解脫道論 尋師、親近與依止

The preceding passage uses “good friend” eight times; this passage does not use it once.

The person under discussion is still the same—from asking where the person lives, to arriving at the person’s place, to asking the person to serve as a teacher of dependence—but three names are used. The one being sought is the meditation teacher; the teacher at one’s present residence is the heshang 和上; and after dependence has been requested the person is the ācariya 闍梨.

The designation “meditation teacher” occurs eight times in the whole treatise, all eight in this passage. It is not used in the preceding passage or in any of the ten chapters that follow.

A clear boundary lies between these names. The final occurrence of “meditation teacher” comes first; “one should request dependence and cultivate the work one is to practise” comes in the middle; and the first occurrence of “ācariya” comes after it. After one sentence, the person’s name changes. “Dependence” occurs only three times in the whole treatise, one of them here; “request dependence” occurs nowhere else. The author uses a rare term as the pivot of the passage.

The source does not say why the title changes to ācariya after dependence is requested. Only one thing can be verified: the change comes exactly after the request for dependence—neither earlier nor later.

This is the passage in the entire treatise that most resembles a manual. Do not make noise while bathing; place one’s things high and away from the water; lower the parasol and circumambulate the stūpa when entering a monastery; do not hand the robes and bowl to a senior elder who offers to carry them, though one may hand them to someone junior. Almost all of its thousand-plus characters describe actions. The prose has only one comparison, and it occurs inside an admonition: “Depend upon the teacher in everything and do not give rise to a dismissive attitude, like a young woman newly married who serves her parents-in-law.” The comparison describes the disciple’s sense of restraint, not the teacher’s excellence.

One place deserves a pause. This person has travelled far for the very purpose of asking about the Dhamma, yet the rule is: if the teacher does not ask, do not speak. The words “if not asked” occur three times in this passage.

Look at where they stand. Only one thing can be verified: the author places “doing” before “speaking.” Before the three instances of “if not asked,” the passage lists actions—taking the teacher’s robes and bowl, washing the ācariya’s feet, arranging the seat, presenting the bowl, taking a portion from one’s own bowl for the disciple, then washing and putting away the ācariya’s bowl after the meal. Only after these have been done does speech begin.

Speech is not blocked altogether. Under the three instances the passage opens another way: bow, discern the proper time, and then say, “Please hear what I originally wished to say.” It does not forbid speech; it forbids speaking without first asking leave.

The verse at the end is the first verse in the Path of Freedom. The treatise mentions a verse thirteen times; this is the earliest, and the other twelve occur in chapter eight and after. The verse has fifteen lines, each line two half-lines, each half-line five characters. What it urges is not outward procedure but inward disposition—the mind free of pride, guarding meaning without self-exaltation, and the failure of wisdom born of learning to grow when a person is repeatedly heedless.

The last line returns to the opening. The prose begins, “If there is a meditation teacher, one should go there”; the verse ends, “If there is such a teacher, one should cultivate heedfulness.” The thousand-plus characters between them all concern how to go, how to stay, and how to attend upon the teacher.

The verse closes more than a passage: the end of this passage is the end of the chapter, and also the end of fascicle two.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Seeking the Teacher, Drawing Near, and Requesting Dependence · Doorway · Summer 2026

Question: How Should One Seek?

Question: How should one seek?

Answer: If one knows that a certain person’s residence is a place where someone accomplished in qualities and worthy of esteem lives, and if there is a meditation teacher there, one should go to that place.

If One Does Not Know, Ask a Fellow Student

If one does not know, but a fellow student elsewhere does, one should go and draw near to ask.

Having discerned the proper time, and before stating one’s purpose in accordance with the Dhamma, one should first offer respectful greetings and ask about the person’s welfare. Then one should inquire into what is to be known: In what country and at what residence is the person staying? Is a community living there? Are members of the Saṅgha sitting quietly there? Is there such a meditation teacher there, and what is that teacher’s conduct like? Through what qualities is that teacher esteemed by everyone? One should ask in this way.

