41 (1) Concentration
“Bhikkhus, there are these four developments of concentration. What four? (1) There is a development of concentration that leads to dwelling happily in this very life.716 (2) There is a development of concentration that leads to obtaining knowledge and vision. (3) There is a development of concentration that leads to mindfulness and clear comprehension. (4) There is a development of concentration that leads to the destruction of the taints. [45]
(1) “And what, bhikkhus, is the development of concentration that leads to dwelling happily in this very life? Here, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which consists of rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by thought and examination. With the subsiding of thought and examination, he enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which has internal placidity and unification of mind and consists of rapture and pleasure born of concentration, without thought and examination. With the fading away as well of rapture, he dwells equanimous and, mindful and clearly comprehending, he experiences pleasure with the body; he enters and dwells in the third jhāna of which the noble ones declare: ‘He is equanimous, mindful, one who dwells happily.’ With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and dejection, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, neither painful nor pleasant, which has purification of mindfulness by equanimity. This is called the development of concentration that leads to dwelling happily in this very life.717
(2) “And what is the development of concentration that leads to obtaining knowledge and vision?718 Here, a bhikkhu attends to the perception of light; he focuses on the perception of day thus: ‘As by day, so at night; as at night, so by day.’719 Thus, with a mind that is open and uncovered, he develops a mind imbued with luminosity. This is the development of concentration that leads to obtaining knowledge and vision.
(3) “And what is the development of concentration that leads to mindfulness and clear comprehension? Here, a bhikkhu knows feelings as they arise, as they remain present, as they disappear; he knows perceptions as they arise, as they remain present, as they disappear; he knows thoughts as they arise, as they remain present, as they disappear.720 This is the development of concentration that leads to mindfulness and clear comprehension.
(4) “And what is the development of concentration that leads to the destruction of the taints? Here, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating arising and vanishing in the five aggregates subject to clinging: ‘Such is form, such its origin, such its passing away; such is feeling … such is perception … such are volitional activities … such is consciousness, such its origin, such its passing away.’ This is the development of concentration that leads to the destruction of the taints.
“These are the four developments of concentration. And it was with reference to this that I said in the Pārāyana, in ‘The Questions of Puṇṇaka’:
“Having comprehended the world’s highs and lows,
he is not perturbed by anything in the world. [46]
Peaceful, fumeless, untroubled, wishless,
he has, I say, crossed over birth and old age.”721
42 (2) Questions
“Bhikkhus, there are these four ways of answering questions.722 What four? (1) There is a question to be answered categorically; (2) there is a question to be answered after making a distinction; (3) there is a question to be answered with a counter-question; and (4) there is a question to be set aside. These are the four ways of answering questions.”
One kind is given a categorical answer,
another is answered after making a distinction;
to the third, one should raise a counter-question,
but the fourth should be set aside.
When a bhikkhu knows how to answer
each type in the appropriate way,
they say that he is skilled
in the four kinds of questions.
He is hard to attack, hard to defeat,
deep, hard to assault;
he is proficient in both
what is beneficial and harmful.
The wise person avoids what is harmful,
and takes up what is beneficial.
By arriving at what is beneficial,
the steadfast one is said to be wise.
43 (3) Anger (1)
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? (1) One who values anger, not the good Dhamma; (2) one who values denigration, not the good Dhamma; (3) one who values gain, not the good Dhamma; and (4) one who values honor, not the good Dhamma. These are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.
“There are, bhikkhus, these four [other] kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? (1) One who values the good Dhamma, not anger; (2) one who values the good Dhamma, not denigration; (3) one who values the good Dhamma, not gain; (4) one who values the good Dhamma, not honor. [47] These are the [other] four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”
Bhikkhus who value anger and denigration,
who value gain and honor,
do not grow in the good Dhamma
taught by the Perfectly Enlightened One.
But those who value the good Dhamma,
who dwelled thus in the past and dwell thus now,
truly grow in the Dhamma
taught by the Perfectly Enlightened One.
44 (4) Anger (2)
“Bhikkhus, there are these four things contrary to the good Dhamma. What four? (1) Valuing anger, not the good Dhamma; (2) valuing denigration, not the good Dhamma; (3) valuing gain, not the good Dhamma; and (4) valuing honor, not the good Dhamma. These are four things contrary to the good Dhamma.
