4: The Book of the Fours
34. Confidence
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi (More copyright information)
1"Bhikkhus, there are these four foremost kinds of confidence. What four?
(1) "To whatever extent there are beings, whether footless or with two feet, four feet, or many feet, whether having form or formless, whether percipient or non-percipient, or neither percipient nor non-percipient, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One is declared the foremost among them. Those who have confidence in the Buddha have confidence in the foremost, and for those who have confidence in the foremost, the result is foremost.
2(2) "To whatever extent there are phenomena that are conditioned, the noble eightfold path is declared the foremost among them. Those who have confidence in the noble eightfold path have confidence in the foremost, and for those who have confidence in the foremost, the result is foremost.
3(3) "To whatever extent there are phenomena conditioned or unconditioned, [n.691] Yāvatā bhikkhave dhammā saṅkhatā vā asaṅkhatā vā. In the Nikāyas, the only dhamma explicitly said to be unconditioned is nibbāna. All other dhammas, mental and material, are conditioned. Thus the best of conditioned dhammas is the noble eightfold path, which leads to the unconditioned. dispassion is declared the foremost among them, that is, the crushing of pride, the removal of thirst, the uprooting of attachment, the termination of the round, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, nibbāna. Those who have confidence in the Dhamma have confidence in the foremost, and for those who have confidence in the foremost, the result is foremost.
4(4) "To whatever extent there are Saṅghas or groups, the Saṅgha of the Tathāgata's disciples is declared the foremost among them, that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals—this Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Those who have confidence in the Saṅgha have confidence in the foremost, and for those who have confidence in the foremost, the result is foremost.
"These are the four foremost kinds of confidence."
5For those confident in regard to the foremost,
knowing the foremost Dhamma,
confident in the Buddha—the foremost—
unsurpassed, worthy of offerings;
6for those confident in the foremost Dhamma,
in the blissful peace of dispassion;
for those confident in the foremost Saṅgha,
the unsurpassed field of merit;
7for those giving gifts to the foremost,
the foremost kind of merit increases:
the foremost life span, beauty, and glory,
good reputation, happiness, and strength
8The wise one who gives to the foremost,
[n.692] Aggassa dātā. It-a II 111,5–7, explains that the dative-genitive aggassa can be understood to denote either the recipient of the gift or the item to be given: "A giver to the foremost: a giver to the Three Jewels, which are foremost; or one who generates merit by making a lofty gift of a foremost item" (aggassa ratanattayassa dātā, atha vā aggassa deyyadhammassa dānaṁ uḷāraṁ katvā tattha puññaṁ pavattetā).
concentrated upon the foremost Dhamma,
having become a deva or a human being,
rejoices, having attained the foremost.
1"Cattārome, bhikkhave, aggappasādā. Katame cattāro?
Yāvatā, bhikkhave, sattā apadā vā dvipadā vā catuppadā vā bahuppadā vā rūpino vā arūpino vā saññino vā asaññino vā nevasaññināsaññino vā, tathāgato tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho. Ye, bhikkhave, buddhe pasannā, agge te pasannā. Agge kho pana pasannānaṁ aggo vipāko hoti.
2Yāvatā, bhikkhave, dhammā saṅkhatā, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati. Ye, bhikkhave, ariye aṭṭhaṅgike magge pasannā, agge te pasannā. Agge kho pana pasannānaṁ aggo vipāko hoti.
3Yāvatā, bhikkhave, dhammā saṅkhatā vā asaṅkhatā vā, virāgo tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati, yadidaṁ madanimmadano pipāsavinayo ālayasamugghāto vaṭṭupacchedo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānaṁ. Ye, bhikkhave, virāge dhamme pasannā, agge te pasannā. Agge kho pana pasannānaṁ aggo vipāko hoti.
4Yāvatā, bhikkhave, saṅghā vā gaṇā vā, tathāgatasāvakasaṅgho tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati, yadidaṁ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa. Ye, bhikkhave, saṅghe pasannā, agge te pasannā. Agge kho pana pasannānaṁ aggo vipāko hoti.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro aggappasādāti.
5Aggato ve pasannānaṁ,
aggaṁ dhammaṁ vijānataṁ;
Agge buddhe pasannānaṁ,
dakkhiṇeyye anuttare.
6Agge dhamme pasannānaṁ,
virāgūpasame sukhe;
Agge saṅghe pasannānaṁ,
puññakkhette anuttare.
7Aggasmiṁ dānaṁ dadataṁ,
aggaṁ puññaṁ pavaḍḍhati;
Aggaṁ āyu ca vaṇṇo ca,
yaso kitti sukhaṁ balaṁ.
8Aggassa dātā medhāvī,
aggadhammasamāhito;
Devabhūto manusso vā,
aggappatto pamodatī"ti.
Catutthaṁ.
