[228] There are, friends, dhammas in groups of three that have been rightly proclaimed by that Blessed One who knows and sees, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One. Concerning these, all of us together should recite in concert … for the good, for the welfare, for the happiness of devas and human beings. Which are the dhammas in groups of three?
**Three unwholesome roots (akusalamūla):**
1. The unwholesome root greed (lobha)
2. The unwholesome root hatred (dosa)
3. The unwholesome root delusion (moha)
**Three wholesome roots (kusalamūla):**
1. The wholesome root non-greed (alobha)
2. The wholesome root non-hatred (adosa)
3. The wholesome root non-delusion (amoha)
**Three kinds of misconduct (duccarita):**
1. Bodily misconduct
2. Verbal misconduct
3. Mental misconduct
**Three kinds of good conduct (sucarita):**
1. Bodily good conduct
2. Verbal good conduct
3. Mental good conduct
**Three unwholesome thoughts (akusalavitakka):**
1. The thought of sensuality (kāmavitakka)
2. The thought of ill will (byāpādavitakka)
3. The thought of cruelty (vihiṃsāvitakka)
**Three wholesome thoughts (kusalavitakka):**
1. The thought of renunciation (nekkhammavitakka)
2. The thought of non-ill will
3. The thought of non-cruelty
**Three unwholesome intentions (akusalasaṅkappa):**
1. The intention of sensuality
2. The intention of ill will
3. The intention of cruelty
**Three wholesome intentions (kusalasaṅkappa):**
1. The intention of renunciation
2. The intention of non-ill will
3. The intention of non-cruelty
**Three unwholesome perceptions (akusalasaññā):**
1. The perception of sensuality
2. The perception of ill will
3. The perception of cruelty
**Three wholesome perceptions (kusalasaññā):**
1. The perception of renunciation
2. The perception of non-ill will
3. The perception of non-cruelty
**Three unwholesome elements (akusaladhātu):**
1. The element of sensuality (kāmadhātu)
2. The element of ill will
3. The element of cruelty
**Three wholesome elements (kusaladhātu):**
1. The element of renunciation
2. The element of non-ill will
3. The element of non-cruelty
**Another three elements (dhātu):**
1. The element of sensuality
2. The element of form (rūpadhātu)
3. The element of formlessness (arūpadhātu)
**Another three elements:**
1. The element of form
2. The element of formlessness
3. The element of cessation (nirodhadhātu)
**Another three elements:**
1. The inferior element (hīnadhātu)
2. The middling element (majjhimadhātu)
3. The superior element (paṇītadhātu)
**Three cravings (taṇhā):**
1. Craving for sensual pleasures (kāmataṇhā)
2. Craving for existence (bhavataṇhā)
3. Craving for non-existence (vibhavataṇhā)
**Another three cravings:**
1. Craving for sensuality
2. Craving for form (rūpataṇhā)
3. Craving for formlessness (arūpataṇhā)
**Another three cravings:**
1. Craving for form
2. Craving for formlessness
3. Craving for cessation (nirodhataṇhā)
**Three fetters (saṃyojana):**
1. Identity view (sakkāyadiṭṭhi)
2. Doubt (vicikicchā)
3. Misapprehension of rules and observances (sīlabbataparāmāsa)
**Three taints (āsava):**
1. The taint of sensuality (kāmāsava)
2. The taint of existence (bhavāsava)
3. The taint of ignorance (avijjāsava)
**Three existences (bhava):**
1. Sensual existence (kāmabhava)
2. Form existence (rūpabhava)
3. Formless existence (arūpabhava)
**Three searches (esanā):**
1. The search for sensual pleasures (kāmesanā)
2. The search for existence (bhavesanā)
3. The search for the holy life (brahmacariyesanā)
**Three modes of conceit (vidhā):**
1. The mode 'I am better'
2. The mode 'I am equal'
3. The mode 'I am worse'
**Three periods (addhā):**
1. The past period
2. The future period
3. The present period
**Three extremes (anta):**
1. Personal existence (sakkāya) as an extreme
2. The origin of personal existence as an extreme
3. The cessation of personal existence as an extreme
**Three feelings (vedanā):**
1. Pleasant feeling
2. Painful feeling
3. Neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling
**Threefold suffering (dukkhatā):**
1. Suffering (dukkha) as plain pain (dukkhadukkhatā)
2. Suffering due to volitional formations (saṅkhāradukkhatā)
3. Suffering due to change (vipariṇāmadukkhatā)
**Three heaps (rāsi):**
1. The heap fixed in wrongness (micchattaniyata)
2. The heap fixed in rightness (sammattaniyata)
3. The heap that is not fixed (aniyata)
**Three doubts (kaṅkhā):**
1. Concerning the past period one doubts, is perplexed, does not come to resolution, does not gain confidence;
2. Concerning the future period one doubts, is perplexed, does not come to resolution, does not gain confidence;
3. Concerning the present period one doubts, is perplexed, does not come to resolution, does not gain confidence.
**Three things the Tathāgata need not guard:**
1. Friends, the Tathāgata is pure in bodily conduct; the Tathāgata has no bodily misconduct which the Tathāgata would guard, thinking: 'May another not come to know this of me.'
2. Friends, the Tathāgata is pure in verbal conduct; the Tathāgata has no verbal misconduct which the Tathāgata would guard, thinking: 'May another not come to know this of me.'
3. Friends, the Tathāgata is pure in mental conduct; the Tathāgata has no mental misconduct which the Tathāgata would guard, thinking: 'May another not come to know this of me.'
**Three impediments (kiñcana):**
1. Lust (rāga) is an impediment
2. Hatred is an impediment
3. Delusion is an impediment
**Three fires (aggi):**
1. The fire of lust
2. The fire of hatred
3. The fire of delusion
**Another three fires:**
1. The fire of those worthy of oblations (āhuneyyaggi)
2. The fire of those worthy of offerings (dakkhiṇeyyaggi)
3. The fire of householders (gahapataggi)
**The threefold inclusion of form (rūpasaṅgaha):**
1. Form that is visible and impinging
2. Form that is invisible and impinging
3. Form that is invisible and non-impinging
**Three volitional formations (saṅkhārā):**
1. The meritorious volitional formation (puññābhisaṅkhāra)
2. The demeritorious volitional formation (apuññābhisaṅkhāra)
3. The imperturbable volitional formation (āneñjābhisaṅkhāra)
**Three persons (puggala):**
1. The trainee (sekkha)
2. The one beyond training (asekkha)
3. The one who is neither a trainee nor beyond training
**Three elders (thera):**
1. An elder by birth (jātitthera)
2. An elder in the Dhamma (dhammatthera)
3. An elder by convention (sammatitthera)
**Three bases of meritorious action (puññakiriyāvatthu):**
1. The basis of meritorious action consisting in giving (dānamaya)
2. The basis of meritorious action consisting in virtue (sīlamaya)
3. The basis of meritorious action consisting in development (bhāvanāmaya)
**Three grounds for reproof (codanāvatthu):**
1. By what has been seen
2. By what has been heard
3. By what is suspected
**Three arisings in sensuality (kāmūpapatti):**
1. There are, friends, beings whose sensual pleasures are presently at hand; they exercise mastery over sensual pleasures that are presently at hand—such as human beings, some devas, and some beings in the lower realms (vinipātika). This is the first arising in sensuality.
2. There are, friends, beings who desire what they themselves create; having created and created, they exercise mastery over sensual pleasures—such as the Nimmānarati devas. This is the second arising in sensuality.
3. There are, friends, beings whose sensual pleasures are created by others; they exercise mastery over sensual pleasures created by others—such as the Paranimmitavasavatti devas. This is the third arising in sensuality.
**Three arisings in happiness (sukhūpapatti):**
1. There are, friends, beings who, having generated happiness again and again, dwell in happiness—such as the devas of Brahmā's retinue (Brahmakāyika). This is the first arising in happiness.
2. There are, friends, beings who are drenched, suffused, filled, and pervaded with happiness; from time to time they utter the exclamation: 'O happiness! O happiness!'—such as the Ābhassara devas. This is the second arising in happiness.
