9th June

160. Venerable Subhūti and a believing monk came to the Lord, sat down, and the Lord said to Subhūti: “Who, Subhūti, is this monk with you?”

“Sir, he is a believer, the son of a believing disciple, he went forth from a believer’s home.”

“But, Subhūti, does he have the traditional characteristics of a believer?”

“Now would be a good time, Lord, to tell me the traditional characteristics of a believer; then I will know whether or not this monk has them.”

“Then listen carefully and I will speak. Concerning this, a monk is virtuous, he lives restrained by the rules of training, he is well-equipped with practice, seeing danger in the slightest fault, and he follows the precepts and applies himself to them. He has heard much, and what he has learned he keeps it in mind and remembers. Those teachings that are beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle and beautiful in the end, in both the letter and the spirit, laying down the holy life in all its perfection and purity, those teachings he listens to, remembers, recites, ponders over and penetrates with wisdom. Further, he has friendship with the beautiful, fellowship with the beautiful, companionship with the beautiful. He is pleasant to speak to, endowed with the qualities that make it easy to speak to, he is patient and clever at grasping the meaning of instructions. Yet again, in all dealings with his fellow monks, in matters great or small, he is clever and energetic, possessing the ability to give proper consideration to them, knowing what the right thing is and how to do it. He delights in Dhamma, he rejoices greatly in higher Dhamma and higher training, and is pleasant to speak with about it. Yet again, he has resolute energy for abandoning bad qualities; he is stout and strong in acquiring good qualities, not shirking the burden of good qualities. He can attain easily and without difficulty the four jhānas which are of the clearest consciousness and are connected with happiness here and now. He can recall his former lives - one, two, five, ten, a hundred, and a hundred thousand. Yet again, with god-like vision, purified and surpassing that of ordinary people, he can see the rising and passing away of beings. And finally, by the destruction of the defilements, in this very life and by his own comprehension, he attains freedom of mind, freedom through wisdom and he abides in it. These, Subhūti, are the traditional characteristics of a believer.”

A.V,337 (AN 11.14)