Gotama Buddha’s Teachings have much more details on “Right Livelihood”
for Ordained Practitioners.
Gotama Buddha’s objectives for Ordained Practitioners was to keep them focused on
learning, practicing, and sharing these Teachings so that they could eliminate the
discontent mind for themselves and guide humanity in eliminating their discontent mind.
Therefore, Ordained Practitioners who focus on livelihoods other than learning, practicing,
and sharing The Teachings are not practicing “Right Livelihood”.
Ordained Practitioners are sustained through offerings by Household Practitioners. So it is
important that they develop their own practice of these Teachings and then share The
Teachings with Household Practitioners so they can benefit from The Teachings and
improve their life. If Ordained Practitioners are not learning, reflecting, and practicing The
Teachings so that they can then share The Teachings with Household Practitioners, they
are benefiting from the offerings and hard work of Household Practitioners without
providing anything in return that is beneficial to Household Practitioners. This was not
how Gotama Buddha intended The Community of Ordained Practitioners to function,
thus, he established many “wrong livelihoods” that involved distracting Ordained
Practitioners from their work to develop a life practice and then teach others.
Recently, marijuana has become known as a substance once thought of as a “drug” but
now many people are realizing its medicinal qualities. For one to sell this medication
through proper legal channels as a “medication” with the intention to help, that would still
be considered a “Right Livelihood”. You will find more on the topic of marijuana in the
Chapter titled “The Five Precepts: A Householders Guide to Daily Practice” (Chapter 7) of
the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).
27


Chapter 3
A Monk Who Is Perfected in Morality
A Monk Refrains from Such Base Arts and
Wrong Means of Livelihood
Venerable Sir, whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of
the dedicated, make their living by such base arts, such wrong means of
livelihood as palmistry, divining by signs, portents, dreams, body-marks,
mouse-gnawings, fire-oblations, oblations from a ladle, of husks, rice-
powder, rice grains, ghee or oil, from the mouth or of blood, reading the
finger-tips, house- and garden-lore, skill in charms, ghost-lore, earth-house
lore, snake-lore, poison-lore, rat-lore, bird-lore, crow-lore, foretelling a
person’s life-span, charms against arrows, knowledge of animals’ cries.
A Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he
is perfected in morality.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
judging the marks of gems, sticks, clothes, swords, spears, arrows,
weapons, women, men, boys, girls, male and female slaves, elephants,
horses, buffaloes, bulls, cows, goats, rams, cocks, quail, iguanas, bamboo
rats, tortoises, deer.
A Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he
is perfected in morality.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
predicting: The chiefs will march out - the chiefs will march back, our chiefs
will advance and the other chiefs will retreat, our chiefs will win and the other
chiefs will lose, the other chiefs will win and ours will lose, thus there will be
victory for one side and defeat for the other.
A Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he
is perfected in morality.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
predicting an eclipse of the moon, the sun, a star, that the sun and moon will
go on their proper course - will go astray; that a star will go on its proper
course - will go astray; that there will be a shower of meteors, a blaze in the
sky, an earthquake, thunder; a rising, setting, darkening, brightening of the
moon, the sun, the stars; and such will be the outcome of these things.
28


A Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he
is perfected in morality.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
predicting good or bad rainfall; a good or bad harvest; security, danger;
disease, health; or accounting, computing, calculating, poetic composition,
philosophizing.
A Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he
is perfected in morality.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
arranging the giving and taking in marriage, engagements and divorces;
[declaring the time for] saving and spending, bringing good or bad luck,
procuring abortions, using spells to bind the tongue, binding the jaw, making
the hands jerk, causing deafness, getting answers with a mirror, a girl-
medium, a heavenly being; worshipping the sun or Great Brahmā (God),
breathing fire, invoking the goddess of luck.
A Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he
is perfected in morality.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated,
make their living by such base arts, such wrong means of livelihood as
appeasing the heavenly beings and redeeming vows to them, making earth-
house spells, causing virility or impotence, preparing and consecrating
building-sites, giving ritual rinsings and bathings, making sacrifices, giving
emetics, purges, expectorants and phlegmagogues, giving ear-, eye-, nose
medicine, ointments and counter-ointments, eye-surgery, surgery, pediatry,
using balms to counter the side-effects of previous remedies.
A Monk refrains from such base arts and wrong means of livelihood. Thus he
is perfected in morality.
And then, Sir, that Monk who is perfected in morality sees no danger from
any side owing to his being restrained by morality. Just as a duly-anointed
Khattiya King, having conquered his enemies, by that very fact sees no
danger from any side, so the Monk, on account of his morality, sees no
danger anywhere. He experiences in himself the blameless bliss that comes
from maintaining this Noble morality. In this way, Sir, he is perfected in
morality.
(Reference: DN 11)


In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that a Monk (i.e. Ordained Practitioner)
should not practice any of the lowly arts and by doing so, will not experience any
“danger” (i.e. harm).
He explains that these are all “wrong livelihoods” and that Ordained Practitioner refrains
from practicing these as a livelihood. An Ordained Practitioner would be unable to attain
Enlightenment if they were practicing any of these “wrong livelihood”.
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins make their living by such base arts as
judging the marks of gems, sticks, clothes, swords, spears, arrows, weapons,
women, men, boys, girls, male and female slaves, elephants, horses, buffaloes,
bulls, cows, goats, rams, cocks, quail. iguanas, bamboo rats, tortoises, deer.
Gotama Buddha did not accept animals as offerings and guided his Ordained
Practitioners to not accept animals as offerings.
Animal Ownership and a Life of Servitude
There is a great need for caring and compassionate people to care for the massive
number of pets that have proliferated throughout the world.
It is important to understand, having a pet is not what will bring permanent peaceful,
content, joyful, and satisfying feelings into the mind. Oftentimes, when the unEnlightened
mind is experiencing painful feelings, an individual can crave/desire a pet thinking this is
going to fix the mind. In reality, it is oftentimes just one more craving/desire/attachment
that will lead to discontentedness if the mind becomes attached.
There are multiple challenges associated with taking on the responsibility of another
being’s life.
The feeding, bathing, caring, medical, and other responsibilities often challenge one to
experience freedom of movement and freedom of mind. There are oftentimes expenses
beyond what someone is able to support as well as emotional challenges and physical
harms that are experienced by an individual as a result of living side-by-side with animals.
Then, end of life decisions can leave one struggling as they observe the pet aging and
experiencing sickness. Euthanasia is often considered which brings a whole host of
challenges for the individual as euthanasia would conflict with The First Precept of The
Five Precepts, but observing end of life struggles also brings significant challenges to a
Practitioner’s mind.
While there are many animals that need kind and loving people to care for them, it can be
quite a challenge for someone to do so without attachment. If there is craving/desire/
attachment, there will be discontentedness that is experienced in the mind.
So while an individual oftentimes considers getting a pet to experience “pleasant feelings”,
this will lead to “painful feelings” due to the mind’s own craving/desire/attachment. The
unEnlightened mind is going to chase after the objects of its affection thinking that “the
next new shiny object around the corner” is going to bring lasting fulfillment, but it never
does. Those feelings are only temporary, they are impermanent due to the mind’s craving/
desire/attachment.
30


