This discourse was taught by the Blessed One, taught by the Arahant, the fully enlightened Supreme Buddha. This is as I heard,
“Monks, those monks who possess virtue, concentration and wisdom, who possess liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation; who exhort Dhamma, instruct Dhamma and who demonstrate, urge, rouse, and encourage, and who are competent teachers of the pure Dhamma—I say that seeing those monks is very helpful; listening to those monks is very helpful; approaching those monks is very helpful; attending to those monks is very helpful; remembering those monks is very helpful; and following their example in becoming a monk is very helpful. For what reason?
Monks, by associating with, following, and attending to such monks, the aspect of virtue, as yet incomplete, reaches completion through development; the aspect of concentration, as yet incomplete, reaches completion through development; the aspect of wisdom, as yet incomplete, reaches completion through development; the aspect of liberation, as yet incomplete, reaches completion through development; and the aspect of knowledge and vision of liberation, as yet incomplete, reaches completion through development.
Monks such as these are called true teachers, caravan-leaders, generals in the battle of defilements, dispellers of darkness, light-bringers, makers of radiance, makers of brightness, torch-bearers, and bringers of illumination, noble ones, and possessors of the eyes of Dhamma.”
This is the meaning of what the Blessed One said. So, with regard to this, it was said:
Even seeing the noble ones who are perfected in mind and live the life of Dhamma is a joyful occasion for knowledgeable, wise people.
When they teach the Dhamma they brighten and illuminate it. They are makers of light. They are heroic sages. Possessing eyes of Dhamma, they help beings achieve victory over the defilements.
Having heard the Buddha’s message from the noble ones, the wise, with perfect understanding, realize the end of rebirths and never return to birth.
This, too, is the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One. This is exactly as I heard.
