1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambi, in Ghosita’s Monastery.

Then Venerable Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Kosambi for alms. Then it occurred to him: “It’s too early to wander for alms in Kosambi. Why don’t I go to the monastery of the wanderers who follow other paths?”

Then he went to the monastery of the wanderers who follow other paths, and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side.

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2Now at that time while those wanderers who follow other paths were sitting together this discussion came up among them: “Reverends, anyone who lives the full and pure spiritual life for twelve years is qualified to be called a ‘graduate mendicant’.”

3-5Ānanda neither approved nor dismissed that statement of the wanderers who follow other paths. He got up from his seat, thinking: “I will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.”

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Then Ānanda wandered for alms in Kosambi. After the meal, on his return from alms-round, he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened, adding:

“Sir, in this teaching and training can we describe a mendicant as a ‘graduate’ solely because they have completed a certain number of years?”

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6“No, Ānanda, we cannot. These are the seven qualifications for graduation that I make known after realizing them with my own insight.

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7What seven? It’s when someone is faithful, conscientious, prudent, learned, energetic, mindful, and wise.

These are the seven qualifications for graduation that I make known after realizing them with my own insight. A mendicant who has these seven qualifications for graduation is qualified to be called a ‘graduate mendicant’. This is so whether they have lived the full and pure spiritual life for twelve years, twenty-four years, thirty-six years, or forty-eight years.”

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ​   ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya kosambiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Atha kho āyasmato ānandassa etadahosi:  "atippago kho tāva kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan"ti.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

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2Tena kho pana samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:  "yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā"ti.

3Atha kho āyasmā ānando tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandi nappaṭikkosi. Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi:  "Bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī"ti.

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Atha kho āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

4"Idhāhaṁ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya kosambiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁ. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:  ‘atippago kho tāva kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan’ti … pe … tehi saddhiṁ sammodiṁ. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁ.

5Tena 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 bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī’ti. Sakkā nu kho, bhante, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetun"ti?

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

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7Katamāni satta? Idhānanda, bhikkhu, saddho hoti, hirīmā hoti, ottappī hoti, bahussuto hoti, āraddhavīriyo hoti, satimā hoti, paññavā hoti.

Imāni kho, ānanda, satta niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni. Imehi kho, ānanda, 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.

Dvādasamaṁ.

Devatāvaggo catuttho.

8Appamādo hirī ceva,
dve suvacā duve mittā;
Dve paṭisambhidā dve vasā,
duve niddasavatthunāti.