I would suggest that for someone who has a sincere interest to actively progress towards
Enlightenment, to not acquire the responsibility of caring for an animal’s life. Instead, focus
on improving one’s own mind and life, that will be challenging enough, rather than, taking
on the added responsibly of caring for another being’s life.
But, should someone choose to take on this responsibility, I suggest adopting an animal
from a shelter rather than going to a for-profit breeder. If someone purchased an animal
from a breeder, this would be supporting another person’s “wrong livelihood” which only
produces more issues in the world.
The mass production of animals for sale is causing enormous issues in the world as these
animals oftentimes lack the care they need from responsible individuals. Animals are not
meant to be kept inside homes and with human beings living side-by-side with animals.
While we do that today, I suspect that as more people understand the harms we are
causing due to our own selfish desires to keep animals with us, that less and less people
will choose this option.
Human beings can oftentimes be selfish thinking that animals are here to serve us when
they are their own beings and are unable to give their permission for us to keep them in a
life of servitude based on our own selfish desires. We oftentimes use animals to fulfill our
own selfish desires without the animal providing the ability to give their consent, thus, we
keep beings trapped into a life to fulfill our own selfish desires, much like slaves. Whether
it is for food, food production, pets, or some other purpose, we are using animals to fulfill
our own desires without the ability for the animals to consent to our demands.
How would we feel if there was a being more superior than human beings that captured
us, bred us, and trapped us into a life of servitude to meet their demands? Are we
comfortable and willing to give our life over to this other class of beings to serve their every
demand? Would we give over our children, life partner, or members of our family to this
more supreme class of beings to control us?
But, we do have this challenge where there are countless animals in the world that do
need caring homes. There are some people who are able to manage this well and find “the
middle way” as it relates to caring for an animal.
If you choose to do so, it is important to train the mind that this animal is not going to bring
lasting or permanent peaceful, content, joyful, and satisfying feelings into the mind. And, if
an individual is choosing to take on this responsibility of caring for a pet thinking it will
produce these feelings, that is the wrong reason to get a pet and they are only setting
themselves up to fail, as the mind is just having craving/desire/attachment that is going to
lead to discontentedness.
If the goal is to eliminate the mind’s potential to have craving/desire/attachment, I would
suggest not getting a pet. If the mind is well trained and is adopting a pet to provide loving-
kindness and compassion for the being’s life while ensuring the mind does not acquire
craving/desire/attachment, perhaps they can manage having a pet and provide care but
this is going to require a deep understanding and practice of these Teachings or else, one
is setting themselves up for discontentedness.
31


At the end of the day, it is a personal choice. A choice that only each individual can make.
Perhaps the thoughts shared here can help you as you consider this decision and make
the wisest decision for you.
32


Chapter 4
The Various Kinds of Pointless Talk
Monks, do not engage in the various kinds of pointless talk, that is, talk
about Kings, thieves, and ministers of state; talk about armies, dangers, and
wars; talk about food, drink, garments, and beds; talk about garlands and
scents; talk about relations, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries;
talk about women and talk about heroes; street talk and talk by the well; talk
about those departed in days gone by; rambling chitchat; speculation about
the world and about the sea; talk about becoming this or that.
For what reason?
Because, Monks, this talk is unbeneficial, irrelevant to the fundamentals of
the holy life, and does not lead to fading away of strong feelings, to freedom
from strong feelings, to elimination, to peace, to direct knowledge
(experience), to Enlightenment, to Nibbāna.
(Reference: SN 56.10)


In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that Ordained Practitioners would be
unwise to discuss topics such as those mentioned in this Teaching.
Gotama Buddha’s objective for Ordained Practitioners was to keep them focused on
learning, practicing, and sharing these Teachings so that they could eliminate the
discontent mind for themselves and guide humanity in eliminating their discontent mind.
Therefore, Ordained Practitioners who discuss these topics of “pointless talk”, would be
taking away from their effectiveness to share these Teachings with the widest audience
possible.
Ordained Practitioners are sustained through offerings by Household Practitioners. So it is
important that they develop their own practice of these Teachings and then share The
Teachings with Household Practitioners so they can benefit from The Teachings and
improve their life. If Ordained Practitioners are speaking in ways that is unbeneficial to
those who are interested to learn, reflect, and practice these Teachings using “pointless
talk”, it detracts from one’s ability to be an effective Teacher.
Through an Ordained Practitioner or Teacher eliminating these topics of conversation from
what they choose to speak about, they will be of more benefit to those who seek to
understand these Teachings through staying focused on sharing The Teachings, not
“pointless talk”.
Additionally, if an Ordained Practitioner or Teacher is looking to have the widest audience
possible to be interested in learning with them, if they did speak of these topics, it would
alienate a large segment of a population based on having opposing views.
33


