1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in Nigrodha's Park. Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

"Venerable sir, this Kapilavatthu is rich and prosperous, populous, crowded, with congested thoroughfares.[n.336] Sambādhabyūhaṁ. The explanation in Spk suggests that byūhā are major traffic routes. They are said to be "congested" (sambādha) to show the crowded living conditions in the city. In the evening, when I am entering Kapilavatthu after visiting the Blessed One or the bhikkhus worthy of esteem, I come across a stray elephant, a stray horse, a stray chariot, a stray cart, a stray man.[n.337] On manobhāvanīya, "worthy of esteem," see III, n. 2. Ee bhante na should be changed globally to bhantena, instrumental past participle of bhamati. Spk glosses with "wandering about here and there, roaming excitedly" (to c’ ito ca paribbhamantena uddhatacārinā).

On that occasion, venerable sir, my mindfulness regarding the Blessed One becomes muddled, my mindfulness regarding the Dhamma becomes muddled, my mindfulness regarding the Saṅgha becomes muddled. The thought then occurs to me: ‘If at this moment I should die, what would be my destination, what would be my future bourn?’"

2"Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Your death will not be a bad one, your demise will not be a bad one.

A noble disciple who possesses four things slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna. What four?

Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘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.

3"Suppose, Mahānāma, a tree was slanting, sloping, and inclining towards the east. If it was cut down at its foot, in what direction would it fall?"

"In whatever direction it was slanting, sloping, and inclining, venerable sir."

"So too, Mahānāma, a noble disciple who possesses these four things slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna."

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu vihārati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme. Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"Idaṁ, bhante, kapilavatthu iddhañceva phītañca bāhujaññaṁ ākiṇṇamanussaṁ sambādhabyūhaṁ. So khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ vā payirupāsitvā manobhāvanīye vā bhikkhū sāyanhasamayaṁ kapilavatthuṁ pavisanto; bhantenapi hatthinā samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi assena samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi rathena samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi sakaṭena samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi purisena samāgacchāmi.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, tasmiṁ samaye mussateva bhagavantaṁ ārabbha sati, mussati dhammaṁ ārabbha sati, mussati saṅghaṁ ārabbha sati. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘imamhi cāhaṁ samaye kālaṁ kareyyaṁ, kā mayhaṁ gati, ko abhisamparāyo’"ti?

2"Mā bhāyi, mahānāma, mā bhāyi, mahānāma. Apāpakaṁ te maraṇaṁ bhavissati apāpikā kālaṅkiriyā.

Catūhi kho, mahānāma, dhammehi samannāgato ariyasāvako nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro. Katamehi catūhi?

Idha, mahānāma, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti – itipi so bhagavā … pe … satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.

Dhamme … pe …

saṅghe … pe …

ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi … pe … samādhisaṁvattanikehi.

3Seyyathāpi, mahānāma, rukkho pācīnaninno pācīnapoṇo pācīnapabbhāro, so mūlacchinno katamena papateyyā"ti?

"Yena, bhante, ninno yena poṇo yena pabbhāro"ti.

"Evameva kho, mahānāma, imehi catūhi dhammehi samannāgato ariyasāvako nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro"ti.

Dutiyaṁ.