“There are, bhikkhus, these four [other] things in accord with the good Dhamma. What four? (1) Valuing the good Dhamma, not anger; (2) valuing the good Dhamma, not denigration; (3) valuing the good Dhamma, not gain; and (4) valuing the good Dhamma, not honor. These are the four [other] things in accord with the good Dhamma.”
Bhikkhus who value anger and denigration,
who value gain and honor,
are like rotten seeds in a fertile field:
they do not grow in the good Dhamma.
But those who value the good Dhamma,
who dwelled thus in the past and dwell thus now,
are like moistened medicinal plants:
they grow in the Dhamma.
45 (5) Rohitassa (1)723
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then, when the night had advanced, the young deva Rohitassa, of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One. He paid homage to the Blessed One, stood to one side, and said:
“Is it possible, Bhante, by traveling to know, see, or reach the end of the world, where one is not born, does not grow old and die, [48] does not pass away and get reborn?”
“I say, friend, that by traveling one cannot know, see, or reach that end of the world where one is not born, does not grow old and die, does not pass away and get reborn.”
“It is astounding and amazing, Bhante, how well this was stated by the Blessed One: ‘I say, friend, that by traveling one cannot know, see, or reach that end of the world where one is not born, does not grow old and die, does not pass away and get reborn.’
“In the past, Bhante, I was a seer named Rohitassa, son of Bhoja, one possessing psychic potency, able to travel through the sky. My speed was like that of a light arrow easily shot by a firm-bowed724 archer—one trained, skillful, and experienced725—across the shadow of a palmyra tree. My stride was such that it could reach from the eastern ocean to the western ocean. Then, while I possessed such speed and such a stride, the wish arose in me: ‘I will reach the end of the world by traveling.’ Having a life span of a hundred years, living for a hundred years, I traveled for a hundred years without pausing except to eat, drink, chew, and taste, to defecate and urinate, and to dispel fatigue with sleep; yet I died along the way without having reached the end of the world.
“It is astounding and amazing, Bhante, how well this was stated by the Blessed One: ‘I say, friend, that by traveling one cannot know, see, or reach that end of the world where one is not born, does not grow old and die, does not pass away and get reborn.’”
“I say, friend, that by traveling one cannot know, see, or reach that end of the world where one is not born, does not grow old and die, does not pass away and get reborn. Yet I say that without having reached the end of the world there is no making an end of suffering. It is in this fathom-long body endowed with perception and mind that I proclaim (1) the world, (2) the origin of the world, (3) the cessation of the world, and (4) the way leading to the cessation of the world.” [49]
The end of the world can never be reached
by means of traveling [across the world];
yet without reaching the world’s end
there is no release from suffering.
Hence the wise one, the world-knower,
who has reached the world’s end and lived the spiritual life,
having known the world’s end, at peace,
does not desire this world or another.
46 (6) Rohitassa (2)
Then when that night had passed, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, last night, when the night had advanced, the young deva Rohitassa, of stunning beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached me, paid homage to me, stood to one side, and said:
“‘Is it possible, Bhante, by traveling to know, see, or reach the end of the world, where one is not born, does not grow old and die, does not pass away and get reborn?’”
[What follows is identical with 4:45, including the verses, but spoken in the first-person narrative voice.] [50]
47 (7) Far Apart
“Bhikkhus, there are these four pairs of things extremely far apart. What four? (1) The sky and the earth. (2) The near and the far shores of the ocean. (3) The place where the sun rises and the place where it sets. (4) The teaching of the good and the teaching of the bad. These are the four pairs of things extremely far apart.” [51]
The sky and the earth are far apart,
the ocean’s far shore is said to be far,
and so the place where the sun rises
from the place where it sets.
But even farther apart, they say,
are the teachings of the good and the bad.726
The company of the good is constant;
so long as it endures, it is just the same.
But the company of the bad is fickle;
thus the teaching of the good
is far from the bad.
48 (8) Visākha727
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Now on that occasion the Venerable Visākha Pañcāliputta was instructing, exhorting, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, [spoken] with speech that was polished, clear, articulate, expressive of the meaning, comprehensive, and unhindered.
Then, in the evening, the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and approached the assembly hall. He sat down on the appointed seat and addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, who has been instructing, exhorting, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, [spoken] with speech that is polished, clear, articulate, expressive of the meaning, comprehensive, and unhindered?”