The fellow student should answer: In such-and-such a country and such-and-such a residence, a certain community is seated in meditation, and a certain meditation teacher is loved and esteemed by the community.

Having heard this, one should consider it deeply and rejoice, then go there to draw near and receive the practice.

Reporting to the Heshang 和上

One should put one’s robes in order, go to the heshang, and state what one wishes: “Heshang, please hear me. I intend to go there and draw near to the meditation teacher.”

The heshang should grant permission and answer, “Excellent. I too rejoice; this is what a good person does.” This is called living together with good people and the conduct of good people; it is practice in accordance with the Dhamma. If merely seeing or hearing such a person brings great benefit, how much more living together? You should go there.

The Heshang’s Admonition

Once you have gone there, take care not to be heedless. If this is a good person, you may apply yourself diligently to study and practice.

Whether at one particular time or at all times, maintain equal confidence and respect; speak sincerely and well; guard body and speech; and understand the practice. You will then attain accomplishment.

Depend upon the teacher in everything and do not give rise to a dismissive attitude. Be like a young woman newly married who serves her parents-in-law: give rise to modesty and accept instruction.

From the Teacher’s Side

If the teacher sees that a disciple lacks robes or medicine, the teacher should arrange these properly when the disciple arrives, teach the Dhamma, and give instruction. Upon the disciple’s arrival, the teacher should guide the disciple in walking and sitting and teach wholesome qualities.

Conduct on the Road

The person practising seated meditation should put the robes in order, respectfully circle around, and bow at the teacher’s feet.

At a place with water along the road or outside a park, one should choose a spot and set the robes, bowl, leather sandals, bathing vessel, and meditation requisites high up together, not close to the water. One should bathe without making noise.

After bathing, one should put the robes in order and put on the upper robe. The robes, bowl, and meditation requisites should be placed on the right shoulder; the outer robe should be rolled up and may be set upon the shoulder.

Conduct on Entering a Monastery

When entering the monastery, lower the parasol and circumambulate the stūpa.

If one sees a bhikkhu, one should go and ask: Is there a person practising seated meditation here? Is there a rag-robe wearer? Is there an alms-food practitioner? Is there a vinaya master? If so, where does that person live, and by what way can one reach the place? If such a person is present, one should go there.

If none of those people is present but there is a vinaya master, one should still go. If there is no vinaya master either, one should ask who the elder is and go to that person.

If a senior elder bhikkhu offers to take one’s robes and bowl, do not hand them over. If someone junior to oneself offers, one may do so. If no one takes them, set them down in one place.

If one sees the elder, one should bow at the elder’s feet and stand to one side.

From the Resident Bhikkhu’s Side

The resident bhikkhu should properly provide a seat, water, and a place to bathe; let the guest rest; arrange the guest’s robes and bowl; point out the convenient places; and explain the rules of the Saṅgha.

Three Questions as the Day Draws to an End

As the sun is about to set, one should walk throughout the monastery.

If one sees a vinaya master, one should converse and ask about doubtful offenses and about what is not an offense.

If one sees an Abhidhamma teacher, in order to accord with the cultivation of wisdom, one should ask about aggregates, sense bases, elements, and kamma.

If one sees an ascetic-practice practitioner, in order to accord with wisdom, one should ask about the qualities of the ascetic practices.

If one remains there, one should go every day and make inquiries from place to place.

When one wishes to leave, one should perform 屏牒—put the bedding away—bow at the feet of the senior Saṅgha, and report that one is departing.

This is the practice called 為客法用—the procedure for a bhikkhu serving as a guest.

Drawing Near to the Meditation Teacher

As for the person practising seated meditation, one should stay and draw near.

When the meditation teacher arrives, even if one is junior, one should take the teacher’s robes and bowl on the teacher’s behalf.

