“It is not surprising, Ānanda, that a human being should die. But if each time someone has died you approach and question me about this matter, that would be troublesome for the Tathāgata. Therefore, Ānanda, I will teach you a Dhamma exposition called the mirror of the Dhamma, equipped with which a noble disciple, if he wishes, could by himself declare of himself: ‘I am one finished with hell, finished with the animal realm, finished with the domain of ghosts, finished with the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world. I am a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as my destination.’
“And what, Ānanda, is that Dhamma exposition, the mirror of the Dhamma, equipped with which a noble disciple, if he wishes, could by himself declare thus of himself? Here, Ānanda, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ He possesses confirmed confidence in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha.… He possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration.
“This, Ānanda, is that Dhamma exposition, the mirror of the Dhamma, equipped with which a noble disciple, if he wishes, could by himself declare of himself: ‘I am one finished with hell.… I am a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as my destination.’” [358]
9 (9) The Brick Hall (2)
Sitting to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One:
“Venerable sir, the bhikkhu named Asoka has died. What is his destination, what is his future bourn? The bhikkhunī named Asokā has died. What is her destination, what is her future bourn? The male lay follower named Asoka has died. What is his destination, what is his future bourn? The female lay follower named Asokā has died. What is her destination, what is her future bourn?”
“Ānanda, the bhikkhu Asoka who has died, by the destruction of the taints, in this very life had entered and dwelt in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, realizing it for himself with direct knowledge.… (all the rest as in the preceding sutta) …
“This, Ānanda, is that Dhamma exposition, the mirror of the Dhamma, equipped with which a noble disciple, if he wishes, could by himself declare of himself: ‘I am one finished with hell.… I am a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as my destination.’”
10 (10) The Brick Hall (3)
Sitting to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One:
“Venerable sir, the male lay follower named Kakkaṭa has died in Ñātika. What is his destination, what is his future bourn? The male lay follower named Kāḷiṅga … Nikata … Kaṭissaha … Tuṭṭha … Santuṭṭha … Bhadda … Subhadda has died in Ñātika. What is his destination, what is his future bourn?”
“Ānanda, the male lay follower Kakkaṭa who has died had, with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters, become one of spontaneous birth, due to attain Nibbāna there without returning from that world. So too the male lay followers Kāḷiṅga, [359] Nikata, Kaṭissaha, Tuṭṭha, Santuṭṭha, Bhadda, and Subhadda.
“The more than fifty male lay followers who have died in Ñātika had, with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters, become of spontaneous birth, due to attain Nibbāna there without returning from that world. The male lay followers exceeding ninety who have died in Ñātika had, with the utter destruction of three fetters and with the diminishing of greed, hatred, and delusion, become once-returners who, after coming back to this world only one more time, will make an end to suffering. The five hundred and six male lay followers who have died in Ñātika had, with the utter destruction of three fetters, become stream-enterers, no more bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as their destination. 332
“It is not surprising, Ānanda, that a human being should die. But if each time someone has died you approach and question me about this matter, that would be troublesome for the Tathāgata. Therefore, Ānanda, I will teach you a Dhamma exposition called the mirror of the Dhamma.…
“And what, Ānanda, is that Dhamma exposition, the mirror of the Dhamma…?” [360]
(The remainder of the sutta as in §8.)
II. THE THOUSANDFOLD, OR ROYAL PARK
11 (1) The Thousand
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in the Royal Park. Then a Saṅgha of a thousand bhikkhunīs approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and stood to one side. The Blessed One said to those bhikkhunīs:
“Bhikkhunīs, 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. What four? Here, bhikkhunīs, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ [361] He possesses confirmed confidence in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha.… He possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration.
“A noble disciple, bhikkhunīs, who possesses these four things is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination.”
12 (2) The Brahmins
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, the brahmins proclaim a way called ‘going upwards.’ They enjoin a disciple thus: ‘Come, good man, get up early and walk facing east. Do not avoid a pit, or a precipice, or a stump, or a thorny place, or a village pool, or a cesspool. You should expect death333 wherever you fall. Thus, good man, with the breakup of the body, after death, you will be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.’
“Now this practice of the brahmins, bhikkhus, is a foolish course, a stupid course; it does not lead to revulsion, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna. But I, bhikkhus, proclaim the way going upwards in the Noble One’s Discipline, the way which leads to utter revulsion, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna.
“And what, bhikkhus, is that way going upwards, which leads to utter revulsion … to Nibbāna. [362] Here, bhikkhus, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ He possesses confirmed confidence in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha.… He possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration.
“This, bhikkhus, is that way going upwards, which leads to utter revulsion, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna.”
13 (3) Ānanda
On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda and the Venerable Sāriputta were dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then, in the evening, the Venerable Sāriputta emerged from seclusion, approached the Venerable Ānanda, and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Venerable Ānanda:
“Friend Ānanda, by the abandoning of how many things and because of possessing how many things are people declared by the Blessed One thus: ‘This one is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination’?”
“It is, friend, by the abandoning of four things and because of possessing four things that people are declared thus by the Blessed One. What four?
“One does not have, friend, that distrust regarding the Buddha which the uninstructed worldling possesses, because of which the latter, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the nether world, in hell. [363] And one has that confirmed confidence in the Buddha which the instructed noble disciple possesses, because of which the latter, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blesse
d One.’
