From:
Milindapañha Milinda’s Questions
Meṇḍakapañhārambhakathā Initial Discussion on Solving of Dilemmas
Upāsakaguṇavagga Qualities of a Lay Follower Chapter
5. Ācariyaguṇa 5. The Qualities of a Teacher
“Bhante nāgasena, ayaṁ bhūmibhāgo aṭṭha mantadosavivajjito, ahañca loke paramo mantisahāyo, guyhamanurakkhī cāhaṁ yāvāhaṁ jīvissāmi tāva guyhamanurakkhissāmi, aṭṭhahi ca me kāraṇehi buddhi pariṇāmaṁ gatā, dullabho etarahi mādiso antevāsī, sammā paṭipanne antevāsike ye ācariyānaṁ pañcavīsati ācariyaguṇā, tehi guṇehi ācariyena sammā paṭipajjitabbaṁ. “Venerable Nāgasena, this area of ground is free from the eight impediments for deliberation, and I am the supreme deliberator in the world, a keeper of secrets, and for as long as I live I shall keep secrets. Through eight causes my wisdom has reached maturity. A student like me is rare nowadays. For a student who practices rightly, there are twenty-five qualities of a teacher with which a teacher should practice rightly.
Katame pañcavīsati guṇā? What are the twenty-five qualities?
Idha, bhante nāgasena, ācariyena antevāsimhi satataṁ samitaṁ ārakkhā upaṭṭhapetabbā, asevanasevanā jānitabbā, pamattāppamattā jānitabbā, seyyāvakāso jānitabbo, gelaññaṁ jānitabbaṁ, bhojanassa laddhāladdhaṁ jānitabbaṁ, viseso jānitabbo, pattagataṁ saṁvibhajitabbaṁ, assāsitabbo ‘mā bhāyi, attho te abhikkamatī’ti, ‘iminā puggalena paṭicaratī’ti paṭicāro jānitabbo, gāme paṭicāro jānitabbo, vihāre paṭicāro jānitabbo, na tena hāso davo kātabbo, tena saha ālāpo kātabbo, chiddaṁ disvā adhivāsetabbaṁ, sakkaccakārinā bhavitabbaṁ, akhaṇḍakārinā bhavitabbaṁ, arahassakārinā bhavitabbaṁ, niravasesakārinā bhavitabbaṁ, ‘janemimaṁ sippesū’ti janakacittaṁ upaṭṭhapetabbaṁ, ‘kathaṁ ayaṁ na parihāyeyyā’ti vaḍḍhicittaṁ upaṭṭhapetabbaṁ, ‘balavaṁ imaṁ karomi sikkhābalenā’ti cittaṁ upaṭṭhapetabbaṁ, mettacittaṁ upaṭṭhapetabbaṁ, āpadāsu na vijahitabbaṁ, karaṇīye nappamajjitabbaṁ, khalite dhammena paggahetabboti. Here, Venerable Nāgasena, a teacher should establish constant and continuous protection over the student; what should and should not be associated with should be made known; negligence and diligence should be made known; sleeping quarters should be made known; illness should be made known; whether food has been obtained or not should be made known; excellence should be made known; what has been obtained in the bowl should be shared; a student should be encouraged: ‘Do not fear, your goal is approaching for you’; ‘He associates with this person’—so this association should be made known; association in the village should be made known; association in the monastery should be made known; no ridicule or mockery should be made of him; conversation should be had with him; seeing a fault, it should be overlooked; one should be careful in action; one should be unbroken in action; one should not make secrets; one should be complete in action; the thought ‘I will make him skilled in the arts’ should be established; the thought ‘How may he not decline?’ in the development of his mind should be established; the thought ‘I make him strong with the strength of training’ should be established; a mind of loving-kindness should be established; in misfortunes he should not be abandoned; in duties one should not be negligent; when he stumbles he should be lifted up with Dhamma.
Ime kho, bhante, pañcavīsati ācariyassa ācariyaguṇā, tehi guṇehi mayi sammā paṭipajjassu, saṁsayo me, bhante, uppanno, atthi meṇḍakapañhā jinabhāsitā, anāgate addhāne tattha viggaho uppajjissati, anāgate ca addhāne dullabhā bhavissanti tumhādisā buddhimanto, tesu me pañhesu cakkhuṁ dehi paravādānaṁ niggahāyā”ti. These, venerable sir, are the twenty-five qualities of a teacher as a teacher. May you act rightly towards me with respect to these qualities. A doubt has arisen in me, venerable sir. There are difficult dilemmas spoken by the Conqueror; in the future time dispute will arise about them. And in the future time those of great intelligence like you will be rare. Give me vision regarding those questions for the suppression of opposing views.”