Paṭhamaniddasasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.42

Numbered Discourses 7.42

4. Devatāvagga

4. Deities

Paṭhamaniddasasutta

Graduation (1st)

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.

Then Venerable Sāriputta robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms.

Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi:

Then it occurred to him,

“atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ.

“It’s too early to wander for alms in Sāvatthī.

Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti.

Why don’t I visit the monastery for the wanderers of other religions?”

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodi.

Then he went to the monastery for the wanderers of other religions and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side.

Tena kho pana samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:

Now at that time while those wanderers of other religions were sitting together this discussion came up among them,

“yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā”ti.

“Reverends, anyone who lives the full and pure spiritual life for twelve years is qualified to be called a ‘graduate mendicant’.”

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandi nappaṭikkosi.

Sāriputta neither approved nor rejected that statement of the wanderers of other religions.

Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi:

He rose from his seat, thinking,

“bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī”ti.

“I will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.”

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Sāriputta wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on his return from almsround, he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened, adding:

“Idhāhaṁ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁ.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:

‘atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ.

Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan’ti.

Atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodiṁ.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁ.

Tena kho pana, bhante, samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:

‘yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, niddaso bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāyā’ti.

Atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandiṁ nappaṭikkosiṁ.

Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁ:

‘bhagavato santike etassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī’ti.

Sakkā nu kho, bhante, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetun”ti?

“Sir, in this teaching and training can we describe a mendicant as a ‘graduate’ solely because they have completed a certain number of years?”

“Na kho, sāriputta, sakkā imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetuṁ.

“No, Sāriputta, we cannot.

Satta kho imāni, sāriputta, niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.

I make known these seven qualifications for graduation after realizing them with my own insight.

Katamāni satta?

What seven?

Idha, sāriputta, bhikkhu sikkhāsamādāne tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca sikkhāsamādāne avigatapemo, dhammanisantiyā tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca dhammanisantiyā avigatapemo, icchāvinaye tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca icchāvinaye avigatapemo, paṭisallāne tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca paṭisallāne avigatapemo, vīriyārambhe tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca vīriyārambhe avigatapemo, satinepakke tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca satinepakke avigatapemo, diṭṭhipaṭivedhe tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca diṭṭhipaṭivedhe avigatapemo.

It’s when a mendicant has a keen enthusiasm to undertake the training … to examine the teachings … to get rid of desires … for retreat … to rouse up energy … for mindfulness and alertness … to penetrate theoretically. And they don’t lose these desires in the future.

Imāni kho, sāriputta, satta niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.

These are the seven qualifications for graduation that I make known after realizing them with my own insight.

Imehi kho, sāriputta, sattahi niddasavatthūhi samannāgato bhikkhu dvādasa cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya;

A mendicant who has these seven qualifications for graduation is qualified to be called a ‘graduate mendicant’. This is so whether they have lived the full and pure spiritual life for twelve years,

catubbīsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya;

twenty-four years,

chattiṁsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya, aṭṭhacattārīsañcepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā”ti.

thirty-six years, or forty-eight years.”

Ekādasamaṁ.