AN 3.85  Sekkha sutta - Trainee

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, that bhikkhu said to the Blessed One:

“‘Sekho, sekho’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, sekho hotī”ti?

“Venerable sir, it is said ‘|trainee::learner, one of the seven stages of a noble person before full awakening [sekha]|, trainee.’ To what extent, venerable sir, is one called a trainee?”

“Sikkhatīti kho, bhikkhu, tasmā sekhoti vuccati. Kiñca sikkhati? Adhisīlampi sikkhati, adhicittampi sikkhati, adhipaññampi sikkhati. Sikkhatīti kho, bhikkhu, tasmā sekhoti vuccatīti.

“‘He trains,’ bhikkhu, therefore he is called a trainee. And in what does he train? He trains in |higher virtue::higher conduct [adhisīla]|, he trains in |higher mind::meditation, mental development, higher consciousness [adhicitta]|, he trains in |higher wisdom::deeper understanding, insight [adhipaññā]|. ‘He trains,’ bhikkhu, therefore he is called a trainee.”

Sekhassa sikkhamānassa,
ujumaggānusārino;
Khayasmiṁ paṭhamaṁ ñāṇaṁ,
tato aññā anantarā.

“For a trainee who is practicing,
following the direct path;
knowledge of |wearing away::exhaustion, depletion, gradual destruction [khaya]| arises first,
followed next by |final knowledge::spiritual insight of the complete wearing away of the mental defilements; full awakening [aññā]|.

Tato aññāvimuttassa,
ñāṇaṁ ve hoti tādino;
Akuppā me vimuttīti,
bhavasaṁyojanakkhaye”ti.

For one liberated through final knowledge,
there arises insight in the stable one;
‘My liberation is |unshakeable::unassailable, indisputable [akuppa]|,’
|wearing away the chain of existence::exhausting the bond of further becoming [bhavasaṁyojanakkhaya]|.