8.
The First Discourse on the Brick Hall
1004.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Ñātika in the brick house.
Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One;
having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.
Seated to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One -
"Venerable sir, the monk named Sāḷha has died; what is his destination, what is his future life? Venerable sir, the nun named Nandā has died; what is her destination, what is her future life? Venerable sir, the lay follower named Sudatta has died; what is his destination, what is his future life? Venerable sir, the female lay follower named Sujātā has died; what is her destination, what is her future life?"
"Sāḷha, Ānanda, the monk who has died, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, dwelt in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions. Nandā, Ānanda, the nun who has died, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, is one of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world. Sudatta, Ānanda, the lay follower who has died, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters and with the reduction of lust, hate, and delusion, is a once-returner; having come to this world only once more, he will make an end of suffering. Sujātā, Ānanda, the female lay follower who has died, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters, is a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment.
"But this is not wonderful, Ānanda, that one who has become a human being should die; if each time someone dies you were to approach me and ask about this matter, that would be harming to the Truth-finder. Therefore, Ānanda, I will teach an exposition of the Teaching called 'the mirror of the Teaching', possessed of which a noble disciple, if he wishes, may declare of himself: 'For me, hell is eliminated, the animal realm is eliminated, the sphere of ghosts is eliminated, the realm of misery, the unfortunate realm, the nether world is eliminated; I am a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment.'
"And what, Ānanda, is that mirror of the Teaching, that exposition of the Teaching, possessed of which a noble disciple, if he wishes, may declare of himself: 'For me, hell is eliminated, the animal realm is eliminated, the sphere of ghosts is eliminated, the realm of misery, the unfortunate realm, the nether world is eliminated; I am a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment'?
"Here, Ānanda, a noble disciple 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. He is endowed with morality pleasing to the noble ones, unbroken... etc. conducive to concentration. This, Ānanda, is that mirror of the Teaching, that exposition of the Teaching, possessed of which a noble disciple, if he wishes, may declare of himself: 'For me, hell is eliminated, the animal realm is eliminated, the sphere of ghosts is eliminated, the realm of misery, the unfortunate realm, the nether world is eliminated; I am a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment.'" The eighth.