Numbered Discourses 4.169

17. Practice

Extra Effort

“Bhikkhus, these four people are found in the world. What four?

One person becomes fully extinguished in the present life by making extra effort.

One person becomes fully extinguished when the body breaks up by making extra effort.

One person becomes fully extinguished in the present life without making extra effort.

One person becomes fully extinguished when the body breaks up without making extra effort.

And how does a person become fully extinguished in the present life by making extra effort? It’s when a bhikkhu meditates watching, again and again, the ugliness of the body, perceives the repulsiveness of food, perceives non-obsession with the whole world, observes the impermanence of all conditions, and has well established the perception of their own death. They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. And these five faculties manifest in them strongly: faith, energy, mindfulness, samādhi, and wisdom. Because of the strength of the five faculties, they become fully extinguished in the present life by making extra effort. That’s how a person becomes fully extinguished in the present life by making extra effort.

How does a person become fully extinguished when the body breaks up by making extra effort? It’s when a bhikkhu meditates watching, again and again, the ugliness of the body, perceives the repulsiveness of food, perceives non-obsession with the whole world, observes the impermanence of all conditions, and has well established the perception of their own death. They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. But these five faculties manifest in them weakly: faith, energy, mindfulness, samādhi, and wisdom. Because of the weakness of the five faculties, they become fully extinguished when the body breaks up by making extra effort. That’s how a person becomes fully extinguished when the body breaks up by making extra effort.

And how does a person become fully extinguished in the present life without making extra effort? It’s when a bhikkhu … enters and remains in the first jhāna … second jhāna … third jhāna … fourth jhāna … They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. And these five faculties manifest in them strongly: faith, energy, mindfulness, samādhi, and wisdom. Because of the strength of the five faculties, they become fully extinguished in the present life without making extra effort. That’s how a person becomes fully extinguished in the present life without making extra effort.

And how does a person become fully extinguished when the body breaks up without making extra effort? It’s when a bhikkhu … enters and remains in the first jhāna … second jhāna … third jhāna … fourth jhāna … They rely on these five powers of a trainee: faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom. But these five faculties manifest in them weakly: faith, energy, mindfulness, samādhi, and wisdom. Because of the weakness of the five faculties, they become fully extinguished when the body breaks up without making extra effort. That’s how a person becomes fully extinguished when the body breaks up without making extra effort.

These are the four people found in the world.”