Bala Sutta
“Because of six qualities
a person is unable to progress towards
more substantial mental collectedness. [1]
What are they?
Here, a monk is
(1) Not skilled at achieving mental collectedness;
(2) Not skilled at staying in mental collectedness;
(3) Not skilled at emerging from mental collectedness; [2]
(4) One acts carelessly;
(5) One does not practice continuously;
(6) One does not perform wholesome actions.
Because of these six qualities,
a person is unable to progress towards
more substantial mental collectedness.
“Because of six qualities
a person is able to progress towards
more substantial mental collectedness.
What are they?
Here, a monk is
(1) Skilled at achieving mental collectedness;
(2) Skilled at staying in mental collectedness;
(3) Skilled at emerging from mental collectedness;
(4) One acts out of care;
(5) One practices continuously;
(6) One performs wholesome actions. [3]
Because of these six qualities,
a person is able to progress towards
more substantial mental collectedness.”
[1] abhabbo samādhismiṁ balataṁ pāpuṇituṁ
[2] I am hesitating between two possible meanings: To emerge or to bring further for the word vuṭṭhāna. Because this old concept of ‘emerging’ is closely associated to being ‘absorbed’ in something…
[3] samādhissa samāpattikusalo hoti, samādhissa ṭhitikusalo hoti, samādhissa vuṭṭhānakusalo hoti, sakkaccakārī ca hoti, sātaccakārī ca, sappāyakārī ca.
