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11. Sampakkhandanalakkhaṇasaddhāpañha

Aspiration as a Distinguishing Characteristic of Faith Question

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

“Yathā, mahārāja, yogāvacaro aññesaṁ cittaṁ vimuttaṁ passitvā sotāpattiphale vā sakadāgāmiphale vā anāgāmiphale vā arahatte vā sampakkhandati yogaṁ karoti appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
“Just as, your majesty, a spiritual aspirant, having seen the liberated mind of others, aspires to the fruit of stream entry, or to the fruit of once-returning, or to the fruit of non-returning, or to the fruit of arahantship, and practices for the attainment of the unattained, for the achievement of the unachieved, and for the realisation of the unrealised.

Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, sampakkhandanalakkhaṇā saddhā”ti.
Thus, your majesty, is aspiration a distinguishing characteristic of faith.”

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

“Yathā, mahārāja, uparipabbate mahāmegho abhippavasseyya, taṁ udakaṁ yathāninnaṁ pavattamānaṁ pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūretvā nadiṁ paripūreyya, sā ubhato kūlāni saṁvissandantī gaccheyya, atha mahājanakāyo āgantvā tassā nadiyā uttānataṁ vā gambhīrataṁ vā ajānanto bhīto vitthato tīre tiṭṭheyya, athaññataro puriso āgantvā attano thāmañca balañca sampassanto gāḷhaṁ kacchaṁ bandhitvā pakkhanditvā tareyya, taṁ tiṇṇaṁ passitvā mahājanakāyopi tareyya;
“Just as, your majesty, a great cloud might pour down rain on the top of a mountain, and that water flowing down according to the slope, having filled the gullies, clefts, and rivulets on the mountain, would fill the river which would proceed along overflowing both banks. And then a great crowd of people having gone to that river, not knowing how shallow or deep it is, would stand frightened and spread out on the bank, and then a certain man might come, and considering his own power and strength, would bind tightly his loincloth and cross over. The great crowd of people having seen him cross would cross over also.

evameva kho, mahārāja, yogāvacaro aññesaṁ cittaṁ vimuttaṁ passitvā sotāpattiphale vā sakadāgāmiphale vā anāgāmiphale vā arahatte vā sampakkhandati yogaṁ karoti appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.
In the same way, your majesty, a spiritual aspirant, having seen the liberated mind of others, aspires to the fruit of stream entry, or to the fruit of once-returning, or to the fruit of non-returning, or to the fruit of arahantship, and practices for the attainment of the unattained, for the achievement of the unachieved, and for the realisation of the unrealised.

Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, sampakkhandanalakkhaṇā saddhāti.
In the same way, your majesty, is aspiration a distinguishing characteristic of faith.

Bhāsitampetaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā saṁyuttanikāyavare—
And this too was said, your majesty, by the Blessed One in the excellent Saṃyutta Nikāya:

‘Saddhāya taratī oghaṁ,
‘One crosses the flood with faith,

appamādena aṇṇavaṁ;
the ocean with diligence;

Vīriyena dukkhamacceti,
Overcomes suffering with energy,

paññāya parisujjhatī’”ti.
and is purified with wisdom.’”

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

Sampakkhandanalakkhaṇasaddhāpañho ekādasamo.
Aspiration as a Distinguishing Characteristic of Faith Question eleventh