English
‘Indeed, that Blessed One is… …teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.’ In the Dhamma… …in the Saṅgha… not quick in wisdom, not swift in wisdom, and not endowed with liberation. He, with the destruction of the three fetters, with the attenuation of lust, hatred, and delusion, becomes a Once-returner. Having come to this world just once more, he makes an end of suffering. This person too, O Mahānāma, is freed from hell, freed from the animal realm, freed from the realm of hungry ghosts, freed from states of woe, bad destinations, and perdition. "Here, Mahānāma, some person is endowed with unwavering faith in the Buddha – 'Indeed, that Blessed One is... teacher of gods and humans, the Awakened One, the Blessed One'; in the Dhamma... in the Saṅgha... not quick in wisdom, not swift in wisdom, and not endowed with liberation. He, with the destruction of the three fetters, becomes a Stream-enterer, not subject to falling into states of woe, assured, with enlightenment as his destination. This person too, O Mahānāma, is freed from hell, freed from the animal realm, freed from the realm of hungry ghosts, freed from states of woe, bad destinations, and perdition. "Here, Mahānāma, some person is not indeed endowed with unwavering faith in the Buddha... not in the Dhamma... not in the Saṅgha... not quick in wisdom, not swift in wisdom, and not endowed with liberation. But these qualities are present in him – the faculty of faith, the faculty of energy, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, the faculty of wisdom. And the teachings proclaimed by the Tathāgata are accepted by him through wisdom, to some extent, by reflection. This person too, O Mahānāma, will not go to hell, will not go to the animal realm, will not go to the realm of hungry ghosts, will not go to states of woe, bad destinations, or perdition. "Here, Mahānāma, some person is not indeed endowed with unwavering faith in the Buddha... not in the Dhamma... not in the Saṅgha... not quick in wisdom, not swift in wisdom, and not endowed with liberation. But these qualities are present in him: the faculty of faith, the faculty of energy, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, the faculty of wisdom. And he has a measure of faith in the Tathāgata, a measure of love. This person too, O Mahānāma, will not go to hell, will not go to the animal realm, will not go to the realm of hungry ghosts, will not go to states of woe, bad destinations, or perdition. to the woeful state, to perdition. If these great sal trees, Mahānāma, could understand what is well-spoken and ill-spoken, and if I were to declare about these great sal trees: ‘They are stream-enterers, not subject to falling into states of woe, certain of enlightenment’; how much more so Saraṇāni the Sakyan! Saraṇāni, Mahānāma, undertook the training at the time of death.” The Fourth. 5. The Second Discourse on Saraṇāni the Sakyan 1021. The scene is Kapilavatthu. At that time, Saraṇāni the Sakyan had passed away. He was declared by the Blessed One: “A stream-enterer, not subject to falling into states of woe, certain of enlightenment.” Thereupon, many Sakyans gathered together, assembled, and complained, grumbled, and criticized: “Oh, how wonderful, oh, how amazing! Who then will not be a stream-enterer? Since Saraṇāni the Sakyan has passed away, and he was declared by the Blessed One: ‘A stream-enterer, not subject to falling into states of woe, certain of enlightenment.’ Saraṇāni the Sakyan was one who did not fully complete the training!” Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Mahānāma the Sakyan said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, Saraṇāni the Sakyan has passed away. He was declared by the Blessed One: ‘A stream-enterer, not subject to falling into states of woe, certain of enlightenment.’ Thereupon, venerable sir, many Sakyans gathered together, assembled, and complained, grumbled, and criticized: ‘Oh, how wonderful, oh, how amazing! Who then will not be a stream-enterer? Since Saraṇāni the Sakyan has passed away, and he was declared by the Blessed One: “A stream-enterer, not subject to falling into states of woe, certain of enlightenment.” Saraṇāni the Sakyan was one who did not fully complete the training!’” “That one, Mahānāma, who for a long time has gone for refuge to the Buddha, has gone for refuge to the Dhamma, has gone for refuge to the Saṅgha, How could he go to a state of woe? For if one were to say correctly, Mahānāma: 'For a long time, the lay follower has gone for refuge to the Buddha, gone for refuge to the Dhamma, gone for refuge to the Saṅgha,' one would be speaking correctly about the refuges. Mahānāma, one who has for a long time gone for refuge to the Buddha, gone for refuge to the Dhamma, gone for refuge to the Saṅgha, how could he go to a state of woe? Here, Mahānāma, some person has gone entirely to the Buddha, deeply confident: 