Padesa Sutta
Discourse on Partial Cultivation
Silatthiti Vagga, Magga Samyutta
Mahavagga Samyutta, Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka

        392. At one time, the Venerable Sariputta, the Venerable Maha Moggallana and the Venerable Anuruddha were residing in Kandaki Forest at Saketa. At that time, the Venerable Sariputta, the Venerable Maha Moggallana, after rising in the evening from their solitary retreat, came to where the Venerable Anuruddha was. After offering respectful greetings to the Venerable Anuruddha and having said courteous formal words of felicitations, they sat at one side Having sat down, the Venerable Sariputta said to the Venerable Anuruddha these: "Friend Anuruddha, it is said 'Sekha. Sekha! Friend, in what way is one a sekha?"

        "Friend, one who has only partially cultivated¹ the Four Methods of Steadfast Mindfulness is called a sekha."

        And what are the Four? In this Teaching, Friend, the bhikkhu keeps his mind steadfastly on the body, with diligence, comprehension and mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness and distress in the five khandhas; ...p... on Sensation ...p... on Mind ...p... on mind-objects, with diligence, comprehension and mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness and distress in the five khandhas. Friend, on who has partially cultivated these Four Methods of Steadfast Mindfulness is called a sekha.

End of the Padesa Sutta,

the sixth in this Vagga.

        1. partially cultivated:

        When the Four Methods of Steadfast are cultivated to the point of attaining arahattaphala they are said to be completely cultivated. But when they are cultivated only up to and including attainment of arahatta magga, they are said to be partially cultivated.

        One who has completely cultivated the Four Methods of Steadfast Mindfulness attains Arahatship and is thus not a sekha anymore, but an asekha. One who has cultivated Stead fast Mindfulness only up to the attainment of the Arahatta magga is said to have cultivated Steadfast Mindfulness partially, since he has not attain Arahatta phala. Yet, such a person is a sekha one who is still in the process of training himself to achieve arahatta phala.