As for the meditation teacher’s practice, what may be done and what may not be done should not immediately be done or immediately be made to go away; what was done before should be practised.

If one wishes to teach another, one must first “take 覺.”

The student of seated meditation, having already carried out the required conduct, inspects the dwelling and arranges the robes and bowl, rests briefly, discerns the proper time, draws near to the meditation teacher, bows respectfully, remains silent for a short while, and then sits.

If the meditation teacher asks what one wants, one should state what one wishes. If the teacher does not ask, one should not speak.

Requesting Dependence

After this, when such matters as the tooth-stick and bathing have been attended to, one should request dependence and cultivate the work one is to practise.

Attending upon the Ācariya 闍梨

When the time for alms-going arrives, one should ask the ācariya and act in accordance with the Dhamma.

When mealtime arrives, wash the ācariya’s feet, arrange the sitting place, and present the bowl.

With the food in one’s own bowl, one should ask how much the ācariya will take; set one’s bowl in place and reduce a portion to give to the disciple. Receiving the disciple in this way causes no difficulty.

When the meal is over, take the ācariya’s bowl, wash it, and put it away.

Having discerned the proper time, draw near, bow respectfully, remain silent for a short while, and then sit.

If the ācariya asks, state what one wishes. If the ācariya does not ask, bow and request, “Please hear what I originally wished to say.”

If permission is granted, ask as one wishes. If the ācariya listens, one may state everything.

If the ācariya does not ask, bow to the ācariya 阿闍梨, find the proper time, and state the reason for one’s coming: “May the ācariya hear what I have to say.”

If the ācariya grants a hearing, everything that is wished may be said.

The ācariya says, “Excellent,” gives instruction in accordance with the Dhamma, and should then receive the student.

Verse

Therefore the Blessed One spoke this verse.

Draw near at the proper time, and let the mind be free of pride;

The holy life can guard the Dhamma, as a tree stands where there is no wind.

Mindful of the Dhamma, practise it, and delight in the play of Dhamma;

Abide in the Dhamma and discern it; speak the Dhamma as it truly is.

Do not act in ways that damage the Dhamma; avoid ornate talk, brooding, play, and laughter;

Do not let anger remain through negligence; resentment, greed, conceit, and delusion,

Attachment, defilement, obstinacy, and the like—all are to be subdued through practice.

Guard the meaning without exalting oneself; know the wholesome and speak sincerely;

For concentration, truly know and hear. If a person is repeatedly heedless,

Wisdom born of learning does not grow; if a person knows the true Dhamma,

Devas and humans hold that person in respect. Respect gives rise to confidence;

Great learning can guard the Dhamma and enable one to hear what one delights in hearing.

With qualities such as these, one can practise in accordance with the Dhamma,

Bring forth excellent and subtle understanding, and become a person accomplished in wisdom.

If there is such a teacher, one should cultivate heedfulness.

Several Points to Record

This passage never uses the principal designation found eight times in the preceding passage. Instead, the person being sought is called “meditation teacher,” the teacher at one’s present residence is called “heshang,” and after dependence has been requested the person is called “ācariya.” The three names each occupy their own position. They are recorded without being made uniform.

The words “if not asked” occur three times, and each time the rule is that one does not speak when not asked. Yet beneath them the passage opens three ways to report one’s purpose: “please hear what I originally wished to say,” “find the proper time and state the reason for my coming,” and “may the ācariya hear what I have to say.” These are recorded as written.

In the sentence “if one wishes to teach another, one must first take 覺,” the passage does not explain what is to be taken. Four witnesses lack the character 覺. The wording is retained without supplying an object.

The verse at the end of this passage is the first verse in the treatise.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Seeking the Teacher, Drawing Near, and Requesting Dependence · Vernacular · Summer 2026

The preceding passage has finished saying what a good friend should be. This passage asks, “How should one seek?” 〔T32 408c03〕—how does one go and find that person?

