1Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika, escorted by around five hundred lay followers, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. Then the Buddha said to Venerable Sāriputta:

“You should know this, Sāriputta, about those white-clothed laypeople whose actions are restrained in the five precepts, and who get four blissful meditations in the present life belonging to the higher mind when they want, without trouble or difficulty. They may, if they wish, declare of themselves: ‘I’ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I’ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I’m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am bound for awakening.’

2And what are the five precepts in which their actions are restrained? It’s when a noble disciple doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or use alcoholic drinks that cause negligence. These are the five precepts in which their actions are restrained.

3And what are the four blissful meditations in the present life belonging to the higher mind that they get when they want, without trouble or difficulty?

It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ This is the first blissful meditation in the present life belonging to the higher mind, which they achieve in order to purify the unpurified mind and cleanse the unclean mind.

4Furthermore, a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the teaching: ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha — visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’ This is the second blissful meditation …

5Furthermore, a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Saṅgha: ‘The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, straightforward, methodical, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individuals. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’ This is the third blissful meditation …

6Furthermore, a noble disciple’s ethical conduct is loved by the noble ones, unbroken, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred, liberating, praised by sensible people, not mistaken, and leading to immersion. This is the fourth blissful meditation in the present life belonging to the higher mind, which they achieve in order to purify the unpurified mind and cleanse the unclean mind.

These are the four blissful meditations in the present life belonging to the higher mind that they get when they want, without trouble or difficulty.

7You should know this, Sāriputta, about those white-clothed laypeople whose actions are restrained in the five precepts, and who get four blissful meditations in the present life belonging to the higher mind when they want, without trouble or difficulty. They may, if they wish, declare of themselves: ‘I’ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I’ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I’m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am bound for awakening.’

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8Seeing thfe peril in the hells,
you should shun bad deeds.
Taking up the teaching of the noble ones,
an astute person should shun them.

9You shouldn’t harm living beings,
as far as that’s possible to do.
Nor should you knowingly speak falsehood,
or take what is not given.

10Content with your own partners,
you should stay away from the partners of others.
A man shouldn’t drink liquor or wine,
as they confuse the mind.

11You should recollect the Buddha,
and reflect on the teaching.
You should develop a harmless mind of welfare,
which leads to the realms of gods.

12When suitable gifts to give are available
to someone who wants and needs merit,
a religious donation is abundant
if given first to the peaceful ones.

13I will tell of the peaceful ones,
Sāriputta, listen to me.
Cows may be black or white,
red or tawny,

14mottled or uniform,
or pigeon-colored.
But when one is born among them,
the bull that’s tamed,

15 — a behemoth, powerful,
well-paced in pulling forward —
they yoke the load just to him,
regardless of his color.

16So it is for humans,
wherever they may be born,
— among aristocrats, brahmins, merchants,
workers, or outcastes and scavengers —

17but when one is born among them,
tamed, true to their vows.
Firm in principle, accomplished in ethical conduct,
truthful, conscientious,

18they’ve given up birth and death,
and have completed the spiritual journey.
With burden put down, detached,
they’ve completed the task and are free of defilements.

19Gone beyond all things,
they’re extinguished by not grasping.
In that flawless field,
a religious donation is abundant.

20Fools who don’t understand
— stupid, uneducated —
give their gifts to those outside,
and don’t attend the peaceful ones.

21But those who do attend the peaceful ones
— wise, esteemed as sages —
and whose faith in the Holy One
has roots planted deep,

22they go to the realm of the gods,
or are born here in a good family.
Gradually those astute ones
reach extinguishment.”

1Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati pañcamattehi upāsakasatehi parivuto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ āmantesi: 

"yaṁ kañci, sāriputta, jāneyyātha gihiṁ odātavasanaṁ pañcasu sikkhāpadesu saṁvutakammantaṁ catunnaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhiṁ akicchalābhiṁ akasiralābhiṁ, so ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya:  ‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto, sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’ti.

2Katamesu pañcasu sikkhāpadesu saṁvutakammanto hoti? Idha, sāriputta, ariyasāvako pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato hoti. Imesu pañcasu sikkhāpadesu saṁvutakammanto hoti.

3Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī?

Idha, sāriputta, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti:  ‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi, satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti. Ayamassa paṭhamo ābhicetasiko diṭṭhadhammasukhavihāro adhigato hoti avisuddhassa cittassa visuddhiyā apariyodātassa cittassa pariyodapanāya.

4Puna caparaṁ, sāriputta, ariyasāvako dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti:  ‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti. Ayamassa dutiyo ābhicetasiko diṭṭhadhammasukhavihāro adhigato hoti avisuddhassa cittassa visuddhiyā apariyodātassa cittassa pariyodapanāya.

5Puna caparaṁ, sāriputta, ariyasāvako 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. Ayamassa tatiyo ābhicetasiko diṭṭhadhammasukhavihāro adhigato hoti avisuddhassa cittassa visuddhiyā apariyodātassa cittassa pariyodapanāya.

6Puna caparaṁ, sāriputta, ariyasāvako ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi acchiddehi asabalehi akammāsehi bhujissehi viññuppasatthehi aparāmaṭṭhehi samādhisaṁvattanikehi. Ayamassa catuttho ābhicetasiko diṭṭhadhammasukhavihāro adhigato hoti avisuddhassa cittassa visuddhiyā apariyodātassa cittassa pariyodapanāya.

Imesaṁ catunnaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī.

7Yaṁ kañci, sāriputta, jāneyyātha gihiṁ odātavasanaṁ – imesu pañcasu sikkhāpadesu saṁvutakammantaṁ, imesañca catunnaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhiṁ akicchalābhiṁ akasiralābhiṁ, so ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya:  ‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto, sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’ti.

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8Nirayesu bhayaṁ disvā,
pāpāni parivajjaye;
Ariyadhammaṁ samādāya,
paṇḍito parivajjaye.

9Na hiṁse pāṇabhūtāni,
vijjamāne parakkame;
Musā ca na bhaṇe jānaṁ,
adinnaṁ na parāmase.

10Sehi dārehi santuṭṭho,
paradārañca ārame;
Merayaṁ vāruṇiṁ jantu,
na pive cittamohaniṁ.

11Anussareyya sambuddhaṁ,
dhammañcānuvitakkaye;
Abyāpajjaṁ hitaṁ cittaṁ,
devalokāya bhāvaye.

12Upaṭṭhite deyyadhamme,
puññatthassa jigīsato;
Santesu paṭhamaṁ dinnā,
vipulā hoti dakkhiṇā.

13Santo have pavakkhāmi,
sāriputta suṇohi me;
Iti kaṇhāsu setāsu,
rohiṇīsu harīsu vā.

14Kammāsāsu sarūpāsu,
gosu pārevatāsu vā;
Yāsu kāsuci etāsu,
danto jāyati puṅgavo.

15Dhorayho balasampanno,
kalyāṇajavanikkamo;
Tameva bhāre yuñjanti,
nāssa vaṇṇaṁ parikkhare.

16Evamevaṁ manussesu,
yasmiṁ kismiñci jātiye;
Khattiye brāhmaṇe vesse,
sudde caṇḍālapukkuse.

17Yāsu kāsuci etāsu,
danto jāyati subbato;
Dhammaṭṭho sīlasampanno,
saccavādī hirīmano.

18Pahīnajātimaraṇo,
brahmacariyassa kevalī;
Pannabhāro visaṁyutto,
katakicco anāsavo.

19Pāragū sabbadhammānaṁ,
anupādāya nibbuto;
Tasmiñca viraje khette,
vipulā hoti dakkhiṇā.

20Bālā ca avijānantā,
dummedhā assutāvino;
Bahiddhā dadanti dānāni,
na hi sante upāsare.

21Ye ca sante upāsanti,
sappaññe dhīrasammate;
Saddhā ca nesaṁ sugate,
mūlajātā patiṭṭhitā.

22Devalokañca te yanti,
kule vā idha jāyare;
Anupubbena nibbānaṁ,
adhigacchanti paṇḍitā"ti.

Navamaṁ.