Living by the Sīla of the Noble Ones —The Fourth Ground for Self-Declaration | Veḷudvāreyya Sutta (SN 55.7)
12. Ariyakantehi Sīlehi — Sīla Dear to the Noble Ones ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti: He is endowed with sīla that are dear to the noble ones. akhaṇḍehi: unbroken, acchiddehi: uninterrupted, asabalehi: unblemished, akammāsehi: undefiled, bhujissehi: liberating, viññuppasatthehi: praised by the wise, aparāmaṭṭhehi: not grasped with attachment, samādhisaṃvattanikehi: conducive to concentration. Further Notes 1. Akhaṇḍehi — Unbroken Ethical conduct ( sīla ) is described as akhaṇḍa when it remains unbroken and is not violated. This means maintaining one's sīla consistently, even when doing so is difficult or inconvenient. For example, a person who values honesty remains truthful even when lying might bring personal benefits. Genuine integrity is demonstrated not merely by behaving ethically when others are watching but also by upholding one's principles in private. The essential message is that true morality requires consistency rather than conve...