The central observation may be stated at the outset: from beginning to end, this passage does not use the expression “good friend.” Instead, the title changes with the relationship: the person being sought is called the “meditation teacher,” the teacher at one’s present residence is called the “heshang,” and after dependence has been requested the person is called the “ācariya.” The transition among the three is not casual; it has a pivot. The last occurrence before the pivot is “if the meditation teacher asks what one wants” 〔T32 409a17〕. This is followed by “one should request dependence and cultivate the work one is to practise” 〔T32 409a19〕, and immediately below it comes “one should ask the ācariya” 〔T32 409a19–20〕. After one sentence, the person’s name changes.

Begin with the Name That Does Not Appear

“Good friend” occurs ten times in the entire treatise: eight occurrences are in the preceding passage and two in the chapter heading. It does not occur once in the present passage.

Yet the present passage concerns precisely the act of seeking that person—from asking where the person lives, through arriving at the person’s place, to requesting that person as a teacher of dependence. The person is the same, but the name is not.

The first replacement is “meditation teacher”: “If one knows that a certain person’s residence is a place where someone accomplished in qualities and worthy of esteem lives, and if there is a meditation teacher there, one should go to that place” 〔T32 408c03–05〕.

“Meditation teacher” occurs eight times in the whole treatise, all eight in this passage. Across twelve chapters and more than eighty thousand characters, only this passage uses the designation. The preceding passage does not; neither do the ten chapters that follow.

Three Names, Three Positions

The second name is “heshang 和上.”

Before leaving, one must report: “One should put one’s robes in order, go to the heshang, and state what one wishes” 〔T32 408c11–12〕, saying, “Heshang, please hear me. I intend to go there and draw near to the meditation teacher” 〔T32 408c12〕.

Two names appear in the same sentence: the heshang is the teacher at one’s present residence; the meditation teacher is the teacher one intends to seek. The author places the two positions clearly in one sentence without adding a word of explanation.

“Heshang” occurs five times in the whole treatise, three in this passage and the other two in the ascetic-practice preliminaries of chapter three 〔T32 406a25–06·406a28〕.

The third name is “ācariya 闍梨.” It appears only in the latter part of the passage, and once it appears, the occurrences are dense: “When the time for alms-going arrives, one should ask the ācariya and act in accordance with the Dhamma” 〔T32 409a19–20〕; “when mealtime arrives, wash the ācariya’s feet, arrange the sitting place, and present the bowl” 〔T32 409a20–21〕; “when the meal is over, take the ācariya’s bowl, wash it, and put it away” 〔T32 409a23〕 … Eleven occurrences follow one another, while every occurrence before them uses “meditation teacher.”

Beginning by Asking the Way

The author writes the act of seeking a teacher from the first step of asking directions.

“If one does not know, but a fellow student elsewhere does, one should go and draw near” 〔T32 408c05〕. When one does not know, one finds a fellow student who does.

There is a rule for asking: “Having discerned the proper time, and before stating one’s purpose in accordance with the Dhamma, one should offer respectful greetings and ask about the person’s welfare; then inquire into what is to be known” 〔T32 408c05–07〕. First discern the time, first ask about the person’s welfare, and keep one’s purpose back until afterward.

The author writes out each thing to ask: “In what country and at what residence is the person staying? Is a community living there? Are members of the Saṅgha sitting quietly there? Is there such a meditation teacher there, and what is that teacher’s conduct like?” 〔T32 408c07–08〕; “Through what qualities is that teacher esteemed by everyone? One should ask in this way” 〔T32 408c08–09〕.

The question is not what the teacher has realized. It concerns where the teacher lives, whether members of the Saṅgha sit quietly there, what the teacher’s conduct is like, and through what qualities the teacher is esteemed. This follows the same direction as the seven factors in the preceding passage: test the observable characteristics, not the attained result.

