Saṁyutta Nikāya 55.25
Translators: sujato
Linked Discourses 55.25
3. Saraṇānivagga
3. About Sarakāni
Dutiyasaraṇānisakkasutta
About Sarakāni the Sakyan (2nd)
Kapilavatthunidānaṁ.
At Kapilavatthu.
Tena kho pana samayena saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato hoti.
Now at that time Sarakāni the Sakyan had passed away.
So bhagavatā byākato:
The Buddha declared that he was
“sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo”ti.
a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening.
Tatra sudaṁ sambahulā sakkā saṅgamma samāgamma ujjhāyanti khīyanti vipācenti:
At that, several Sakyans came together complaining, grumbling, and objecting,
“acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho.
“Oh, how incredible, how amazing!
Ettha dāni ko na sotāpanno bhavissati.
Who can’t become a stream-enterer these days?
Yatra hi nāma saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato.
For the Buddha even declared Sarakāni to be a stream-enterer after he passed away.
So bhagavatā byākato:
‘sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’ti.
Saraṇāni sakko sikkhāya aparipūrakārī ahosī”ti.
Sarakāni didn’t fulfill the training.”
Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Mahānāma the Sakyan went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. The Buddha said:
“Idha, bhante, saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato.
So bhagavatā byākato:
‘sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’ti.
Tatra sudaṁ, bhante, sambahulā sakkā saṅgamma samāgamma ujjhāyanti khīyanti vipācenti:
‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho.
Ettha dāni ko na sotāpanno bhavissati.
Yatra hi nāma saraṇāni sakko kālaṅkato.
So bhagavatā byākato—
sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇoti.
Saraṇāni sakko sikkhāya aparipūrakārī ahosī’”ti.
“Yo so, mahānāma, dīgharattaṁ upāsako buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gato dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gato saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gato, so kathaṁ vinipātaṁ gaccheyya.
“Mahānāma, when a lay follower has for a long time gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, how could they go to the underworld?
Yañhi taṁ, mahānāma, sammā vadamāno vadeyya:
And if anyone should rightly be said to
‘dīgharattaṁ upāsako buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gato dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gato saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gato’, saraṇāniṁ sakkaṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya.
have for a long time gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, it’s Sarakāni the Sakyan.
Saraṇāni, mahānāma, sakko dīgharattaṁ upāsako buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gato dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gato saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gato, so kathaṁ vinipātaṁ gaccheyya.
Sarakāni the Sakyan has for a long time gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha.
Idha, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno—
Take a certain person who is sure and devoted to the Buddha …
itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.
Dhamme …pe…
the teaching …
saṅghe …pe…
the Saṅgha …
hāsapañño javanapañño vimuttiyā ca samannāgato.
They have laughing wisdom and swift wisdom, and are endowed with freedom.
So āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.
They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.
Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.
This person is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno—
Take another person who is sure and devoted to the Buddha …
itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.
Dhamme …pe…
the teaching …
saṅghe …pe…
the Saṅgha …
hāsapañño javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato.
They have laughing wisdom and swift wisdom, but are not endowed with freedom.
So pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā antarāparinibbāyī hoti, upahaccaparinibbāyī hoti, asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti, sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti, uddhaṁsoto hoti akaniṭṭhagāmī.
With the ending of the five lower fetters, they’re extinguished between one life and the next … they’re extinguished upon landing … they’re extinguished without extra effort … they’re extinguished with extra effort … they head upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm.
Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.
This person, too, is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno—
Take another person who is sure and devoted to the Buddha …
itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.
Dhamme …pe…
the teaching …
saṅghe …pe…
the Saṅgha …
na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato.
But they don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom.
So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmī hoti, sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti.
With the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, they’re a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering.
Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.
This person, too, is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno—
Take another person who is sure and devoted to the Buddha …
itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.
Dhamme …pe…
the teaching …
saṅghe …pe…
the Saṅgha …
na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato.
But they don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom.
So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sotāpanno hoti avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo.
With the ending of three fetters they’re a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening.
Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.
