Graduation (1st)Paṭhamaniddasasutta

Then Venerable Sāriputta robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms.Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Then it occurred to him,Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi: “It’s too early to wander for alms in Sāvatthī.“atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ. Why don’t I visit the monastery for the wanderers of other religions?”Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti.

Then he went to the monastery for the wanderers of other religions and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there.Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side.Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Now at that time while those wanderers of other religions were sitting together this discussion came up among them,Tena kho pana samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: “Reverends, anyone who lives the full and pure spiritual life for twelve years is qualified to be called a ‘graduate mendicant’.”“yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā”ti.

Sāriputta neither approved nor rejected that statement of the wanderers of other religions.Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandi nappaṭikkosi. He rose from his seat, thinking,Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi: “I will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.”“bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī”ti.

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

“No, Sāriputta, we cannot.“Na kho, sāriputta, sakkā imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetuṁ. I make known these seven qualifications for graduation after realizing them with my own insight.Satta kho imāni, sāriputta, niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.

What seven?Katamāni satta? 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.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. These are the seven qualifications for graduation that I make known after realizing them with my own insight.Imāni kho, sāriputta, satta niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni. 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,Imehi kho, sāriputta, sattahi niddasavatthūhi samannāgato bhikkhu dvādasa cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya; twenty-four years,catubbīsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya; thirty-six years, or forty-eight years.”chattiṁsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya, aṭṭhacattārīsañcepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā”ti.