The unEnlightened mind is oftentimes uncomfortable with disagreement and can become
angry when an individual disagrees with their point of view or opinion. So if an Ordained
Practitioner or Teacher is discussing things like politics, a topic that can draw heated
discussion due to one’s own craving/desire/attachment, there will be Students who
adamantly disagree with a Teachers opinions and this will create a roadblock to their
ability to receive guidance on The Path to Enlightenment. The unEnlightened mind will be
angered and frustrated that a Teacher does not share their same perspective and,
therefore, they will decide to not continue forward to learn and practice these Teachings
to experience the results of an Enlightened mind. The Student’s unEnlightened mind will
falsely attribute their painful feelings of anger, frustration, irritation, etc. to the Teacher and
then have aversion distancing themselves from the Teacher based on thinking this will
solve their mind’s difficulties.
The best approach an Ordained Practitioner or Teacher could take is, to not discuss these
topics at all to develop their practice, such that, they only ever discuss The Teachings
with their Students rather than politics or other irrelevant topics that do not relate to The
Path to Enlightenment and the Student’s attainment of Enlightenment.
The goal of an Ordained Practitioner or Teacher should be to openly and freely share
these Teachings with all those who seek guidance. In doing so, through one’s own
practice being developed, they can focus solely on sharing these Teachings rather than
having discussion on irrelevant topics that can produce arguments and hostility directed
to the Teacher detracting from the goal of sharing these Teachings openly and freely for
the benefit of all those who seek guidance.
Political views, discussion of specific criminal court cases, military, wars, and other topics
are “irrelevant to the fundamentals of the holy life, and does not lead to fading away of
strong feelings, to freedom from strong feelings, to elimination, to peace, to direct
knowledge (experience), to Enlightenment, to Nibbāna”.
These topics and others do not lead to Enlightenment and could only serve for Students
to choose to distance themselves from a Teacher should the Teacher choose to discuss
these types of topics. Discussing irrelevant topics diminishes one’s effectiveness and
benefit to the Students. A Teacher needs to develop the ability to share these Teachings
in a way that focuses only on these Teachings rather than “street talk and talk by the well;
talk about those departed in days gone by; rambling chitchat; speculation about the
world and about the sea; talk about becoming this or that”.
This will assist a Teacher in being beneficial to those who are seeking guidance rather
than giving reasons for Students distance themselves from a Teacher and, thus, The
Teachings that are going to ultimately benefit one’s life through the attainment of
Enlightenment.
34


Chapter 5
The Ascetic Gotama Refrained from Pointless Talk
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins, feeding on the food of the dedicated,
remain addicted to such distasteful conversation as about Kings, thieves,
and ministers of state; talk about armies, dangers, and wars; talk about food,
drink, garments, and beds; talk about garlands and scents; talk about
relations, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries; talk about women
and talk about heroes; street talk and talk by the well; talk about those
departed in days gone by; rambling chitchat; speculation about the world
and about the sea; talk about becoming this or that, the Ascetic Gotama
refrains from such conversation.
Thus the worldling would praise The Tathāgata.
(Reference: DN 1)


In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that he refrains from pointless talk.
The Buddha spoke of topics related to these Teachings and guiding Students to liberation
of the mind. Through remaining consistent and dedicated to sharing these Teachings,
people around The Buddha gave much significance to his words and his Teachings.
If he had “rambling chitchat”, people would become accustomed to his words and
conversations would be meaningless. They would be disinterested in listening to him and
understanding the depth of his Teachings.
Therefore, he remained focused on sharing The Teachings, which is The Path to
Enlightenment, rather than, various unbeneficial, irrelevant, and pointless talk.
In this way, he could be much more effective as a Teacher helping to guide countless
people to Enlightenment because when he spoke, people listened.
35


Chapter 6
A Monk Refrains from Pointless Talk
Whereas some Ascetics and Brāhmins remain addicted to such unedifying
conversation as about Kings, thieves, and ministers of state; talk about
armies, dangers, and wars; talk about food, drink, garments, and beds; talk
about garlands and scents; talk about relations, vehicles, villages, towns,
cities, and countries; talk about women and talk about heroes; street talk
and talk by the well; talk about those departed in days gone by; rambling
chitchat; speculation about the world and about the sea; talk about
becoming this or that, a Monk refrains from such distasteful conversation.
Thus he is perfected in morality…
Monks, do not engage in the various kinds of pointless talk, that is, talk
about Kings, thieves, and ministers of state; talk about armies, dangers, and
wars; talk about food, drink, garments, and beds; talk about garlands and
scents; talk about relations, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries;
talk about women and talk about heroes; street talk and talk by the well; talk
about those departed in days gone by; rambling chitchat; speculation about
the world and about the sea; talk about becoming this or that.
For what reason?
Because, Monks, this talk is unbeneficial, irrelevant to the fundamentals of
the holy life, and does not lead to fading away of strong feelings, to freedom
from strong feelings, to elimination, to peace, to direct knowledge
(experience), to Enlightenment, to Nibbāna.
When you talk, Monks, you should talk about: This is discontentedness; you
should talk about: This is the cause of discontentedness; you should talk
about: This is the elimination of discontentedness; you should talk about:
This is the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.
For what reason?
Because, Monks, this talk is beneficial, relevant to the fundamentals of the
holy life, and leads to fading away of strong feelings, to freedom from strong
feelings, to elimination, to peace, to direct knowledge (experience), to
Enlightenment, to Nibbāna.
36


Therefore, Monks, an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is
discontentedness’; an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the
cause of discontentedness’; an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is
the elimination of discontentedness’; an effort should be made to
understand: ‘This is the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.’
(Reference: DN 1)
In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that an Ordained Practitioners should
not have “pointless talk” but instead, should focus on sharing The Teachings such as The
Four Noble Truths.
It is The Four Noble Truths that is beneficial and helpful to Students, not pointless talk.
It is through sharing these Teachings that Students will find benefit in associating with a
Teacher and continue to seek guidance.
Detailed explanation of The Four Noble Truths is available in this same book series found
in Chapter 4 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to
Enlightenment” (Volume 1).
37