The author also writes the fellow student’s answer: “The fellow student should answer: In such-and-such a country and such-and-such a residence, a certain community is seated in meditation, and a certain meditation teacher is loved and esteemed by the community” 〔T32 408c09–10〕.

The Heshang’s Two Statements

Even after the information has been obtained, one cannot simply leave. One must report to the heshang, and the heshang must respond.

“The heshang should grant permission and answer, ‘Excellent. I too rejoice; this is what a good person does’” 〔T32 408c12–13〕. The first response is rejoicing. Then comes a statement of judgment: “This is called living together with good people and the conduct of good people; it is practice in accordance with the Dhamma” 〔T32 408c13–14〕; “if merely seeing or hearing such a person brings great benefit, how much more living together? You should go there” 〔T32 408c14–15〕.

Then comes the admonition: “Once you have gone there, take care not to be heedless. If this is a good person, you may apply yourself diligently to study and practice” 〔T32 408c15–16〕; “whether at one particular time or at all times, maintain equal confidence and respect; speak sincerely and well; guard body and speech; and understand the practice. You will then attain accomplishment” 〔T32 408c16–18〕.

The final sentence has the greatest weight: “Depend upon the teacher in everything and do not give rise to a dismissive attitude. Be like a young woman newly married who serves her parents-in-law; give rise to modesty and accept instruction” 〔T32 408c19–20〕.

This is the only comparison in the prose of the entire passage. The preceding passage places fifteen comparisons in a sequence; this passage has only this one, and it is tied to “do not give rise to a dismissive attitude.” It does not describe the teacher’s excellence; it describes the disciple’s sense of restraint.

A Passage with Almost No Doctrinal Statement

From here onward, nearly everything the author writes is an action.

On the road: “The person practising seated meditation should put the robes in order, respectfully circle around, and bow at the teacher’s feet” 〔T32 408c22–23〕; and at water, “choose a spot and set the robes, bowl, leather sandals, bathing vessel, and meditation requisites high up together, not close to the water; bathe without making noise” 〔T32 408c23–25〕. The author even records that one should not make noise while bathing and that one’s things should be placed high and away from the water.

On entering: “When entering the monastery, lower the parasol and circumambulate the stūpa” 〔T32 408c27〕.

When asking: “If one sees a bhikkhu, one should go and ask: Is there a person practising seated meditation here?” 〔T32 408c27–28〕; “Is there a rag-robe wearer? Is there an alms-food practitioner? Is there a vinaya master?” 〔T32 408c28–29〕.

The author also gives the sequence to follow if one does not find the desired person: “If none of those people is present but there is a vinaya master, one should still go. If there is no vinaya master either, one should ask who the elder is and go to that person” 〔T32 409a01–02〕. This is another step-down sequence—from a person practising seated meditation, a rag-robe wearer, or an alms-food practitioner, to a vinaya master, and then to an elder. The preceding passage steps down from either of two kinds of person to the seven factors; this one steps down through people. It steps down rather than returning empty-handed.

The text even says who may carry the robes and bowl: “If a senior elder bhikkhu offers to take one’s robes and bowl, do not hand them over. If someone junior to oneself offers, one may do so” 〔T32 409a02–03〕. It says how to stand before an elder: “If one sees the elder, one should bow at the elder’s feet and stand to one side” 〔T32 409a04〕.

The resident’s side is written as well: “The resident bhikkhu should properly provide a seat, water, and a place to bathe; let the guest rest and arrange the guest’s robes and bowl” 〔T32 409a05–06〕. The author records both the guest’s conduct and the host’s conduct.

Three Questions to Three People

As the sun draws down, another sequence begins: “As the day is about to end, one should walk throughout the monastery” 〔T32 409a06–07〕.

Whom one encounters and what one asks are distinguished precisely:

“If one sees a vinaya master, one should converse and ask about doubtful offenses and about what is not an offense” 〔T32 409a07–08〕.

