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26.      I.  Herein, in the section dealing with that of one kind,  the meaning should be understood as already stated.

          2. In the section dealing with that of two kinds: fulfilling a precept announced by the Blessed One thus ‘This should be done’ is keeping; not doing what is prohibited by him thus ‘This should not be done’ is avoiding. Herein, the word-meaning is this; they keep (caranti) within that, they proceed as people who fulfill the virtues, thus it is keeping (caritta); they preserve, they protect, avoidance, thus it is avoiding. Herein, keeping is accomplished by faith and energy; avoiding, by faith and mindfulness. This is how it is of two kinds as keeping and avoiding.

27.      3.  In the second dyad good behavior is the best kind of behavior. Good behavior itself is that of good behavior; or what is announced for the sake of good behavior is that of good behavior. This is a term for virtue other than that which has livelihood as eighth.9 It is the initial stage of the life of purity consisting in the path, thus it is that of the beginning of the life of purity. This is a term for the virtue that has livelihood as eighth. It is the initial stage of the path because it has actually to be purified in the prior stage too. Hence it is said ‘But his bodily action, his verbal action, ‘and his livelihood, have already been purified earlier’ (M.iii,289). Or the training precepts called ‘lesser and minor’ (D.ii,154) [12] are that of good behavior; the rest are that of the beginning of the life of purity. Or what is included in the Double Code (the Bhikkhus’ and Bhikkhunis’ Patimokkha) is that of the beginning of the life of purity; and that included in the duties set out in the khandhakas [of the Vinaya] is that of good behavior. Through its perfection that of the beginning of the life of purity comes to be perfected. Hence it is said also ‘that this bhikkhu shall fulfill the state ‘consisting in the beginning of the life of purity without having fulfilled the state ‘consisting in good behavior - ‘that is not possible’ (A.iii, 14-15). So it is of two kinds as that of good behavior and that of the beginning of the life f purity.

28.       4.  In the third dyad virtue as abstinence is simply abstention from killing living things etc.; the other kinds consisting in volition, etc., are virtue as non-abstinence. So it is of two kinds as abstinence and non-abstinence.

29.       5.   In the fourth dyad there are two kinds of dependence: dependence through craving and dependence through [false] views. Herein, that produced by one who wishes for a fortunate kind of becoming thus ‘Through this virtuous conduct ‘(rite) I shall become a [great] deity or some [minor] deity’ (M.i,102) is dependent through craving. That produced through [false] view. But the supramundane, and the mundane that is the pre-requisite for the aforesaid supramundane, are independent. So it is of two kinds as dependent and independent.

30.      6.  In the fifth dyad temporary virtue is that undertaken after deciding on a time limit. Lifelong virtue is that practiced in the same way but undertaking it for as long as life lasts. So it is of two kinds as temporary and lifelong.

31.      7.  In the sixth dyad the limited is that seen to be limited by gain, fame, relatives, limbs, or life. The opposite is unlimited. And this is said in the Patisambhida. ‘What is the ‘virtue that has a limit? There is virtue that has gain as its ‘limit, there is virtue that has fame as its limit, there is ‘virtue that has relatives as its limit, there is virtue that     ‘has limbs as its limit, there is virtue that has life as its ‘limit.  What is virtue that has gain as its limit? Here ‘someone with gain as cause, with gain as condition, with ‘gain as reason, transgresses a training precept as ‘undertaken: that virtue has gain as its limit’ (Ps.i,43), [13] and the rest should be elaborated in the same way. Also in the answer dealing with the unlimited it is said ‘What is ‘virtue that does not have gain as its limit? Here someone ‘does, not with gain as cause, with gain as condition with ‘gain as reason, even arouse the thought of transgressing a ‘training precept as undertaken, how then shall he actually ‘transgress it? That virtue does not have gain as its limit’ (Ps.i,44), and the rest should be elaborated in the same way. So it is of two kinds as limited and unlimited.

