Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
55. Sot'Āpatti Saṃyutta
3. Saraṇāni (or Sarakāni) Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
55. Kindred Sayings on Streamwinning
3. Sarakāni
Sutta 24
Paṭhama Sarakāni or Saraṇāni Suttaṃ
Sarakāni or Saraṇāni (a)
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1] Thus have I heard:
On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying among the Sakyans
near Kapilavatthu,
in the Banyan Park.
Now at that time Sarakāni the Sakyan,
who had made an end,
was proclaimed by the Exalted One a stream-winner,
not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
one bound for enlightenment.
Thereupon a number of Sakyans,
whenever they met [324] together in company,
were consumed with indignation,
and spoke angrily and scornfully[1] about him
thus:
"A strange thing indeed!
A wonder indeed!
Nowadays-anyone may become a stream-winner,[2]
inasmuch as Sarakāni the Sakyan,
who bas died,
is proclaimed by the Exalted One a stream-winner,
not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
one bound for enlightenment.
Why! Sarakāni the Sakyan failed in the training
and took to drink!"
Now Mahānāma the Sakyan went to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him
saluted him
and sat down at one side.
As he thus sat
Mahānāma the Sakyan said this to the Exalted One:
"Here, lord, Sarakāni the Sakyan,
who has died,
was proclaimed by the Exalted One a stream-winner,
not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
one bound for enlightenment.
Thereupon a number of Sakyans, whenever they meet together in company,
were consumed with indignation,
and spoke angrily and scornfully about him
thus:
'A strange thing indeed!
A wonder indeed!
Nowadays-anyone may become a stream-winner,
inasmuch as Sarakāni the Sakyan,
who bas died,
is proclaimed by the Exalted One a stream-winner,
not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
one bound for enlightenment.
Why! Sarakāni the Sakyan failed in the training
and took to drink!'"
§
"Mahānāma, a lay-disciple
who has for a long time taken refuge in the Buddha,
taken refuge in the Norm
taken refuge in the Order, -
how could such an one go to the Downfall?
He who would rightly apply the words
'A lay-disciple who has gone for refuge to the Buddha,
who has gone for refuge to the Norm
who has gone for refuge to the Order'
might rightly apply them to Sarakāni the Sakyan.
Mahānāma, Sarakāni the Sakyan is one who
for a long time took refuge in the Buddha,
took refuge in the Norm
took refuge in the Order.
How could such an one go to the Downfall?
§
Now herein, Mahānāma,
take the case of a man
who 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.'
Moreover he is one who is joyous
and swift in wisdom,[3]
one who has won release.
Now by the destruction [325] of the āsavas,
in this very life,
by bis own understanding
he bas realized the heart's release,
the release by insight,
and having attained it
dwells therein.
Such an one, Mahānāma,
is fully released from hell,
from rebirth in an animal's womb,
from the realm of ghosts,
he is fully released from the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
from the Downfall.
■
But suppose again in this connexion, Mahānāma,
a certain one who 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 joyous and swift in wisdom,
but he has not won release.
Yet by destroying the five fetters of the lower sort
he is spontaneously born
(in the Pure Abodes),
destined there to pass away,
not to return hither from thence.
This one too, Mahānāma,
is fully released from hell,
from rebirth in an animal's womb,
from the realm of ghosts,
he is fully released from the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
from the Downfall.
■
Again in this connexion, Mahānāma,
suppose one who 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.'
But he is not joyous and swift in wisdom,
he has not won release.
Yet by destroying three fetters
and weakening lust,
hatred
and delusion
he is a Once-returner.
Once more he comes back to this world
and makes an end of ill.
He too, Mahānāmatoo, Mahānāma,
is fully released from hell,
from rebirth in an animal's womb,
from the realm of ghosts,
he is fully released from the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
from the Downfall.
■
Again, Mahānāma,
suppose a certain man
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.'
But he is neither joyous and swift in wisdom,
nor has he won release:
but by destroying three fetters
he is a Stream-winner,
he is not doomed to the Downfall,
he is assured,
bound for enlightenment.
This man too, Mahānāma,
is fully released from hell,
from rebirth in an animal's womb,
from the realm of ghosts,
he is fully released from the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
from the Downfall.
■
Again, Mahānāma, suppose a certain one
who is not even 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 not even 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 not even 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 not joyous and swift in wisdom,
he has not won release.
"controlling factor" = indriyani = force.
— p.p.
But maybe he has these things, -
the controlling factor of faith,
the controlling factor of energy,
the controlling factor of mindfulness,
the controlling factor of concentration
the controlling factor of controlling faculty of insight:
and the things proclaimed by the Tathāgata
are moderately [326] approved[4] by him by insight.
Even this man, Mahānāma
is fully released from hell,
from rebirth in an animal's womb,
from the realm of ghosts,
he is fully released from the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
from the Downfall.
■
Once more in this matter, Mahānāma,
suppose a certain one
who is not even 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 not even 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 not even 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 not joyous and swift in wisdom,
he has not won release.
But maybe he has these things, -
the controlling factor of faith,
the controlling factor of energy,
the controlling factor of mindfulness,
the controlling factor of concentration
the controlling factor of controlling faculty of insight:
yet if he have merely faith,
merely affection for the Tathāgata,[5] he is fully released from hell,
from rebirth in an animal's womb,
from the realm of ghosts,
he is fully released from the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
from the Downfall.
■
Why, Mahānāma,
if these great sal trees here[6]
could know what is spoken well
and what is spoken ill,
I would proclaim even these great trees to be Stream-winners,
not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment.
Much more then[7] do I proclaim Sarakāni the Sakyan to be one.
Mahānāma, Sarakāni the Sakyan fulfilled the (threefold) training at his death."[8]
[1] Ujjhāyanti, khīyanti, vipācenti. Ujjhāyantī ti =avajjhāyanti, lāmakato cintenti; khīyantī ti = kathenti, pakāsenti ('point at'; not in Pali Dict. in this meaning). See examples in Childers and S. i, 232, on which I quote Comy. Vipācentī ti = tattha tattha kathenti, vitthārenti.
[2] Etiha dāni ko na bhavissati.
[3] For hāsupañña and javana-pañña, Cf. K.S. i, 88 n.; M. iii, 25; JA. iv, 136; infra, text, 412.
[4] Mattaso nijjhānaṇ khamanti. Cf. K.S. iii, 177 n., where Comy. says pamānaso olokanaṇ khamanti; but here says, pamānena ca ol. kh, Iminā dhammānusārī-maggattha-puggalaṃ dasseti. Mattaso, abl. of mattā.
[5] Cf. Majjhima i, 142.
[6] Here he pointed to four great sāl trees standing near.' Comy.
[7] Kimanga pana. Cf. S. iii, 268; MP. 27.
[8] Sikkhaṇ samādiyī = tīsu sikkhāsu paripūrakārī ahosi. Comy. (The three are adhisīla, adhicitta, adhipaññā, 'the higher morals, mind and wisdom'; Cf. K.S. iii, 69: A. i. 231 ff.)
