Theos-Talk Archives (November 1998 Message tt00002)

There are these five gifts, five great gifts -- original, long-
standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, pure from the
beginning -- are not open to suspicion, will never be open to
suspicion, and are unfaulted by knowledgeable contemplatives and
sages.  Which five?

There is the case where a noble disciple, (1) abandoning the taking
life, abstains from taking life; (2) abandoning taking what is not
given, he abstains from taking what is not given; (3) abandoning
illicit sex, he abstains from illicit sex; (4) abandoning lying, he
abstains from lying; (5) abandoning the use of intoxicants, he
abstains from taking intoxicants.  In doing so, he gives freedom
from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to
limitless numbers of beings.  In so giving he gains a share in
limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom
from oppression.

     [Based on _Anguttara Nikaya_ 8, 39]
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--
<> Nicholas Weeks <> am455@lafn.org <> Los Angeles
  Follow thy star, thou shalt not fail a glorious haven.  Dante