SN 45-56 The Group of Connected Discourses on the Path – Mahāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 47 Linked Discourses on Mindfulness Meditation – Satipaṭṭhānasaṁyutta > SN 47.12 At Nālandā

Linked Discourses 47.12 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 47.12

2. At Nālandā – 2. Nālandavagga

SN 47.12 At Nālandā – Nālandasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Nālandā in Pāvārika’s mango grove.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nālandāyaṁ viharati pāvārikambavane.

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

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

“Sir, I have such confidence in the Buddha that

“evaṁpasanno ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavati.

I believe there’s no other ascetic or brahmin—whether past, future, or present—whose direct knowledge is superior to the Buddha when it comes to awakening.”

Na cāhu, na ca bhavissati, na cetarahi vijjati añño samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā bhagavatā bhiyyobhiññataro, yadidaṁ—sambodhiyan”ti.

“That’s a grand and dramatic statement, Sāriputta. You’ve roared a definitive, categorical lion’s roar, saying:

“Uḷārā kho tyāyaṁ, sāriputta, āsabhī vācā bhāsitā, ekaṁso gahito, sīhanādo nadito:

‘I have such confidence in the Buddha that

‘evaṁpasanno ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavati.

I believe there’s no other ascetic or brahmin—whether past, future, or present—whose direct knowledge is superior to the Buddha when it comes to awakening.’

Na cāhu, na ca bhavissati na cetarahi vijjati añño samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā bhagavatā bhiyyobhiññataro, yadidaṁ—sambodhiyan’ti.

What about all the perfected ones, the fully awakened Buddhas who lived in the past? Have you comprehended their minds to know that

Kiṁ nu te, sāriputta, ye te ahesuṁ atītamaddhānaṁ arahanto sammāsambuddhā, sabbe te bhagavanto cetasā ceto paricca viditā:

those Buddhas had such ethics, or such qualities, or such wisdom, or such meditation, or such freedom?”

‘evaṁsīlā te bhagavanto ahesuṁ’ iti vā, ‘evaṁdhammā te bhagavanto ahesuṁ’ iti vā, ‘evaṁpaññā te bhagavanto ahesuṁ’ iti vā, ‘evaṁvihārino te bhagavanto ahesuṁ’ iti vā, ‘evaṁvimuttā te bhagavanto ahesuṁ’ iti vā”ti?

“No, sir.”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“And what about all the perfected ones, the fully awakened Buddhas who will live in the future? Have you comprehended their minds to know that

“Kiṁ pana te, sāriputta, ye te bhavissanti anāgatamaddhānaṁ arahanto sammāsambuddhā, sabbe te bhagavanto cetasā ceto paricca viditā:

those Buddhas will have such ethics, or such qualities, or such wisdom, or such meditation, or such freedom?”

‘evaṁsīlā te bhagavanto bhavissanti’ iti vā, ‘evaṁdhammā te bhagavanto bhavissanti’ iti vā, ‘evaṁpaññā te bhagavanto bhavissanti’ iti vā, ‘evaṁvihārino te bhagavanto bhavissanti’ iti vā, ‘evaṁvimuttā te bhagavanto bhavissanti’ iti vā”ti?

“No, sir.”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“And what about me, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha at present? Have you comprehended my mind to know that

“Kiṁ pana tyāhaṁ, sāriputta, etarahi, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho cetasā ceto paricca vidito:

I have such ethics, or such qualities, or such wisdom, or such meditation, or such freedom?”

‘evaṁsīlo bhagavā’ iti vā, ‘evaṁdhammo bhagavā’ iti vā, ‘evaṁpañño bhagavā’ iti vā, ‘evaṁvihārī bhagavā’ iti vā, ‘evaṁvimutto bhagavā’ iti vā”ti?

“No, sir.”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Well then, Sāriputta, given that you don’t comprehend the minds of Buddhas past, future, or present,

“Ettha ca te, sāriputta, atītānāgatapaccuppannesu arahantesu sammāsambuddhesu cetopariyañāṇaṁ natthi.

what exactly are you doing, making such a grand and dramatic statement, roaring such a definitive, categorical lion’s roar?”

Atha kiñcarahi tyāyaṁ, sāriputta, uḷārā āsabhī vācā bhāsitā, ekaṁso gahito, sīhanādo nadito:

‘evaṁpasanno ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavati.

Na cāhu, na ca bhavissati, na cetarahi vijjati añño samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā bhagavatā’ bhiyyobhiññataro, yadidaṁ—sambodhiyan”ti?

“Sir, though I don’t comprehend the minds of Buddhas past, future, and present,

“Na kho me, bhante, atītānāgatapaccuppannesu arahantesu sammāsambuddhesu cetopariyañāṇaṁ atthi,

still I understand this by inference from the teaching.

api ca me dhammanvayo vidito.

Suppose there was a king’s frontier citadel with fortified embankments, ramparts, and arches, and a single gate.

Seyyathāpi, bhante, rañño paccantimaṁ nagaraṁ daḷhuddhāpaṁ daḷhapākāratoraṇaṁ ekadvāraṁ.

And it has a gatekeeper who is astute, competent, and intelligent. He keeps strangers out and lets known people in.

Tatrassa dovāriko paṇḍito byatto medhāvī aññātānaṁ nivāretā ñātānaṁ pavesetā.

As he walks around the patrol path, he doesn’t see a hole or cleft in the wall, not even one big enough for a cat to slip out.

So tassa nagarassa samantā anupariyāyapathaṁ anukkamamāno na passeyya pākārasandhiṁ vā pākāravivaraṁ vā, antamaso biḷāranikkhamanamattampi.

He thinks,

Tassa evamassa:

‘Whatever sizable creatures enter or leave the citadel, all of them do so via this gate.’

‘ye kho keci oḷārikā pāṇā imaṁ nagaraṁ pavisanti vā nikkhamanti vā, sabbe te imināva dvārena pavisanti vā nikkhamanti vā’ti.

In the same way, I understand this by inference from the teaching:

Evameva kho me, bhante, dhammanvayo vidito:

‘All the perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas—whether past, future, or present—give up the five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom. Their mind is firmly established in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation. They correctly develop the seven awakening factors. And they wake up to the supreme perfect awakening.’”

‘yepi te, bhante, ahesuṁ atītamaddhānaṁ arahanto sammāsambuddhā, sabbe te bhagavanto pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya, cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe, catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacittā, satta bojjhaṅge yathābhūtaṁ bhāvetvā, anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambujjhiṁsu.

Yepi te, bhante, bhavissanti anāgatamaddhānaṁ arahanto sammāsambuddhā, sabbe te bhagavanto pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya, cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe, catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacittā, satta bojjhaṅge yathābhūtaṁ bhāvetvā, anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambujjhissanti.

Bhagavāpi, bhante, etarahi arahaṁ sammāsambuddho pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya, cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe, catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacitto, satta bojjhaṅge yathābhūtaṁ bhāvetvā, anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’”ti.

“Good, good, Sāriputta!

“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta.

So Sāriputta, you should frequently speak this exposition of the teaching to the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.

Tasmātiha tvaṁ, sāriputta, imaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ abhikkhaṇaṁ bhāseyyāsi bhikkhūnaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ upāsakānaṁ upāsikānaṁ.

Though there will be some foolish people who have doubt or uncertainty regarding the Realized One, when they hear this exposition of the teaching they’ll give up that doubt or uncertainty.”

Yesampi hi, sāriputta, moghapurisānaṁ bhavissati tathāgate kaṅkhā vā vimati vā, tesampimaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ sutvā yā tathāgate kaṅkhā vā vimati vā sā pahīyissatī”ti.