55. Sotāpattisaṁyutta: On Stream-Entry
III. About About Sarakāni — SN55.25: About Sarakāni the Sakyan (2nd)
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1-2At Kapilavatthu.
Now at that time Sarakāni the Sakyan had passed away. The Buddha declared that he was a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening.
At that, several Sakyans came together complaining, grumbling, and objecting: “It’s incredible, it’s amazing! Who can’t become a stream-enterer these days? For the Buddha even declared Sarakāni to be a stream-enterer after he passed away. Sarakāni didn’t fulfill the training.”
Then Mahānāma the Sakyan went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. The Buddha said:
3“Mahānāma, when a lay follower has for a long time gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, how could they go to the underworld? And if anyone should rightly be said to have for a long time gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, it’s Sarakāni the Sakyan. Sarakāni the Sakyan has for a long time gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha.
4Take a certain person who is sure and devoted to the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … They have laughing wisdom and swift wisdom, and are endowed with freedom. They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements. This person is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
5Take another person who is sure and devoted to the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … They have laughing wisdom and swift wisdom, and are endowed with freedom. With the ending of the five lower fetters, they’re extinguished between one life and the next … they’re extinguished upon landing … they’re extinguished without extra effort … they’re extinguished with extra effort … they head upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm. This person, too, is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
6Take another person who is sure and devoted to the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … But they don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom. With the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, they’re a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering. This person, too, is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
7Take another person who is sure and devoted to the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … But they don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom. With the ending of three fetters they’re a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening. This person, too, is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
8Take another person who isn’t sure or devoted to the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … They don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom. Still, they have these qualities: the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. And they accept the principles proclaimed by the Realized One after considering them with a degree of wisdom. This person, too, doesn’t go to hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They don’t go to places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
9Take another person who isn’t sure or devoted to the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … They don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom. Still, they have these qualities: the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. And they have a degree of faith and love for the Buddha. This person, too, doesn’t go to hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They don’t go to places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
10Suppose there was a barren field, a barren ground, with uncleared stumps. And you had seeds that were broken, spoiled, weather-damaged, infertile, and ill kept. And the heavens didn’t provide enough rain. Would those seeds grow, increase, and mature?”
“No, sir.”
“In the same way, take a teaching that’s badly explained and badly propounded, not emancipating, not leading to peace, proclaimed by someone who is not a fully awakened Buddha. This is what I call a barren field. A disciple remains in such a teaching, practicing in line with that teaching, practicing it properly, living in line with that teaching. This is what I call a bad seed.
11Suppose there was a fertile field, a fertile ground, well-cleared of stumps. And you had seeds that were intact, unspoiled, not weather-damaged, fertile, and well-kept. And there’s plenty of rainfall. Would those seeds grow, increase, and mature?”
“Yes, sir.”
“In the same way, take a teaching that’s well explained and well propounded, emancipating, leading to peace, proclaimed by someone who is a fully awakened Buddha. This is what I call a fertile field. A disciple remains in such a teaching, practicing in line with that teaching, practicing it properly, living in line with that teaching. This is what I call a good seed. Why can’t this apply to Sarakāni? Mahānāma, Sarakāni the Sakyan fulfilled the training at the time of his 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.