Nine Ways of Sharpening the Faculties, etc.

21. While thus engaged in inductive insight, however, if it does not succeed, he should sharpen his faculties [of faith, etc.,] in the nine ways stated thus:

“The faculties become sharp in nine ways:

1. he sees only the destruction of arisen formations;
2. and in that [occupation] he makes sure of working carefully,
3. he makes sure of working perseveringly,
4. he makes sure of working suitably, and
5. by apprehending the sign of concentration and
6. by balancing the enlightenment factors
7. he establishes disregard of body and life,
8. wherein he overcomes [pain] by renunciation and
9. by not stopping halfway.^[1]

He should avoid the seven unsuitable things in the way stated in the Description of the Earth Kasiṇa (IV.34) and cultivate the seven suitable things, and he should comprehend the material at one time and the immaterial at another.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Abyosāna—“not stopping halfway” (another less good reading is accosāna): not in PED; but it is a negative form of vosāna (q.v.), which is used of Devadatta in the Vinaya Cūḷavagga (= It 85) and occurs in this sense at M I 193. Not in CPD.