32.      8.  In the seventh dyad all virtue subject to cankers is mundane; that not subject to cankers is supramundane. Herein, the mundane brings about improvement in future becoming and is a prerequisite for the escape from becoming, according as it is said: ‘Discipline is for the ‘purpose of restraint, restraint is for the purpose of non-‘remorse, non-remorse is for the purpose of gladdening, ‘gladdening is for the purpose of happiness, happiness is ‘for the purpose of tranquility, tranquility is for the ‘purpose of bliss, bliss is for the purpose of concentration, ‘concentration is for the purpose of correct knowledge and ‘vision, correct knowledge and vision is for the purpose of ‘dispassion, dispassion is for the purpose of fading away ‘[of greed], fading away is for the purpose of deliverance, ‘deliverance is for the purpose of knowledge and vision of ‘deliverance, knowledge and vision of deliverance is for the ‘purpose of complete extinction [of craving etc.] through ‘not clinging. Talk has that purpose, counsel has that ‘purpose, support has that purpose, giving ear has that ‘purpose, that is to say, the liberation of the mind through ‘not clinging’ (Vin.v,164). The supramundane brings about the escape from becoming and is the plane of Reviewing Knowledge. So it is of two kinds as mundane and supramundane.

33.      9.  In the first of the triads the inferior is produced by inferior zeal, [purity of] consciousness, energy, or inquiry; the medium is produced by medium zeal, etc.; the superior, by superior [zeal, and so on]. That undertaken out of desire for fame is inferior; that undertaken out of desire for the fruits of merit is medium; that undertaken for the sake of the noble state thus ‘This has to be done’ is superior. Or again that defiled by self-praise and disparagement of others etc., thus ‘I am possessed of virtue, but these other bhikkhus ‘are ill-conducted and evil-nature’ .i,193) is inferior; undefiled mundane virtue is medium; supramundane is superior. Or again that motivated by craving, the purpose of which is to enjoy continued existence, is inferior; that practiced for the purpose of one’s own deliverance is medium; the virtue of the perfections practiced for the deliverance of all beings is superior. So it is of three kinds as inferior, medium, and superior.

34.      10. In the second triad that practiced out of  self-regard by one who regards self and desires to abandon what is unbecoming to self [14] is virtue giving precedence to self. That practiced out of regard for the world and out of desire to ward off the censure of the world is virtue giving precedence to the world. That practiced out of regard for the Dhamma (Law) and out of desire to honour the majesty of the Dhamma is virtue giving precedence to the Dhamma. So it is of three kinds of giving precedence to self, and so on.

35.      11.  In the third triad the virtue that in the dyads was called ‘dependent’ (no. 5) is adhered-to because it is adhered-to  through craving and [false] view. That practiced by the magnanimous ordinary man as the prerequisite of the path, and that associated with Trainers, are not adhered-to. That associated with ‘trainers and non-trainers’ fruition is tranquillized. So it is of three kinds as adhered-to, and so on.

36.      12.  In the fourth triad that fulfilled by one who has committed no offence or has made amends after committing one is pure. So long as he has not made amends after committing an offence it is impure. Virtue in one who is dubious about whether a thing constitutes an offence or about what grade of offence has been committed or about whether he has committed an offence is dubious. Herein, the meditator should purify impure virtue. If dubious, he should avoid cases about which he is doubtful and should get his doubts cleared up. In this way his mind will be kept at rest. So it is  of three kinds as pure, and so on.

37.      13.  In the fifth triad the virtue associated with the four paths and with the [first] three fruitions is that of the trainer.  That associated with the fruition of Arahantship is that of the non-trainer. The remaining kinds are that of the neither-trainer-nor the non-trainer.  So it is of three kinds as that of the Trainer, and so on.

38.      But in the world the nature of such and such beings is called their ‘habit (sila)’, of which they say ‘This one is of happy habit (sukha-sila), this one is of unhappy habit, this one is of quarrelsome habit, this one is of dandified habit’. Because of that it is said in the atisambhida figuratively ‘Three kinds of virtue (habit); profitable virtue, unprofitable virtue, indeterminate virtue’ (Ps.i,44), So it is also called of three kinds as profitable, and so on. Of these, the unprofitable is not included here since it has nothing whatever to do with the heads beginning with the characteristic, which define virtue in the sense intended in this [chapter]. So the threefoldness should be understood only in the way already stated.

