sutta » an » an3 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.21

Samiddhasutta

With Saviṭṭha

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Atha kho āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu.
Then Venerable Saviṭṭha and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ samiddhaṁ āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side and Venerable Sāriputta said to Venerable Saviṭṭha,

“Tayome, āvuso samiddha, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
“Reverend Saviṭṭha, these three people are found in the world.

Katame tayo?
What three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.
The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
These are the three people found in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?
Of these three people, who do you believe to be the finest?”

“Tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
“Reverend Sāriputta, these three people are found in the world.

Katame tayo?
What three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.
The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
These are the three people found in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca.
Of these three people, I believe the person freed by faith to be finest.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa saddhindriyaṁ adhimattan”ti.
Because this person’s faculty of faith is outstanding.”

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca:
Then Sāriputta said to Mahākoṭṭhita,

“tayome, āvuso koṭṭhika, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
“Reverend Koṭṭhika, these three people are found in the world.

Katame tayo?
What three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.
The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
These are the three people found in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?
Of these three people, who do you believe to be the finest?”

“Tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
“Reverend Sāriputta, these three people are found in the world.

Katame tayo?
What three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.
The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
These are the three people found in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca.
Of these three people, I believe the direct witness to be finest.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa samādhindriyaṁ adhimattan”ti.
Because this person’s faculty of immersion is outstanding.”

Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:
Then Mahākoṭṭhita said to Sāriputta,

“tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
“Reverend Sāriputta, these three people are found in the world.

Katame tayo?
What three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.
The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
These are the three people found in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?
Of these three people, who do you believe to be the finest?”

“Tayome, āvuso koṭṭhika, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
“Reverend Koṭṭhika, these three people are found in the world.

Katame tayo?
What three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.
The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
These are the three people found in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca.
Of these three people, I believe the person attained to view to be finest.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa paññindriyaṁ adhimattan”ti.
Because this person’s faculty of wisdom is outstanding.”

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantañca samiddhaṁ āyasmantañca mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca:
Then Sāriputta said to Saviṭṭha and Mahākoṭṭhita,

“byākataṁ kho, āvuso, amhehi sabbeheva yathāsakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ.
“Each of us has spoken from the heart.

Āyāmāvuso, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocessāma.
Come, reverends, let’s go to the Buddha, and tell him about this.

Yathā no bhagavā byākarissati tathā naṁ dhāressāmā”ti.
As he answers, so we’ll remember it.”

“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ.
“Yes, reverend,” they replied.

Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.
Then Sāriputta, Saviṭṭha, and Mahākoṭṭhita went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto yāvatako ahosi āyasmatā ca samiddhena āyasmatā ca mahākoṭṭhikena saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesi.
Then Sāriputta told the Buddha of all they had discussed.

“Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ:
“In this matter, Sāriputta, it’s not easy to categorically declare that

‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti.
one of these three people is finest.

Ṭhānañhetaṁ, sāriputta, vijjati yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto svāssa arahattāya paṭipanno, yvāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī svāssa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā, yo cāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto sopassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā.
In some cases, a person who is freed by faith is practicing for perfection, while the direct witness and the one attained to view are once-returners or non-returners.

Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ:
In this matter, it’s not easy to categorically declare that

‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti.
one of these three people is finest.

Ṭhānañhetaṁ, sāriputta, vijjati yvāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī svāssa arahattāya paṭipanno, yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto svāssa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā, yo cāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto sopassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā.
In some cases, a direct witness is practicing for perfection, while the one freed by faith and the one attained to view are once-returners or non-returners.

Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ:
In this matter, it’s not easy to categorically declare that

‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti.
one of these three people is finest.

Ṭhānañhetaṁ, sāriputta, vijjati yvāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto svāssa arahattāya paṭipanno, yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto svāssa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā, yo cāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī sopassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā.
In some cases, one attained to view is practicing for perfection, while the one freed by faith and the direct witness are once-returners or non-returners.

Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ:
In this matter, it’s not easy to categorically declare that

‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’”ti.
one of these three people is finest.”

Paṭhamaṁ.