Then when the night had passed, Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went with Venerable Cetaka as his second monk to Subha’s home, where he sat down on the seat spread out. Then Subha went up to Ānanda, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Ānanda: “Worthy Ānanda, you were the worthy Gotama’s attendant. You were close to him, living in his presence. You ought to know what things the worthy Gotama praised, and in which he encouraged, settled, and grounded all these people. What were those things?”

“Student, the Buddha praised three spectrums of practice, and that’s what he encouraged, settled, and grounded all these people in. What three? The spectrums of noble ethics, noble immersion, and noble wisdom. These are the three spectrums of practice that the Buddha praised.”

1. The Entire Spectrum of Ethics

“But what was that spectrum of noble ethics that the Buddha praised?”