4.
The First Discourse on Saraṇāni the Sakyan
1020.
The Origin at Kapilavatthu.
Now at that time Saraṇāni the Sakyan had died.
He was declared by the Blessed One -
"a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment."
Thereupon many Sakyans, having come together and assembled, grumbled, criticised, and complained -
"Wonderful indeed, friend, marvellous indeed, friend!
Who now will not become a stream-enterer!
Since indeed Saraṇāni the Sakyan has died;
he was declared by the Blessed One -
'a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment.'
Saraṇāni the Sakyan fell into weakness of training, he was a drinker of intoxicants."
Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Mahānāma the Sakyan said this to the Blessed One - "Here, venerable sir, Saraṇāni the Sakyan has died. He was declared by the Blessed One - 'a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment.' Thereupon, venerable sir, many Sakyans, having come together and assembled, grumble, criticise, and complain - "Wonderful indeed, friend, marvellous indeed, friend! Who now will not become a stream-enterer! Since indeed Saraṇāni the Sakyan has died; he was declared by the Blessed One - 'a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment.' Saraṇāni the Sakyan fell into weakness of training, he was a drinker of intoxicants."
"Mahānāma, he who for a long time has been a lay follower who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, gone for refuge to the Teaching, gone for refuge to the Community, how could he go to a nether world! If anyone, Mahānāma, speaking rightly would say - 'for a long time a lay follower who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, gone for refuge to the Teaching, gone for refuge to the Community,' speaking rightly one would say this of Saraṇāni the Sakyan. Mahānāma, Saraṇāni the Sakyan was for a long time a lay follower who had gone for refuge to the Buddha, gone for refuge to the Teaching, gone for refuge to the Community. How could he go to a nether world!
"Here, Mahānāma, a certain person is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha: 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One, etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' Towards the Teaching... etc. towards the Community, etc. of joyful wisdom, of swift wisdom, and endowed with liberation. He, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, dwells in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions. This person too, Mahānāma, is released from hell, released from the animal realm, released from the sphere of ghosts, released from the realm of misery, the unfortunate realm, the nether world.
"Here again, Mahānāma, a certain person is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha: 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One, etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' Towards the Teaching... etc. towards the Community, etc. of joyful wisdom, of swift wisdom, but not endowed with liberation. He, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes one of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world. This person too, Mahānāma, is released from hell, released from the animal realm, released from the sphere of ghosts, released from the realm of misery, the unfortunate realm, the nether world.
"Here again, Mahānāma, a certain person is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha: 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One, etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' Towards the Teaching... etc. towards the Community, etc. not of joyful wisdom, not of swift wisdom, and not endowed with liberation. He, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters and with the reduction of lust, hate, and delusion, becomes a once-returner, who, having come to this world only once more, makes an end of suffering. This person too, Mahānāma, is released from hell, released from the animal realm, released from the sphere of ghosts, released from the realm of misery, the unfortunate realm, the nether world.
"Here again, Mahānāma, a certain person is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha: 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One, etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One'; Towards the Teaching... etc. towards the Community, etc. not of joyful wisdom, not of swift wisdom, and not endowed with liberation. He, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters, becomes a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment. This person too, Mahānāma, is released from hell, released from the animal realm, released from the sphere of ghosts, released from the realm of misery, the unfortunate realm, the nether world.
"Here again, Mahānāma, a certain person is not indeed endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha... nor in the Teaching... etc. nor in the Community... etc. not of joyful wisdom, not of swift wisdom, and not endowed with liberation. But he has these qualities - the faith faculty, the energy faculty, the mindfulness faculty, the concentration faculty, the wisdom faculty. And the teachings proclaimed by the Truth-finder yield to pondering to a moderate degree with wisdom. This person too, Mahānāma, is one not going to hell, not going to the animal realm, not going to the sphere of ghosts, not going to a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world.
"Here again, Mahānāma, a certain person is not indeed endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha... nor in the Teaching... etc. nor in the Community... etc. nor is he of joyful wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, nor is he endowed with liberation, but he has these qualities - the faith faculty... etc. the wisdom faculty. And he has just faith in the Truth-finder, just affection. This person too, Mahānāma, is one not going to hell, not going to the animal realm, not going to the sphere of ghosts, not going to a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world. If even these great sal trees, Mahānāma, could recognise what is well-spoken and what is ill-spoken, I would declare these great sal trees - 'stream-enterers, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment'; far less then Saraṇāni the Sakyan. Saraṇāni the Sakyan, Mahānāma, took upon himself the training at the time of death." The fourth.