Iti 104

Itivuttaka: The Group of Fours

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Those monks who are consummate in virtue, consummate in concentration, consummate in discernment, consummate in release, consummate in the knowledge & vision of release; who exhort, demonstrate, instruct, urge, rouse & encourage; who are competent rightly to point out the true Dhamma: seeing them, I tell you, accomplishes a great deal; listening to them, approaching them, attending to them, recollecting them, following them in going forth accomplishes a great deal. Why is that?

"By associating with monks of this sort, sharing with them, attending on them, the as-yet-unculminated aggregate of virtue goes to the culmination of its development, the as-yet-unculminated aggregate of concentration goes to the culmination of its development, the as-yet-unculminated aggregate of discernment goes to the culmination of its development, the as-yet-unculminated aggregate of release goes to the culmination of its development, the as-yet-unculminated aggregate of knowledge & vision of release goes to the culmination of its development. Monks of this sort are said to be teachers, leaders, abandoners of harm, dispellers of darkness, makers of light, makers of radiance, makers of brightness, makers of brilliance, bringers of illumination, noble ones, endowed with eyes that see."

This is a condition creating joy for those who know: living the Dhamma of the noble ones, composed, who brighten the true Dhamma, illumine it, shining brilliantly, who are makers of light, enlightened, abandoners of harm, who have eyes that see. Having heard their message with right gnosis, the wise directly knowing the ending of birth, come to no further becoming.