Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

On Distinguishing Virtue 21'Detraction' means that a man wishing to gain benefits, causes people tofear him, because he abuses them, or because he creates dissensions amongthem; or terrifies people with harmful actions.What is 'giving in order to get more' ? He makes small offerings andexpects great returns. This is called 'giving in order to get more'. Thesemany evil actions constitute wrong livelihood.And again, there is another (teaching concerning) wrong livelihood:(It is) giving bamboo staves, or flowers, leaves and fruits, or tooth-sticks andbath-powder; or, it is to divine, or to interpret dreams, or to make astrologicalpredictions, or to interpret the language of birds, or to conjectuie concerningthe auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of modes of walking; it is to worshipfire 1 and to offer flowers to it; or it is to drive a prosperous trade; or it is tolead armies; or it is to deal in sharp weapons. These, and such other activitiesconstitute wrong livelihood. The not doing of these is called 'virtue of thepurity (of livelihood)'.Q. What is 'virtue of the restraint of the faculties'?A. On seeing a form, hearing a sound, smelling an odour, tasting aflavour or contacting a tangible, a man resolves to be not entranced by thedefiling aspects thereof, and he does not transgress. 2 This is called 'virtueof the restraint of the faculties'. This 'virtue of the restraint of the faculties'is fulfilled through nine activities 3 :—Through cutting down the signs of evil which arise in the faculties; throughovercoming non-mindfulness; through not letting (evil states of consciousness)to continue, as (in the simile of) the man who saves his burning head; 4 throughrestraint comparable to that of the Venerable Elder Nanda; 5 through conqueringevil states of consciousness; through attaining to concentration of mind withease; through living apart from men who do not guard the faculties; andthrough living in the company of those who guard the faculties.Q. What is 'virtue connected with the requisites'?A. Through eight ways one wisely reflects in accepting alms thus:The first: one does not take (food and drink) for the sake of violent sportor intoxication; the second: one does not take (food and drink) for the sakeof personal charm or beautification; the third; one takes (food and drink)in order to sustain the body and to preserve it; the fourth: one takes (foodand drink) in order to stay hunger and thirst; the fifth: one takes (foodand drink) in order to observe the holy life; the sixth: one always thinksthat food and drink are intended to remove old ills and not to allow new ills1. D. I. 9 Aggi-homa.2. Cp. D. I, 70.3. Only eight are treated in the explanation which follows.4. Cp. S. II! , 143: Evam khandhe avekkheyya bhikkhu araddhaviriyodiva vd yadi va rat tun sampajano patissato.Jaheyya sabbasahhogam kareyya saranattamoCareyyddittasiso va patthayam accutam padariu5. Cp. A. T, 25: Etad aggam... .indriyesu-gutta-dvaranam yadidam Nando.