Paṭhamagiñjakāvasathasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 55.8

Linked Discourses 55.8

1. Veḷudvāravagga

1. At Bamboo Gate

Paṭhamagiñjakāvasathasutta

In the Brick Hall (1st)

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā ñātike viharati giñjakāvasathe.

At one time the Buddha was staying at Ñātika in the brick house.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

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

“Sāḷho nāma, bhante, bhikkhu kālaṅkato;

“Sir, the monk named Sāḷha has passed away.

tassa kā gati ko abhisamparāyo?

Where has he been reborn in his next life?

Nandā nāma, bhante, bhikkhunī kālaṅkatā;

The nun named Nandā,

tassā kā gati ko abhisamparāyo?

Sudatto nāma, bhante, upāsako kālaṅkato;

the layman named Sudatta,

tassa kā gati ko abhisamparāyo?

Sujātā nāma, bhante, upāsikā kālaṅkatā;

and the laywoman named Sujātā have passed away.

tassā kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo”ti?

Where have they been reborn in the next life?”

“Sāḷho, ānanda, bhikkhu kālaṅkato āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

“Ānanda, the monk Sāḷha passed away having realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, having realized it with his own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.

Nandā, ānanda, bhikkhunī kālaṅkatā pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātikā tattha parinibbāyinī anāvattidhammā tasmā lokā.

The nun Nandā passed away having ended the five lower fetters. She’s been reborn spontaneously, and will be extinguished there, not liable to return from that world.

Sudatto, ānanda, upāsako kālaṅkato tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmī; sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karissati.

The layman Sudatta passed away having ended three fetters, and weakened greed, hate, and delusion. He’s a once-returner; he will come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering.

Sujātā, ānanda, upāsikā kālaṅkatā tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sotāpannā avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā.

The laywoman Sujātā passed away having ended three fetters. She’s a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.

Anacchariyaṁ kho panetaṁ, ānanda, yaṁ manussabhūto kālaṁ kareyya;

It’s no wonder that a human being should pass away.

tasmiṁ tasmiñce maṁ kālaṅkate upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ paṭipucchissatha. Vihesā pesā, ānanda, assa tathāgatassa.

But if you should come and ask me about it each and every time someone dies that would be a bother for me.

Tasmātihānanda, dhammādāsaṁ nāma dhammapariyāyaṁ desessāmi; yena samannāgato ariyasāvako ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya:

So Ānanda, I will teach you the explanation of the Dhamma named ‘the mirror of the teaching’. A noble disciple who has this may declare of themselves:

‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto, sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’.

‘I’ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I’ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I’m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am assured, destined for awakening.’

Katamo ca so, ānanda, dhammādāso dhammapariyāyo; yena samannāgato ariyasāvako ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya:

And what is that mirror of the teaching?

‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto, sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’?

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

It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha …

Dhamme …pe…

the teaching …

saṅghe …pe…

the Saṅgha …

ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehi.

And they have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.

Ayaṁ kho so, ānanda, dhammādāso dhammapariyāyo;

This is that mirror of the teaching.

yena samannāgato ariyasāvako ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya:

A noble disciple who has this may declare of themselves:

‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto, sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’”ti.

‘I’ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I’ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I’m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am assured, destined for awakening.’”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

(Tīṇipi suttantāni ekanidānāni.)

(The following two discourses have the same setting.)