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B040203Saṃyuttanikāya (pu vi)(connected collection q and a)

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and there, in the Nandana Grove, surrounded by a host of nymphs, endowed and furnished with the five divine sense pleasures, he enjoys himself; if he is not endowed with the four qualities, then he is not freed from hell, not freed from the animal realm, not freed from the realm of hungry ghosts, not freed from the states of woe, bad destinations, and perdition." And so on, Venerable Sir, was spoken by the Blessed One. The Discourse on Dīghāvu the Lay Follower Question – Right there, friend, the Dīghāvu the Lay Follower Discourse, the third recited by the ancient great elders who compiled the Dhamma, where, concerning whom, on what occasion, and how was it spoken by the Blessed One? Answer – In Rājagaha, Venerable Sir, it was spoken concerning Dīghāvu the lay follower. The Blessed One, Venerable Sir, said this to Dīghāvu the lay follower, who was sick, suffering, gravely ill: "I hope, Dīghāvu, you are bearing up, I hope you are getting by, I hope your painful feelings are subsiding, not increasing, and that their subsiding is evident, not their increasing." "I am not bearing up, Venerable Sir, I am not getting by. My severe painful feelings are increasing, not subsiding. Their increasing is evident, not their subsiding." On that occasion, Venerable Sir, the Blessed One spoke thus, and so on: "Therefore, Dīghāvu, you should train yourself thus: 'I will be endowed with unwavering faith in the Buddha.'" These four factors of stream-entry, Venerable Sir, taught by the Blessed One, these qualities are found in me – Therefore, Dīghāvu, having established yourself in these four factors of stream-entry, you should further develop the six qualities conducive to knowledge – Do not, my dear Dīghāvu, think thus. Come now, my dear Dīghāvu, whatever the Blessed One said to you, that you should carefully attend to. Wise, monks, is Dīghāvu the lay follower. He practiced in accordance with the Dhamma. And he did not trouble me concerning the Dhamma. Dīghāvu the lay follower, monks, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, is an apparitional rebirth, there attaining final Nibbāna, not liable to return from that world. The Discourse at Veḷudvāra Question – By that Blessed One, friend, ... (omitted text) ... the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, the Veḷudvāra Discourse, the seventh recited in the Connected Discourses on Stream-entry, where, concerning whom, on what occasion, and how was it spoken? Answer – In Kosala, Venerable Sir, at a brahmin village of the Kosalans named Veḷudvāra, Veḷud... Spoken concerning the Brahmins and householders of Veḷudvāra. The Brahmins and householders of Veḷudvāra, venerable sir, said this to the Blessed One: "We, Master Gotama, are thus desirous, thus wishing, thus intending: May we dwell in a bed crowded with children... May we enjoy gold and silver, and at the breaking up of the body, after death, may we reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world. For us, Master Gotama, who are thus desirous, thus wishing, thus intending, may the Master teach the Dhamma in such a way, that we may dwell in a bed crowded with children... and at the breaking up of the body, after death, reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world." On that occasion, venerable sir, "Householders, I shall teach you a discourse on the Dhamma that is self-referential; listen to it carefully, pay close attention, I shall speak," thus and so forth was spoken by the Blessed One. The Chapter on Recollections The First Mahānāma Sutta Question: There, friends, in the third chapter on recollections, the First Mahānāma Sutta, first recited by the ancient great elders who compiled the Dhamma, by the Blessed One, where, concerning whom, on what occasion, and how was it spoken? Answer: Among the Sakyans, venerable sir, in Kapilavatthu, at the Nigrodha Park, spoken concerning Mahānāma the Sakyan. Mahānāma the Sakyan, venerable sir, said this to the Blessed One: "This Kapilavatthu, venerable sir, is prosperous and flourishing, populous, crowded with people, bustling. And I, venerable sir, having waited upon the Blessed One, or upon bhikkhus who are mind-developing, when entering Kapilavatthu in the evening, sometimes encounter an elephant, sometimes encounter a horse, sometimes encounter a chariot, sometimes encounter a cart, sometimes encounter a man. For me, venerable sir, at that time, recollection of the Blessed One is lost, recollection of the Dhamma is lost, recollection of the Saṅgha is lost. For me, venerable sir, it occurs thus: 'If I were to die at this time...'" What will be my destination, what my future state?" Concerning that matter, venerable sir, the Blessed One spoke, saying: "Do not fear, Mahānāma, do not fear, Mahānāma, your death will be blameless, your passing away blameless," and so forth. The Second Discourse on the