“One does not have, friend, that distrust regarding the Dhamma which the uninstructed worldling possesses, because of which the latter, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the nether world, in hell. And one has that confirmed confidence in the Dhamma which the instructed noble disciple possesses, because of which the latter, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world: ‘The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One … to be personally experienced by the wise.’
“One does not have, friend, that distrust regarding the Saṅgha which the uninstructed worldling possesses, because of which the latter, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the nether world, in hell. And one has that confirmed confidence in the Saṅgha which the instructed noble disciple possesses, because of which the latter, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world: ‘The Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practising the good way … the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.’
“One does not have, friend, that immorality which the uninstructed worldling possesses, because of which the latter, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the nether world, in hell. And one has those virtues dear to the noble ones which the instructed noble disciple possesses, because of which the latter, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world: virtues dear to the noble ones … leading to concentration. [364]
“It is, friend, by the abandoning of these four things and because of possessing these four things that people are declared by the Blessed One thus: ‘This one is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination.’”
14 (4) Bad Destination (1)
“Bhikkhus, a noble disciple who possesses four things has transcended all fear of a bad destination. What four? Here, bhikkhus, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ He possesses confirmed confidence in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha.… He possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration. A noble disciple who possesses these four things has transcended all fear of a bad destination.”
15 (5) Bad Destination (2)
“Bhikkhus, a noble disciple who possesses four things has transcended all fear of a bad destination, of the nether world. What four?”
(Complete as in the preceding sutta.)
16 (6) Friends and Colleagues (1)
“Bhikkhus, those for whom you have compassion and who think you should be heeded—whether friends or colleagues, relatives or kinsmen—these you334 should exhort, settle, and establish in the four factors of stream-entry.
“What four? [365] You should exhort, settle, and establish them in confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ You should exhort, settle, and establish them in confirmed confidence in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha … in the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration.
“Those for whom you have compassion … these you should exhort, settle, and establish in these four factors of stream-entry.”
17 (7) Friends and Colleagues (2)
“Bhikkhus, those for whom you have compassion and who think you should be heeded—whether friends or colleagues, relatives or kinsmen—these you should exhort, settle, and establish in the four factors of stream-entry.
“What four? You should exhort, settle, and establish them in confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’…
“Bhikkhus, there may be alteration in the four great elements—in the earth element, the water element, the heat element, the air element—but there cannot be alteration in the noble disciple who possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha. Therein this is alteration: that the noble disciple who possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha might be reborn in hell, in the animal realm, or in the domain of ghosts. This is impossible.
“You should exhort, settle, and establish them in confirmed confidence in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha … in the virtues dear to the noble ones … leading to concentration.
“Bhikkhus, there may be alteration in the four great elements … but there cannot be [366] alteration in the noble disciple who possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones. Therein this is alteration: that the noble disciple who possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones might be reborn in hell, in the animal realm, or in the domain of ghosts. This is impossible.
“Those for whom you have compassion … these you should exhort, settle, and establish in these four factors of stream-entry.”
18 (8) Visiting the Devas (1)
At Sāvatthī.335 Then, just as quickly as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw in his extended arm, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna disappeared from Jeta’s Grove and reappeared among the Tāvatiṃsa devas. Then a number of devatās belonging to the Tāvatiṃsa host approached the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, paid homage to him, and stood to one side. The Venerable Mahāmoggallāna then said to those devatās:
“It is good, friends, to possess confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ Because of possessing confirmed confidence in the Buddha, some beings here, with the breakup of the body, after death, are reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.
“It is good, friends, to possess confirmed confidence in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha … to possess the virtues dear to the noble ones … leading to concentration. [367] Because of possessing the virtues dear to the noble ones, some beings here, with the breakup of the body, after death, are reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.”
“It is good, sir Moggallāna, to possess confirmed confidence in the Buddha … in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha … to possess the virtues dear to the nobles ones … leading to concentration. Because of possessing the virtues dear to the noble ones, some beings here, with the breakup of the body, after death, are reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.”
19 (9) Visiting the Devas (2)
(This sutta is identical with the preceding one, except that wherever §18 reads “are reborn in a good destination,” the present sutta reads “have been reborn in a good destination.”)
20 (10) Visiting the Devas (3)
Then, just as quickly as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw in his extended arm, the Blessed One disappeared from Jeta’s Grove and reappeared among the Tāvatiṃsa devas. Then a number of devatās belonging to the Tāvatiṃsa host approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, [368] and stood to one side. The Blessed One then said to those devatās:
“It is good, friends, to possess confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ Because of possessing confirmed confidence in the Buddha, some beings here are stream-enterers, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as their destination.
“It is good, friends, to possess confirmed confidence in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha … to possess the virtues dear to the noble ones … leading to concentration. Because of possessing the virtues dear to the noble ones, some beings here are stream-enterers, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as their destination.”
“It is good, dear sir, to possess confirmed confidence in the Buddha … in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha … to possess the virtues dear to the nobles ones … leading to concentration. Because of possessing the virtues dear to the noble ones, some beings here are stream-enterers, no longer bound to th
e nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as their destination.”
[369] III. SARAKĀNI
21 (1) Mahānāma (1)
Thus 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.336 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.337 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?’”
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