3. There are, friends, beings who are drenched, suffused, filled, and pervaded with happiness; content with just that peaceful state, they experience mental happiness—such as the Subhakiṇha devas. This is the third arising in happiness.
**Three kinds of wisdom (paññā):**
1. The wisdom of a trainee
2. The wisdom of one beyond training
3. The wisdom of one who is neither a trainee nor beyond training
**Another three kinds of wisdom:**
1. Wisdom born of thinking (cintāmayā paññā)
2. Wisdom born of learning (sutamayā paññā)
3. Wisdom born of development (bhāvanāmayā paññā)
**Three weapons (āvudha):**
1. The weapon of learning (suta)
2. The weapon of seclusion (paviveka)
3. The weapon of wisdom (paññā)
**Three faculties (indriya):**
1. The faculty 'I shall come to know what is not yet known' (anaññātaññassāmītindriya)
2. The faculty of final knowledge (aññindriya)
3. The faculty of one who has fully known (aññātāvindriya)
**Three eyes (cakkhu):**
1. The fleshly eye (maṃsacakkhu)
2. The divine eye (dibbacakkhu)
3. The eye of wisdom (paññācakkhu)
**Three trainings (sikkhā):**
1. The training in higher virtue (adhisīlasikkhā)
2. The training in the higher mind (citta) (adhicittasikkhā)
3. The training in higher wisdom (adhipaññāsikkhā)
**Three developments (bhāvanā):**
1. Development of the body
2. Development of the mind
3. Development of wisdom
**Three unsurpassable things (anuttariya):**
1. Unsurpassable vision (dassanānuttariya)
2. Unsurpassable practice (paṭipadānuttariya)
3. Unsurpassable liberation (vimuttānuttariya)
**Three concentrations (samādhi):**
1. Concentration with thought and examination (savitakkavicāra samādhi)
2. Concentration without thought, with examination only (avitakkavicāramatta samādhi)
3. Concentration without thought and examination (avitakkavicāra samādhi)
**Another three concentrations:**
1. Emptiness concentration (suññata samādhi)
2. Signless concentration (animitta samādhi)
3. Undirected concentration (appaṇihita samādhi)
**Three purities (soceyya):**
1. Purity of body
2. Purity of speech
3. Purity of mind
**Three sagacities (moneyya):**
1. Sagacity of body
2. Sagacity of speech
3. Sagacity of mind
**Three skills (kosalla):**
1. Skill in gain (āyakosalla)
2. Skill in loss (apāyakosalla)
3. Skill in means (upāyakosalla)
**Three intoxications (mada):**
1. Intoxication with health (ārogyamada)
2. Intoxication with youth (yobbanamada)
3. Intoxication with birth (jātimada)
**Three kinds of authority (ādhipateyya):**
1. Taking oneself as the authority (attādhipateyya)
2. Taking the world as the authority (lokādhipateyya)
3. Taking the Dhamma as the authority (dhammādhipateyya)
**Three topics of talk (kathāvatthu):**
1. Concerning the past period one might speak, saying: 'Thus it was in the past period';
2. Concerning the future period one might speak, saying: 'Thus it will be in the future period';
3. Concerning the present period one might speak, saying: 'Thus it is now in the present.'
**Three true knowledges (vijjā):**
1. The knowledge (ñāṇa) of the recollection of past abodes is a true knowledge
2. The knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings is a true knowledge
3. The knowledge of the destruction of the taints is a true knowledge
**Three abidings (vihāra):**
1. The divine abiding (dibba vihāra)
2. The Brahmā abiding (brahmavihāra)
3. The noble abiding (ariya vihāra)
**Three wonders (pāṭihāriya):**
1. The wonder of psychic power (iddhipāṭihāriya)
2. The wonder of mind-reading (ādesanāpāṭihāriya)
3. The wonder of instruction (anusāsanīpāṭihāriya)
These, friends, are the dhammas in groups of three that have been rightly proclaimed by that Blessed One who knows and sees, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One. Concerning these, all of us together should recite in concert and should not dispute … for the good, for the welfare, for the happiness of devas and human beings.
The Threes of the Recital are concluded.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.