“If one sees an Abhidhamma teacher, in order to accord with the cultivation of wisdom, one should ask about aggregates, sense bases, elements, and kamma” 〔T32 409a08–09〕.

“If one sees an ascetic-practice practitioner, in order to accord with wisdom, one should ask about the qualities of the ascetic practices” 〔T32 409a09–10〕.

Three people and three questions, each matching that person’s discipline. “Abhidhamma teacher” and “ascetic-practice practitioner” each occur only once in the entire treatise.

The section closes with a single sentence: “This is the practice designated 為客法用—the procedure for a bhikkhu serving as a guest” 〔T32 409a11–12〕.

This sentence divides the prose into two halves. Before it, the passage explains how a bhikkhu should act as a guest in another monastery. After it comes the practice of drawing near to the meditation teacher. The author does not set a separate heading, using one sentence instead to make the division.

Pause: Having Come for the Dhamma, Why Is the Rule Not to Speak Unless Asked?

One sentence in the section on drawing near to the meditation teacher deserves a pause.

“If the meditation teacher asks what one wants, one should state what one wishes. If the teacher does not ask, one should not speak” 〔T32 409a17–18〕.

The strangeness lies here. This person has travelled far precisely in order to state what is to be practised and ask what remains doubtful. Yet the rule is: if the teacher does not ask, do not speak.

The words “if not asked” occur three times in this passage (409a18·409a25·409a26), all here.

Pause and ask: having come for the Dhamma, why does the text establish the limit that one does not speak unless asked?

The passage does not answer why. Only one thing can be verified: the author places “doing” before “speaking.”

Before the three places where “if not asked” occurs, the author writes nothing but acts: “When the meditation teacher arrives, even if one is junior, one should take the teacher’s robes and bowl on the teacher’s behalf” 〔T32 409a12–13〕; “when mealtime arrives, wash the ācariya’s feet, arrange the sitting place, and present the bowl” 〔T32 409a20–21〕; “with the food in one’s own bowl, ask how much the ācariya will take, set one’s bowl in place, and reduce a portion to give to the disciple” 〔T32 409a21–22〕; and “when the meal is over, take the ācariya’s bowl, wash it, and put it away” 〔T32 409a23〕.

Only after all of these have been done does speech begin.

Nor does the author close off speech entirely. Beneath the three instances of “if not asked,” another path is opened each time: “If the ācariya does not ask, bow and request, ‘Please hear what I originally wished to say’” 〔T32 409a25〕; and “if the ācariya does not ask, bow to the ācariya, find the proper time, state the reason for one’s coming, and say, ‘May the ācariya hear what I have to say’” 〔T32 409a26–28〕.

Speech is not forbidden; speaking without first asking leave is forbidden. The request has its own form: bow first, then “find the proper time” 〔T32 409a27〕.

The author does not state this level of meaning, and this edition does not state it on the author’s behalf. It sets out only the sequence: doing first, requesting in the middle, speaking afterward.

The Pivot: The Sentence on Requesting Dependence

Return now to the central observation.

The pivot among the three names lies in one sentence: “After this, when such matters as the tooth-stick and bathing have been attended to, one should request dependence and cultivate the work one is to practise” 〔T32 409a18–19〕.

Before this sentence, the person is called the “meditation teacher”—the final occurrence is “if the meditation teacher asks what one wants” 〔T32 409a17〕.

After this sentence, the person is called the “ācariya”—the first occurrence is “when the time for alms-going arrives, one should ask the ācariya” 〔T32 409a19–20〕.

One sentence, “request dependence,” separates the two names.

“Dependence” occurs only three times in the whole treatise (409a19·409b25·411a08), one of them here; “request dependence” occurs only once. The author makes a term rare in the whole treatise the pivot of this passage.

The source does not state why the person is called ācariya after dependence is requested. What can be verified is this: the change of name comes exactly after the request for dependence—neither earlier nor later. It is recorded without adjudicating its reason.

