Earnestness

I. Seclusion

Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.
Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:

“Monks.”

“Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.

The Exalted One said:

“Just as, monks, of all creatures, whether footless or having two, four, or many feet; whether having forms or formless; whether conscious or unconscious, or neither conscious nor unconscious,— of these the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the fully Enlightened One, is reckoned chief;— even so, monks, of all profitable conditions which are rooted in earnestness, which join together in earnestness,— of those conditions earnestness is reckoned chief.

Of the earnest monk it may be expected that he will cultivate, that he will make much of the seven limbs of wisdom.

And how, monks, does a monk who is earnest cultivate and make much of the seven limbs of wisdom?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom that is mindfulness, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is investigation of the Norm, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is energy, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is zest, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is tranquillity, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is concentration, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is equanimity, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
Thus, monks, a monk who is earnest cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom.
II. Ending in Restraint of Passion
Just as, monks, of all creatures, whether footless or having two, four, or many feet; whether having forms or formless; whether conscious or unconscious, or neither conscious nor unconscious,— of these the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the fully Enlightened One, is reckoned chief;— even so, monks, of all profitable conditions which are rooted in earnestness, which join together in earnestness,— of those conditions earnestness is reckoned chief.
Of the earnest monk it may be expected that he will cultivate, that he will make much of the seven limbs of wisdom.
And how, monks, does a monk who is earnest cultivate and make much of the seven limbs of wisdom?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom that is mindfulness, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is investigation of the Norm which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is energy, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is zest, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is tranquillity, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is concentration, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is equanimity, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
Thus, monks, a monk who is earnest cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom.
III. Ending in the Deathless
Just as, monks, of all creatures, whether footless or having two, four, or many feet; whether having forms or formless; whether conscious or unconscious, or neither conscious nor unconscious,— of these the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the fully Enlightened One, is reckoned chief;— even so, monks, of all profitable conditions which are rooted in earnestness, which join together in earnestness,— of those conditions earnestness is reckoned chief.
Of the earnest monk it may be expected that he will cultivate, that he will make much of the seven limbs of wisdom.
And how, monks, does a monk who is earnest cultivate and make much of the seven limbs of wisdom?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom that is mindfulness, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is investigation of the Norm, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is energy, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is zest, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is tranquillity, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is concentration, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is equanimity, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end.
Thus, monks, a monk who is earnest cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom.
IV. Ending in Nibbāna
Just as, monks, of all creatures, whether footless or having two, four, or many feet; whether having forms or formless; whether conscious or unconscious, or neither conscious nor unconscious,— of these the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the fully Enlightened One, is reckoned chief;— even so, monks, of all profitable conditions which are rooted in earnestness, which join together in earnestness,— of those conditions earnestness is reckoned chief.
Of the earnest monk it may be expected that he will cultivate, that he will make much of the seven limbs of wisdom.
And how, monks, does a monk who is earnest cultivate and make much of the seven limbs of wisdom?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom that is mindfulness, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is investigation of the Norm, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is energy, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is zest, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is tranquillity, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is concentration, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is equanimity, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna.
Thus, monks, a monk who is earnest cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom.