SN 55.24 About Sarakāni (1st) – Paṭhamasaraṇānisakkasutta

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SN 55.24 About Sarakāni (1st) – Paṭhamasaraṇānisakkasutta

Linked Discourses 55.24 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 55.24

3. About Sarakāni – 3. Saraṇānivagga

SN 55.24 About Sarakāni (1st) – Paṭhamasaraṇānisakkasutta

 

At Kapilavatthu.

Kapilavatthunidānaṁ.

Now at that time Sarakāni the Sakyan had passed away.

Tena kho pana samayena saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato hoti.

The Buddha declared that he was

So bhagavatā byākato:

a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening.

“sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo”ti.

At that, several Sakyans came together complaining, grumbling, and objecting,

Tatra sudaṁ sambahulā sakkā saṅgamma samāgamma ujjhāyanti khīyanti vipācenti:

“It’s incredible, it’s amazing!

“acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho.

Who can’t become a stream-enterer these days?

Ettha dāni ko na sotāpanno bhavissati.

For the Buddha even declared Sarakāni to be a stream-enterer after he passed away.

Yatra hi nāma saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato;

so bhagavatā byākato:

‘sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’ti.

Sarakāni was too weak for the training; he used to drink alcohol.”

Saraṇāni sakko sikkhādubbalyamāpādi, majjapānaṁ apāyī”ti.

Then Mahānāma the Sakyan went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. The Buddha said:

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

“idha, bhante, saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato.

So bhagavatā byākato:

‘sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’ti.

Tatra sudaṁ, bhante, sambahulā sakkā saṅgamma samāgamma ujjhāyanti khīyanti vipācenti—

acchariyaṁ vata, bho, abbhutaṁ vata, bho.

Ettha dāni ko na sotāpanno bhavissati.

Yatra hi nāma saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato;

so bhagavatā byākato:

‘sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’ti.

Saraṇāni sakko sikkhādubbalyamāpādi, majjapānaṁ apāyī”ti.

“Mahānāma, when a lay follower has for a long time gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, how could they go to the underworld?

“Yo so, mahānāma, dīgharattaṁ upāsako buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gato dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gato saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gato, so kathaṁ vinipātaṁ gaccheyya.

And if anyone should rightly be said to

Yañhi taṁ, mahānāma, sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

have for a long time gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, it’s Sarakāni the Sakyan.

‘dīgharattaṁ upāsako buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gato dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gato saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gato’ti, saraṇāni sakkaṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya.

Sarakāni the Sakyan has for a long time gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha.

Saraṇāni, mahānāma, sakko dīgharattaṁ upāsako buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gato dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gato saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gato.

How could he go to the underworld?

So kathaṁ vinipātaṁ gaccheyya.

Take a certain person who has experiential confidence in the Buddha …

Idha, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti—

itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.

the teaching …

Dhamme …pe…

the Saṅgha …

saṅghe …pe…

They have laughing wisdom and swift wisdom, and are endowed with freedom.

hāsapañño javanapañño vimuttiyā ca samannāgato.

They’ve realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.

So āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.

This person is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.

Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

Take another person who has experiential confidence in the Buddha …

Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti—

itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.

the teaching …

Dhamme …pe…

the Saṅgha …

saṅghe …pe…

They have laughing wisdom and swift wisdom, but are not endowed with freedom.

hāsapañño javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato.

With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re reborn spontaneously. They are extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world.

So pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko hoti tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā.

This person, too, is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.

Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

Take another person who has experiential confidence in the Buddha …

Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti—

itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.

the teaching …

Dhamme …pe…

the Saṅgha …

saṅghe …pe…

But they don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom.

na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato.

With the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, they’re a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering.

So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmī hoti, sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti.

This person, too, is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.

Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

Take another person who has experiential confidence in the Buddha …

Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti—

itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti;

the teaching …

dhamme …pe…

the Saṅgha …

saṅghe …pe…

But they don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom.

na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato.

With the ending of three fetters they’re a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening.

So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sotāpanno hoti avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇoti.

This person, too, is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.

Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

Take another person who doesn’t have experiential confidence in the Buddha …

Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo na heva kho buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti …

the teaching …

na dhamme …pe…

the Saṅgha …

na saṅghe …pe…

They don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom.

na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato.

Still, they have these qualities:

Api cassa ime dhammā honti—

the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, samādhi, and wisdom.

saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ.

And they accept the principles proclaimed by the Realized One after considering them with a degree of wisdom.

Tathāgatappaveditā cassa dhammā paññāya mattaso nijjhānaṁ khamanti.

This person, too, doesn’t go to hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They don’t go to places of loss, bad places, the underworld.

Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo agantā nirayaṁ agantā tiracchānayoniṁ agantā pettivisayaṁ agantā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ.

Take another person who doesn’t have experiential confidence in the Buddha …

Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo na heva kho buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti …

the teaching …

na dhamme …pe…

the Saṅgha …

na saṅghe …pe…

They don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom.

na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato,

Still, they have these qualities:

api cassa ime dhammā honti

the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, samādhi, and wisdom.

saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ.

And they have a degree of faith and love for the Buddha.

Tathāgate cassa saddhāmattaṁ hoti pemamattaṁ.

This person, too, doesn’t go to hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They don’t go to places of loss, bad places, the underworld.

Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo agantā nirayaṁ agantā tiracchānayoniṁ agantā pettivisayaṁ agantā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ.

If these great sal trees could understand what was well said and poorly said, I’d declare them to be stream-enterers.

Ime cepi, mahānāma, mahāsālā subhāsitaṁ dubbhāsitaṁ ājāneyyuṁ, ime cāhaṁ mahāsāle byākareyyaṁ: ‘sotāpannā avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’ti;

Why can’t this apply to Sarakāni?

kimaṅgaṁ pana saraṇāniṁ sakkaṁ.

Mahānāma, Sarakāni the Sakyan undertook the training at the time of his death.”

Saraṇāni, mahānāma, sakko maraṇakāle sikkhaṁ samādiyī”ti.