1At Kapilavatthu. The Blessed One then said to Mahānāma the Sakyan as he was sitting to one side:

"Mahānāma, a noble disciple who possesses four things is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination.

2What four?

"Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in 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.[n.320] The terms describing the noble one's virtue are explicated at Vism 221–22 (Ppn 7:101–6). Spk says that noble ones do not violate (na kopenti) the Five Precepts even when they pass on to a new existence; hence these virtues are dear to them.

"A noble disciple, Mahānāma, who possesses these four things is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination."

1Kapilavatthunidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho mahānāmaṁ sakkaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

"catūhi kho, mahānāma, dhammehi samannāgato ariyasāvako sotāpanno hoti … pe … sambodhiparāyaṇo.

2Katamehi catūhi?

Idha, mahānāma, ariyasāvako buddhe … pe …

dhamme … pe …

saṅghe … pe …

ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi … pe … samādhisaṁvattanikehi.

Imehi kho, mahānāma, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato ariyasāvako sotāpanno hoti avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo"ti.

Navamaṁ.