AN 11.2. You do not Have to Intend

“Mendicants, if you are virtuous, if you are of good behavior, you do not have to intend to become remorseless. It is natural to become remorseless if you are virtuous, if you are of good behavior. If you are remorseless, you do not have to intend to become glad. It is natural to become glad if you are remorseless. If you are glad, you do not have to intend to become delighted. It is natural to become delighted if you are glad. If you have a delighted mind, you do not have to intend for your body to become tranquil. It is natural for your body to become tranquil if you are delighted. If your body is tranquil, you do not have to intend to experience bliss. It is natural to experience bliss if your body is tranquil. If you experience bliss, you do not have to intend for your mind to unify. It is natural for your mind to unify if you experience bliss. If your mind gets unified, you do not have to intend to get to know and see things in line with reality. It is natural to get to know and see things in line with reality if your mind gets unified. If you know and see things in line with reality, you do not have to intend to become disillusioned. It is natural to become disillusioned if you know and see things in line with reality. If you are disillusioned, you do not have to intend to lose desire. It is natural to lose desire if you are disillusioned. If you lose desire, you do not have to intend to know and see liberation. It is natural to get to know and see liberation if you lose desire.

So, mendicants, knowing and seeing liberation is the purpose and benefit of losing desire. Losing desire is the purpose and benefit of disillusionment. Disillusionment is the purpose and benefit of knowing and seeing in line with reality. Knowing and seeing in line with reality is the purpose and benefit of unification of mind. Unification of mind is the purpose and benefit of pleasure. Pleasure is the purpose and benefit of tranquility. Tranquility is the purpose and benefit of delight. Delight is the purpose and benefit of gladness. Gladness is the purpose and benefit of remorselessness. Remorselessness is the purpose and benefit of wholesome virtues.

That is how, to go from this shore to the other shore, certain qualities flow on to other qualities, certain qualities fulfill other qualities.”