This chapter contains discourses that explore sets of ten qualities, concepts, or principles crucial to the Buddha's teachings. Each sutta delves into groups such as the ten courses of wholesome action, the ten perfections (pāramīs), or the ten fetters. These teachings illustrate the interconnectedness and collective importance of these elements in the practice of the Dhamma. The "Book of Tens" provides comprehensive insights into how these grouped qualities contribute to spiritual development and the way of practice leading to enlightenment.
The Book of the Tens
Venerable Ānanda asks the Buddha about the purpose and benefit of wholesome ethical conduct. The Buddha explains gradual benefits of wholesome ethical conduct, starting with the immediate one of non-regret to the ultimate one of understanding and insight into liberation.
The Buddha illustrates how the path to liberation unfolds organically, with each wholesome quality naturally giving rise to the next without the need for forced willpower. Wholesome ethical conduct organically gives rise to non-regret, joy, and successive refined states, flowing effortlessly toward the ultimate knowledge and vision of liberation.
The Buddha uses the simile of checking one’s reflection in a mirror to explain how to comprehend one’s own mind. He details how to constantly review mental states and apply urgent effort to abandon harmful qualities while developing wholesome ones.
While a first point of ignorance is not discerned, it can be discerned that ignorance has a supporting condition. The Buddha explains the nutriments for ignorance and the nutriments for true knowledge and liberation, along with how they are fulfilled.
The Buddha lists ten things, along with their nutriments and obstructions, that are desirable but rarely gained in the world, including wealth, health, wisdom, and heavens.
The Buddha outlines a ten-step causal chain revealing how foundational vices like shamelessness lead to suffering, and how cultivating moral prudence and diligence systematically eliminates the root defilements to achieve final liberation.
The Buddha shares the ten grounds for resentment that lead to anger and agitation in the mind.
The Buddha shares ten ways to remove resentment by changing one’s perspective on harmful actions.
Venerable Sāriputta explains the ten strengths of a bhikkhu who has exhausted the defilements.
Approaching wrongness leads to failure, not success. Approaching rightness leads to success, not failure.
With wrong view, all actions lead to suffering. With right view, all actions lead to happiness. The Buddha explains this with an example of seeds.
The Buddha describes the ten bases for the wearing away of the multitude harmful, unwholesome qualities, and for the development of multitude wholesome qualities.