1At Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One said this:

"Bhikkhus, although a wheel-turning monarch, having exercised supreme sovereign rulership over the four continents, [n.317] On the wheel-turning monarch, the ideal ruler of Buddhist legend, see SN22.96 and SN46.42, and for details DN17 and MN129. The four continents are Jambudipa, Aparagoyana, Uttarakuru, and Pubbavideha, respectively to the south, west, north, and east of Mount Sineru, the world axis. See AN3.80 for a fuller cosmological picture. The "four things" are explained just below. with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world, in the company of the devas of the Tāvatiṁsa realm, and there in the Nandana Grove, accompanied by a retinue of celestial nymphs, he enjoys himself supplied and endowed with the five cords of celestial sensual pleasure, still, as he does not possess four things, he is not freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, not freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world. [n.318] The hells, animal realm, and domain of ghosts are themselves the plane of misery, the bad destinations, and the nether world. Although, bhikkhus, a noble disciple maintains himself by lumps of almsfood and wears rag-robes, still, as he possesses four things, he is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.

2"What are the four? sn.v.343 Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: [n.319] The formulas of homage to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha are explicated at Vism 198–221 (Ppn 7:2–100). On aveccappasāda, “confirmed confidence,” see II, n. 120. ‘The Blessed One is an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’

"He possesses confirmed confidence in the Dhamma thus: ‘The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise.’

"He possesses confirmed confidence in the Saṅgha thus: ‘The Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is practising the good way, practising the straight way, practising the true way, practising the proper way; 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.’

"He possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones—unbroken, untorn, unblemished, unmottled, freeing, praised by the wise, ungrasped, leading to concentration. [n.320] The terms describing the noble one's virtue are explicated at Vism 221–22 (Ppn 7:101–6). Spk says that noble ones do not violate (na kopenti) the Five Precepts even when they pass on to a new existence; hence these virtues are dear to them.

"He possesses these four things. And, bhikkhus, between the obtaining of sovereignty over the four continents and the obtaining of the four things, the obtaining of sovereignty over the four continents is not worth a sixteenth part of the obtaining of the four things." [n.321] Cp. Dhp 178

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tatra kho bhagavā … pe … etadavoca:

"Kiñcāpi, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī catunnaṁ dīpānaṁ issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kāretvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ sahabyataṁ, so tattha nandane vane accharāsaṅghaparivuto dibbehi ca pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappito samaṅgībhūto paricāreti, so catūhi dhammehi asamannāgato, atha kho so aparimuttova nirayā aparimutto tiracchānayoniyā aparimutto pettivisayā aparimutto apāyaduggativinipātā. Kiñcāpi, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako piṇḍiyālopena yāpeti, nantakāni ca dhāreti, so catūhi dhammehi samannāgato, atha kho so parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

2Katamehi catūhi? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.

Dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti.

Saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, ujuppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, ñāyappaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, sāmīcippaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, yadidaṁ – cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā, esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā’ti.

Ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi acchiddehi asabalehi akammāsehi bhujissehi viññuppasatthehi aparāmaṭṭhehi samādhisaṁvattanikehi.

Imehi catūhi dhammehi samannāgato hoti. Yo ca, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ dīpānaṁ paṭilābho, yo catunnaṁ dhammānaṁ paṭilābho catunnaṁ dīpānaṁ paṭilābho catunnaṁ dhammānaṁ paṭilābhassa kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasin"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.