SUTRA: More fire in California (Colby Fire)

TheGuardian.com; Ven. Thanissaro (trans.) Sampada Sutra: "Being Consummate" edited by Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly

Full moon rises over the Colby Fire off San Gabriel Canyon Road in Azusa, California. Thousands of people were under mandatory evacuation orders overnight (Stuart Palley/Epa).

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USFS firefighter, Azusa (Stuart Palley/Epa)

"Meditators, there are these five kinds of loss. What are the five?

1. Loss of relatives
2. loss of wealth
3. loss through disease
4. loss in terms of virtue
5. loss in terms of views.

"It is not by reason of loss of relatives, wealth, or through disease that beings -- with the breakup of the body, after death -- reappear on the various planes of deprivation, the unfortunate destination, the lower realms, even in hell.
 

"It is by reason of loss in terms of virtue and loss in terms of views that beings -- with the breakup of the body, after death -- reappear on planes of deprivation, the unfortunate destination, lower realms, even in hell. These are the five kinds of loss.
 

"There are these five ways of being consummate. What are the five?

1. Being consummate in terms of relatives
2. in terms of wealth
3. in terms of freedom from disease
4. in terms of virtue
5. in terms of views.

"It is not by reason of being consummate in terms of relatives, wealth, or being consummate in terms of freedom from disease that beings -- with the breakup of the body, after death -- reappear in good destinations, even in heavenly world(s).
 

"It is by reason of being consummate in virtue and being consummate in terms of views that beings -- with the breakup of the body, after death -- reappear in good destinations, even in heavenly world(s). These are the five ways of being consummate."

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