Lowly Arts Are Not the
Wonder of Psychic
Potency
38


Chapter 7
Three Kinds of Wonders
(First Discourse)
There are, Brāhmin, these three kinds of wonders.
What three?
(1) The mystic wonder,
(2) The wonder of mind-reading, and
(3) The wonder of instruction.
——-
(1) And what, Brāhmin, is the mystic wonder?
Here, a Monk wields the various kinds of mystic potency: having been one,
he becomes many; having been many, he becomes one; he appears and
vanishes; he goes unhindered through a wall, through a protective barrier,
through a mountain as though through space; he dives in and out of the
earth as though it were water; he walks on water without sinking as though it
were earth; seated cross-legged, he travels in space like a bird; with his hand
he touches and strokes the moon and sun so powerful and mighty; he
exercises mastery with the body as far as the Brahmā world.
This is called the mystic wonder.
(2) And what, Brāhmin, is the wonder of mind-reading?
There is one who, by means of some clue, declares: Your thought is thus,
such is what you are thinking, your mind is in such and such a state. And
even if he makes many declarations, they are exactly so and not otherwise.
Again, someone does not declare [the state of mind] on the basis of a clue,
but he hears the sound of people, spirits, or deities [speaking] and then
declares: Your thought is thus, such is what you are thinking, your mind is in
such and such a state. And even if he makes many declarations, they are
exactly so and not otherwise.
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Again, someone does not declare [the state of mind] on the basis of a mark,
or by hearing the sound of people, spirits, or deities [speaking], but he hears
the sound of the diffusion of thought as one is thinking and examining some
matter] and then declares: Your thought is thus, such is what you are
thinking, your mind is in such and such a state. And even if he makes many
declarations, they are exactly so and not otherwise.
Again, someone does not declare [the state of mind] on the basis of a mark,
or by hearing the sound of people, spirits, or deities [speaking], or by hearing
the sound of the diffusion of thought as one is thinking and examining [some
matter], but with his own mind he encompasses the mind of one who has
attained concentration without thought and examination and he
understands: This person’s mental activities are so disposed that
immediately afterward he will think this thought. And even if he makes many
declarations, they are exactly so and not otherwise.
This is called the wonder of mind-reading.
(3) And what, Brāhmin, is the wonder of instruction?
Here, someone instructs [others] thus: Think in this way and not in that way!
Attend to this and not to that! Abandon this and enter and reside in that!
This is called the wonder of instruction.
(Reference: AN 3.60)
In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares the three kinds of wonders: the mystic
wonder, the wonder of mind-reading, and the wonder of instruction.
(1) The Mystic Wonder is supernatural abilities.
(2) The Wonder of Mind-Reading is to be able to read someone’s mind knowing their
feelings, thoughts, and emotions.
(3) The Wonder of Instruction is to share The Teachings that lead to Enlightenment as a
Teacher. The Buddha was known to share Teachings that eliminate ignorance (unknowing
of true reality) helping Students to awaken the mind to Enlightenment. It is the wonder of
instruction that accomplishes this goal.
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Chapter 8
Three Kinds of Wonders
(Second Discourse)
There are three kinds of wonders, Kevaddha, which I, having myself
understood and realized them, have made known to others.
And what are the three?
(1) The mystic wonder,
(2) The wonder of mind-reading, and
(3) The wonder of instruction.
——-
(1) And what, Kevaddha, is the mystic wonder?
In this case, Kevaddha, suppose that a brother enjoys the possession, in
various ways, of mystic power - from being one he becomes multiform, from
being multiform he becomes one; from being visible he becomes invisible; he
passes without hindrance to the further side of a wall or a battlement or a
mountain, as if through air; he penetrates up and down through solid ground,
as if through water; he walks on water without dividing it, as if on solid
ground; he travels cross-legged through the sky, like the birds on wing; he
touches and feels with the hand even the Moon and the Sun, beings of
mystic power and potency though they be; he reaches, even in the body, up
to the heavenly realm. And some believer, of trusting heart should behold
him doing so. Then that believer should announce the fact to an unbeliever,
saying: Wonderful, Sir, and marvelous is the mystic power and potency of
that Ascetic.... Then that unbeliever should say to him: Well, Sir! there is a
certain charm called the Gandhāra Charm. It is by his own ability that he
performs all this.
Now what think you, Kevaddha? Might not the unbeliever so say?
‘Yes, Sir; he might.’
Well, Kevaddha! It is because I perceive danger in the practice of mystic
wonders, that I disagree, and refrain from, and am reluctant to perform.
41


