Thousand

Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids

[1] THUS have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī,
in the Royal Park.^[1]

Now a company of a thousand nuns came to see the Exalted [315] One
on coming to him greeted him courteously,
and after the exchange of greetings and compliments
stood at one side.^[2]

As they thus stood,
the Exalted One said this to those nuns:

"Nuns, an Ariyan disciple
who is blessed with four things
is a stream-winner,
not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment.

What are the four?

Herein, nuns, the Ariyan disciple is blessed with unwavering loyalty to the Buddha,
thus:

'He it is the Exalted One,
Arahant,
a fully Enlightened One,
perfect in knowledge and practice,
a Happy One,
world-knower,
unsurpassed charioteer
of men to be tamed,
teacher of devas and mankind,
a Buddha,
an Exalted One.'

He is blessed
with unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
thus:

'Well proclaimed by the Exalted One
is the Norm,
seen in this very life,
a thing not involving time,
inviting one to come and see,
leading onward,
to be known for themselves
by the wise.'

He is blessed
with unwavering loyalty to the Order,
thus:

'Walking righteously is the Exalted One's Order,
walking uprightly,
walking in the right way,
walking dutifully
is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples:
namely,
the four pairs of men,
the eight sorts of men.

That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.

Worthy of honour are they,
worthy of reverence,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of salutations with clasped hands, -
a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.'

He is blessed
with the virtues dear to the Ariyans,
virtues unbroken,
whole,
unspotted,
untarnished,
giving freedom,
praised by the wise:
virtues untainted (by craving or delusion),
which lead to concentration of the mind.

These, nuns, are the four things,
blessed with which an Ariyan disciple
is a stream-winner,
not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment."

^[1] Cf. JA. ii, 15. It was made by the Rājah Pasenadi and the story is told by Comy.

^[2] It is noticeable that they do not sit down as the men do.

Saṃyutta Nikāya 5. Mahā-Vagga 55. Sot'Āpatti Saṃyutta 2. Sahassaka or Rājakārama Vagga

The Book of the Kindred Sayings 5. The Great Chapter 55. Kindred Sayings on Streamwinning 2. Thousandfold or Royal Park

Sutta 11

Sahassa Suttaṃ

Thousand

Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
55. Sot'Āpatti Saṃyutta
2. Sahassaka or Rājakārama Vagga

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
55. Kindred Sayings on Streamwinning
2. Thousandfold or Royal Park