AN 2:2 · Exertions (Padhāna Sutta)

“Monks, there are these two exertions that are hard to maintain in the world. Which two? The exertion of laypeople living at home for the sake of producing cloth, almsfood, lodging, & medicinal requisites for curing the sick. And the exertion of those who have gone forth from home for the sake of relinquishing all acquisitions.

“These are the two exertions that are hard to maintain in the world.

“Of these two exertions, this is the foremost: the exertion for the sake of relinquishing all acquisitions.

“Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves: ‘We will exert ourselves in the exertion for the sake of relinquishing all acquisitions.’ That’s how you should train yourselves.”

See also: AN 3:40; AN 5:75–76; AN 6:55; Dhp 302; Iti 82; Iti 107

Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).