[163] "Bhikkhus, there are these four modes of practice (paṭipadā). What four? Painful practice with sluggish superknowledge (dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā), painful practice with quick superknowledge, pleasant practice with sluggish superknowledge, and pleasant practice with quick superknowledge.
"And what, bhikkhus, is painful practice with sluggish superknowledge? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating foulness in the body (asubhānupassī kāye), percipient of repulsiveness in food, percipient of non-delight in the entire world, contemplating impermanence in all conditioned things (saṅkhārā); and the perception of death is well established within him. He dwells depending upon these five powers of a trainee (sekhabala): the power of faith, the power of moral shame (hirī), the power of moral dread (ottappa), the power of energy, and the power of wisdom. These five faculties (indriya) manifest in him feebly: the faith faculty, the energy faculty, the mindfulness faculty, the concentration faculty, and the wisdom faculty. Because of the feebleness of these five faculties, he attains only sluggishly the immediacy condition (ānantariya) for the destruction of the taints (āsava). This, bhikkhus, is called painful practice with sluggish superknowledge.
"And what, bhikkhus, is painful practice with quick superknowledge? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating foulness in the body, percipient of repulsiveness in food, percipient of non-delight in the entire world, contemplating impermanence in all conditioned things; and the perception of death is well established within him. He dwells depending upon these five powers of a trainee: the power of faith, the power of moral shame, the power of moral dread, the power of energy, and the power of wisdom. These five faculties manifest in him prominently: the faith faculty, the energy faculty, the mindfulness faculty, the concentration faculty, and the wisdom faculty. Because of the prominence of these five faculties, he attains quickly the immediacy condition for the destruction of the taints. This, bhikkhus, is called painful practice with quick superknowledge.
"And what, bhikkhus, is pleasant practice with sluggish superknowledge? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by thought-conception and discursive thought, with rapture (pīti) and pleasure born of seclusion. With the subsiding of thought-conception and discursive thought, he enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which has internal confidence and singleness of mind, is without thought-conception and discursive thought, with rapture and pleasure born of concentration (samādhi). With the fading away of rapture, he dwells equanimous and, mindful and clearly comprehending, he experiences pleasure with the body; he enters and dwells in the third jhāna, of which the noble ones declare: 'He is equanimous, mindful, one who dwells in pleasure.' With the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain (dukkha), and with the previous passing away of joy and grief, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is neither painful nor pleasant and has purity of mindfulness through equanimity. He dwells depending upon these five powers of a trainee: the power of faith, the power of moral shame, the power of moral dread, the power of energy, and the power of wisdom. These five faculties manifest in him feebly: the faith faculty, the energy faculty, the mindfulness faculty, the concentration faculty, and the wisdom faculty. Because of the feebleness of these five faculties, he attains only sluggishly the immediacy condition for the destruction of the taints. This, bhikkhus, is called pleasant practice with sluggish superknowledge.
"And what, bhikkhus, is pleasant practice with quick superknowledge? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, secluded from sensual pleasures … enters and dwells in the first jhāna; with the subsiding of thought-conception and discursive thought … he enters and dwells in the second jhāna; with the fading away of rapture … he enters and dwells in the third jhāna; with the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain … he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. He dwells depending upon these five powers of a trainee: the power of faith, the power of moral shame, the power of moral dread, the power of energy, and the power of wisdom. These five faculties manifest in him prominently: the faith faculty, the energy faculty, the mindfulness faculty, the concentration faculty, and the wisdom faculty. Because of the prominence of these five faculties, he attains quickly the immediacy condition for the destruction of the taints. This, bhikkhus, is called pleasant practice with quick superknowledge.
"These, bhikkhus, are the four modes of practice."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.