This person, too, is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo na heva kho buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno …pe…
Take another person who isn’t sure or devoted to the Buddha …
na dhamme …pe…
the teaching …
na saṅghe …pe…
the Saṅgha …
na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato;
They don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom.
api cassa ime dhammā honti—
Still, they have these qualities:
saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ.
the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.
Tathāgatappaveditā cassa dhammā paññāya mattaso nijjhānaṁ khamanti.
And they accept the teachings proclaimed by the Realized One after deliberating them with a degree of wisdom.
Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo agantā nirayaṁ agantā tiracchānayoniṁ agantā pettivisayaṁ agantā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ.
This person, too, doesn’t go to hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They don’t go to places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
Idha pana, mahānāma, ekacco puggalo na heva kho buddhe ekantagato hoti abhippasanno …
Take another person who isn’t sure or devoted to the Buddha …
na dhamme …pe…
the teaching …
na saṅghe …pe…
the Saṅgha …
na hāsapañño na javanapañño na ca vimuttiyā samannāgato;
They don’t have laughing wisdom or swift wisdom, nor are they endowed with freedom.
api cassa ime dhammā honti—
Still, they have these qualities:
saddhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ.
the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.
Tathāgate cassa saddhāmattaṁ hoti pemamattaṁ.
And they have a degree of faith and love for the Buddha.
Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo agantā nirayaṁ agantā tiracchānayoniṁ agantā pettivisayaṁ agantā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ.
This person, too, doesn’t go to hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They don’t go to places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
Seyyathāpi, mahānāma, dukkhettaṁ dubbhūmaṁ avihatakhāṇukaṁ, bījāni cassu khaṇḍāni pūtīni vātātapahatāni asārādāni asukhasayitāni, devo ca na sammā dhāraṁ anuppaveccheyya.
Suppose there was a barren field, a barren ground, with uncleared stumps. And you had seeds that were broken, spoiled, weather-damaged, infertile, and ill kept. And the heavens didn’t provide enough rain.
Api nu tāni bījāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyyun”ti?
Would those seeds grow, increase, and mature?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahānāma, idha dhammo durakkhāto hoti duppavedito aniyyāniko anupasamasaṁvattaniko asammāsambuddhappavedito—
“In the same way, take a teaching that’s badly explained and badly propounded, not emancipating, not leading to peace, proclaimed by someone who is not a fully awakened Buddha.
idamahaṁ dukkhettasmiṁ vadāmi.
This is what I call a barren field.
Tasmiñca dhamme sāvako viharati dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī—
A disciple remains in such a teaching, practicing in line with that teaching, practicing it properly, living in line with that teaching.
idamahaṁ dubbījasmiṁ vadāmi.
This is what I call a bad seed.
Seyyathāpi, mahānāma, sukhettaṁ subhūmaṁ suvihatakhāṇukaṁ, bījāni cassu akhaṇḍāni apūtīni avātātapahatāni sārādāni sukhasayitāni;
Suppose there was a fertile field, a fertile ground, well-cleared of stumps. And you had seeds that were intact, unspoiled, not weather-damaged, fertile, and well-kept. And there’s plenty of rainfall.
devo ca sammā dhāraṁ anuppaveccheyya.
Api nu tāni bījāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyyun”ti?
Would those seeds grow, increase, and mature?”
“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahānāma, idha dhammo svākkhāto hoti suppavedito niyyāniko upasamasaṁvattaniko sammāsambuddhappavedito—
“In the same way, take a teaching that’s well explained and well propounded, emancipating, leading to peace, proclaimed by someone who is a fully awakened Buddha.
idamahaṁ sukhettasmiṁ vadāmi.
This is what I call a fertile field.
Tasmiñca dhamme sāvako viharati dhammānudhammappaṭipanno sāmīcippaṭipanno anudhammacārī—
A disciple remains in such a teaching, practicing in line with that teaching, practicing it properly, living in line with that teaching.
idamahaṁ subījasmiṁ vadāmi.
This is what I call a good seed.
Kimaṅgaṁ pana saraṇāniṁ sakkaṁ.
Why can’t this apply to Sarakāni?
Saraṇāni, mahānāma, sakko maraṇakāle sikkhāya paripūrakārī ahosī”ti.
Mahānāma, Sarakāni the Sakyan fulfilled the training at the time of his death.”
Pañcamaṁ.