There are teachings grouped by four that have been rightly explained by the Buddha. You should all recite these in concert. What are the teachings grouped by four?

Four kinds of mindfulness meditation. It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of desire and aversion for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings … mind … principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

Four right efforts. A mendicant generates enthusiasm, tries, makes an effort, exerts the mind, and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are completed by development.

Four bases of psychic power. A mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm, and active effort. They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to mental development, and active effort. They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to energy, and active effort. They develop the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to inquiry, and active effort.

Four absorptions. A mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, they enter and remain in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and confidence, and unified mind, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. And with the fading away of rapture, they enter and remain in the third absorption, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, personally experiencing the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’ Giving up pleasure and pain, and ending former happiness and sadness, they enter and remain in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness.

Four ways of developing immersion further. There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in the present life. There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision. There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness. There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements.

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in the present life? It’s when a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption … second absorption … fourth absorption. This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in the present life.

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision? A mendicant focuses on the perception of light, concentrating on the perception of day regardless of whether it is night or day. And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, they develop a mind that’s full of radiance. This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision.

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness? A mendicant knows feelings as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. They know perceptions as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. They know thoughts as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness.

And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements? A mendicant meditates observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates. ‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. Such are feelings … perceptions … choices … consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’ This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements.

Four immeasurables. A mendicant meditates spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of love to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. They meditate spreading a heart full of compassion … rejoicing … equanimity to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of equanimity to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.

Four formless states. A mendicant, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite space. Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite consciousness. Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they enter and remain in the dimension of nothingness. Going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, they enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

Four supports. After reflection, a mendicant uses some things, endures some things, avoids some things, and gets rid of some things.

Four noble traditions. A mendicant is content with any kind of robe, and praises such contentment. They don’t try to get hold of a robe in an improper way. They don’t get upset if they don’t get a robe. And if they do get a robe, they use it untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawback, and understanding the escape. And on account of that they don’t glorify themselves or put others down. A mendicant who is deft, tireless, aware, and mindful in this is said to stand in the ancient, original noble tradition.

Furthermore, a mendicant is content with any kind of alms-food …

Furthermore, a mendicant is content with any kind of lodgings …

Furthermore, a mendicant enjoys giving up and loves to give up. They enjoy meditation and love to meditate. But they don’t glorify themselves or put down others on account of their love for giving up and meditation. A mendicant who is deft, tireless, aware, and mindful in this is said to stand in the ancient, original noble tradition.

Four efforts. The efforts to restrain, to give up, to develop, and to preserve. And what is the effort to restrain? When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of desire and aversion would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving its restraint. When they hear a sound with their ears … When they smell an odor with their nose … When they taste a flavor with their tongue … When they feel a touch with their body … When they know a thought with their mind, they don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of desire and aversion would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving its restraint. This is called the effort to restrain.

And what is the effort to give up? It’s when a mendicant doesn’t tolerate a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought that has arisen, but gives it up, gets rid of it, eliminates it, and exterminates it. They don’t tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen, but give them up, get rid of them, eliminate them, and obliterate them. This is called the effort to give up.

And what is the effort to develop? It’s when a mendicant develops the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. This is called the effort to develop.

And what is the effort to preserve? It’s when a mendicant preserves a meditation subject that’s a fine foundation of immersion: the perception of a skeleton, a worm-infested corpse, a livid corpse, a split open corpse, or a bloated corpse. This is called the effort to preserve.

Four knowledges: knowledge of the present phenomena, inferential knowledge, knowledge of others’ minds, and conventional knowledge.

Another four knowledges: knowing about suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.

Four factors of stream-entry: associating with good people, listening to the true teaching, proper attention, and practicing in line with the teaching.

Four factors of a stream-enterer. A noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ They have experiential confidence in the teaching: ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’ They have experiential confidence in the Saṅgha: ‘The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, straightforward, methodical, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individuals. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’ And a noble disciple’s ethical conduct is loved by the noble ones, unbroken, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred, liberating, praised by sensible people, not mistaken, and leading to immersion.

Four fruits of the ascetic life: stream-entry, once-return, non-return, and perfection.

Four elements: earth, water, fire, and air.

Four foods: solid food, whether coarse or fine; contact is the second, mental intention the third, and consciousness the fourth.

Four bases for consciousness to remain. As long as consciousness remains, it remains involved with form, supported by form, founded on form. And with a sprinkle of relishing, it grows, increases, and matures. Or consciousness remains involved with feeling … Or consciousness remains involved with perception … Or as long as consciousness remains, it remains involved with choices, supported by choices, grounded on choices. And with a sprinkle of relishing, it grows, increases, and matures.

