Matthew 19:20 Meaning The Young Man Said to Him

Sīla: Virtuous conduct "Observed from my youth" is sīla intact, the training in what one does and says. It is the ground floor of a house, solid and necessary, and he stands on it looking up at stairs he has not climbed. Keeping his hands off what belongs to others has never loosened his grip on what he calls his own.

Māna: Conceit Measuring oneself, favorably or otherwise, is māna. A clean record recited from youth puts a keeper at the center of the keeping, an "I" that has done well and would like to know its remaining balance. Every item on the list is accurate, and the one tallying them is what has not yet been set down.

Anusaya: Underlying tendency Greed and aversion lie dormant beneath behavior, untouched by good behavior. Years of blameless action are like weeds cut level with the ground: nothing shows until the rain comes. His question rises from exactly that, a life with nothing to confess and something still missing.

Saṃvega: Urgent stirring Saṃvega is the jolt that turns a settled life toward the path. That question, coming from a young man with every reason to be satisfied, is the jolt arriving. It is worth more than the list that precedes it, and what he does next will show whether he can stay with it.

Cāga: Relinquishment Cāga is the open hand. Observing is a form of guarding, and he has guarded his property with the same care he gave the commandments. The answer comes in the next breath, sell and give and follow, which ends the one holding he never thought to count.