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Saɱyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
48. Indriya Saɱyutta
5. Jarā Vagga

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
48. Kindred Sayings on the Faculties
5. Old Age

Sutta 50

Saddha or Āpaṇa Suttaɱ

Faithful or Market

Translated by F. L. Woodward

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[200]

[1][than] THUS have I heard:

On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying among the Angas, at Market[1] so called,
a township of the Angas.

2. Now on that occasion the Exalted One addressed the venerable Sāriputta, saying:

"Tell me, Sāriputta, could an Ariyan disciple who is utterly devoted to,[2]
who has perfect faith in the Tathāgata, -
could an Ariyan disciple have any doubt or wavering
as to the Tathāgata
or the Tathāgata's teaching?"

3. "Lord, an Ariyan disciple who is utterly devoted to the [201] Tathāgata,
who has perfect faith in the Tathāgata,
could have no doubt,
could have no wavering
as to the Tathāgata
or the Tathāgata's teaching.

 

§

 

4. Of the Ariyan disciple who has faith, lord, this may be expected:

He will dwell resolute in energy,
ever striving to abandon bad qualities
and to acquire good qualities:

He will be stout and strong to exert himself,
not throwing off the burden in good qualities.

His energy, lord, is the controlling faculty of energy.[3]

5. Of a faithful Ariyan disciple, lord,
who is resolute in energy,
this may be expected:

He will be mindful,
possessed of supreme discrimination,[4]
one who calls to mind and remembers
things said long ago.

His mindfulness, lord, is the controlling faculty of mindfulness.

6. Of a faithful Ariyan disciple, lord,
who is resolute in energy,
with mindfulness established,
this may be expected:

He will make self-surrender the object of his thought,
he will lay hold of concentration,
one-pointedness of mind.

His concentration, lord, is the controlling faculty of concentration.

7. Again, lord, of a faithful Ariyan disciple who who is resolute in energy,
is established in mindfulness,
whose thought is tranquillized,
this may be expected:

He will fully understand:

'A world without end[5]
is the round of rebirth.

No beginning can be seen of beings
hindered by ignorance,
bound by craving,
who run on,
who fare on
through the round of rebirth.

The utter passionless ceasing of ignorance,
of this body of darkness,[6]
is this blissful state,
this excellent[7] state,
to wit: -
the calming down of all the activities,
the giving up of all bases (for rebirth),
the destruction of craving,
dispassion,
cessation,
Nibbāna.'

His insight, lord, is the controlling faculty of insight.

8. Lord, that faithful Ariyan disciple,
thus striving and striving [202] again,
thus recollecting again and again,
thus again and again composing bis mind,
thus clearly discerning again and again,
gains utter confidence,
when he considers:

'As to tbose things
which formerly I had only heard tell of,
now I dwell having experienced them
in my own person:[8]
now by insight
have I pierced them through
and see them plain.'

Herein, lord, his faith is the controlling faculty of faith."

 

§

 

9. "Well said!

Well said, Sāriputta!

Indeed, Sāriputta,
the Ariyan disciple who is utterly devoted to the Tathāgata,
who has perfect faith in the Tathāgata,
can have no doubt or wavering in the Tathāgata
or the Tathāgata's teaching.

10. Indeed, Sāriputta,
of the faithful Ariyan disciple this may be expected:

He will dwell resolute in energy,
ever striving to abandon bad qualities
and to acquire good qualities:

He will be stout and strong to exert himself,
not throwing off the burden in good qualities.

His energy, Sāriputta, is the controlling faculty of energy.

11. Of a faithful Ariyan disciple, Sāriputta,
who is resolute in energy,
this may be expected:

He will be mindful,
possessed of supreme discrimination,
one who calls to mind and remembers
things said long ago.

His mindfulness, Sāriputta, is the controlling faculty of mindfulness.

12. Of a faithful Ariyan disciple, Sāriputta,
who is resolute in energy,
with mindfulness established,
this may be expected:

He will make self-surrender the object of his thought,
he will lay hold of concentration,
one-pointedness of mind.

His concentration, Sāriputta, is the controlling faculty of concentration.

11. Again, Sāriputta, of a faithful Ariyan disciple who is established in mindfulness,
whose thought is tranquillized,
this may be expected:

He will fully understand:

'A world without end
is the round of rebirth.

No beginning can be seen of beings
hindered by ignorance,
bound by craving,
who run on,
who fare on
through the round of rebirth.

The utter passionless ceasing of ignorance,
of this body of darkness,
is this blissful state,
this excellent state,
to wit: -
the calming down of all the activities,
the giving up of all bases (for rebirth),
the destruction of craving,
dispassion,
cessation,
Nibbāna.'

His insight, Sāriputta, is the controlling faculty of insight.

13. Sāriputta, that faithful Ariyan disciple,
thus striving and striving again,
thus recollecting again and again,
thus again and again composing bis mind,
thus clearly discerning again and again,
gains utter confidence,
when he considers:

'As to tbose things
which formerly I had only heard tell of,
now I dwell having experienced them
in my own person:
now by insight
have I pierced them through
and see them plain.'

Herein, Sāriputta, his faith is the controlling faculty of faith."

 


[1] Āpana (market). Cf. Brethren, 310 n. For the Angas cf. Buddh. India, p. 23; Vin. i, 29, quoted at SA. on S. i, 1; KhA. 115; M. ii, 163. 'The Angas dwelt in the country to the east of Magadha, having their capital at Champa, near the modern Bhagalpur.

[2] Ekanta-gato, lit. 'downright gone to,' i.e , saraṇaɱ gato.

[3] Text arranges paragraphs here wrongly, e.g., §§ 4, 5, 6, where the first line of each should be joined to the previous §. Also ti is omitted after the thoughts expressed in each case.

[4] Sati-nepakka. Cf. supra, text 197.

[5] For anamatagga cf. K.S. ii, 118 ff.; iii, 126 (J.P.T.S., 1919, p. 40, for derivation of the word).

[6] Tame-kāya. Cf. Thag. 128, tamo-khandha.

[7] Paṇitaɱ. Text has phaṇitaɱ.

[8] Kāyena phusitvā. This may stand for nama-rūpa (the individuality, i.e., the bodily substrate + the emotions and mind). Comy. says nāma-kāyena. On the other hand, it may bo a phrase for personal physical (brain)-experience. Cf. infra, text 230.


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