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Buddhism

Iti 67 · uttaka 67

Thai temple painting: Prince Vessantara gives away the white elephant
Vessantara Jātaka, Chapter 2 (Himavanta Forest) · Thai, Rattanakosin, c. 1850–1870 · Walters Art Museum

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: “Monks, there are these three forms of sagacity. Which three? Bodily sagacity, verbal sagacity, mental sagacity. These are the three forms of sagacity.”

A sage in body, a sage in speech,

a sage in mind, effluent-free:

a sage consummate         in sagacity

is said to be bathed                     of evil.

See also: AN 3:123; Sn 1:12


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).

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