(2) And what, Kevaddha, is the wonder of mind-reading?
Suppose, in this case, Kevaddha, that a brother can make known the heart
and the feelings, the reasonings and the thoughts, of other beings, of other
individuals, saying: So and so is in your mind. You are thinking of such and
such a matter. Thus and thus are your emotions. And some believer, of
trusting heart, should see him doing so. Then that believer should announce
the fact to an unbeliever, saying: Wonderful, Sir, and marvelous is the mystic
power and potency of that Ascetic… Then that unbeliever should say to him:
Well, Sir! there is a charm called the Jewel Charm. It is by his own ability that
he performs all this.
Now what think you, Kevaddha? Might not the unbeliever so say?
‘Yes, Sir; he might.’
Well, Kevaddha! It is because I perceive danger in the practice of the wonder
of mind-reading, that I disagree, and refrain from, and am reluctant to
perform.
(3) And what, Kevaddha, is the wonder of instruction?
Suppose, Kevaddha, that a brother teaches thus: Reason in this way, do not
reason in that way. Consider thus and not thus. Get rid of this disposition,
train yourself, and remain, in that.
This, Kevaddha, is what is called the wonder of instruction.
And further, Kevaddha, suppose that a Tathāgata is born into the world, one
who has won the truth, an Arahant, a fully awakened one, abounding in
wisdom and goodness, joyful, who knows all worlds, unsurpassed as a
guide to humans willing to be led, a Teacher for gods and humans, a
Perfectly Enlightened One, a Buddha. He, by himself, thoroughly knows and
sees, as it were, face to face this universe, - including the worlds above of
the gods, the Brahmas, and the Māras, and the world below with its Ascetics
and Brahmans, its princes and peoples, - and having known it, he makes his
wisdom known to others. The truth, lovely in its origin, lovely in its progress,
lovely in its completion, does he proclaim, both in the spirit and in the letter,
the higher life does he make known, in all its fullness and in all its purity.
A Householder or one of his children, or a man of inferior birth in any class
listens to that truth; and on hearing it he has confidence in The Tathāgata
(the one who has found the truth); and when he is possessed of that
confidence, he considers thus within himself:
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Full of hindrances is household life, a path for the dust of passion. Free as
the air is the life of him who has renounced all worldly things. How difficult is
it for the man who dwells at home to live the higher life in all its fullness, in all
its purity, in all its bright perfection! Let me then cut off my hair and beard, let
me clothe myself in the orange-colored robes, and let me go forth from the
household life into the homeless life?
Then, before long, renouncing his portion of wealth, be it great or small,
leaving behind his circle of relatives, be they many or be they few, he cuts off
his hair and beard, he clothes himself in the orange-colored robes, and he
goes forth from the household life into the homeless life.
When he has thus become an Ascetic, he lives self-restrained by that
restraint that should be binding on an Ascetic. Uprightness is his delight, and
he sees danger in the least of those things he should avoid. He adopts, and
trains himself in, the precepts. He encompasses himself with wholesome
deeds in actions and speech. Pure are his means of livelihood, wholesome is
his conduct, guarded the door of his senses. Mindful and self-possessed he
is altogether joyful.
And how, Kevaddha, is his conduct wholesome?
In this, Kevaddha, that the Monk, putting away the killing of living beings,
abandoning the destruction of life. The stick and the sword he has laid aside,
and reluctant to roughness, and full of mercy, he resides compassionate and
kind to all creatures that have life. Kevaddha, this is called ‘the wonder of
instruction’.
With his mind thus serene, made pure, translucent, cultured, free of evil,
flexible, ready to act, firm and imperturbable (unable to be upset or excited;
calm; serene), he directs and bends down his mind to the wisdom of the
destruction of the Deadly Floods. He knows as it really is: This is
discontentedness. He knows as it really is: This is the cause of
discontentedness. He knows as it really is: This is the elimination of
discontentedness. He knows as it really is: This is the Path that leads to the
elimination of discontentedness.
He knows as they really are: These are the Deadly Floods. He knows as it
really is: This is the cause of the Deadly Floods. He knows as it really is: This
is the elimination of the Deadly Floods. He knows as it really is: This is the
Path that leads to the elimination of the Deadly Floods To him, thus knowing,
thus seeing, the mind is set free from the Deadly Poison of Craving, is set
free from Deadly Poison of Anger, is set free from the Deadly Poison of
lgnorance (unknowing of true reality). In him, thus set free, there arises the
knowledge of his liberation, and he knows: Rebirth has been destroyed. The
43


holy life has been fulfilled. What had to be done has been accomplished.
After this present life there will be no beyond!
Just, Kevaddha, as if in a mountain fastness there were a pool of water,
clear, translucent, and serene; and a man, standing on the bank, and with
eyes to see, should perceive the oysters and the shells, the gravel and the
pebbles and the shoals of fish, as they move about or lie within it: he would
know: This pool is clear, transparent, and serene, and there within it are the
oysters and the shells, and the sand and gravel, and the shoals of fish are
moving about or lying still....This, Kevaddha, is what is called ‘the wonder of
instruction’.
So these, Kevaddha, are the three kinds of wonders I have understood and
realized myself, and made known to others.
(Reference: DN 11)
In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares the three kinds of wonders: the mystic
wonder, the wonder of mind-reading, and the wonder of instruction.
(1) The Mystic Wonder is supernatural abilities. The Buddha explains that “because I
perceive danger in the practice of mystic wonders, that I disagree, and refrain from, and
am reluctant to perform”. In other words, he does not perform the mystic wonders.
The Buddha explains that because anyone witnessing these supernatural feats would
then speak to others who did not witness the feat. That person would then need to rely on
belief and would not believe that such a feat is possible. Therefore, The Buddha explains
that he does not perform these supernatural abilities because it leads to one needing to
rely on belief and, most likely, the individual would not believe that such supernatural
abilities exist. Therefore, they would attribute this supernatural feat to “a certain charm
called the Gandhāra Charm”.
Since a Buddha is interested in sharing only The Teachings that lead to liberation of mind
that are independently verifiable leading to observing the truth to acquire wisdom, he
chose not to perform these supernatural feats (i.e. miracles) to convince people to learn
and practice his Teachings. Instead, he was most interested in individuals choosing to
develop determination, dedication, and diligence to learn, reflect, and practice The
Teachings to experience the results of a peaceful, calm, serene, and content mind with joy
by eliminating discontentedness through training the mind.
(2) The Wonder of Mind-Reading is to be able to read someone’s mind knowing their
feelings, thoughts, and emotions. Similar to that of the mystic wonder, The Buddha
explains that “because I perceive danger in the practice of wonder of mind-reading, that I
disagree, and refrain from, and am reluctant to perform”. In other words, he does not
perform the wonder of mind-reading.
44