Lay Follower Saraṇāni Question: Friends, where, concerning whom, on what occasion, and how was the Second Discourse on the Lay Follower Saraṇāni, the fifth chanted by the great elders, the compilers of the Dhamma, spoken by the Blessed One? Answer: Venerable sir, it was spoken among the Sakyans, in Kapilavatthu, at the Nigrodha Park, concerning Mahānāma the Sakyan himself. Venerable sir, Mahānāma the Sakyan said this to the Blessed One: "Here, venerable sir, Saraṇāni the Sakyan has passed away. He was declared by the Blessed One as 'a stream-enterer, not subject to falling into lower states, certain of enlightenment.' There, venerable sir, many Sakyans gathered together, complained, grumbled, and criticized, saying: 'Oh, how wonderful! Oh, how amazing! Friends, who here will not be a stream-enterer now? For indeed, Saraṇāni the Sakyan has passed away, and he was declared by the Blessed One as 'a stream-enterer, not subject to falling into lower states, certain of enlightenment.' Saraṇāni the Sakyan was one who did not fully observe the training." Concerning that matter, venerable sir, the Blessed One spoke, saying: "Mahānāma, how could one who for a long time has gone for refuge to the Buddha, gone for refuge to the Dhamma, gone for refuge to the Saṅgha, fall into lower states?" and so forth. The First Discourse on Anāthapiṇḍika Question: Friends, where, concerning whom, on what occasion, by whom, and how was the First Discourse on Anāthapiṇḍika, the sixth chanted by the ancient great elders, the compilers of the Dhamma, spoken? Answer: Venerable sir, it was spoken in Sāvatthī, concerning the householder Anāthapiṇḍika, by the Venerable Sāriputta Thera, the General of the Dhamma. Venerable sir, the Venerable Sāriputta Thera, together with the Venerable Ānanda Thera, who was his attendant monk, went to the dwelling of the householder Anāthapiṇḍika. ...he approached him. Having approached, he sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the venerable Sāriputta said this to Anāthapiṇḍika the householder, who was sick, suffering, gravely ill: "I hope, householder, you are bearable, I hope you are manageable. I hope your painful feelings are receding, not advancing. I hope their receding is evident, not their advancing." "No, venerable sir, I am not bearable, I am not manageable. My painful feelings are strongly advancing, not receding. Their advancing is evident, not their receding." In that context, venerable sir, the venerable Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma, spoke thus: "Householder, the kind of lack of confidence in the Buddha with which an uninstructed ordinary person, on the breaking up of the body, after death, reappears in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell—such lack of confidence in the Buddha you do not have. Indeed, householder, you have unwavering confidence in the Buddha: 'Indeed, that Blessed One is an Arahant, a Perfectly Self-Awakened One... (etc.)... the Blessed One.' And as you contemplate that unwavering confidence in the Buddha within yourself, your feelings would immediately subside." Whose faith in the Tathāgata is unshakeable, well-established; And whose virtue is good, dear to the noble ones, praised. Whose confidence in the Saṅgha exists, and whose vision is straight. Him they call not poor, his life is not in vain. Therefore, faith and virtue, confidence and vision of the Dhamma; The wise one should cultivate, remembering the Buddha's teaching. The Chapter on Streams of Merit The Discourse to Mahānāma Question – Friends, where, concerning whom, in what context, and how was the Mahānāma Sutta, the seventh in the Chapter on Streams of Merit, recited by the ancient great elders who compiled the Dhamma, spoken by the Blessed One? Answer – Venerable sir, it was spoken among the Sakyans, in Kapilavatthu, concerning Mahānāma the Sakyan. Venerable sir, Mahānāma the Sakyan said this to the Blessed One: "How far, venerable sir, is one a lay follower?" In that context, venerable sir, "when..." Mahānāma has gone for refuge to the Buddha, gone for refuge to the Dhamma, gone for refuge to the Saṅgha. Thus was it spoken by the Blessed One. How far, venerable sir, is one a lay follower? Kāḷigodha Sutta Question – There, friends, the Kāḷigodha Sutta, the ninth recited by the ancient great elders who compiled the Dhamma, where, concerning whom, and how was it spoken by the Blessed One? Answer – In the Sakyan country, venerable sir, concerning a Sakyan woman named Kāḷigodha, the Blessed One spoke thus: “Godha, an noble disciple endowed with four qualities is a stream-enterer, not subject to falling, fixed, bound for full enlightenment.” Fortunate are you, Godha, Well-gained by you, Godha, The fruit of stream-entry is yours, Godha. Nandiya Sakka Sutta Question – There, friends, by the knowing one… by the Fully Self-Awakened One, the Nandiya Sakka Sutta, the tenth in the section on merits connected with stream-entry, where, concerning whom, in what context, and how was it spoken?