SN 45-56 The Group of Connected Discourses on the Path – Mahāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 55 Linked Discourses on Stream-Entry – Sotāpattisaṁyutta > SN 55.25 About Sarakāni the Sakyan (2nd)

Linked Discourses 55.25 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 55.25

3. About Sarakāni – 3. Saraṇānivagga

SN 55.25 About Sarakāni the Sakyan (2nd) – Dutiyasaraṇānisakkasutta

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 didn’t fulfill the training.”

Saraṇāni sakko sikkhāya aparipūrakārī ahosī”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 sambodhiparāyaṇoti.

Saraṇāni sakko sikkhāya aparipūrakārī ahosī’”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’, saraṇāniṁ 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, so kathaṁ vinipātaṁ gaccheyya.

Take a certain person who is sure and devoted to the Buddha …

Idha, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno—

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 realize 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 is sure and devoted to the Buddha …

Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno—

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 na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato.

With the ending of the five lower fetters, they’re extinguished between one life and the next … they’re extinguished upon landing … they’re extinguished without extra effort … they’re extinguished with extra effort … they head upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm.

So pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā antarāparinibbāyī hoti, upahaccaparinibbāyī hoti, asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti, sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti, uddhaṁsoto hoti akaniṭṭhagāmī.

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 is sure and devoted to the Buddha …

Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno—

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 is sure and devoted to the Buddha …

Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno—

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 sambodhiparāyaṇo.

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 isn’t sure or devoted to the Buddha …

Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo na heva kho buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno …pe…

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 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 isn’t sure or devoted to the Buddha …

Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo na heva kho buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno …

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.

Suppose there was a barren field, a barren ground, with uncleared stumps. And you had seeds that were broken, spoiled, weather-damaged, infertile, and ill kept. And the heavens didn’t provide enough rain.

Seyyathāpi, mahānāma, dukkhettaṁ dubbhūmaṁ avihatakhāṇukaṁ, bījāni cassu khaṇḍāni pūtīni vātātapahatāni asārādāni asukhasayitāni, devo ca na sammā dhāraṁ anuppaveccheyya.

Would those seeds grow, increase, and mature?”

Api nu tāni bījāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyyun”ti?

“No, sir.”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“In the same way, take a teaching that’s badly explained and badly propounded, not emancipating, not leading to peace, proclaimed by someone who is not a fully awakened Buddha.

“Evameva kho, mahānāma, idha dhammo durakkhāto hoti duppavedito aniyyāniko anupasamasaṁvattaniko asammāsambuddhappavedito—

This is what I call a barren field.

idamahaṁ dukkhettasmiṁ vadāmi.

A disciple remains in such a teaching, practicing in line with that teaching, practicing it properly, living in line with that teaching.

Tasmiñca dhamme sāvako viharati dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī—

This is what I call a bad seed.

idamahaṁ dubbījasmiṁ vadāmi.

Suppose there was a fertile field, a fertile ground, well-cleared of stumps. And you had seeds that were intact, unspoiled, not weather-damaged, fertile, and well-kept. And there’s plenty of rainfall.

Seyyathāpi, mahānāma, sukhettaṁ subhūmaṁ suvihatakhāṇukaṁ, bījāni cassu akhaṇḍāni apūtīni avātātapahatāni sārādāni sukhasayitāni;

devo ca sammā dhāraṁ anuppaveccheyya.

Would those seeds grow, increase, and mature?”

Api nu tāni bījāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyyun”ti?

“Yes, sir.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.

“In the same way, take a teaching that’s well explained and well propounded, emancipating, leading to peace, proclaimed by someone who is a fully awakened Buddha.

“Evameva kho, mahānāma, idha dhammo svākkhāto hoti suppavedito niyyāniko upasamasaṁvattaniko sammāsambuddhappavedito—

This is what I call a fertile field.

idamahaṁ sukhettasmiṁ vadāmi.

A disciple remains in such a teaching, practicing in line with that teaching, practicing it properly, living in line with that teaching.

Tasmiñca dhamme sāvako viharati dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī—

This is what I call a good seed.

idamahaṁ subījasmiṁ vadāmi.

Why can’t this apply to Sarakāni?

Kimaṅgaṁ pana saraṇāniṁ sakkaṁ.

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

Saraṇāni, mahānāma, sakko maraṇakāle sikkhāya paripūrakārī ahosī”ti.