1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda and the Venerable Bhadda were dwelling at Paṭaliputta in the Cock's Park. Then, in the evening, the Venerable Bhadda emerged from seclusion, approached the Venerable Ānanda, and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Venerable Ānanda: [n.173] Modelled on SN45.18. "Wholesome virtues" (kusalāni sīlāni), just below, are identified by Spk with the fourfold purification of virtue.

"Friend Ānanda, as to the wholesome virtues spoken of by the Blessed One, what is the purpose for which they were spoken of by him?"

2"Good, good, friend Bhadda! Your intelligence is excellent, your ingenuity is excellent, your inquiry is a good one. For you have asked me: ‘Friend Ānanda, as to the wholesome virtues spoken of by the Blessed One, what is the purpose for which they were spoken of by him?’"

"Yes, friend."

"Those wholesome virtues spoken of by the Blessed One were spoken of by him for the purpose of developing the four establishments of mindfulness.

3What four? Here, friend, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body … feelings in feelings … mind in mind … phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. sn.v.172

"Those virtues spoken of by the Blessed One were spoken of by him for the sake of developing these four establishments of mindfulness."

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca ānando āyasmā ca bhaddo pāṭaliputte vihāranti kukkuṭārāme. Atha kho āyasmā bhaddo sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā bhaddo āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ etadavoca:

"Yānimāni, āvuso Ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni vuttāni bhagavatā, imāni kusalāni sīlāni kimatthiyāni vuttāni bhagavatā"ti?

2"Sādhu sādhu, āvuso bhadda. Bhaddako kho te, āvuso bhadda, ummaṅgo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ, āvuso bhadda, pucchasi: ‘yānimāni, āvuso Ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni vuttāni bhagavatā, imāni kusalāni sīlāni kimatthiyāni vuttāni bhagavatā’"ti?

"Evamāvuso"ti.

"Yānimāni, āvuso bhadda, kusalāni sīlāni vuttāni bhagavatā, imāni kusalāni sīlāni yāvadeva catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ bhāvanāya vuttāni bhagavatā.

3Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī vihārati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu … pe … citte … pe … dhammesu dhammānupassī vihārati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

Yānimāni, āvuso bhadda, kusalāni sīlāni vuttāni bhagavatā, imāni kusalāni sīlāni yāvadeva imesaṁ catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ bhāvanāya vuttāni bhagavatā"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.