sutta » sn » sn48 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 48.53

Sekhasutta

A Trainee

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:

“atthi nu kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajāneyya, asekho bhikkhu asekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘asekhosmī’ti pajāneyyā”ti?
“Mendicants, is there a way that a mendicant who is a trainee, standing at the level of a trainee, can understand that they are a trainee? And that a mendicant who is an adept, standing at the level of an adept, can understand that they are an adept?”

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe…
“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …”

“atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajāneyya, asekho bhikkhu asekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘asekhosmī’ti pajāneyya.
“There is a way that a mendicant who is a trainee, standing at the level of a trainee, can understand that they are a trainee, and that a mendicant who is an adept, standing at the level of an adept, can understand that they are an adept.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajānāti?
And what is a way that a mendicant who is a trainee can understand that they are a trainee?

Idha, bhikkhave, sekho bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti—
It’s when a mendicant who is a trainee truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajānāti.
This is a way that a mendicant who is a trainee can understand that they are a trainee.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sekho bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati:
Furthermore, a mendicant who is a trainee reflects:

‘atthi nu kho ito bahiddhā añño samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā yo evaṁ bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ tathaṁ dhammaṁ deseti yathā bhagavā’ti?
‘Is there any other ascetic or brahmin elsewhere whose teaching is as true, as real, as accurate as that of the Buddha?’

So evaṁ pajānāti:
They understand:

‘natthi kho ito bahiddhā añño samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā yo evaṁ bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ tathaṁ dhammaṁ deseti yathā bhagavā’ti.
‘There is no other ascetic or brahmin elsewhere whose teaching is as true, as real, as accurate as that of the Buddha.’

Ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajānāti.
This too is a way that a mendicant who is a trainee can understand that they are a trainee.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sekho bhikkhu pañcindriyāni pajānāti—
Furthermore, a mendicant who is a trainee understands the five faculties:

saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ.
faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.

Yaṅgatikāni yaṁparamāni yaṁphalāni yaṁpariyosānāni. Na heva kho kāyena phusitvā viharati;
And although they don’t have direct meditative experience of their destination, apex, fruit, and culmination,

paññāya ca ativijjha passati.
they do see them with penetrating wisdom.

Ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajānāti.
This too is a way that a mendicant who is a trainee can understand that they are a trainee.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma asekho bhikkhu asekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘asekhosmī’ti pajānāti?
And what is the way that a mendicant who is an adept can understand that they are an adept?

Idha, bhikkhave, asekho bhikkhu pañcindriyāni pajānāti—
It’s when a mendicant who is an adept understands the five faculties:

saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ.
faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.

Yaṅgatikāni yaṁparamāni yaṁphalāni yaṁpariyosānāni. Kāyena ca phusitvā viharati;
They have direct meditative experience of their destination, apex, fruit, and culmination,

paññāya ca ativijjha passati.
and they see them with penetrating wisdom.

Ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma asekho bhikkhu asekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘asekhosmī’ti pajānāti.
This is a way that a mendicant who is an adept can understand that they are an adept.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, asekho bhikkhu cha indriyāni pajānāti.
Furthermore, a mendicant who is an adept understands the six faculties:

‘Cakkhundriyaṁ, sotindriyaṁ, ghānindriyaṁ, jivhindriyaṁ, kāyindriyaṁ, manindriyaṁ—
eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

imāni kho cha indriyāni sabbena sabbaṁ sabbathā sabbaṁ aparisesaṁ nirujjhissanti, aññāni ca cha indriyāni na kuhiñci kismiñci uppajjissantī’ti pajānāti.
They understand: ‘These six faculties will totally and utterly cease without anything left over. And no other six faculties will arise anywhere anyhow.’

Ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma asekho bhikkhu asekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘asekhosmī’ti pajānātī”ti.
This too is a way that a mendicant who is an adept can understand that they are an adept.”

Tatiyaṁ.