For one who has heard a good Teaching there are four ways in which he can understand it. What four? He can disagree with it, he can agree with it, he can yield to it, and he can see it.
And how does one disagree with a good Teaching? Herein a person hears a good Teaching, a Teaching for the destruction of greed, hatred, delusion, for eliminating defilements, for uprooting impurities, for putting an end to conceit, for guidance and restraint so that there may be growth in good and decline in bad, for destroying ill. To these things he disapproves or he argues against them or he offers a counter-view or he dismisses what he has heard: "My way is one, the way of this good Teaching is another. There is not agreement between my way and the way of this good Teaching." This sort of person is called "one who disagrees with a good Teaching". For such a person there is to be expected decline in good Things, not growth in them. Such a person is called "far from a good Teaching".
And how does one agree with a good Teaching? Herein a person hears a good Teaching, a Teaching for the destruction of greed, hatred, delusion, for eliminating defilements, for uprooting impurities, for putting an end to conceit, for guidance, for restraint, so that there may be growth in good and decline in bad, for destroying ill. He does not disapprove of it. He approves of it. He does not argue against it. He argues for it. He does not offer a counter-view. He offers a corresponding view. And he does not dismiss it. He embraces and holds to what he has heard: "My way is one, the way of this good Teaching is one. There is agreement between my way and the way of this good Teaching." But in body conduct he conducts himself according to his way, not according to the way of a good Teaching. In speech conduct and in mind conduct he conducts himself according to his way, not the way of a good Teaching. And in higher matters he has no understanding. For such a person there is not to be expected decline in this good Teaching, but neither is growth to be expected. Such a person neither declines in this good Teaching nor grows in it. He is called "far from a good Teaching".
And how does one yield to a good Teaching? Herein a person hears a good Teaching, a Teaching for the destruction of greed, hatred, delusion, for eliminating defilements, for uprooting impurities, for putting an end to conceit, for guidance, for restraint, so that there may be growth in good and decline in bad, for destroying ill. And he yields to it. "This is the way of a good Teaching, which has been proclaimed by an awakened one, and here is my way. Leaving aside my own way, let me now follow the way of this good Teaching. For by leaving aside my way it is possible that I may go beyond the limitations of my way; and by following the way of a good Teaching it is possible that I may come to know the good myself. So will I proceed." So, neither arguing against that good Teaching nor arguing for it, nor offering a counter-view, nor offering a corresponding view, nor dismissing it, nor embracing and holding to it, he follows and acquiesces in that good Teaching. For such a person there is to be expected growth in good Things, not decline in them. Such a person is called "close to a good Teaching".
And how does one see a good Teaching? Herein a person ... [rest of essay (final page) not found]
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