Aṅguttara Nikāya
XI. Ekā-Dasaka Nipāta
II. Anussati Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Elevens
II. Recollection
Sutta 15
Subhūti Suttaɱ
Subhūti
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1] Now the venerable Subhūti[1]
came along with a believing monk
to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him saluted the Exalted One
and sat down at one side.
As he sat at one side
the Exalted One said this to the venerable Subhūti:
"Pray who is this monk, Subhūti?"
"He is a believer, sir.
He is the son of a believing disciple
and went forth from a believer's home
to the homeless."
"But, Subhūti, does this believing monk,
the son of a believing disciple
who went forth from a believer's home
to the homeless
— does he conform
to the traditional marks of the believer?"
"Now is the time for this, 0 Exalted One!
Now is the time for this, 0 Welfarer,
for the Exalted One to tell
the traditional marks of belief in a believer.
Now I shall understand
whether this monk does conform[2]
to the traditional marks or not."
[217] "Then, Subhūti, do you listen.
Pay attention carefully
and I will speak."
"I will, sir,"
replied the venerable Subhūti
to the Exalted One, who said:
[338] 'In this connexion, Subhūti,
a monk is virtuous,[3]
he lives restrained
with the restraint of the Obligation,
well equipped with range of practice,
seeing danger in minutest faults,
and undertaking the practice
of the precepts of the training
applies himself thereto.
In so far as a monk is such, Subhūti,
this is a traditional mark of belief
in a believer.
■
Again, this monk has heard much;
he bears in mind what he has heard,
stores up what he has heard.
Whatsoever teachings,
lovely in the beginning,
lovely midway,
lovely at the end (of life),
both in spirit and in letter
do stress the Brahma-life
in its all-round fullness and utter purity
— such teachings are much heard by him,
borne in mind,
repeated aloud,
pondered and well penetrated by vision.
In so far as a monk has heard much, Subhūti,
this is a traditional mark of belief
in a believer.
■
Again, Subhūti, a monk has friendship with the lovely,
fellowship with the lovely,
companionship with the lovely.
In so far as a monk is such an one, Subhūti
this is a traditional mark of belief
in a believer.
■
Again, a monk is pleasant to speak to,
blest with qualities
that make him easy to speak to;
he is patient and clever
at grasping instruction given.
In so far as a monk is such, Subhūti,
this is a traditional mark of belief
in a believer.
■
Again, in all the undertakings
of his fellows in the Brahma-life,
be they matters weighty or trivial,
he is shrewd and energetic,
Possessing ability to give proper consideration thereto,
as to what is the fit thing to do
and how to manage it.
In so far as a monk is such, Subhūti,
this is a traditional mark of belief
in a believer.
■
[339] Again, a monk delights in dhamma,
is pleasant to converse with,
he rejoices exceedingly in further dhamma,
in further discipline.
In so far as a monk is such, Subhūti,
this is a traditional mark of belief
in a believer.
■
[218] Again, a monk dwells resolute in energy
for the abandoning of bad qualities,
stout and strong to acquire good qualities,
not shirking the burden in good qualities.
In so far as a monk is such, Subhūti,
this is a traditional mark of belief
in a believer.
■
Again, Subhūti, a monk wins at pleasure,
without pain and without stint,[4]
the four musings which are of the clear consciousness,
which are concerned with the happy life
in this visible world.
In so far as a monk is such, Subhūti,
this is a traditional mark of belief
in a believer.[5]
■
Then again, a monk can recall
his manifold dwelling aforetime, to wit:
one birth, two, three
... ten, up to a hundred births,
a hundred thousand births;
also the divers foldings up of aeons,
the divers unfoldings of aeons,
the divers folding-and-unfoldings of aeons (remembering):
'At that time I was of such a name,
of such a family,
of such complexion,
so supported,
thus and thus experiencing weal and woe,
of such and such a span of life:
I, as that one, thence deceasing,
rose up again at that time;
there too I was of such a name,
of such a family,
of such complexion,
so supported,
thus and thus experiencing weal and woe,
of such and such a span of life:
I, as that one, thence deceasing,
rose up again here.'
Thus with all details and characteristics
he can recall his [340] manifold dwelling aforetime.
In so far as a monk can do this, Subhūti,
this is a traditional mark of belief
in a believer.
■
Again, Subhūti, a monk with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again;
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy bourn,
gone to an ill-bourn
according to their deeds (so as to say):
'Alas, sirs!
these beings,
given to the practice of evil deeds,
of evil words,
of evil thoughts,
scoffing at the Ariyans,
of perverted view
and reaping the fruit
of their perverted view
— these beings,
when body broke up beyond death
rose up again in the Waste,
the Ill-bourn,
the Downfall,
in Purgatory.'