The Buddha explains that because anyone witnessing the mind reading would then speak
to others who did not witness the mind reading. That person would then need to rely on
belief and would not believe that such mind reading is possible. Therefore, The Buddha
explains that he does not perform mind reading because it leads to one needing to rely on
belief and, most likely, the individual would not believe that mind reading is possible.
Therefore, they would attribute the mind reading to “a charm called the Jewel Charm”.
Since a Buddha is interested in sharing only The Teachings that lead to liberation of mind
that are independently verifiable leading to observing the truth to acquire wisdom, he
chose not to perform mind reading to convince people to learn and practice his
Teachings. Instead, he was most interested in individuals choosing to develop
determination, dedication, and diligence to learn, reflect, and practice The Teachings to
experience the results of a peaceful, calm, serene, and content mind with joy by
eliminating discontentedness through training the mind.
(3) The Wonder of Instruction is to share The Teachings that lead to Enlightenment as a
Teacher. The Buddha was known to share Teachings that eliminate ignorance (unknowing
of true reality) helping Students to awaken the mind to Enlightenment. It is the wonder of
instruction that accomplishes this goal.
Because The Buddha does not perform supernatural abilities nor mind reading he instead
practices “the wonder of instruction” where he skillfully shares The Teachings that lead to
Enlightenment.
The Buddha then goes on to discuss various aspects of his Teachings that lead to
Enlightenment. He mentions wholesome conduct, The Four Noble Truths, and the
elimination of craving, anger, and ignorance (unknowing of true reality) (i.e. The Three
Poisons, The Three Unwholesome Roots, and The Three Fires),
Through the practice of these Teachings, The Buddha explains how a Practitioner can
then see clearly just like one might stand on the bank of a water way and clearly be able
to see oysters, shells, gravel, pebbles, and fish.
The Teachings that lead to Enlightenment learned, reflected upon, and practiced will lead
to being able to see clearly and one can eliminate 100% of all discontentedness.
45

Monk’s Way of Conduct
Towards Wonder of
Mystic Power and Other
Kinds of Power
46


Chapter 9
The Perfectly Enlightened One Prohibits Monks
from
Exhibiting a Wonder of Mystic Power
(The Venerable Pindola the Bhāradvāja, shown his mystic power, having risen
above the ground, having taken hold of that the bowl of the (great) merchant
of Rājagaha was brought down by him, circled three times around Rājagaha.)
Then The Perfectly Enlightened One on this occasion, in this connection,
having had The Community of Monks gather, questioned the Venerable
Pindola the Bhãradvāja, saying:
Is it true, as is said, Bhāradvāja, that the bowl of the (great) merchant of
Rājagaha was fetched down by you?
‘It is true, Venerable Sir.’
It is not suiting, Bhāradvāja, it is not becoming, it is not fitting, it is not worthy
of an Ascetic, it is not allowable, it is not to be done. How can you,
Bhãradvāja, on account of a cheap wooden bowl exhibit a condition of
further-men, a wonder of mystic power to Householders? As, Bhāradvāja, a
woman exhibits her loin-cloth on account of a cheaply stamped māsaka (a
small bean, used as a standard of weight and value; hence a small coin of
very low value), even so by you, Bhãradvāja, was a condition of further-men,
a wonder of mystic power exhibited to Householders on account of a cheap
wooden bowl. It is not, Bhāradvāja, for pleasing those who are not (yet)
pleased nor for increasing the number of those who are pleased, but,
Bhāradvāja, it is displeasing to those who are not pleased as well as to those
who are pleased, and it causes wavering in some.
Having guided him, having given reasoned talk, he addressed the Monks,
saying:
Monks, a condition of further-men, a wonder of mystic power is not to be
exhibited to Householders.
Whoever should exhibit them, there is an offense of wrong-doing.
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Break, Monks, this wooden bowl; having reduced it to fragments, give them
to Monks as perfume to mix with ointment. And, Monks, a wooden bowl
should not be used. Whoever should use one, there is an offense of wrong-
doing.
(Reference: Cv 5.8)
In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that the Ordained Practitioners should
not show or exhibit “mystic power” to Household Practitioners.
As the mind awakens to Enlightenment, some beings will experience various abilities such
as those described by The Buddha in this Chapter and other Chapters.
Mystic power and mind-reading are just a few special abilities that can be experienced by
a being whose mind is purified and awakened.
As these special abilities are experienced by a Practitioner, either Ordained or a
Householder, they should not be used to amaze people or for financial gain. These special
abilities should only be used for purposes that help others attain Enlightenment.
Displaying one’s special abilities would be to do so out of arrogance or pride. There is no
need to tell others or display for others any special abilities that are experienced as a
result of awakening the mind to Enlightenment. To continue further progress on The Path
to Enlightenment, a Practitioner will need to not cling to these special abilities or have the
craving/desire to display them for others. Even discussing one’s special abilities is not
needed.
If one has developed special abilities, remain humble using them only in situations that
would provide benefit, not to project arrogance or pride. If there is arrogance and pride,
the mind will not experience Enlightenment.
48


Chapter 10
The Perfectly Enlightened One Prohibits Monks
from Boasting about a Non-Existence of
State of Further-Men in Oneself
Whatever Monk should boast, with reference to himself of a state of further-
men (attainment of Jhānas or Stage of Enlightenment), sufficient noble
wisdom and insight, though not knowing it fully, and saying: This I know, this
I see, then if later on, he, being pressed or not being pressed, fallen, should
aspire to be purified, and should say: Your Venerable Sir, I said that I know
what I do not know, see what I do not see, I spoke idly, falsely, with conceit
apart from the undue estimate of himself, he also is one who is defeated, he
is not in communion.
(Reference: Pi Tv Bu Vb Pj 4)
49


Chapter 11
The Perfectly Enlightened One Prohibits Monks
from Boasting About a Non-Existence of
State of Further-Men in Oneself
Whatever Monk should speak of a condition of further-men (attainment of
Jhānas or Stage of Enlightenment) to one who is not ordained - if it is a fact
there is an offense of wrongdoing.
(Reference: Pi Tv Bu Vb Pc 8)
In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that Ordained Practitioners should not
discuss their attainments with anyone who is not ordained.
51


Chapter 12
Do Not Be Judgmental Regarding People
The Perfectly Enlightened One said to the Venerable Ānanda, by reason of
the female Household Practitioner Migasālā states disagreement to The
Fortunate One that her father Purāna was celibate, living apart, abstaining
from sexual intercourse but her paternal uncle Isidatta was not celibate, not
abstaining from sexual intercourse, but lived a contented married life. When
they died, The Fortunate One also declared: They attained to the state of a
Once-Returner and have been reborn in the Tusita group [of heavenly
beings].
Judgmental people compare them, saying: ‘This one has just the same
qualities as the other, so why is one worse and one better?’ This will be for
their lasting harm and suffering.
In this case, the person who is sweet-natured … and has listened, learned,
comprehended theoretically, and found temporary freedom is better and finer
than the other person.
Why is that?
Because the Teachings-stream carries him along. But who can know this
difference except The Tathāgata?
Therefore, Ānanda, do not be judgmental regarding people.
Do not pass judgment on people.
Those who pass judgment on people harm themselves.
I alone, or one like me, may pass judgment on people.
(Reference: AN 6.44)


