III.123 Moneyya Sutta - Sagacity

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
For free distribution only.

From That the True Dhamma Might Last a Long Time: Readings Selected by King Asoka, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Monks, there are these three forms of sagacity. Which three? Bodily sagacity, verbal sagacity, and mental sagacity.

And what is bodily sagacity? There is the case where a monk abstains from taking life, abstains from theft, abstains from unchastity. This is called bodily sagacity.

And what is verbal sagacity? There is the case where a monk abstains from lying, abstains from divisive tale-bearing, abstains from harsh language, abstains from idle chatter. This is called verbal sagacity.

And what is mental sagacity? There is the case where a monk who -- with the wasting away of the mental fermentations -- remains in the fermentation-free release of awareness and release of discernment, having known and made them manifest for himself right in the here and now. This is called mental sagacity.

These, monks, are the three forms of sagacity.

A sage in body, a sage in speech,
    A sage in mind, without fermentation:
a sage consummate in sagacity
    is said to have abandoned
    everything. -- the All.