Four prejudices: making decisions prejudiced by favoritism, hostility, stupidity, and cowardice.

Four things that give rise to craving. Craving arises in a mendicant for the sake of robes, alms-food, lodgings, or rebirth in this or that state.

Four ways of practice: painful practice with slow insight, painful practice with swift insight, pleasant practice with slow insight, and pleasant practice with swift insight.

Another four ways of practice: impatient practice, patient practice, taming practice, and calming practice.

Four basic principles: contentment, good will, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Four ways of taking up practices. There is a way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain. There is a way of taking up practices that is painful now but results in future pleasure. There is a way of taking up practices that is pleasant now but results in future pain. There is a way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure.

Four spectrums of the teaching: ethics, immersion, wisdom, and freedom.

Four powers: energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.

Four foundations: the foundations of wisdom, truth, generosity, and peace.

Four ways of answering questions. There is a question that should be answered definitively. There is a question that should be answered analytically. There is a question that should be answered with a counter-question. There is a question that should be set aside.

Four deeds. There are deeds that are dark with dark result. There are deeds that are bright with bright result. There are deeds that are dark and bright with dark and bright result. There are neither dark nor bright deeds with neither dark nor bright results, which lead to the end of deeds.

Four things to be realized. Past lives are to be realized through recollection. The passing away and rebirth of sentient beings is to be realized through vision. The eight liberations are to be realized through direct meditative experience. The ending of defilements is to be realized through wisdom.

Four floods: sensuality, desire for rebirth, views, and ignorance.

Four bonds: sensuality, desire for rebirth, views, and ignorance.

Four detachments: detachment from the bonds of sensuality, desire for rebirth, views, and ignorance.

Four ties: the personal ties to covetousness, ill will, misapprehension of precepts and observances, and the insistence that this is the only truth.

Four kinds of grasping: grasping at sensual pleasures, views, precepts and observances, and theories of a self.

Four kinds of reproduction: reproduction for creatures born from an egg, from a womb, from moisture, or spontaneously.

Four kinds of conception. Someone is unaware when conceived in their mother’s womb, unaware as they remain there, and unaware as they emerge. This is the first kind of conception. Furthermore, someone is aware when conceived in their mother’s womb, but unaware as they remain there, and unaware as they emerge. This is the second kind of conception. Furthermore, someone is aware when conceived in their mother’s womb, aware as they remain there, but unaware as they emerge. This is the third kind of conception. Furthermore, someone is aware when conceived in their mother’s womb, aware as they remain there, and aware as they emerge. This is the fourth kind of conception.

Four kinds of reincarnation. There is a reincarnation where only one’s own intention is effective, not that of others. There is a reincarnation where only the intention of others is effective, not one’s own. There is a reincarnation where both one’s own and others’ intentions are effective. There is a reincarnation where neither one’s own nor others’ intentions are effective.

Four ways of purifying a religious donation. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by the giver, not the recipient. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by the recipient, not the giver. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by neither the giver nor the recipient. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by both the giver and the recipient.

Four ways of being inclusive: giving, kindly words, taking care, and equality.

Four ignoble expressions: speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical.

Four noble expressions: refraining from speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical.

Another four ignoble expressions: saying you’ve seen, heard, thought, or known something, but you haven’t.

Another four noble expressions: saying you haven’t seen, heard, thought, or known something, and you haven’t.

Another four ignoble expressions: saying you haven’t seen, heard, thought, or known something, and you have.

Another four noble expressions: saying you’ve seen, heard, thought, or known something, and you have.

Four persons. One person mortifies themselves, committed to the practice of mortifying themselves. One person mortifies others, committed to the practice of mortifying others. One person mortifies themselves and others, committed to the practice of mortifying themselves and others. One person doesn’t mortify either themselves or others, committed to the practice of not mortifying themselves or others. They live without wishes in the present life, extinguished, cooled, experiencing bliss, having become holy in themselves.

Another four persons. One person practices to benefit themselves, but not others. One person practices to benefit others, but not themselves. One person practices to benefit neither themselves nor others. One person practices to benefit both themselves and others.

Another four persons: the dark bound for darkness, the dark bound for light, the light bound for darkness, and the light bound for light.

Another four persons: the confirmed ascetic, the white lotus ascetic, the pink lotus ascetic, and the exquisite ascetic of ascetics.

These are the teachings grouped by four that have been rightly explained by the Buddha. You should all recite these in concert.

The first recitation section is finished.