A Wheel-Turning MonarchCakkavattirājasutta

At Sāvatthī.Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

There the Buddha … said:Tatra kho bhagavā …pe… etadavoca:

“Mendicants, suppose a wheel-turning monarch were to rule as sovereign lord over these four continents. And when his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm, in the company of the gods of the thirty-three. There he amuses himself in the Garden of Delight, escorted by a band of nymphs, and supplied and provided with the five kinds of heavenly sensual stimulation. Still, as he’s lacking four things, he’s not exempt from hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm. He’s not exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.“kiñcāpi, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī catunnaṁ dīpānaṁ issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kāretvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ sahabyataṁ, so tattha nandane vane accharāsaṅghaparivuto dibbehi ca pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappito samaṅgībhūto paricāreti, so catūhi dhammehi asamannāgato, atha kho so aparimuttova nirayā aparimutto tiracchānayoniyā aparimutto pettivisayā aparimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

Now suppose a noble disciple wears rags and feeds on scraps of almsfood. Still, as they have four things, they’re exempt from hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.Kiñcāpi, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako piṇḍiyālopena yāpeti, nantakāni ca dhāreti, so catūhi dhammehi samannāgato, atha kho so parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

What four?Katamehi catūhi? It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha:Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.

They have experiential confidence in the teaching:Dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti.

They have experiential confidence in the Saṅgha:Saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti: ‘The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, direct, systematic, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individual persons. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’‘suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, ujuppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, ñāyappaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, sāmīcippaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, yadidaṁ—cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā, esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā’ti.

Furthermore, a noble disciple’s ethical conduct is loved by the noble ones, unbroken, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred, liberating, praised by sensible people, not mistaken, and leading to immersion.Ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi acchiddehi asabalehi akammāsehi bhujissehi viññuppasatthehi aparāmaṭṭhehi samādhisaṁvattanikehi.

These are the four qualities that they possess.Imehi catūhi dhammehi samannāgato hoti.

And, mendicants, gaining these four continents is not worth a sixteenth part of gaining these four things.”Yo ca, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ dīpānaṁ paṭilābho, yo catunnaṁ dhammānaṁ paṭilābho catunnaṁ dīpānaṁ paṭilābho catunnaṁ dhammānaṁ paṭilābhassa kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasin”ti.