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and laywomen, householders in white, celibate, are successful; thus is this holy life complete in that aspect. “If, indeed, Master Gotama, Master Gotama alone were successful in this Dhamma, and monks were successful, and nuns were successful, and laymen, householders in white, celibate, were successful, and laymen, householders in white, enjoyers of sensual pleasures, were successful, and laywomen, householders in white, celibate, were successful, but laywomen, householders in white, enjoyers of sensual pleasures, were not successful; thus would this holy life be incomplete in that aspect. But because, Master Gotama, Master Gotama alone is successful in this Dhamma, and monks are successful, and nuns are successful, and laymen, householders in white, celibate, are successful, and laymen, householders in white, enjoyers of sensual pleasures, are successful, and laywomen, householders in white, celibate, are successful, and laywomen, householders in white, enjoyers of sensual pleasures, are successful; thus is this holy life complete in that aspect. 197. “Just as, Master Gotama, the river Ganges flows towards the ocean, leans towards the ocean, slopes towards the ocean, and reaches the ocean, even so this assembly of Master Gotama, with householders and renunciants, flows towards Nibbāna, leans towards Nibbāna, slopes towards Nibbāna, and reaches Nibbāna. Excellent, Master Gotama… I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. May I receive ordination in the presence of Master Gotama, may I receive full admission.” “Whoever, Vaccha, was formerly a follower of another sect, and desires ordination in this Dhamma and Discipline, and desires full admission, he must undergo a probationary period of four months. dwells. After the lapse of four months, if the bhikkhus are pleased, they give him ordination and higher ordination for the state of a bhikkhu; but here, there is a difference in individuals.” “If, Venerable Sir, former adherents of other sects, desiring ordination and higher ordination in this Dhamma and Discipline, reside for four months, and after the lapse of four months, if the bhikkhus are pleased, they give them ordination and higher ordination for the state of a bhikkhu; then I will reside for four years. After the lapse of four years, may the bhikkhus, if pleased, give me ordination and higher ordination for the state of a bhikkhu.” So the wanderer Vacchagotta obtained ordination from the Blessed One, he obtained higher ordination. Not long after his higher ordination, indeed, the venerable Vacchagotta, having been ordained for half a month, approached the Blessed One; having approached and saluted the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the venerable Vacchagotta said to the Blessed One: “Whatever, Venerable Sir, is to be attained by the knowledge of a learner, by the insight of a learner, that has been attained by me; may the Blessed One teach me further Dhamma.” “Then, Vaccha, cultivate these two things further: tranquility and insight. These two things, Vaccha, further cultivated—tranquility and insight—will conduce to the penetration of many elements. 198. “So you, Vaccha, as far as you wish—‘May I experience various kinds of supernormal power—being one, may I become many; being many, may I become one; appearance, disappearance; going unhindered through walls, through ramparts, through mountains, as if through space; diving in and out of the earth, as if in water; walking on water without sinking, as if on earth; traveling through the air cross-legged, as if a winged bird; touching and stroking these moon and sun, so mighty, so powerful— I might touch it with both hands, I might stroke it; and even up to the Brahma-world, I might wield power with my body’— in each and every case, you will attain the ability to witness, when the opportunity arises. “So you, Vaccha, as far as you wish – ‘With the divine ear-element, purified and surpassing that of humans, I might hear both kinds of sounds – divine and human, those that are far and those that are near’— in each and every case, you will attain the ability to witness, when the opportunity arises. “So you, Vaccha, as far as you wish – ‘I might comprehend the minds of other beings, other persons, having encompassed them with my own mind – I might know a mind with lust as ‘a mind with lust’, or a mind without lust as ‘a mind without lust’; I might know a mind with hatred as ‘a mind with hatred’, or a mind without hatred as ‘a mind without hatred’; I might know a mind with delusion as ‘a mind with delusion’, or a mind without delusion as ‘a mind without delusion’; I might know a constricted mind as ‘a constricted mind’, or a mind distracted as ‘a distracted mind’; I might know an exalted mind as ‘an exalted mind’, or an unexalted mind as ‘an unexalted mind’; I might know a surpassable mind as ‘a surpassable mind’, or an unsurpassable mind as ‘an