{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an10.53/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an10.53","id":"suttacentral_an10.53","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an10.53/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"\u201cMendicants, I don\u2019t praise stagnation in skillful qualities, let alone decline. I praise growth in skillful qualities, not stagnation or decline. And how is there decline in skillful qualities, not stagnation or growth? It\u2019s when a mendicant has a certain degree of faith, ethics, generosity, wisdom, and eloquence. Those qualities neither stagnate nor grow in them. I call this decline in skillful qualities, not stagnation or growth. This is how there\u2019s decline in skillful qualities, not stagnation or growth. And how is there stagnation in skillful qualities, not decline or growth? It\u2019s when a mendicant has a certain degree of faith, ethics, generosity, wisdom, and eloquence. Those qualities neither decline nor grow in them. I call this stagnation in skillful qualities, not decline or growth. This is how there\u2019s stagnation in skillful qualities, not decline or growth. And how is there growth in skillful qualities, not stagnation or decline? It\u2019s when a mendicant has a certain degree of faith, ethics, generosity, wisdom, and eloquence. Those qualities neither stagnate nor decline in them. I call this growth in skillful qualities, not stagnation or decline. This is how there\u2019s growth in skillful qualities, not stagnation or decline. If a mendicant isn\u2019t skilled in encompassing another\u2019s mind, then they should train themselves: \u2018I will be skilled in encompassing my own mind.\u2019 And how is a mendicant skilled in encompassing their own mind? Suppose there was a woman or man who was young, youthful, and fond of adornments, and they check their own reflection in a clean bright mirror or a clear bowl of water. If they see any dirt or blemish there, they\u2019d try to remove it. But if they don\u2019t see any dirt or blemish there, they\u2019re happy with that, as they\u2019ve got all they wished for: \u2018How fortunate that I\u2019m clean!\u2019 In the same way, checking is very helpful for a mendicant\u2019s skillful qualities. \u2018Am I often covetous or not? Am I often malicious or not? Am I often overcome with dullness and drowsiness or not? Am I often restless or not? Am I often doubtful or not? Am I often irritable or not? Am I often corrupted in mind or not? Am I often disturbed in body or not? Am I often energetic or not? Am I often immersed in sam\u0101dhi or not?\u2019 Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows this: \u2018I am often covetous, malicious, overcome with dullness and drowsiness, restless, doubtful, irritable, corrupted in mind, disturbed in body, lazy, and not immersed in sam\u0101dhi.\u2019 In order to give up those bad, unskillful qualities, they should apply extraordinary enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness. Suppose your clothes or head were on fire. In order to extinguish it, you\u2019d apply extraordinary enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness. In the same way, in order to give up those bad, unskillful qualities, that mendicant should apply extraordinary enthusiasm \u2026 But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows this: \u2018I am often content, kind-hearted, rid of dullness and drowsiness, calm, confident, loving, pure in mind, undisturbed in body, energetic, and immersed in sam\u0101dhi.\u2019 Grounded on those skillful qualities, they should practice meditation further to end the defilements.\u201d","title":"Stagnation","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":530}