The First Verse in the Entire Treatise

At the end of the prose comes: “Having given instruction in accordance with the Dhamma, the ācariya should receive the student. Therefore the Blessed One spoke this verse” 〔T32 409a29–409b01〕.

This is the first verse in the Path of Freedom. The character 偈, “verse,” occurs thirteen times in the whole treatise. The present occurrence is the earliest; the remaining twelve appear in chapter eight and after.

The verse has fifteen lines, each line two half-lines, and each half-line five characters, making thirty half-lines in all. It begins with “draw near at the proper time” 〔T32 409b02〕 and ends with “one should cultivate heedfulness” 〔T32 409b16〕.

What the verse urges is not exactly the same as what the prose regulates. The prose describes procedure, while the verse describes inward disposition: “let the mind be free of pride” 〔T32 409b02〕, “guard the meaning without exalting oneself” 〔T32 409b09〕, “if a person is repeatedly heedless” 〔T32 409b10〕, then “wisdom born of learning does not grow” 〔T32 409b11〕.

There is only one comparison: “The holy life can guard the Dhamma” 〔T32 409b03〕 is followed by “as a tree stands where there is no wind” 〔T32 409b03〕. Among the fifteen lines this is the only comparison, and its point is immobility—a tree without wind does not move; the holy life guarding the Dhamma does not waver. Read beside the prose comparison, “like a young woman newly married who serves her parents-in-law” 〔T32 408c19〕, one speaks of restraint and the other of stillness; neither describes the teacher’s virtue.

The verse also has a sequence of its own, which may be followed once from beginning to end.

It begins with the practice of drawing near: “draw near at the proper time” 〔T32 409b02〕 and “let the mind be free of pride” 〔T32 409b02〕. It states the proper time first and the state of mind second, following the same direction as the prose phrase “having discerned the proper time, and before stating one’s purpose in accordance with the Dhamma” 〔T32 408c05–06〕.

The middle turns to what should be practised and what should be removed. What should be practised includes “mindful of the Dhamma, practise it” 〔T32 409b04〕, “abide in the Dhamma and discern it” 〔T32 409b05〕, and “speak the Dhamma as it truly is” 〔T32 409b05〕. What should be removed is listed through several lines: “do not act in ways that damage the Dhamma” 〔T32 409b06〕, “ornate talk, brooding, play, and laughter” 〔T32 409b06〕, “do not let anger remain through negligence” 〔T32 409b07〕, “resentment, greed, conceit, and delusion” 〔T32 409b07〕, and “attachment, defilement, obstinacy, and the like” 〔T32 409b08〕, all gathered by “all are to be subdued through practice” 〔T32 409b08〕. The items to be removed are listed but not counted, and no count is supplied.

The verse then turns to hearing. If “a person is repeatedly heedless” 〔T32 409b10〕, “wisdom born of learning does not grow” 〔T32 409b11〕. Conversely, if “a person knows the true Dhamma” 〔T32 409b11〕, “devas and humans hold that person in respect” 〔T32 409b12〕. Respect begins another sequence: “respect gives rise to confidence” 〔T32 409b12〕, “great learning can guard the Dhamma” 〔T32 409b13〕, and “enable one to hear what one delights in hearing” 〔T32 409b13〕. With heedlessness, wisdom born of learning does not grow; with respect, one obtains the hearing one desires. The verse ties access to hearing the Dhamma to respect, not to the teacher’s preference.

The final four half-lines gather the whole: “with qualities such as these” 〔T32 409b14〕, “one can practise in accordance with the Dhamma” 〔T32 409b14〕, “bring forth excellent and subtle understanding” 〔T32 409b15〕, and “become a person accomplished in wisdom” 〔T32 409b15〕.

