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Inspiring All Around: the Three Knowledges

AN 10.10 · Vijjāsutta

A small wildflower thriving in a narrow crack in stone.

“A mendicant is faithful, but not ethical. So they’re incomplete in that respect, and should fulfill it, thinking: ‘How can I become faithful and ethical?’ When the mendicant is faithful and ethical, they’re complete in that respect.

A mendicant is faithful and ethical, but not learned … they’re not a Dhamma speaker … they don’t frequent assemblies … they don’t teach Dhamma to the assembly with assurance … they’re not an expert in the monastic law … they don’t recollect their many kinds of past lives … they don’t, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, see sentient beings passing away and being reborn … they don’t realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements. So they’re incomplete in that respect, and should fulfill it, thinking: ‘How can I become faithful, ethical, and learned, a Dhamma speaker, one who frequents assemblies, one who teaches Dhamma to the assembly with assurance, an expert in the training, one who recollects their many kinds of past lives, one who with clairvoyance that surpasses the human sees sentient beings passing away and being reborn, and one who lives having realized the ending of defilements?’

When they are faithful, ethical, and learned, a Dhamma speaker, one who frequents assemblies, one who teaches Dhamma to the assembly with assurance, an expert in the training, one who recollects their many kinds of past lives, one who with clairvoyance that surpasses the human sees sentient beings passing away and being reborn, and one who lives having realized the ending of defilements, they’re complete in that respect. A mendicant who possesses these ten qualities is impressive all around, and is complete in every respect.”

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Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.