SN55:25 Sarakani (2)
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1–2At Kapilavatthu. Now on that occasion Sarakāni the Sakyan had died, and the Blessed One had declared him to be a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination. Thereupon a number of Sakyans, having met and assembled, deplored this, grumbled, and complained about it, saying: "It is wonderful indeed, sir! It is amazing indeed, sir! Now who here won’t be a stream-enterer when the Blessed One has declared Sarakāni the Sakyan after he died to be a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination? Sarakāni the Sakyan was one who had failed to fulfil the training!" [n.348] Sikkhāya aparipūrakārī ahosi. The wording is slightly different from that in the preceding sutta but the purport is the same.
Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported this matter to him.
The Blessed One said:
3"Mahānāma, when, over a long time, a lay follower has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, how could he go to the nether world? … Mahānāma, over a long time Sarakāni the Sakyan had gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, so how could he go to the nether world?
4"Here, Mahānāma, some person is completely dedicated to the Buddha and has full confidence in him thus: [n.349] As at SN48.50. The expression, ekantagato abhippasanno, is effectively synonymous with aveccappasādena samannāgato. ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is one of joyous wisdom, of swift wisdom, and he has attained liberation. By the destruction of the taints, in this very life he enters and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, realizing it for himself with direct knowledge. This person, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.
5"Here, Mahānāma, some person is completely dedicated to the Buddha and has full confidence in him … . And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is one of joyous wisdom, of swift wisdom, yet he has not attained liberation. With the utter destruction of the five lower fetters he has become one who attains final knowledge early in this very life, or one who attains final knowledge at the time of death, or an attainer of Nibbāna in the interval, or an attainer of Nibbāna upon landing, or an attainer of Nibbāna without exertion, or an attainer of Nibbāna with exertion, or one bound upstream, heading towards the Akaniṭṭha realm. [n.350] A fivefold elaboration on the nonreturner; see n. 65. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.
6"Here, Mahānāma, some person is completely dedicated to the Buddha and has full confidence in him … . And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. With the utter destruction of three fetters and with the diminishing of greed, hatred, and delusion, he is a once-returner who, after coming back to this world only one more time, will make an end to suffering. This person too, Mahānāma, sn.v.379 is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.
7"Here, Mahānāma, some person is completely dedicated to the Buddha and has full confidence in him … . And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. With the utter destruction of three fetters he is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.
8"Here, Mahānāma, some person is not completely dedicated to the Buddha and does not have full confidence in him thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. However, he has these five things: the faculty of faith … the faculty of wisdom. And the teachings proclaimed by the Tathāgata are accepted by him after being pondered to a sufficient degree with wisdom. This person too, Mahānāma, is one who does not go to hell, the animal realm, or the domain of ghosts, to the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.
9"Here, Mahānāma, some person is not completely dedicated to the Buddha and does not have full confidence in him … . And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. However, he has these five things: the faculty of faith … the faculty of wisdom. And he has sufficient faith in the Tathāgata, sufficient devotion to him. This person too, Mahānāma, is one who does not go to hell, the animal realm, or the domain of ghosts, to the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.
10"Suppose, Mahānāma, there is a bad field, a bad piece of ground, with stumps not cleared, and the seeds sown there would be broken, spoilt, damaged by wind and sun, unfertile, not planted securely, and the sky would not send down a proper rainfall. Would those seeds come to growth, increase, and expansion?"
"No, venerable sir."
"So too, Mahānāma, here a Dhamma is badly expounded, badly proclaimed, unemancipating, not conducive to peace, proclaimed by one who is not perfectly enlightened. This, I say, is like the bad field. sn.v.380 And the disciple dwells in that Dhamma practising in accordance with it, practising it properly, conducting himself accordingly. This, I say, is like the bad seed.
11"Suppose, Mahānāma, there is a good field, a good piece of ground, well cleared of stumps, and the seeds sown there would be unbroken, unspoilt, undamaged by wind and sun, fertile, planted securely, and the sky would send down a proper rainfall. Would those seeds come to growth, increase, and expansion?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"So too, Mahānāma, here a Dhamma is well expounded, well proclaimed, emancipating, conducive to peace, proclaimed by one who is perfectly enlightened. This, I say, is like the good field. And the disciple dwells in that Dhamma practising in accordance with it, practising it properly, conducting himself accordingly. This, I say, is like the good seed. How much more, then, Sarakāni the Sakyan? Mahānāma, Sarakāni the Sakyan was one who fulfilled the training at the time of death."
1Kapilavatthunidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato hoti. So bhagavatā byākato: "sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo"ti. Tatra sudaṁ sambahulā sakkā saṅgamma samāgamma ujjhāyanti khīyanti vipācenti: "acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho. Ettha dāni ko na sotāpanno bhavissati. Yatra hi nāma saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato. So bhagavatā byākato: ‘sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’ti. Saraṇāni sakko sikkhāya aparipūrakārī ahosī"ti. Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
2"Idha, bhante, saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato. So bhagavatā byākato: ‘sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’ti. Tatra sudaṁ, bhante, sambahulā sakkā saṅgamma samāgamma ujjhāyanti khīyanti vipācenti: ‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho. Ettha dāni ko na sotāpanno bhavissati. Yatra hi nāma saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato. So bhagavatā byākato – sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇoti. Saraṇāni sakko sikkhāya aparipūrakārī ahosī’"ti.
3"Yo so, mahānāma, dīgharattaṁ upāsako buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gato dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gato saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gato, so kathaṁ vinipātaṁ gaccheyya. Yañhi taṁ, mahānāma, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘dīgharattaṁ upāsako buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gato dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gato saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gato’, saraṇāniṁ sakkaṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya. Saraṇāni, mahānāma, sakko dīgharattaṁ upāsako buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gato dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gato saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gato, so kathaṁ vinipātaṁ gaccheyya.
4Idha, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno – itipi so bhagavā … pe … satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme … pe … saṅghe … pe … hāsapañño javanapañño vimuttiyā ca samannāgato. So āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihārati. Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.
5Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno – itipi so bhagavā … pe … satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme … pe … saṅghe … pe … hāsapañño javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato. So pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā antarāparinibbāyī hoti, upahaccaparinibbāyī hoti, asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti, sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti, uddhaṁsoto hoti akaniṭṭhagāmī. Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.
6Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno – itipi so bhagavā … pe … satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme … pe … saṅghe … pe … na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato. So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmī hoti, sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti. Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.
7Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno – itipi so bhagavā … pe … satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme … pe … saṅghe … pe … na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato. So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sotāpanno hoti avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo. Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.
8Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo na heva kho buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno … pe … na dhamme … pe … na saṅghe … pe … na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato; api cassa ime dhammā honti – saddhindriyaṁ … pe … paññindriyaṁ. Tathāgatappaveditā cassa dhammā paññāya mattaso nijjhanaṁ khamanti. Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo agantā nirayaṁ agantā tiracchānayoniṁ agantā pettivisayaṁ agantā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ.
9Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo na heva kho buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno … na dhamme … pe … na saṅghe … pe … na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato; api cassa ime dhammā honti – saddhindriyaṁ … pe … paññindriyaṁ. Tathāgate cassa saddhāmattaṁ hoti pemamattaṁ. Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo agantā nirayaṁ agantā tiracchānayoniṁ agantā pettivisayaṁ agantā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ.
10Seyyathāpi, mahānāma, dukkhettaṁ dubbhūmaṁ avihatakhāṇukaṁ, bījāni cassu khaṇḍāni pūtīni vātātapahatāni asārādāni asukhasayitāni, devo ca na sammā dhāraṁ anuppaveccheyya. Api nu tāni bījāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyyun"ti?
"No hetaṁ, bhante".
"Evameva kho, mahānāma, idha dhammo durakkhāto hoti duppavedito aniyyāniko anupasamasaṁvattaniko asammāsambuddhappavedito – idamahaṁ dukkhettasmiṁ vadāmi. Tasmiñca dhamme sāvako vihārati dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī – idamahaṁ dubbījasmiṁ vadāmi.
11Seyyathāpi, mahānāma, sukhettaṁ subhūmaṁ suvihatakhāṇukaṁ, bījāni cassu akhaṇḍāni apūtīni avātātapahatāni sārādāni sukhasayitāni; devo ca sammā dhāraṁ anuppaveccheyya. Api nu tāni bījāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyyun"ti?
"Evaṁ, bhante".
"Evameva kho, mahānāma, idha dhammo svākkhāto hoti suppavedito niyyāniko upasamasaṁvattaniko sammāsambuddhappavedito – idamahaṁ sukhettasmiṁ vadāmi. Tasmiñca dhamme sāvako vihārati dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī – idamahaṁ subījasmiṁ vadāmi. Kimaṅgaṁ pana saraṇāniṁ sakkaṁ. Saraṇāni, mahānāma, sakko maraṇakāle sikkhāya paripūrakārī ahosī"ti.
Pañcamaṁ.