25. (v) Now, here is the answer to the question, HOW MANY KINDS OF VIRTUE ARE
THERE?
1. Firstly, all this virtue is of one kind by reason of its own characteristic of
composing.
2. It is of two kinds as keeping and avoiding.
3. Likewise, as that of good behaviour and that of the beginning of the life of
purity,
4. As abstinence and non-abstinence,
5. As dependent and independent,
6. As temporary and lifelong,
7. As limited and unlimited,
8. As mundane and supramundane. [11]
9. It is of three kinds as inferior, medium, and superior.
10. Likewise, as giving precedence to self, giving precedence to the world, and
giving precedence to the Dhamma,
11. As adhered to, not adhered to, and tranquillized.
12. As purified, unpurified, and dubious.
13. As that of the trainer, that of the non-trainer, and that of the neither-trainernor-
non-trainer.
14. It is of four kinds as partaking of diminution, of stagnation, of distinction,
of penetration.
15. Likewise, as that of bhikkhus, of bhikkhunìs, of the not-fully-admitted, of
the laity,
16. As natural, customary, necessary, due to previous causes,
17. As virtue of Pátimokkha restraint, of restraint of sense faculties, of
purification of livelihood, and that concerning requisites.
18. It is of five kinds as virtue consisting in limited purification, etc.; for this is
said in the Paþisambhidá: “Five kinds of virtue: virtue consisting in limited
purification, virtue consisting in unlimited purification, virtue consisting in fulfilled
purification, virtue consisting in unadhered-to purification, virtue consisting in
tranquillized purification” (Paþis I 42).
19. Likewise, as abandoning, refraining, volition, restraint, and nontransgression.
26. 1. Herein, in the section dealing with that of one kind, the meaning should
be understood as already stated.
2. In the section dealing with that of two kinds: fulfilling a training precept
announced by the Blessed One thus: “This should be done” is keeping; not doing what
is prohibited by him thus: “This should not be done” is avoiding. Herein, the wordmeaning
is this: they keep (caranti) within that, they proceed as people who fulfil the
virtues, thus it is keeping (cáritta); they preserve, they protect, they avoid, thus it is avoiding. Herein, keeping is accomplished by faith and energy; avoiding, by faith and mindfulness. This is how it is of two kinds as keeping and avoiding.
27. 3. In the second dyad good behaviour is the best kind of behaviour. Good behaviour itself is that of good behaviour; or what is announced for the sake of good behaviour is that of good behaviour. This is a term for virtue other than that which has livelihood as eighth. It is the initial stage of the life of purity consisting in the
path, thus it is that of the beginning of the life of purity. This is a term for the virtue that has livelihood as eighth. It is the initial stage of the path because it has actually to be purified in the prior stage too. Hence it is said: “But his bodily action, his verbal action, and his livelihood have already been purified earlier” (M III 289). Or the training precepts called “lesser and minor” (D II 154) are that of good behaviour; the rest are that of the beginning of the life of purity. Or what is included in the Double Code (the bhikkhus’ and bhikkhunìs’ Pátimokkha) is that of the beginning of the life of purity; and that included in the duties set out in the Khandhakas [of Vinaya] is that of good behaviour. Through its perfection that of the beginning of the life of purity comes to be perfected. Hence it is said also “that this bhikkhu shall fulfil the state consisting in the beginning of the life of purity without having fulfilled the state consisting in good behaviour—that is not possible” (A III 14–15). So, it is of two kinds as that of good behaviour and that of the beginning of the life of
purity.
28. 4. In the third dyad virtue as abstinence is simply abstention from killing living things, etc.; the other kinds consisting in volition, etc., are virtue as non-abstinence. So it is of two kinds as abstinence and non-abstinence.
29. In the fourth dyad there are two kinds of dependence: dependence through craving and dependence through [false] views. Herein, that produced by one who wishes for a fortunate kind of becoming thus, “Through this virtuous conduct [rite] I shall become a [great] deity or some [minor] deity” (M I 102), is dependent through craving. That produced through such [false] view about purification as “Purification is through virtuous conduct” (Vibh 374) is dependent through [false] view. But the supramundane, and the mundane that is the prerequisite for the aforesaid supramundane, are independent. So, it is of two kinds as dependent and independent.
30. 6. In the fifth dyad temporary virtue is that undertaken after deciding on a time limit. Lifelong virtue is that practiced in the same way but undertaking it for as long as life lasts. So it is of two kinds as temporary and lifelong.
31. 7. In the sixth dyad the limited is that seen to be limited by gain, fame, relatives, limbs, or life. The opposite is unlimited. And this is said in the Paþisambhidá: “What is the virtue that has a limit? There is virtue that has gain as its limit, there is virtue that has fame as its limit, there is virtue that has relatives as its limit, there is virtue that has limbs as its limit, there is virtue that has life as its limit. What is virtue that has gain as its limit? Here someone with gain as cause, with gain as condition, with gain as reason, transgresses a training precept as undertaken: that virtue has gain as its limit” (Paþis I 43), [13] and the rest should be elaborated in the same
way. Also in the answer dealing with the unlimited it is said: “What is virtue that does not have gain as its limit? Here someone does not, with gain as cause, with gain as condition, with gain as reason, even arouse the thought of transgressing a training precept as undertaken, how then shall he actually transgress it? That virtue
does not have gain as its limit” (Patis I 44), and the rest should be elaborated in the same way. So, it is of two kinds as limited and unlimited.
By Bhikkhu Ñānamoli