“Mendicants, there are three practices. “Tisso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā. What three? Katamā tisso? The addicted practice, the scorching practice, and the middle practice. Āgāḷhā paṭipadā, nijjhāmā paṭipadā, majjhimā paṭipadā.

And what’s the addicted practice? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā? It’s when someone has this doctrine and view: Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco evaṁvādī hoti evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘There’s nothing wrong with sensual pleasures’; ‘natthi kāmesu doso’ti. so they throw themselves into sensual pleasures. So kāmesu pātabyataṁ āpajjati. This is called the addicted practice. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā.

And what’s the scorching practice? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā? It’s when someone goes naked, ignoring conventions. They lick their hands, and don’t come or wait when called. They don’t consent to food brought to them, or food prepared on their behalf, or an invitation for a meal. Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco acelako hoti muttācāro, hatthāpalekhano, naehibhadantiko, natiṭṭhabhadantiko, nābhihaṭaṁ na uddissakataṁ na nimantanaṁ sādiyati. They don’t receive anything from a pot or bowl; or from someone who keeps sheep, or who has a weapon or a shovel in their home; or where a couple is eating; or where there is a woman who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or who lives with a man; or where there’s a hound waiting or flies buzzing. They accept no fish or meat or beer or wine, and drink no fermented gruel. So na kumbhimukhā paṭiggaṇhāti, na kaḷopimukhā paṭiggaṇhāti na eḷakamantaraṁ na daṇḍamantaraṁ na musalamantaraṁ na dvinnaṁ bhuñjamānānaṁ na gabbhiniyā na pāyamānāya na purisantaragatāya na saṅkittīsu na yattha sā upaṭṭhito hoti na yattha makkhikā saṇḍasaṇḍacārinī na macchaṁ na maṁsaṁ na suraṁ na merayaṁ, na thusodakaṁ pivati. They go to just one house for alms, taking just one mouthful, or two houses and two mouthfuls, up to seven houses and seven mouthfuls. So ekāgāriko vā hoti ekālopiko, dvāgāriko vā hoti dvālopiko … sattāgāriko vā hoti sattālopiko; They feed on one saucer a day, two saucers a day, up to seven saucers a day. ekissāpi dattiyā yāpeti, dvīhipi dattīhi yāpeti … sattahipi dattīhi yāpeti; They eat once a day, once every second day, up to once a week, and so on, even up to once a fortnight. They live pursuing the practice of eating food at set intervals. ekāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti, dvāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti … sattāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti—iti evarūpaṁ addhamāsikampi pariyāyabhattabhojanānuyogamanuyutto viharati.

They eat herbs, millet, wild rice, poor rice, water lettuce, rice bran, scum from boiling rice, sesame flour, grass, or cow dung. They survive on forest roots and fruits, or eating fallen fruit. So sākabhakkhopi hoti, sāmākabhakkhopi hoti, nīvārabhakkhopi hoti, daddulabhakkhopi hoti, haṭabhakkhopi hoti, kaṇabhakkhopi hoti, ācāmabhakkhopi hoti, piññākabhakkhopi hoti, tiṇabhakkhopi hoti, gomayabhakkhopi hoti, vanamūlaphalāhāro yāpeti pavattaphalabhojī.

They wear robes of sunn hemp, mixed hemp, corpse-wrapping cloth, rags, lodh tree bark, antelope hide (whole or in strips), kusa grass, bark, wood-chips, human hair, horse-tail hair, or owls’ wings. So sāṇānipi dhāreti, masāṇānipi dhāreti, chavadussānipi dhāreti, paṁsukūlānipi dhāreti, tirīṭānipi dhāreti, ajinampi dhāreti, ajinakkhipampi dhāreti, kusacīrampi dhāreti, vākacīrampi dhāreti, phalakacīrampi dhāreti, kesakambalampi dhāreti, vāḷakambalampi dhāreti, ulūkapakkhikampi dhāreti, They tear out their hair and beard, committed to this practice. kesamassulocakopi hoti kesamassulocanānuyogamanuyutto, They constantly stand, turning down seats. ubbhaṭṭhakopi hoti āsanapaṭikkhitto, They squat, committed to the endeavor of squatting. ukkuṭikopi hoti ukkuṭikappadhānamanuyutto, They lie on a mat of thorns, making a mat of thorns their bed. kaṇṭakāpassayikopi hoti kaṇṭakāpassaye seyyaṁ kappeti, They’re devoted to ritual bathing three times a day, including the evening. sāyatatiyakampi udakorohanānuyogamanuyutto viharati—And so they live pursuing these various ways of mortifying and tormenting the body. iti evarūpaṁ anekavihitaṁ kāyassa ātāpanaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto viharati. This is called the scorching practice. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā.

And what’s the middle practice? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; They meditate observing an aspect of feelings … vedanāsu …pe… They meditate observing an aspect of the mind … citte …pe… They meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. This is called the middle practice. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā.

These are the three practices. Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso paṭipadāti.

Mendicants, there are three practices. Tisso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā. What three? Katamā tisso? The addicted practice, the scorching practice, the middle practice. Āgāḷhā paṭipadā, nijjhāmā paṭipadā, majjhimā paṭipadā.

And what’s the addicted practice? … Katamā ca, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā …pe… This is called the addicted practice. ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā.

And what is the scorching practice? … Katamā ca, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā …pe… This is called the scorching practice. ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā.

And what’s the middle practice? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā? It’s when a mendicant generates enthusiasm, tries, makes an effort, exerts the mind, and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati; They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up. uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati; They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise. anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati; They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are completed by development. … uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati ….

They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm, and active effort. Chandasamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to energy, and active effort. vīriyasamādhi …pe… They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to mental development, and active effort. cittasamādhi …pe… They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to inquiry, and active effort. … vīmaṁsāsamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṁ iddhipādaṁ bhāveti …pe….

They develop the faculty of faith … Saddhindriyaṁ bhāveti … energy … vīriyindriyaṁ bhāveti … mindfulness … satindriyaṁ bhāveti … immersion … samādhindriyaṁ bhāveti … wisdom … paññindriyaṁ bhāveti …pe….

They develop the power of faith … Saddhābalaṁ bhāveti … energy … vīriyabalaṁ bhāveti … mindfulness … satibalaṁ bhāveti … immersion … samādhibalaṁ bhāveti … wisdom … paññābalaṁ bhāveti …pe….

They develop the awakening factor of mindfulness … Satisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti … investigation of principles … dhammavicayasambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti … energy … vīriyasambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti … rapture … pītisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti … tranquility … passaddhisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti … immersion … samādhisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti … equanimity … upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …pe….

They develop right view … Sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti … right thought … sammāsaṅkappaṁ bhāveti … right speech … sammāvācaṁ bhāveti … right action … sammākammantaṁ bhāveti … right livelihood … sammāājīvaṁ bhāveti … right effort … sammāvāyāmaṁ bhāveti … right mindfulness … sammāsatiṁ bhāveti … right immersion … sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti …. This is called the middle practice. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā. These are the three practices.” Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso paṭipadā”ti.

Acelakavaggo chaṭṭho.

Tassuddānaṁ

Satipaṭṭhānaṁ sammappadhānaṁ, Iddhipādindriyena ca; Balaṁ bojjhaṅgo maggo ca, Paṭipadāya yojayeti.