“Bhikkhus, there are coarse |impurities::blemishes, flaws, imperfections [upakkilesā]| in raw gold: dirt, sand, gravel, and pebbles. The dirt rinser or his apprentice, having poured the gold ore into a trough, washes it, rinses it, and cleanses it thoroughly. When these [coarse impurities] are abandoned and eliminated, there remain medium-sized impurities in the raw gold: fine gravel and coarse sand. The dirt rinser or his apprentice washes it, rinses it, and cleanses it thoroughly. When these [medium-sized impurities] are abandoned and eliminated, there remain subtle impurities in the raw gold: fine sand and black dust. The dirt rinser or his apprentice washes it, rinses it, and cleanses it thoroughly. When these [subtle impurities] are abandoned and eliminated, there remains just the gold dust.
The goldsmith or his apprentice, having placed the gold dust into a |crucible::melting pot [mūsā]|, blows upon it, smelts it, and purifies it. At that point, the gold has been blown upon, smelted, and purified, but its |dross::(of gold) sediment, impurity [kasāva]| has not been entirely removed; it is not yet |pliable::soft, flexible [mudu]|, |malleable::ready, workable, suitable for use [kammañña]|, or |radiant::shining, bright, brilliant [pabhassara]|, but is brittle and not properly ready for working. But there comes a time, bhikkhus, when the goldsmith or his apprentice blows upon that gold, smelts it, and purifies it. At that point, the gold has been blown upon, smelted, and purified, with its dross entirely removed; it is pliable, malleable, and radiant, not brittle, and is properly ready for working. Then whatever kind of ornament the goldsmith wishes to make from it—whether a bracelet, earrings, a necklace, or a gold chain—he can achieve his purpose.
“So too, bhikkhus, for a bhikkhu devoted to the higher mind, there are coarse defilements: |bodily misconduct::killing living beings, harming others, theft, or sexual misconduct [kāyaduccarita]|, |verbal misconduct::false speech, harsh speech, divisive speech, idle chatter [vacīduccarita]|, and |mental misconduct::yearning with strong eagerness and desire, having ill will or hatred, delighting in harm|. An attentive and capable bhikkhu abandons these, dispels them, eliminates them, and brings them to nought.
When these [coarse defilements] are abandoned and eliminated, there remain for the bhikkhu devoted to the higher mind medium-sized defilements: |thoughts of sensuality::thoughts related to enjoyment of sensual pleasures, sexual thoughts [kāmavitakka]|, |thoughts of ill will::thoughts of resentment, anger, hatred [byāpādavitakka]|, and |thoughts of harming::idea of hurting, thought of cruelty [vihiṁsāvitakka]|. An attentive and capable bhikkhu abandons these, dispels them, eliminates them, and brings them to nought.
When these [medium-sized defilements] are abandoned and eliminated, there remain for the bhikkhu devoted to the higher mind subtle defilements: |thoughts about his family::thoughts on family, relatives, kins [ñātivitakka]|, thoughts on his country, and thoughts concerning his reputation. An attentive and capable bhikkhu abandons these, dispels them, eliminates them, and brings them to nought.
When these [subtle defilements] are abandoned and eliminated, there remain just thoughts about the Dhamma. That |collectedness::stability of mind, stillness of mind, mental composure [samādhi]| is not yet peaceful or sublime, not obtained by tranquility, not attained to |unification::singleness, integration [ekodibhāva]| of mind, but is |held in place and restrained by intention::reined in and checked by volition [sa + saṅkhāra + niggayha + vārita + gata]|.
But there comes a time, bhikkhus, when that mind becomes internally steadied, calmed, |unified::one-pointedness, with oneness, integrated, well-composed, concentrated [ekagga]|, and |collected::composed, settled [samāhita]|. That collectedness is peaceful and sublime, obtained by tranquility, and attained to unification of mind; it is not held in place and restrained by intention. Then, there being a suitable basis, the bhikkhu is capable of realizing any phenomenon realizable by |direct knowledge::experiential understanding [abhiññāya]| by directing his mind towards it.
If he wishes: ‘May I realize the various kinds of |psychic abilities::spiritual powers, supernormal abilities [iddhi]| such as—being one, become many; having been many, become one; appear and disappear; pass through walls, enclosures, and mountains unhindered as if through space; dive into and emerge from the earth as if it were water; walk on water without sinking as though on solid ground; fly cross-legged through the sky, like a bird; with hand, touch and stroke the moon and the sun, so mighty and powerful; with the body, exercise control even as far as the |Brahmā world::heavenly realm|,’ then, in each case, he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.
If he wishes: ‘May I, with the |divine ear element::clairaudience, the divine auditory faculty [sotadhātu]|, which is purified and surpasses the human level, hear both kinds of sounds, divine and human, whether distant or near,’ he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.
If he wishes: ‘May I, having discerned others’ minds with my own mind, understand: a mind with lust as a mind with lust, and a mind free from lust as a mind free from lust; a mind with hatred as a mind with hatred, and a mind free from hatred as a mind free from hatred; a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind free from delusion as a mind free from delusion; a contracted mind as a contracted mind, and a distracted mind as a distracted mind; an exalted mind as an exalted mind, and an unexalted mind as an unexalted mind; an inferior mind as an inferior mind, and an unsurpassable mind as an unsurpassable mind; a collected mind as a collected mind, and an uncollected mind as an uncollected mind; a liberated mind as a liberated mind, and an unliberated mind as an unliberated mind,‘ he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.
If he wishes: ’May I recollect my manifold past lives, such as: one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand births; many cycles of [universal] contraction, many cycles of [universal] expansion, and many cycles of [universal] contraction and expansion; in such a place I was named so-and-so, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such was my experience of pleasure and pain, such was my lifespan; and passing away from there, I was reborn elsewhere; and there too I had such a name, such a clan, such an appearance, such food, experiencing such pleasure and pain, with such a lifespan; and passing away from there, I was reborn here. Thus, with all details and aspects, may I recollect my manifold past lives,‘ he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.
If he wishes: ’May I, with the |divine eye::the faculty of clairvoyance, the ability to see beyond the ordinary human range [dibbacakkhu]|, purified and surpassing human vision, see beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in fortunate and unfortunate destinations—and understand beings according to their actions: These beings, engaged in bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct, revilers of the Noble Ones, holding wrong views, undertaking actions based on wrong views—upon the breaking up of the body, after death, have arisen in a state of loss, a bad destination, a place of ruin, even in hell. But these beings, engaged in good bodily, verbal, and mental conduct, not revilers of the Noble Ones, holding right views and undertaking actions based on right views—upon the breaking up of the body, after death, have arisen in a good destination, the heavenly world. In this way, may I, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human vision, see beings as they pass away and are reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and unattractive, in fortunate and unfortunate destinations, and understand beings according to their actions,‘ he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.
If he wishes: ’May I, through the wearing away of the |mental defilements::mental outflows, discharges, taints [āsava]|, dwell having directly realized and attained in this very life the taintless |liberation of mind::mental liberation, emancipation of heart, a meditation attainment [cetovimutti]| and |liberation by wisdom::emancipation by insight [paññāvimutti]|, achieved by one‘s own direct knowledge,’ he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.