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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Linked Discourses

Vol 1:
Verses
SN1-11
Vol 2:
Causation
SN12-21
Vol 3:
Aggregates
SN22-34
Vol 4:
Sense Bases
SN35-44
Vol 5:
Great Book
SN45-56

55. Sotāpattisaṁyutta: On Stream-Entry

I. At Bamboo Gate — SN55.3: With Dīghāvu

1At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Now at that time the lay follower Dhīgāvu was sick, suffering, gravely ill. Then he addressed his father, the householder Jotika: “Please, householder, go to the Buddha, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him: ‘Sir, the lay follower Dhīgāvu is sick, suffering, gravely ill. He bows with his head to your feet.’ And then say: ‘Sir, please visit him at his home out of compassion.’”


“Yes, dear,” replied Jotika. He did as Dīghāvu asked. The Buddha consented in silence.


2Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of the lay follower Dīghāvu, sat down on the seat spread out, and said to him: “I hope you’re coping, Dīghāvu; I hope you’re getting better. I hope that your pain is fading, not growing, that its fading is evident, not its growing.”


“Sir, I’m not keeping well, I’m not alright. The pain is terrible and growing, not fading; its growing is evident, not its fading.”

“So, Dīghāvu, you should train like this: ‘I will have experiential confidence in the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … And I will have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.’ That’s how you should train.”


3“Sir, these four factors of stream-entry that were taught by the Buddha are found in me, and I am seen in them. For I have experiential confidence in the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … And I have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.”

“In that case, Dīghāvu, grounded on these four factors of stream-entry you should further develop these six things that play a part in realization. You should meditate observing the impermanence of all conditions, perceiving suffering in impermanence, perceiving not-self in suffering, perceiving giving up, perceiving fading away, and perceiving cessation. That’s how you should train.”

4“These six things that play a part in realization that were taught by the Buddha are found in me, and I embody them. For I meditate observing the impermanence of all conditions, perceiving suffering in impermanence, perceiving not-self in suffering, perceiving giving up, perceiving fading away, and perceiving cessation.

But still, sir, I think, ‘I hope Jotika doesn’t suffer grief when I’ve gone.’” Jotika said: “Dear Dīghāvu, don’t focus on that. Come on, dear Dīghāvu, you should closely focus on what the Buddha is saying.”


5When the Buddha had given this advice he got up from his seat and left. Not long after the Buddha left, Dīghāvu passed away.

Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Sir, the lay follower named Dīghāvu, who was advised in brief by the Buddha, has passed away. Where has he been reborn in his next life?”


“Mendicants, the lay follower Dīghāvu was astute. He practiced in line with the teachings, and did not trouble me about the teachings. With the ending of the five lower fetters, he’s been reborn spontaneously, and will become extinguished there, not liable to return from that world.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe vihārati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

Tena kho pana samayena dīghāvu upāsako ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Atha kho dīghāvu upāsako pitaraṁ jotikaṁ gahapatiṁ āmantesi: "ehi tvaṁ, gahapati, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā mama vacanena bhagavato pāde sirasā vanda: ‘dīghāvu, bhante, upāsako ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. So bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī’ti. Evañca vadehi: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, bhagavā yena dīghāvussa upāsakassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampāṁ upādāyā’"ti.


"Evaṁ, tātā"ti kho jotiko gahapati dīghāvussa upāsakassa paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho jotiko gahapati bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "dīghāvu, bhante, upāsako ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. So bhagavato pāde sirasā vandati. Evañca vadeti: ‘sādhu kira, bhante, bhagavā yena dīghāvussa upāsakassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampāṁ upādāyā’"ti. Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.


2Atha kho bhagavā nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena dīghāvussa upāsakassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā dīghāvuṁ upāsakaṁ etadavoca: "Kacci te, dīghāvu, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ? Kacci dukkhā vedanā paṭikkamanti, no abhikkamanti; paṭikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no abhikkamo"ti?


"Na me, bhante, khamanīyaṁ, na yāpanīyaṁ. Bāḷhā me dukkhā vedanā abhikkamanti, no paṭikkamanti; abhikkamosānaṁ paññāyati, no paṭikkamo"ti.

"Tasmātiha te, dīghāvu, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato bhavissāmi – itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme … pe … saṅghe … pe … ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato bhavissāmi akhaṇḍehi … pe … samādhisaṁvattanikehi’. Evañhi te, dīghāvu, sikkhitabban"ti.


3"Yānimāni, bhante, bhagavatā cattāri sotāpattiyaṅgāni desitāni, saṁvijjante dhammā mayi, ahañca tesu dhammesu sandissāmi. Ahañhi, bhante, buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato – itipi so bhagavā … pe … satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme … pe … saṅghe … pe … ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato akhaṇḍehi … pe … samādhisaṁvattanikehī"ti.

"Tasmātiha tvaṁ, dīghāvu, imesu catūsu sotāpattiyaṅgesu patiṭṭhāya cha vijjābhāgiye dhamme uttari bhāveyyāsi. Idha tvaṁ, dīghāvu, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī viharāhi, anicce dukkhasaññī, dukkhe anattasaññī pahānasaññī virāgasaññī nirodhasaññīti. Evañhi te, dīghāvu, sikkhitabban"ti.

4"Yeme, bhante, bhagavatā cha vijjābhāgiyā dhammā desitā, saṁvijjante dhammā mayi, ahañca tesu dhammesu sandissāmi. Ahañhi, bhante, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī viharāmi, anicce dukkhasaññī, dukkhe anattasaññī pahānasaññī virāgasaññī nirodhasaññī. Api ca me, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘mā hevāyaṁ jotiko gahapati mamaccayena vighātaṁ āpajjī’"ti.

"Mā tvaṁ, tāta dīghāvu, evaṁ manasākāsi. Iṅgha tvaṁ, tāta dīghāvu, yadeva te bhagavā āha, tadeva tvaṁ sādhukaṁ manasi karohī"ti.


5Atha kho bhagavā dīghāvuṁ upāsakaṁ iminā ovādena ovaditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi. Atha kho dīghāvu upāsako acirapakkantassa bhagavato kālamakāsi.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

"yo so, bhante, dīghāvu nāma upāsako bhagavatā saṅkhittena ovādena ovadito so kālaṅkato. Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo"ti?


"Paṇḍito, bhikkhave, dīghāvu upāsako, paccapādi dhammassānudhammaṁ, na ca maṁ dhammādhikaraṇaṁ vihesesi. Dīghāvu, bhikkhave, upāsako pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.