Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

Subjects of Meditation 153"What is the procedure?": The new yogin goes to a place of solitudeand keeps his mind undisturbed. With this undisturbed mind, he recollectsthus: "My virtue is unbroken, indefective, unspotted, unblemished, liberating,praised by the wise, untainted, conducive to concentration". 1If unbroken, they are indefective. If indefective, they are unspotted.The others should be known in the same way.Again, because when virtue is pure, they become the resorting-ground ofall good states, they come to be called "unbroken and indefective". As theyconstitute the honour of caste, they are called unspotted and unblemished.As they constitute the joy of the Consummate One, and bear no tribulation,they are called "praised by the wise". As they are untouched by views, theyare called "untainted". As they lead to sure stations, they are called "conduciveto concentration".Further, the yogin should practise recollection of virtue in other waysthinking thus: "Virtue is the bliss of separation from tribulation. Thiscaste is worthy of honour. The treasure of virtue is secure. Its benefitshave already been taught". Thus should virtue be understood. That yoginpractises recollection of virtue considering its merits through these ways.Owing to his recollectedness and confidence, his mind is not disturbed. Withthis undisturbed mind he destroys the hindrances, arouses the meditation(jhana) factors and attains to access-meditation. The rest is as was fullytaught above.The recollection of virtue has ended.THE RECOLLECTION OF LIBERALITYQ. What is the Recollection of liberality? What is the practising of it?What are its salient characteristic, function and near cause? What is theprocedure?A. Liberality means that one gives one's wealth to others wishing tobenefit them, and in order to derive the happiness of benefitting others. Thusis liberality to be understood. One dwells indifferent in the recollection ofthe virtue of liberality. This recollectedness is recollection and right recollectedness.This is called recollection of liberality. The undisturbeddwelling of the mind in this recollection is the practising of it. Awarenessof the merit of liberality is its salient characteristic. Non-miserliness is itsfunction. Non-covetousness is its near cause.A man who practises the recollection of liberality gains ten benefits thus:He gains bliss through liberality; he becomes non-covetous through liberality;1. A. Ill, 286: Puna ca pararh Mahdndma ariyasdvako attano sildni anussarati akhanddniacchidddni asabaldni akammdsdni bhujissdni vinnupasatthdni apardmatthdni samddhisamvattanikdni.