1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Then, in the morning, the Venerable Sāriputta dressed, took his bowl and robe, and entered Sāvatthī for alms. It then occurred to him: "It is still too early to walk for alms in Sāvatthī. Let me go to the park of the wanderers of other sects."

Then the Venerable Sāriputta went to the park of the wanderers of other sects. He exchanged greetings with those wanderers and, when they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, sat down to one side. Now on that occasion those wanderers had assembled and were sitting together when this conversation arose among them: "Friends, anyone at all who lives the complete and purified spiritual life for twelve years is fit to be called a bhikkhu who is ‘ten-less.’"

2Then the Venerable Sāriputta neither delighted in nor rejected the statement of those wanderers, but rose from his seat and left, thinking: "I shall find out what the Blessed One has to say about this statement."

3Then, when the Venerable Sāriputta had walked for alms in Sāvatthī, after his meal, on returning from his alms round, he approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. He here reports verbatim the entire course of events and asks: "Is it possible, Bhante, in this Dhamma and discipline to describe a bhikkhu as ‘ten-less’ by the mere counting of years?"

4"In this Dhamma and discipline, Sāriputta, it isn’t possible to describe a bhikkhu as ‘ten-less’ by the mere counting of years. There are, Sāriputta, these seven bases for being ‘ten-less’ that I have proclaimed after realizing them for myself with direct knowledge. [n.1501] See AN7.20.

5What seven? Here, (1) a bhikkhu has a keen desire to undertake the training and does not lose his fondness for undertaking the training in the future. (2) He has a strong desire to attend to the Dhamma and does not lose his fondness for attending to the Dhamma in the future. (3) He has a strong desire to remove vain wishes and does not lose his fondness for removing vain wishes in the future. (4) He has a strong desire for seclusion and does not lose his fondness for seclusion in the future. (5) He has a strong desire to arouse energy and does not lose his fondness for arousing energy in the future. (6) He has a strong desire for mindfulness and alertness and does not lose his fondness for mindfulness and alertness in the future. (7) He has a strong desire to penetrate by view and does not lose his fondness for penetrating by view in the future. These are the seven bases for being ‘ten-less’ that I have proclaimed after realizing them for myself with direct knowledge.

"Sāriputta, if a bhikkhu possesses these seven bases for being ‘ten-less,’ then, if he lives the complete and pure spiritual life for twelve years, he is fit to be called ‘ten-less.’ If, too, he lives the complete and pure spiritual life for twenty-four years, he is fit to be called ‘ten-less.’ If, too, he lives the complete and pure spiritual life for thirty-six years, he is fit to be called ‘ten-less.’ If, too, he lives the complete and pure spiritual life for forty-eight years, he is fit to be called ‘ten-less.’"

1Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi: "atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan"ti.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Tena kho pana samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: "yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā"ti.

2Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandi nappaṭikkosi. Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi: "Bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī"ti. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

3"Idhāhaṁ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁ. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan’ti. Atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodiṁ. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁ. Tena kho pana, bhante, samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: ‘yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, niddaso bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāyā’ti. Atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandiṁ nappaṭikkosiṁ. Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁ: ‘bhagavato santike etassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī’ti. Sakkā nu kho, bhante, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetun"ti?

4"Na kho, sāriputta, sakkā imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetuṁ. Satta kho imāni, sāriputta, niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.

5Katamāni satta? Idha, sāriputta, bhikkhu sikkhāsamādāne tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca sikkhāsamādāne avigatapemo, dhammanisantiyā tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca dhammanisantiyā avigatapemo, icchāvinaye tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca icchāvinaye avigatapemo, paṭisallāne tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca paṭisallāne avigatapemo, vīriyārambhe tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca vīriyārambhe avigatapemo, satinepakke tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca satinepakke avigatapemo, diṭṭhipaṭivedhe tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca diṭṭhipaṭivedhe avigatapemo. Imāni kho, sāriputta, satta niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.

Imehi kho, sāriputta, sattahi niddasavatthūhi samannāgato bhikkhu dvādasa cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya; catubbīsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya; chattiṁsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya, aṭṭhacattārīsañcepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā"ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.