In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that a Practitioner should not be
judgmental towards people. Being judgmental towards others only harms one’s own
mind.
Passing judgment on others only serves to cause separation and division. An Enlightened
being would not be judgmental towards others understanding that this would not create
harmony and unity in relationships.
52


Judgment: attempting to determine what is right or wrong for another person while
placing oneself above others with arrogance or pride (i.e. the ego). Comparing that one is
superior or inferior to another person. Attempting to declare who is wholesome or
unwholesome, good or bad. Judgment is based in “conceit”. Judgment is harmful to the
mind and needs to be eliminated to attain Enlightenment.
Discernment: is wise decision making based in wisdom. Discernment is helpful to the
mind and needs to be cultivated to attain Enlightenment.
The Buddha is helping one of his closest Students Ānanda understand that he is
incapable of judging what is wholesome and unwholesome and where one might be
reborn upon death. He explains that only a Buddha would be capable of determining
where one is going to be reborn using the following sentence: “I alone, or one like me,
may pass judgment on people”.
Here, The Buddha was not saying that he would look down on others but instead, that he
is able to assess one’s mind to determine what realm they would be reborn and only a
Buddha would be capable of being able to determine one’s next rebirth.
What is a Buddha?
A “Buddha” is not a Stage of Enlightenment but instead, is a unique type of Enlightened
being. A Buddha is an Arahant who has attained Enlightenment without any assistance of
Teachers but only through their own efforts of using the world as their Teacher and
perhaps Teachings of a previously awakened Buddha.
There are three primary criteria of what makes a Buddha a Buddha.
1.) A Buddha awakens to Enlightenment through their own independent journey without
the assistance of any Teachers, independently discovering The Teachings that lead to
Enlightenment.
A Buddha has fully eliminated The Ten Fetters to attain Enlightenment as an Arahant but
they have done so through their own independent journey without the assistance of any
Teachers, developing deep wisdom of what is needed to attain Enlightenment.
2.) A Buddha guides countless others to Enlightenment during their lifetime through
sharing their independently discovered Teachings that led to their own Enlightenment
during their independent journey.
A Buddha has the ability to guide countless beings to the attainment of Enlightenment
during their lifetime and after their death. A Buddha will dedicate the remaining time of
their life towards sharing their Teachings and guiding countless beings to Enlightenment.
3.) Upon a Buddha’s death, they will leave their Teachings in a condition that can be
continually shared assisting countless more beings to Enlightenment after their death.
A Buddha’s Teachings and Students will continue to guide countless people to
Enlightenment after a Buddha’s death. A Buddha has already done the hard work of
figuring out how to attain Enlightenment. You just need to learn and practice his
Teachings to improve the condition of the mind and your life.
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A Buddha is referred to as a Fully Perfectly Enlightened Buddha, a Perfectly Enlightened
One, or a Tathāgata. They are a human being, a Teacher, one with deep compassion for
all beings and the world. They have deep wisdom to help the world through individuals
choosing to learn and practice their Teachings to attain Enlightenment.
They are considered Perfectly Enlightened because there are no outside influences that
have led to their awakening, so they have “Perfect Enlightenment” where their mind is
unaffected by any teachings outside of their own independently discovered Teachings
that led to their awakening.
A Buddha will have an excellent memory being able to recall countless past events and
situations with stunning accuracy. Unlike other humans, their memory does not fade and
is not overwritten.
A Buddha will need to weave their way through a previous Buddha’s Teachings as all
things are affected by impermanence, thus, a previous Buddha’s Teachings will not be in
a pure condition.
A Buddha will be able to easily determine the condition of the mind of another person,
then be able to help them with Teachings to eliminate the unwholesome qualities of the
mind and cultivate wholesome qualities of the mind. A Buddha will be able to observe the
condition of another being’s mind but only does so with an interest to help the other being
eliminate the unwholesome qualities from the mind and cultivate wholesome qualities in
the mind to guide one towards Enlightenment.
A Buddha will have a deep practice of their own Teachings, leading by example as a
living, breathing, walking example of their Teachings.
A Buddha will be able to make predictions of the future and understand the future
progress of the world as a whole while explaining past events and the current condition of
the world through their Teachings.
A Buddha will know this is their last life without being reborn into any realm of existence.
They will have insight into their previous lives and knowledge of their existence in those
previous lives. Their only goal will be to lead as many people to Enlightenment as possible
and to create a strong Community of humans with Enlightenment who will assist others to
attain Enlightenment and leave strong Teachings that will assist unEnlightened beings to
become Enlightened after a Buddha’s death.
When a Buddha arises in the world, this is your best opportunity to attain Enlightenment.
A Buddha will have independently realized their Enlightenment and will be experiencing
“Perfect Enlightenment”. A Buddha will have deep knowledge, deep understanding, and
deep wisdom of how to attain Enlightenment through their independent realization of
Enlightenment.
A Buddha will be able to teach and guide all humans, who are interested to learn, towards
Enlightenment.
A Buddha arising in the world is extremely rare. The last Buddha currently known to the
world was Gotama Buddha who died over 2,500 years ago.
54