“It was Venerable Visākha Pañcāliputta, Bhante.”
Then the Blessed One said to the Venerable Visākha Pañcāliputta: “Good, good, Visākha! It is good that you instruct, exhort, inspire, and gladden the bhikkhus in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, [spoken] with speech that is polished, clear, articulate, expressive of the meaning, comprehensive, and unhindered.”
When the wise man is in the midst of fools,
they do not know him if he does not speak.728
But they know him when he speaks,
teaching the deathless state.
He should speak and illustrate the Dhamma;
he should lift high the seers’ banner.
Well-spoken words are the seers’ banner:
for the Dhamma is the banner of seers. [52]
49 (9) Inversions
“Bhikkhus, there are these four inversions of perception, inversions of mind, and inversions of view.729 What four? (1) The inversion of perception, mind, and view that takes the impermanent to be permanent; (2) the inversion of perception, mind, and view that takes what is suffering to be pleasurable;730 (3) the inversion of perception, mind, and view that takes what is non-self to be self; (4) the inversion of perception, mind, and view that takes what is unattractive to be attractive. These are the four inversions of perception, mind, and view.
“There are, bhikkhus, these four non-inversions of perception, non-inversions of mind, and non-inversions of view. What four? (1) The non-inversion of perception, mind, and view that takes the impermanent to be impermanent; (2) the non-inversion of perception, mind, and view that takes what is suffering to be suffering; (3) the non-inversion of perception, mind, and view that takes what is non-self to be non-self; (4) the non-inversion of perception, mind, and view that takes what is unattractive to be unattractive. These are the four non-inversions of perception, mind, and view.”
Perceiving permanence in the impermanent,
perceiving pleasure in what is suffering,
perceiving a self in what is non-self,
and perceiving attractiveness in what is unattractive,
beings resort to wrong views,731
their minds deranged, their perception twisted.
Such people are bound by the yoke of Māra,
and do not reach security from bondage.
Beings continue in saṃsāra,
going to birth and death.
But when the Buddhas arise in the world,
sending forth a brilliant light,
they reveal this Dhamma that leads
to the stilling of suffering.
Having heard it, wise people
have regained their sanity.
They have seen the impermanent as impermanent
and what is suffering as suffering.
They have seen what is non-self
as non-self and the unattractive as unattractive.
By the acquisition of right view,
they have overcome all suffering. [53]
“Bhikkhus, there are these four defilements of the sun and moon because of which the sun and moon do not shine, blaze, and radiate. What four? Clouds are a defilement of the sun and moon because of which the sun and moon do not shine, blaze, and radiate; fog is a defilement of the sun and moon732 … smoke and dust is a defilement of the sun and moon … and Rāhu, lord of the asuras, is a defilement of the sun and moon because of which the sun and moon do not shine, blaze, and radiate. These are the four defilements of the sun and moon because of which the sun and moon do not shine, blaze, and radiate.
“So too, bhikkhus, there are four defilements of ascetics and brahmins because of which some ascetics and brahmins do not shine, blaze, and radiate. What four?
(1) “There are some ascetics and brahmins who drink liquor and wine and do not refrain from drinking liquor and wine. This is the first defilement of ascetics and brahmins because of which some ascetics and brahmins do not shine, blaze, and radiate.
(2) “There are some ascetics and brahmins who indulge in sexual intercourse and do not refrain from sexual intercourse. This is the second defilement of ascetics and brahmins because of which some ascetics and brahmins do not shine, blaze, and radiate.
(3) “There are some ascetics and brahmins who accept gold and silver and do not refrain from receiving gold and silver. This is the third defilement of ascetics and brahmins because of which some ascetics and brahmins do not shine, blaze, and radiate.
(4) “There are some ascetics and brahmins who earn their living by wrong livelihood and do not refrain from wrong livelihood. This is the fourth defilement of ascetics and brahmins because of which some ascetics and brahmins do not shine, blaze, and radiate.
“These are the four defilements of ascetics and brahmins [54] because of which some ascetics and brahmins do not shine, blaze, and radiate.”733
Some ascetics and brahmins
are dragged around by lust and hatred;
seek delight in pleasant things.
They drink liquor and wines,
indulge in sexual activity;
the ignorant accept
silver and gold.