The final line returns to the beginning: “If there is such a teacher” 〔T32 409b16〕, “one should cultivate heedfulness” 〔T32 409b16〕. It answers across the whole passage to the prose opening, “if there is a meditation teacher there, one should go to that place” 〔T32 408c04–05〕. The opening says to go if there is a meditation teacher; the ending says to cultivate heedfulness if there is such a teacher. The thousand-plus characters between them explain how to go, how to stay, and how to attend upon the teacher.

One further fact should be recorded: the end of this passage is the end of the chapter and also the end of fascicle two. The final verse line is at 〔T32 409b16〕, and fascicle two closes at 〔T32 409b17〕. One verse closes a passage, a chapter, and a fascicle.

Reading Practice: Follow the Titles through a Passage of Conduct

The reading practice offered by this passage lies here.

This is the passage in the entire treatise that most resembles a manual of conduct. Nearly all of its thousand-plus characters are actions, with few statements of doctrine, so the reader can easily lose the structure. Yet the passage marks its own divisions through titles.

Follow the titles and the structure becomes visible. When the person is called the “meditation teacher,” the practitioner has not yet arrived or has arrived but not yet requested dependence; the text concerns inquiry, travel, entering the monastery, and serving as a guest. When the person is called the “heshang,” the text concerns the section before departure. When the person is called the “ācariya,” dependence has been requested and the text concerns daily attendance and asking questions.

When the title changes, the relationship changes; the boundary between names is the boundary between sections.

The method can be used elsewhere in the treatise. Whenever a long narrative has no explicit structural divisions, circle every designation used for a person and note the stretch of text occupied by each. The boundary between names is the boundary between sections.

Applied here, the result is: three names, three sections, with “request dependence” as the pivot.

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Take away three things. One observation: the passage does not use “good friend,” but changes the name according to the relationship: the one being sought is the meditation teacher (all eight occurrences in the entire treatise are here), the teacher at one’s present residence is the heshang, and after dependence has been requested the person is the ācariya. The transition among the three pivots on “one should request dependence and cultivate the work one is to practise” 〔409a19〕; the last occurrence of “meditation teacher” is at 409a17 and the first occurrence of “ācariya” at 409a20. One reading practice: read a passage of conduct by following its titles—circle every name for a person; the boundary between names is the boundary between sections. One place to pause: having come for the Dhamma, why does the text establish the limit that one does not speak unless asked (the words “if not asked” occur three times here)? Only the sequence can be verified: taking the robes and bowl, washing the ācariya’s feet and presenting the bowl, reducing food for the disciple, and washing and putting away the bowl all precede “speaking,” while beneath the limit three ways are opened for requesting permission (“please hear what I originally wished to say”; “find the proper time and state the reason for my coming”; “may the ācariya hear what I have to say”). Speech is not forbidden; speaking without first asking leave is forbidden. The author does not say why, and this edition does not adjudicate on the author’s behalf.

Four smaller matters should also be retained: the only prose comparison occurs beneath “do not give rise to a dismissive attitude”—“like a young woman newly married who serves her parents-in-law” 〔408c19〕—describing the disciple’s restraint rather than the teacher’s excellence; the inquiry follows a step-down sequence (person practising seated meditation, rag-robe wearer, or alms-food practitioner → vinaya master → elder), parallel in form to the preceding passage’s step down from two kinds of accomplished person to the seven factors; three questions go to three people according to their disciplines (offenses to the vinaya master, aggregates–sense bases–elements–kamma to the Abhidhamma teacher, and the qualities of the ascetic practices to the ascetic-practice practitioner), with “Abhidhamma teacher” and “ascetic-practice practitioner” each occurring once in the whole treatise; and the closing verse is the first verse in the treatise (the formula “therefore the Blessed One spoke this verse” occurs twice, the other in chapter eight), while the end of the passage is also the end of the chapter and of fascicle two.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Seeking the Teacher, Drawing Near, and Requesting Dependence · Exposition · Summer 2026