Six things are helpful, etc.

What six things are helpful? Six warm-hearted qualities. Firstly, a mendicant consistently treats their spiritual companions with bodily kindness, both in public and in private. This warm-hearted quality makes for fondness and respect, conducing to inclusion, harmony, and unity, without quarreling.

Furthermore, a mendicant consistently treats their spiritual companions with verbal kindness.

Furthermore, a mendicant consistently treats their spiritual companions with mental kindness.

Furthermore, a mendicant shares without reservation any material possessions they have gained by legitimate means, even the food placed in the alms-bowl, using them in common with their ethical spiritual companions.

Furthermore, a mendicant lives according to the precepts shared with their spiritual companions, both in public and in private. Those precepts are unbroken, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred, liberating, praised by sensible people, not mistaken, and leading to immersion.

Furthermore, a mendicant lives according to the view shared with their spiritual companions, both in public and in private. That view is noble and emancipating, and leads one who practices it to the complete ending of suffering. This warm-hearted quality makes for fondness and respect, conducing to inclusion, harmony, and unity, without quarreling.

What six things should be developed? Six recollections: the recollection of the Buddha, the teaching, the Saṅgha, ethics, generosity, and the deities.

What six things should be completely understood? Six interior sense fields: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

What six things should be given up? Six classes of craving: craving for sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and thoughts.

What six things make things worse? Six kinds of disrespect. A mendicant lacks respect and reverence for the Teacher, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, the training, diligence, and hospitality.

What six things lead to distinction? Six kinds of respect. A mendicant has respect and reverence for the Teacher, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, the training, diligence, and hospitality.

What six things are hard to comprehend? Six elements of escape. Take a mendicant who says: ‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by love. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it. Yet somehow ill will still occupies my mind.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! Don’t say that. Don’t misrepresent the Buddha, for misrepresentation of the Buddha is not good. And the Buddha would not say that. It’s impossible, reverend, it cannot happen that the heart’s release by love has been developed and properly implemented, yet somehow ill will still occupies the mind. For it is the heart’s release by love that is the escape from ill will.’

Take another mendicant who says: ‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by compassion. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it. Yet somehow the thought of harming still occupies my mind.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! … For it is the heart’s release by compassion that is the escape from thoughts of harming.’

Take another mendicant who says: ‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by rejoicing. … Yet somehow negativity still occupies my mind.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! … For it is the heart’s release by rejoicing that is the escape from negativity.’

Take another mendicant who says: ‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by equanimity. … Yet somehow desire still occupies my mind.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! … For it is the heart’s release by equanimity that is the escape from desire.’

Take another mendicant who says: ‘I’ve developed the signless heart’s release. … Yet somehow my consciousness still follows after signs.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! … For it is the signless release of the heart that is the escape from all signs.’

Take another mendicant who says: ‘I’m rid of the conceit “I am”. And I don’t regard anything as “I am this”. Yet somehow the dart of doubt and indecision still occupies my mind.’ They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! Don’t say that. Don’t misrepresent the Buddha, for misrepresentation of the Buddha is not good. And the Buddha would not say that. It’s impossible, reverend, it cannot happen that the conceit “I am” has been done away with, and nothing is regarded as “I am this”, yet somehow the dart of doubt and indecision still occupy the mind. For it is the uprooting of the conceit “I am” that is the escape from the dart of doubt and indecision.’

What six things should be produced? Six consistent responses. A mendicant, seeing a sight with their eyes, is neither happy nor sad. They remain equanimous, mindful and aware. Hearing a sound with their ears … Smelling an odor with their nose … Tasting a flavor with their tongue …

Feeling a touch with their body … Knowing a thought with their mind, they’re neither happy nor sad. They remain equanimous, mindful and aware.

What six things should be directly known? Six unsurpassable things: the unsurpassable seeing, listening, acquisition, training, service, and recollection.

What six things should be realized? Six direct knowledges. A mendicant wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying themselves and becoming one again; appearing and disappearing; going unimpeded through a wall, a rampart, or a mountain as if through space; diving in and out of the earth as if it were water; walking on water as if it were earth; flying cross-legged through the sky like a bird; touching and stroking with the hand the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful; controlling the body as far as the Brahmā realm.

With clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, they hear both kinds of sounds, human and divine, whether near or far.

They understand the minds of other beings and individuals, having comprehended them with their own mind.

They recollect many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds.

They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.

So these sixty things that are true, real, and accurate, not unreal, not otherwise were rightly awakened to by the Realized One.