39.     14.  In the first of the tetrads:

The unvirtuous he cultivates,

He visits not the virtuous,

and in his ignorance he sees

No fault in a transgression here, [15]

With wrong thoughts often in his mind

His faculties he will not guard—

Virtue in such a constitution

Comes to partake of diminution.

But he whose mind is satisfied

With virtue that has been achieved,

Who never thinks to stir himself

And take a meditation subject up,

Contented with mere virtuousness,

Nor striving for a higher state—

His virtue bears the appellation

Of that partaking of stagnation.

But who, possessed of virtue, strives

With concentration for his aim—

That bhikkhu’s virtue in its function

Is called partaking of distinction.

Who finds mere virtue not enough

But has dispassion for his goal—

His virtue through such aspiration

Comes to partake of penetration.

40.      15.  In the second tetrad there are training precepts announced for bhikkhus to keep irrespective of what is announced for bhikkhunis. This is the virtue of bhikkhus. There are training precepts announced for bhikkhunis to keep irrespective of what is announced for bhikkhus. This is the virtue of bhikkhunis. The ten precepts of virtue for male and female novices are the virtue of the not fully admitted. The five training precepts—ten when possible—as a permanent undertaking, and eight as the factors of the Uposatha Day,10 for male and female lay followers are the virtue of the laity. So it is of four kinds as the virtue of bhikkhus and so on.

41.      16.  In the third tetrads the non-transgression on the part of Uttarakuru human beings is natural virtue. Each clan’s or locality’s, or sect’s, own rules of conduct are customary virtue. The virtue of the Bodhisatta’s mother described thus, ‘It is the necessary rule, Ananda, that when the Bodhisatta has descended into his mother’s womb, no thought of men that is connected with the cords of sense desire comes to her’ (D.ii,13) is necessary virtue. But the virtue of such pure beings as Maha-Kassapa, etc., and the Bodhisatta in his various births is virtue due to previous causes. So it is of four kinds as natural virtue, and so on.

42.      17.  In the fourth tetrad:
    (a) the virtue described by the Blessed One thus, ‘Here a ‘bhikkhu dwells restrained with the Patimokkha ‘restraint, ‘possessed of the [proper] conduct and resort, ‘and seeing fear in the slightest fault, he trains himself ‘by undertaking the precepts of training’ (Vbh. 244), is virtue of Patimokkha restraint.)
    (b) that described thus, ‘On seeing a visible object ‘with the eye, [16] he apprehends neither the signs nor ‘the particulars through which, if he left the eye faculty ‘unguarded, evil and unprofitable states of covetousness ‘and grief might invade him, he enters upon the way of ‘its restraint, he guards the eye faculty, undertakes the ‘restraint of the eye faculty. On hearing a sound with ‘the ear . . . On smelling an odour with the nose . . . On ‘tasting a flavour with the tongue . . . On touching a ‘tangible object with the body . . . On cognizing a ‘mental object with the mind, he apprehends neither the ‘signs nor the particulars through which, if he left the ‘mind faculty unguarded, evil and unprofitable states of ‘covetousness and grief might invade him, he enters ‘upon the way of its restraint, he guards the mind ‘faculty, undertakes the restrain of the mind faculty’ (M.i,180), is virtue of restraint of the sense faculties.
    (c)  Abstinence from such wrong livelihood as entails transgression of the six training precepts announced with respect to livelihood and entails the evil states beginning with ‘Scheming, talking, hinting, belittling, ‘pursuing gain with gain’ (M.iii,75) is virtue of livelihood purification.
    (d)  Use of the four requisites that is purified by the reflection stated in the way beginning ‘Reflecting ‘wisely, he uses the robe only for protection from cold’ (M.i.10) is called virtue concerning requisites.