Numbered Discourses 6.79

8. Perfection

Achievement

“Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who has six qualities is unable to acquire more skillful qualities or to increase the skillful qualities they’ve already acquired. What six? It’s when a bhikkhu is not skilled in profit, skilled in loss, and skilled in means. They don’t generate enthusiasm to achieve skillful qualities not yet achieved. They don’t protect skillful qualities they have achieved. And they don’t try to persevere in the task. A bhikkhu who has these six qualities is unable to acquire more skillful qualities or to increase the skillful qualities they’ve already acquired.

A bhikkhu who has six qualities is able to acquire more skillful qualities or to increase the skillful qualities they’ve already acquired. What six? It’s when a bhikkhu is skilled in profit, skilled in loss, and skilled in means. They generate enthusiasm to achieve skillful qualities not yet achieved. They protect skillful qualities they have achieved. And they try to persevere in the task. A bhikkhu who has these six qualities is able to acquire more skillful qualities or to increase the skillful qualities they’ve already acquired.”