Cundīsuttaṃ [AN 5.32, PTS 3.35–3.36]

2.

The Discourse on Cundī

32. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground. Then the princess Cundī, surrounded by five hundred chariots and five hundred princesses, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the princess Cundī said this to the Blessed One -

"Our brother, venerable sir, the prince named Cunda, he says thus - 'Whenever someone, whether woman or man, has gone for refuge to the Buddha, gone for refuge to the Teaching, gone for refuge to the Community, abstains from killing living beings, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from sexual misconduct, abstains from lying, abstains from spirits, liquor and intoxicants that cause negligence, upon the body's collapse at death, that one is reborn only in a fortunate realm, not in an unfortunate realm.' I, venerable sir, ask the Blessed One - 'Devoted to what kind of Teacher, venerable sir, does one upon the body's collapse at death, get reborn only in a fortunate realm, not in an unfortunate realm? Devoted to what kind of Teaching does one upon the body's collapse at death, get reborn only in a fortunate realm, not in an unfortunate realm? Devoted to what kind of Community does one upon the body's collapse at death, get reborn only in a fortunate realm, not in an unfortunate realm? Fulfilling what kind of moral precepts does one upon the body's collapse at death, get reborn only in a fortunate realm, not in an unfortunate realm?'"

"As far as there are beings, Cundī, whether footless or two-footed or four-footed or many-footed, whether material or immaterial, whether percipient or non-percipient or neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient, the Truth-finder is declared the foremost among them, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Those, Cundī, who are devoted to the Buddha, they are devoted to the foremost. And for those devoted to the foremost, the foremost result comes to be.

"As far as there are conditioned phenomena, Cundī, the noble eightfold path is declared the foremost among them. Those, Cundī, who are devoted to the noble eightfold path, they are devoted to the foremost; and for those devoted to the foremost, the foremost result comes to be.

"As far as there are phenomena, Cundī, whether conditioned or unconditioned, dispassion is declared the foremost among them, that is to say - the crushing of vanity, the removal of thirst, the uprooting of attachment, the cutting off of the round of existence, the elimination of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. Those, Cundī, who are devoted to the phenomenon of dispassion, they are devoted to the foremost. And for those devoted to the foremost, the foremost result comes to be.

"As far as there are communities or groups, Cundī, the Community of the Truth-finder's disciples is declared the foremost among them, that is to say - the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals; this Community of the Blessed One's disciples is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Those, Cundī, who are devoted to the Community, they are devoted to the foremost. And for those devoted to the foremost, the foremost result comes to be.

"As far as there are moral precepts, Cundī, morality pleasing to the noble ones is declared the foremost among them, that is to say - unbroken, without holes, unspotted, unblemished, liberating, praised by the wise, not adhered to, and conducive to concentration. Those, Cundī, who fulfil the morality pleasing to the noble ones, they are the foremost fulfillers. And for those who are the foremost fulfillers, the foremost result comes to be."