Some ascetics and brahmins
live by wrong livelihood.
These are the defilements that the Buddha,
Kinsman of the Sun, described.
Defiled by these,
some ascetics and brahmins—
impure, dusty creatures—734
do not shine and blaze.
Shrouded in darkness,
slaves of craving, led along,
they take renewed existence
and fill the terrible charnel ground.
716 The Pāli reads atthi bhikkhave samādhibhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārāya saṃvattati, lit., “there is, bhikkhus, a development of concentration that, when developed and cultivated, leads to dwelling happily in this very life.” Since in English “when developed and cultivated” would be redundant, I have omitted it in favor of more natural English diction. The same applies to each of the other three developments of concentration.
717 Evidently, this refers to the attainment of the jhānas either by one who does not use them to develop insight, or by an arahant, who enters the jhānas simply to dwell at ease. Elsewhere the jhānas are shown to lead to the destruction of the taints. Ce has vuccati in this section but not in the parallel sentences of the next three sections. Ee is just the opposite, omitting vuccati here but including it in the next three sections. Be omits vuccati in all four sections.
718 Mp explains “knowledge and vision” in this context as the divine eye (dibbacakkhuñāṇadassanassa paṭilābhāya). Elsewhere it is used to mean insight knowledge or even full enlightenment.
719 Yathā divā tathā rattiṃ, yathā rattiṃ tathā divā. Mp: “As he attends to the perception of light by day, so he attends to it at night; and so in reverse.”
720 Mp: “How are feelings known as they arise, etc.? Here, a bhikkhu comprehends the base (vatthu, the sense organ) and the object (ārammaṇa). By comprehending the base and the object, he knows: ‘Thus those feelings have arisen; thus they stand; thus they cease.’ The same method applies to perceptions and thoughts.”
721 Sn 1048, also cited at 3:33.
722 See 3:67 and p. 1654, note 464.
723 Also at SN 2:26, I 61–62.
724 Daḷhadhammā. The suffix -dhamma here is a Pāli formation of Skt dhanvan, “having a bow.” Hence the gloss by Mp: “Firm-bowed means possessing a bow of the maximum size” (daḷhadhanu uttamappamāṇena dhanunā samannāgato).
725 Dhanuggaho sikkhito katahattho katūpāsano. Mp explains dhanuggaho as a teacher of archery, sikkhito as one who has trained in archery for twelve years, katahattho as one skillful enough to split the tip of a hair even at the distance of an usabha, and katūpasāno as one experienced in shooting arrows who has exhibited his craft. See too p. 1831, note 1935; also see CDB 393, note 181, and CDB 819, note 365.
726 Mp: “The teaching of the good is the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment. The teaching of the bad is the sixty-two speculative views.”
727 The sutta is also found at SN 21:7, II 280. No fourfold scheme is apparent, and thus I cannot determine the reason for including it in the Fours.
728 I read with Be and Ee nābhāsamānaṃ jānanti, as against Ce na bhāsamānaṃ jānanti. The context clearly requires the former. The Chinese parallel SĀ 1069 (at T II 277c12) supports this with 
, “If he does not speak the Dhamma.”
729 Saññāvipallāso, cittavipallāso, diṭṭhivipallāso. Vipallāsa is from vi + pari + āsa, “turned upside down.” These are treated in terms of abandonment and non-abandonment at Paṭis II 80–81.
730 I read with Ce and Be dukkhe bhikkhave sukhan ti saññāvipallāso, as against Ee adukkhe bhikkhave dukkhan ti saññāvipallāso.
731 I read with Ce and Ee micchādiṭṭhigatā, as against Be micchādiṭṭhihatā. But I follow the verse divisions of Be rather than of Ce.
732 Mp glosses mahikā with himaṃ, “snow,” but PED offers “fog, frost,” which seem better.
733 Of the four upakkilesas, the drinking of liquor by bhikkhus is prohibited by Pācittiya 51; sexual intercourse by Pārājika 1; the acceptance of gold and silver (as well as of any other medium of monetary exchange) by Nissaggiya-pācittiya 18. Various kinds of wrong livelihood prohibited to Buddhist monastics are enumerated at DN 2.1.21–27, I 67–69. See too MN 117.29, III 75,11–14.
734 I read with Be asuddhā sarajā magā.