unsurpassable mind’; I might know a concentrated mind as ‘a concentrated mind’, or an unconcentrated mind as ‘an unconcentrated mind’; I might know a liberated mind as ‘a liberated mind’, or an unliberated mind as ‘an unliberated mind’’— in each and every case, you will attain the ability to witness, when the opportunity arises. “So you, Vaccha, as far as you wish – ‘I might recollect my manifold past existences, that is to say – one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births," one birth, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births; many eons of contraction, many eons of expansion, many eons of contraction and expansion – 'There I was, of such a name, of such a clan, of such a color, of such a food, experiencing such pleasure and pain, with such a lifespan. Having passed away from there, I arose yonder. There I was, of such a name, of such a clan, of such a color, of such a food, experiencing such pleasure and pain, with such a lifespan. Having passed away from there, I arose here.' Thus he recollects his manifold past existences, with their aspects and details. In each case, you will attain the ability to witness, with mindfulness present, in each sphere. "Then you, Vaccha, as far as you wish – 'May I behold beings with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human sight, as they pass away and reappear, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and understand them according to their deeds – Indeed, these beings, endowed with misconduct of body, misconduct of speech, misconduct of mind, revilers of noble ones, holding wrong views, undertaking actions based on wrong views, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, have reappeared in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. Or again, these beings, endowed with good conduct of body, good conduct of speech, good conduct of mind, not revilers of noble ones, holding right views, undertaking actions based on right views, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, have reappeared in a good destination, a heavenly world. Thus may I behold beings with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human sight, as they pass away and reappear, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and understand them according to their deeds' – In each case, you will attain the ability to witness, with mindfulness present, in each sphere. "Then you, Vaccha, as far as you wish – 'May I, by the destruction of the taints, here and now, by my own direct knowledge, realize and abide in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom' – In each case, you will attain the ability to witness. you will attain capability, when mindfulness is present in the sphere of mindfulness.” 199. Then, the venerable Vacchagotta, having delighted in and approved of the Blessed One’s words, rose from his seat, saluted the Blessed One, circumambulated him, and departed. Then, the venerable Vacchagotta, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, and resolute, before long—for the sake of which noble sons rightly go forth from home to homelessness, that unsurpassed—the culmination of the holy life, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life, entered upon and dwelt in it. He knew: “Destroyed is birth, lived is the holy life, done is what was to be done, there is no more for this state of being.” And the venerable Vacchagotta became one of the Arahants. 200. Now at that time, many bhikkhus were going to see the Blessed One. The venerable Vacchagotta saw those bhikkhus approaching from afar. Having seen them, he went to where those bhikkhus were; having approached, he said to those bhikkhus: “Come! Where are you, venerables, going?” “We are going, friend, to see the Blessed One.” “Then, venerables, in my name, salute the Blessed One’s feet with your head, and say this: ‘Venerable sir, the bhikkhu Vacchagotta salutes the Blessed One’s feet with his head, and says this: “The Blessed One has been served by me, the Sugata has been served by me.”’” “Yes, friend,” those bhikkhus replied to the venerable Vacchagotta. Then those bhikkhus went to where the Blessed One was; having approached, they saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those bhikkhus said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, the venerable Vacchagotta salutes the Blessed One’s feet with his head, and says this: ‘The Blessed One has been served by me, the Sugata has been served by me.’” “Even before, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu Vacchagotta was known to me, having encompassed his mind with my mind: ‘The bhikkhu Vacchagotta is one with the three knowledges, of great power, of great might— The deities also informed me of this matter: 'Vacchagotta, the bhikkhu, possessing the three knowledges, is mighty and powerful.' This the Blessed One said. Delighted, those bhikkhus rejoiced in the Blessed One's words. The Great Vacchasutta is finished, the third.