This discourse was taught by the Blessed One, taught by the Arahant, the fully enlightened Supreme Buddha. This is as I heard,
“Monks, if while walking, a thought of sense desire or ill will or harmfulness arises in a monk, and if he allows it to stay and does not reject it, does not quickly abandon it, does not get rid of it, and does not bring it to an end, that monk— lacking in energy and unafraid of wrongdoing—is often and continually called lazy and weak in his effort.
Monks, if while standing, a thought of sense desire or ill will or harmfulness arises in a monk, and if he allows it to stay and does not reject it, does not quickly abandon it, does not get rid of it, and does not bring it to an end, that monk—lacking in energy and unafraid of wrongdoing—is often and continually called lazy and weak in his effort.
Monks, if while sitting, a thought of sense desire or ill will or harmfulness arises in a monk, and if he allows it to stay and does not reject it, does not quickly abandon it, does not get rid of it, and does not bring it to an end, that monk— lacking in energy and unafraid of wrongdoing—is often and continually called lazy and weak in his effort.
Monks, if while lying down, a thought of sense desire or ill will or harmfulness arises in a monk, and if he allows it to stay and does not reject it, does not quickly abandon it, does not get rid of it, and does not bring it to an end, that monk— lacking in energy and unafraid of wrongdoing—is often and continually called lazy and weak in his effort.
But, monks, if while walking, a thought of sense desire or ill will or harmfulness arises in a monk, and if he does not allow it to stay, but rejects it, quickly abandons it, gets rid of it, and brings it to an end, that monk—who is energetic and afraid of wrongdoing—is often and continually called energetic, and firm in the goal of ultimate freedom, Nibbāna.
Monks, if while standing, a thought of sense desire or ill will or harmfulness arises in a monk, and if he does not allow it to stay, but rejects it, quickly abandons it, gets rid of it, and brings it to an end, that monk— who is energetic and afraid of wrongdoing—is often and continually called energetic, and firm in the goal of ultimate freedom, Nibbāna.
Monks, if while sitting, a thought of sense desire or ill will or harmfulness arises in a monk, and if he does not allow it to stay, but rejects it, quickly abandons it, gets rid of it, and brings it to an end, that monk— who is energetic and afraid of wrongdoing—is often and continually called energetic, and firm in the goal of ultimate freedom, Nibbāna.
Monks, if while lying down, a thought of sense desire or ill will or harmfulness arises in a monk, and if he does not allow it to stay, but rejects it, quickly abandons it, gets rid of it, and brings it to an end, that monk— who is energetic and afraid of wrongdoing—is often and continually called energetic, and firm in the goal of ultimate freedom, Nibbāna.
This is the meaning of what the Blessed One said. So, with regard to this, it was said:
Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, a monk who has evil thoughts related to sense pleasures is following a wrong path. Infatuated with delusory things, he is not capable of achieving supreme enlightenment.
Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, a monk who overcomes evil thoughts and delights in the stilling of thoughts is capable of achieving supreme enlightenment.
This, too, is the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One. This is exactly as I heard.
