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10. Sampasādanalakkhaṇasaddhāpañha

Calming as a Distinguishing Characteristic of Faith Question

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, kiṁlakkhaṇā saddhā”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of faith?”

“Sampasādanalakkhaṇā ca, mahārāja, saddhā, sampakkhandanalakkhaṇā cā”ti.
“Faith, your majesty, has calming as a distinguishing characteristic, and also aspiration.”

“Kathaṁ, bhante, sampasādanalakkhaṇā saddhā”ti?
“How, venerable sir, is calming a distinguishing characteristic of faith?”

“Saddhā kho, mahārāja, uppajjamānā nīvaraṇe vikkhambheti, vinīvaraṇaṁ cittaṁ hoti acchaṁ vippasannaṁ anāvilaṁ.
“Faith arising suppresses the hindrances, and thus there is a clear, bright, clean mind free of the hindrances.

Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, sampasādanalakkhaṇā saddhā”ti.
That’s how, your majesty, calming is a distinguishing characteristic of faith.”

“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Please give me an analogy.”

“Yathā, mahārāja, rājā cakkavattī caturaṅginiyā senāya saddhiṁ addhānamaggappaṭipanno parittaṁ udakaṁ tareyya, taṁ udakaṁ hatthīhi ca assehi ca rathehi ca pattīhi ca khubhitaṁ bhaveyya āvilaṁ luḷitaṁ kalalībhūtaṁ.
“Just as, your majesty, a wheel-turning king going on a long journey might cross a small body of water, and that water disturbed by the elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers, would become stirred up, turbid, and muddy;

Uttiṇṇo ca rājā cakkavattī manusse āṇāpeyya ‘pānīyaṁ, bhaṇe, āharatha, pivissāmī’ti, rañño ca udakappasādako maṇi bhaveyya.
and after crossing, the king would command his men, ‘Bring me water, I will drink,’ and the king would possess a water-clearing gem.

‘Evaṁ, devā’ti kho te manussā rañño cakkavattissa paṭissutvā taṁ udakappasādakaṁ maṇiṁ udake pakkhipeyyuṁ, tasmiṁ udake pakkhittamatte saṅkhasevālapaṇakaṁ vigaccheyya, kaddamo ca sannisīdeyya, acchaṁ bhaveyya udakaṁ vippasannaṁ anāvilaṁ.
The men having given their assent to the wheel-turning king, saying ‘Yes, lord’, would place that water-clearing gem in the water, and after it is placed in that water, the various water plants, slime, and leaves would disappear, the mud would settle, and the water would become clear, bright, and clean.

Tato rañño cakkavattissa pānīyaṁ upanāmeyyuṁ ‘pivatu, deva, pānīyan’ti.
Then they would bring the water to the wheel-turning king, saying, ‘Drink the water, lord.’

Yathā, mahārāja, udakaṁ, evaṁ cittaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ, yathā te manussā, evaṁ yogāvacaro daṭṭhabbo, yathā saṅkhasevālapaṇakaṁ kaddamo ca, evaṁ kilesā daṭṭhabbā.
Just like the water, your majesty, so the mind is to be understood; just like the men, so the spiritual aspirant is to be understood; just like the various water plants, slime, and leaves and the mud, so the defilements are to be understood;

Yathā udakappasādako maṇi, evaṁ saddhā daṭṭhabbā, yathā udakappasādake maṇimhi udake pakkhittamatte saṅkhasevālapaṇakaṁ vigaccheyya, kaddamo ca sannisīdeyya, acchaṁ bhaveyya udakaṁ vippasannaṁ anāvilaṁ;
just like the water-clearing gem, so faith is to be understood. Just like after the water-clearing gem is placed in the water, the various water plants, slime, and leaves would disappear, and the mud would settle, and the water would become clear, bright, and clean;

evameva kho, mahārāja, saddhā uppajjamānā nīvaraṇe vikkhambheti, vinīvaraṇaṁ cittaṁ hoti acchaṁ vippasannaṁ anāvilaṁ.
in the same way, your majesty, faith arising suppresses the hindrances and the unobstructed mind is clear, bright, and clean.

Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, sampasādanalakkhaṇā saddhā”ti.
And in this way, your majesty, calming is a distinguishing characteristic of faith.”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena!”

Sampasādanalakkhaṇasaddhāpañho dasamo.
Calming as a Distinguishing Characteristic of Faith Question tenth