Chapter 13
The Five Great Thieves
Monks, there are these five great thieves to be found in the world.
What are the five?
(1) Monks, here a certain one of the great thieves thought: To be sure, will I,
surrounded by a hundred or by a thousand, wander about among villages,
towns, and the possessions of Kings, slaying and causing to be slain,
destroying and causing destruction, tormenting and causing torment. He, in
the course of time, surrounded by a hundred or by a thousand, wanders
about among villages, towns, and the possessions of Kings, slaying and
causing to be slain, destroying and causing destruction, tormenting and
causing torment.
Now indeed, Monks, a certain unwholesome Monk thought: To be sure, I,
surrounded by a hundred or by a thousand, will make an alms-tour among
villages, towns and the possessions of Kings, honored, respected,
appreciated, worshipped, admired, supported by Householders, by those
who have gone forth into homelessness, and by the requisites of robes,
almsfood, bedding and medicine. He, in the course of time, surrounded by a
hundred, by a thousand, made an alms-tour among villages, towns and the
possessions of Kings, honored, respected, appreciated, worshipped,
admired, supported by Householders and receiving the requisites of
robes, almsfood, bedding and medicine for those who go forth into
homelessness.
This, Monks, is the first great thief found existing in the world.
(2) Again, Monks, here a certain unwholesome Monk, having mastered
thoroughly Teachings and the discipline made known by The Tathāgata,
takes it for his own.
This, Monks, is the second great thief found existing in the world.
(3) Again, Monks, here a certain unwholesome Monk, blames a follower of
the pure Brahma-life, one leading the absolutely pure Brahma-life, for an
unfounded breach of the Brahma-life.
This, Monks, is the third great thief found existing in the world.
55


(4) Again, Monks, a certain unwholesome Monk favors and persuades a
Householder on account of those things which are important possessions of
The Community, on account of those things which are its important
requisites, that is to say, a park, a site for a park, a vihāra (monastery), a site
for a vihāra, a couch, a chair, a bolster, a pillow, a brass vessel, a brass jar, a
brass pot, a brass receptacle, a razor, an axe, a hatchet, a hoe, a spade, a
creeper, bamboo, muñja-grass, babbaja-grass, tina-grass, clay, wooden
articles, earthen-ware articles.
This, Monks, is the fourth great thief found existing in the world.
(5) Monks, in the world with the heavenly beings and including Māra,
including the Brahmā-world, including Ascetics and Brāhmins, including
breathing things, including heavenly beings and men, this is the chief great
thief: he who claims a non-existent state of further-men (Enlightenment),
which has not been attained.
What is the reason for this?
Monks, you have eaten the country’s almsfood by theft.
(Reference: Pi Tv Bu Vb Pj 4)
In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how unwholesome Ordained
Practitioners can be considered a thief and would be eating the country’s almsfood by
theft.
It requires an extensive amount of time, effort, energy, and resources for Household
Practitioners to support a Community of Ordained Practitioners. Household Practitioners
apply time, effort, energy, and resources towards the sustaining of their own life and
choose to generously share with Ordained Practitioners and Teachers to support them in
further progress towards the attainment of Enlightenment.
Through the support provided by the Household Practitioners, Ordained Practitioners and
Teachers should then provide Household Practitioners with Teachings to benefit and
improve their life. In this way, there is a beneficial exchange through a practice of
generosity by all.
For the benefit of the Ordained Practitioners and Teachers to have all the basic
necessities provided by their Students, Ordained Practitioners and Teachers should have
an enormous amount of gratitude, appreciation, and respectful for all Household
Practitioners as they are providing the hard work and generosity to accumulate and share
life sustaining necessities.
Therefore, all Ordained Practitioners and Teachers should ensure they are determinate,
dedicated, and diligent in the development of the life practice so that they will then be
able to offer Teachings back to the Household Practitioners. In this way, there is an
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exchange that allows a community of people to progress and grow within these
Teachings.
But, if an Ordained Practitioner or Teacher is not taking the role they have chosen to
seriously learn, reflect, and practice but instead, are continuing their unwholesome ways
lacking diligence to develop their practice, they are “stealing” from the Household
Practitioners.
The Buddha described five (5) types of thieves and how Ordained Practitioners are
stealing.
1.) The Buddha describes unwholesome Ordained Practitioners who are actively working
to cause death, destruction, and torment within The Community of Household
Practitioners as a thief. While their actions are to cause destruction, they still collect
donations from The Community. They are not actively working to build up The Community
through sharing these wholesome Teachings, but instead, are actively working to conspire
against The Community through attempting to bring destruction. An individual who
functions in this way is being described as a thief by Gotama Buddha.
2.) The Buddha describes unwholesome Ordained Practitioners who deeply learn his
Teachings and then steal them by claiming those Teachings originate with them, not The
Buddha. Anyone who learns and practices these Teachings experiencing the results of
any attainments to include Enlightenment would have deep gratitude, appreciation, and
respect for Gotama Buddha while providing him all the credit for his hard work to bring
these Teachings into the world. An individual who claims these Teachings are their own is
being described as a thief by Gotama Buddha.
3.) The Buddha describes unwholesome Ordained Practitioners who blame people of
other traditions that they have broken their practice of those Teachings without evidence
or proof. In reality, it is not the role or responsibility of one person to point out the lack of
wisdom or practice of another. This would only lead to difficulties in ones relationships.
Instead, an individual should only share guidance on The Path to Enlightenment if
someone has asked for guidance. Offering unsolicited guidance to another person would
be to do so based on one’s own craving/desire/attachment including conceit. If there is
arrogance or pride in the mind, one might attempt to provide unsolicited guidance to
others. This will only lead to complications. A wise Practitioner should only share
Teachings with others when guidance is requested. An individual who functions in this
way is being described as a thief by Gotama Buddha.
4.) The Buddha describes unwholesome Ordained Practitioners who specifically ask
Household Practitioners for specific offerings attempting to persuade someone to make
certain offerings. Instead, a wholesome Ordained Practitioner would practice The Second
Precept and await what is given, rather than, make specific requests of others. An
individual who functions in this way is being described as a thief by Gotama Buddha.
5.) The Buddha describes an Ordained Practitioner who claims to be Enlightened as “the
chief great thief”. There is no reason to declare to another person that one feels they are
Enlightened. One of the best ways to know someone is not Enlightened is that they will
tell you they are Enlightened.
An Enlightened being’s mind is so peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy, that they
have no craving/desire to tell others they are Enlightened. There is no purpose to telling
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