1st May

121. One who is serious is a believer, not an unbeliever. One who is serious is energetic, not lazy, of steady mindfulness, not distracted, ofclear rather than confused comprehension, and with strong wisdom, not weak wisdom. When you have established these five things in yourself, you should also make six other things grow within you. You should recollect the Tathāgata like this: ‘Such indeed is the Lord, a Noble One, a fully enlightened Buddha, with perfect knowledge and  conduct, happily attained, a knower of the worlds, a guide unsurpassed of those to be trained, a teacher of gods and humans, a Buddha, the Lord.’

You should recollect the Dhamma like this: ‘Beautifully taught is the Lord’s Dhamma, immediately apparent, timeless, of the nature of a personal invitation, progressive, to be attained by the wise, each for themselves.’ 

You should recollect the Sangha like this: ‘Happily and straightly faring are the Lord’s disciples, correctly and methodically faring are they, namely, the four pairs of individuals, the eight types of persons. These disciples of the Lord are worthy of offerings, of hospitality, of gifts and salutation with folded hands; they are an incomparable source of goodness in the world.’

You should recollect your own virtues as being complete, whole, unspotted, untarnished, freedom-giving, as being praised by the wise, pure and leading to concentration.

You should recollect your own generosity like this: ‘It is a gain for me. Indeed, it is a great gain that, amidst those overcome by meanness, I live at home with the mind cleansed of meanness. I am open-handed, pure-handed, delighting in sharing, one to ask a favor of, one who rejoices in giving.’

Further, you should recollect the gods in this way: ‘There are the gods of the Four Great Kings, the Thirty-three Gods, the gods of Yama, the gods of delight, the gods who delight in creation, those who have power over the creations of others, those in the company of Brahma and those beyond that. I, too, have the faith, the virtue, the learning, the generosity, and the wisdom by which these gods, on dying here, were reborn there in heaven.’

At a time when noble disciples recollect all these things, their minds will be free from greed, hatred and delusion. At that time, their minds will be straight and focused upon those things, and with a straight mind they will experience gladness in the good, gladness in the Dhamma, and the gladness that accompanies the Dhamma. In one like this gladness arises, from gladness comes joy, because of joy the body is tranquil, with a tranquil body one is happy, and the mind of one who is happy becomes concentrated. This is said of a person like this: ‘The noble disciple who recollects the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, who recollects virtue, generosity and the gods - that disciple walks evenly among those who dwell unevenly.’

A.V,329 (AN 11.11)