Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.35

Translators: sujato

Numbered Discourses 7.35

4. Devatāvagga
4. Deities

Dutiyasovacassatāsutta

Easy to Admonish (2nd)

“Imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā …pe…
“Mendicants, tonight a deity … said to me:

‘sattime, bhante, dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattanti.
‘Sir, these seven things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant trainee.

Katame satta?
What seven?

Satthugāravatā, dhammagāravatā, saṅghagāravatā, sikkhāgāravatā, samādhigāravatā, sovacassatā, kalyāṇamittatā.
Respect for the Teacher, for the teaching, for the Saṅgha, for the training, for immersion; being easy to admonish, and good friendship.

Ime kho, bhante, satta dhammā bhikkhuno aparihānāya saṁvattantī’ti.
These seven things don’t lead to the decline of a mendicant trainee.’

Idamavoca, bhikkhave, sā devatā.
That is what that deity said.

Idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī”ti.
Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When he said this, Venerable Sāriputta said to the Buddha:

“imassa kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi.
“Sir, this is how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.

Idha, bhante, bhikkhu attanā ca satthugāravo hoti, satthugāravatāya ca vaṇṇavādī.
It’s when a mendicant personally respects the Teacher and praises such respect.

Ye caññe bhikkhū na satthugāravā te ca satthugāravatāya samādapeti.
And they encourage other mendicants who lack such respect to respect the Teacher.

Ye caññe bhikkhū satthugāravā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālena.
And they praise other mendicants who respect the Teacher at the right time, truthfully and correctly.

Attanā ca dhammagāravo hoti …pe…
They personally respect the teaching …

saṅghagāravo hoti …
They personally respect the Saṅgha …

sikkhāgāravo hoti …
They personally respect the training …

samādhigāravo hoti …
They personally respect immersion …

suvaco hoti …
They are personally easy to admonish …

kalyāṇamitto hoti, kalyāṇamittatāya ca vaṇṇavādī.
They personally have good friends, and praise such friendship.

Ye caññe bhikkhū na kalyāṇamittā te ca kalyāṇamittatāya samādapeti.
And they encourage other mendicants who lack good friends to develop good friendship.

Ye caññe bhikkhū kalyāṇamittā tesañca vaṇṇaṁ bhaṇati bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ kālenāti.
And they praise other mendicants who have good friends at the right time, truthfully and correctly.

Imassa kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmī”ti.
That’s how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.”

“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta.
“Good, good, Sāriputta!

Sādhu kho tvaṁ, sāriputta, imassa mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāsi.
It’s good that you understand the detailed meaning of what I’ve said in brief like this.

Idha, sāriputta, bhikkhu attanā ca satthugāravo hoti, satthugāravatāya ca vaṇṇavādī.
It’s when a mendicant personally respects the Teacher …