What are the Three Trainings?

The Three Trainings are developing Morality, Mentality and Wisdom. The first is Right Moral Behavior, in line with the laws of nature, which avoids creating suffering for ourselves and our fellow beings. The second is Right Mental Training which raises our consciousness to new capabilities and understanding. The third is Right Wisdom which arises from successful moral behavior and mental training.

The Three Trainings can be summarized into the following table:

The Noble Eightfold Path	The Three Trainings
1. Right View or Right Understanding (Samma-ditthi), 2. Right Thought (Samma-sankappa),	Training in Wisdom  or Pañña,
3. Right Speech (Samma-vaca), 4. Right Action (Samma-kammanta), 5. Right Livelihood (Samma-ajiva),	Training in Morality  or Sila,
6. Right Effort (Samma-viriya), 7. Right Mindfulness (Samma-sati) and 8. Right Concentration (Samma-samadhi)	Training in Mentality  or Samadhi

Sayings of Lord Buddha

Obligations of Monks

Monks, there are three obligations for monks to complete. What three?

1. Undertaking training in Higher Morality,
2. Undertaking training in Higher Mentality,
3. Undertaking training in Higher Wisdom.

Monks, these are the three. Thus, you must remember, “I will have the aspiration of undertaking training in Higher Morality, Higher Mentality, and Higher Wisdom.” Monks, these are what you must remember. (Anguttara-Nikaya, 294).

Obligations of Farmers & Monks

Monks, there are three obligations for farmers to complete. What three? A farmer first plows and harrows his field, then he plants seeds and finally, he lets water in and out. Monks, these are the farmer’s obligations. However, the farmer does not have supernatural power to create his output by saying, “Let it grow today, let it be ripe tomorrow, let there be harvest the next day.” In practice, it takes time, the amount of time to grow, to ripen, and to produce a crop changes depending on the season.

Monks, similarly, there are three obligations for monks. What three? They are undertaking training in Higher Morality, in Higher Mentality and in Higher Wisdom. Monks, these are the monks’ obligations. However, the monk does not have supernatural power to say, “Let mind be released from defilements due to being free from attachment today, tomorrow, or the day after that.” In fact, if a monk practices Higher Training in Morality, in Mentality and in Wisdom, his mind will be released from defilements due to  being free from attachment at the proper time. 

A Monk Who Does Not Practice the Three Trainings

Monks, in the future, there will be monks who do not practice good conduct in higher morality, higher mentality and higher wisdom. That will occur when senior monks prefer to accumulate things rather than to practice the Three Trainings. Their minds will be overwhelmed with hindrances. They will ignore seclusion, effort and resolution to reach, attain and penetrate that which should be reached, attained and penetrated. Later, when newly-ordained monks see those senior monks, they will follow their example. As a result, they will prefer to accumulate things rather than to practice the Three Trainings. Their minds will be overwhelmed with hindrances. They will ignore seclusion, effort and resolution to reach, attain and penetrate that which should be reached, attained and penetrated and so it will continue on.

Monks, with these acts, their discipline will become stained because their Dhamma is stained. Their Dhamma is stained because their discipline is stained. This is a danger which has not happened, but it will. You should always realize this. When you realize this, you must try to avoid this danger. (Anguttara-Nikaya, 214).

Senior Monks Who Do Not Practice the Three Trainings

Kassapa, although those monks are senior, they do not practice the Three Trainings themselves. They do not praise those who love the Trainings,  do not induce others who do not like the Trainings and admire those who love the Trainings when they should. Kassapa, I, the Tathagata, do not praise such senior monks.  

Why? Because other monks might follow such senior monks and mistakenly think that I, the Tathagata, praise them. If those other monks follow these senior monks, this will set the example for the next generation to follow and these practices will cause failure and suffering for many monks for a long time. Thus, Kassapa, I do not praise such senior monks. (Anguttara-nikaya, 306-308).

Senior Monks Who Practice Threefold Training

Kassapa, although those monks are senior, they do practice the Three Trainings themselves, they praise those who love the Trainings, induce others who do not like the Trainings, and admire ones who love the Trainings when they should. Kassapa, I, the Tathagata, do praise such senior monks.  

Why? Because other monks will follow with such senior monks when they know that, I, the Tathagata, praise those senior monks. If those monks follow such senior monks, others will follow the senior monks’ example. Following their practices will cause benefit and happiness to those monks forever. Kassapa, thus, I do praise those senior monks. (Anguttara-nikaya, 306-308).