Aggappasādasuttaṃ [Iti 90, PTS 88–89]

1.

The Discourse on Supreme Confidence

90. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Worthy One, thus have I heard:

"There are these three supreme confidences, monks. Which three? As far as there are beings, monks, 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, monks, 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 phenomena, monks, 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, monks, 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, monks, 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, monks, 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. These, monks, are the three supreme confidences." The Blessed One said this meaning. Therein this is said:

This meaning too was spoken by the Blessed One, thus have I heard. The first.