Aṇguttara-Nikāya
Pañcaka-Nipāta
24. Āvāsika Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
Chapter XXIV: In Residence
Sutta 234
Bahū-Pakāra Suttaṃ
Of Great Service
Translated by E. M. Hare
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī;
and there he addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
'Yes, lord,' they replied;
and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, if a monk in residence follow the course of five things,
he becomes of great service to his residence.
What five?
He becomes virtuous,
abides restrained by the restraint of the Obligations,
is perfect in conduct and habit,
sees peril in the smallest fault,
accepts the training
and trains himself accordantly;
■
he is learned,
with mind retentive and well stored;
those things lovely in the beginning,
lovely in the middle,
lovely in the end,
which set forth in spirit and in letter
the godly life of purity,
perfect in its entirety —
those are fully learnt by him,
resolved upon,
made familiar by speech,
pondered over in the mind,
fully understood in theory;
■
he has a pleasant voice,
a good enunciation,
is urbane in speech,
distinct,
free from hoarseness
and informative;
■
he repairs things broken and dilapidated;
and when many monks of the Order have come,
monks from various parts of the country,
he speaks to the householders who approach,
saying:
"See, good sirs,
many monks from various parts of the country have arrived;
do good;
now's the time to make merit!"
■
At will,
easily and without trouble,
he attains to the four states of musing,
which bring comfort
both here and now,
transcending thought.
Verily, monks, if a monk in residence follow the course of five things,
he becomes of great service to his residence.