Or,
'Ah, sirs!
these beings,
given to the practice of good deeds,
of good words,
of good thoughts,
not scoffing at the Ariyans,
but of sound view
and reaping the fruit
of their sound view
— these beings,
when body broke up beyond death
rose up again in the Happy Bourn,
in the Heaven World.'
Thus with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again.
In so far as a monk can do this, Subhūti,
this is a traditional mark of belief
in a believer.
■
Yet again, Subhūti, by the destruction of the cankers,
a monk in this same visible life
attains the heart's release,
the release by insight,
acquiring it by his own comprehension,
and realizing it so abides.
In so far as a monk is such an one, Subhūti,
this is a traditional mark of belief
in a believer.'
§
At these words the venerable Subhūti said this to the Exalted One:
[219] "Sir, all these traditional marks of belief in a believer,
spoken of by the Exalted One,
are seen to exist in this monk,
and he conforms to them.
[341] In this connexion, Sir,
this monk is virtuous,
he lives restrained
with the restraint of the Obligation,
well equipped with range of practice,
seeing danger in minutest faults,
and undertaking the practice
of the precepts of the training
applies himself thereto.
■
Again, this monk has heard much;
he bears in mind what he has heard,
stores up what he has heard.
Whatsoever teachings,
lovely in the beginning,
lovely midway,
lovely at the end (of life),
both in spirit and in letter
do stress the Brahma-life
in its all-round fullness and utter purity
— such teachings are much heard by him,
borne in mind,
repeated aloud,
pondered and well penetrated by vision.
■
Again, this monk has friendship with the lovely,
fellowship with the lovely,
companionship with the lovely.
■
Again, this monk is pleasant to speak to,
blest with qualities
that make him easy to speak to;
he is patient and clever
at grasping instruction given.
■
Again, in all the undertakings
of his fellows in the Brahma-life,
be they matters weighty or trivial,
he is shrewd and energetic,
Possessing ability to give proper consideration thereto,
as to what is the fit thing to do
and how to manage it.
■
Again, this monk delights in dhamma,
is pleasant to converse with,
he rejoices exceedingly in further dhamma,
in further discipline.
■
Again, this monk dwells resolute in energy
for the abandoning of bad qualities,
stout and strong to acquire good qualities,
not shirking the burden in good qualities.
■
Again, this monk wins at pleasure,
without pain and without stint,
the four musings
which are of the clear consciousness,
which are concerned with the happy life
in this visible world.
■
Then again, this monk can recall
his manifold dwelling aforetime, to wit:
one birth, two, three
... ten, up to a hundred births,
a hundred thousand births;
also the divers foldings up of aeons,
the divers unfoldings of aeons,
the divers folding-and-unfoldings of aeons (remembering):
'At that time I was of such a name,
of such a family,
of such complexion,
so supported,
thus and thus experiencing weal and woe,
of such and such a span of life:
I, as that one, thence deceasing,
rose up again at that time;
there too I was of such a name,
of such a family,
of such complexion,
so supported,
thus and thus experiencing weal and woe,
of such and such a span of life:
I, as that one, thence deceasing,
rose up again here.'
Thus with all details and characteristics
he can recall his manifold dwelling aforetime.
■
Then again, this monk with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again;
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy bourn,
gone to an ill-bourn
according to their deeds (so as to say):
'Alas, sirs!
these beings,
given to the practice of evil deeds,
of evil words,
of evil thoughts,
scoffing at the Ariyans,
of perverted view
and reaping the fruit
of their perverted view
— these beings,
when body broke up beyond death
rose up again in the Waste,
the Ill-bourn,
the Downfall,
in Purgatory.'
Or,
'Ah, sirs!
these beings,
given to the practice of good deeds,
of good words,
of good thoughts,
not scoffing at the Ariyans,
but of sound view
and reaping the fruit
of their sound view
— these beings,
when body broke up beyond death
rose up again in the Happy Bourn,
in the Heaven World.'
Thus with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again.
■
Yet again, by the destruction of the cankers,
this monk in this same visible life
attains the heart's release,
the release by insight,
acquiring it by his own comprehension,
and realizing it so abides."
§
"It is well, Subhūti!
It is well, Subhūti!
Therefore do you live
along with this believing monk,
and when you wish to do so, Subhūti,
you should come
along with this believing monk
to see the Wayfarer."
[1] S. was younger brother of Anathapiṇḍika; cf. Brethren, p. 4. Comy. thinks this monk was his nephew. Saddho may, however, be his name. Cf. Sandha above, p. 204 n.: S. ii, 153 Āyasmā Saddho.
[2] Sandissati saddhāpadānesu, lit. 'does he harmonize with the believer's characteristics?' Comy. takes the word (which also means 'legend') to be equal to lakkhaṇa, as at A. i, 102, kamma-lakkhaṇo paṇḍito; apadāne sobhati paññā.
[5] Most of these qualities are ascribed to the Master himself by the rājah Pasenadi at § 30 of the Tens.