'Indeed, that Blessed One is... Teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.' In the Dhamma... In the Saṅgha... He has swift wisdom, quick wisdom, and is endowed with liberation. He, through the destruction of the taints, here and now, by his own direct knowledge, realizes, enters, and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, freed from the animal realm, freed from the realm of ghosts, freed from states of woe, bad destinations, and ruin. But here, Mahānāma, some person has gone entirely to the Buddha, deeply confident: 'Indeed, that Blessed One is... Teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.' In the Dhamma... In the Saṅgha... He has swift wisdom, quick wisdom, but is not endowed with liberation. He, through the destruction of the five lower fetters, is one who attains final Nibbāna in the interim, or one who attains final Nibbāna upon impact, or one who attains final Nibbāna without exertion, or one who attains final Nibbāna with exertion, or one who is an upstream-bound one, bound for the Akaniṭṭha realm. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, freed from the animal realm, freed from the realm of ghosts, freed from states of woe, bad destinations, and ruin. But here, Mahānāma, some person has gone entirely to the Buddha, deeply confident: 'Indeed, that Blessed One is... Teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.' In the Dhamma... In the Saṅgha... He has neither swift wisdom nor quick wisdom, and is not endowed with liberation. He, through the destruction of the three fetters, and the attenuation of lust, hatred, and delusion, He becomes a Once-returner, having come to this world just once more, he makes an end of suffering. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, freed from the animal realm, freed from the realm of hungry ghosts, freed from states of woe, bad destinations, and perdition. Here, Mahānāma, some person has gone to the Buddha with unwavering faith, deeply confident – 'Indeed, that Blessed One... Teacher of gods and humans, the Awakened One, the Blessed One.' In the Dhamma... in the Saṅgha... not quick-witted, not swift-minded, and not endowed with liberation. By the destruction of the three fetters, he becomes a Stream-enterer, not subject to falling into states of woe, assured, with full enlightenment as his destination. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, freed from the animal realm, freed from the realm of hungry ghosts, freed from states of woe, bad destinations, and perdition. Here again, Mahānāma, some person has not gone to the Buddha with unwavering faith, deeply confident... nor in the Dhamma... nor in the Saṅgha... not quick-witted, not swift-minded, and not endowed with liberation; but these qualities are present in him – the faculty of faith... the faculty of wisdom. And the teachings proclaimed by the Tathāgata are accepted by him through a measure of wisdom, by reflection. This person too, Mahānāma, will not go to hell, will not go to the animal realm, will not go to the realm of hungry ghosts, will not go to states of woe, bad destinations, or perdition. Here again, Mahānāma, some person has not gone to the Buddha with unwavering faith, deeply confident... nor in the Dhamma... nor in the Saṅgha... not quick-witted, not swift-minded, and not endowed with liberation; but these qualities are present in him – the faculty of faith... the faculty of wisdom. And he has a measure of faith in the Tathāgata, a measure of love. This person too, Mahānāma, will not go to hell, will not go to the animal realm, will not go to the realm of hungry ghosts, will not go to states of woe, bad destinations, or perdition. Just as, Mahānāma, a bad field, poor soil, with unbroken stumps, and the seeds are broken, rotten, damaged by wind and sun, without vitality, not well-planted... and not well-sown, and the sky would not send down rain properly. Would those seeds attain growth, increase, and fullness?" "No, venerable sir." "Just so, Mahānāma, here the Dhamma is ill-expounded, ill-proclaimed, not leading to liberation, not conducive to peace, not proclaimed by a Perfectly Self-Awakened One – this I call a bad field. And a disciple who dwells in that Dhamma, practicing in accordance with the Dhamma, practicing rightly, living in conformity with the Dhamma – this I call a bad seed." "Just as, Mahānāma, if there were a good field, good soil, well-cleared of stumps, and the seeds were unbroken, not rotten, not damaged by wind and sun, full of sap, well-sown; and the sky would send down rain properly. Would those seeds attain growth, increase, and fullness?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Just so, Mahānāma, here the Dhamma is well-expounded, well-proclaimed, leading to liberation, conducive to peace, proclaimed by a Perfectly Self-Awakened One – this I call a good field. And a disciple who dwells in that Dhamma,