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Linked Discourses · SN 55.8

  • Linked Discourses 55.8Saṁyutta Nikāya 55.8
  • 1. At Bamboo Gate1. Veḷudvāravagga

In the Brick Hall (1st)Paṭhamagiñjakāvasathasutta

So I have heard.Evaṁ me sutaṁ— At one time the Buddha was staying at Ñātika in the brick house.ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā ñātike viharati giñjakāvasathe. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, the monk named Sāḷha has passed away.“Sāḷho nāma, bhante, bhikkhu kālaṅkato; Where has he been reborn in his next life?tassa kā gati ko abhisamparāyo? The nun named Nandā,Nandā nāma, bhante, bhikkhunī kālaṅkatā; the layman named Sudatta,Sudatto nāma, bhante, upāsako kālaṅkato; and the laywoman named Sujātā have passed away.Sujātā nāma, bhante, upāsikā kālaṅkatā; Where have they been reborn in the next life?”tassā kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo”ti?

“Ānanda, the monk Sāḷha passed away having realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, having realized it with his own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.“Sāḷho, ānanda, bhikkhu kālaṅkato āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

The nun Nandā passed away having ended the five lower fetters. She’s been reborn spontaneously, and will be extinguished there, not liable to return from that world.Nandā, ānanda, bhikkhunī kālaṅkatā pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātikā tattha parinibbāyinī anāvattidhammā tasmā lokā.

The layman Sudatta passed away having ended three fetters, and weakened greed, hate, and delusion. He’s a once-returner; he will come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering.Sudatto, ānanda, upāsako kālaṅkato tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmī; sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karissati.

The laywoman Sujātā passed away having ended three fetters. She’s a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.Sujātā, ānanda, upāsikā kālaṅkatā tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sotāpannā avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā.

It’s no wonder that a human being should pass away.Anacchariyaṁ kho panetaṁ, ānanda, yaṁ manussabhūto kālaṁ kareyya; But if you should come and ask me about it each and every time someone dies that would be a bother for me.tasmiṁ tasmiñce maṁ kālaṅkate upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṁ paṭipucchissatha. Vihesā pesā, ānanda, assa tathāgatassa. So Ānanda, I will teach you the explanation of the Dhamma named ‘the mirror of the teaching’. A noble disciple who has this may declare of themselves:Tasmātihānanda, dhammādāsaṁ nāma dhammapariyāyaṁ desessāmi; yena samannāgato ariyasāvako ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya: ‘I’ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I’ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I’m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am assured, destined for awakening.’‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto, sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’.

And what is that mirror of the teaching?Katamo ca so, ānanda, dhammādāso dhammapariyāyo; yena samannāgato ariyasāvako ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya:

It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha …Idha, ānanda, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti—itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. the teaching …Dhamme …pe… the Saṅgha …saṅghe …pe… And they have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehi. This is that mirror of the teaching.Ayaṁ kho so, ānanda, dhammādāso dhammapariyāyo; A noble disciple who has this may declare of themselves:yena samannāgato ariyasāvako ākaṅkhamāno attanāva attānaṁ byākareyya: ‘I’ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I’ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I’m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am assured, destined for awakening.’”‘khīṇanirayomhi khīṇatiracchānayoni khīṇapettivisayo khīṇāpāyaduggativinipāto, sotāpannohamasmi avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’”ti.

(The following two discourses have the same setting.)(Tīṇipi suttantāni ekanidānāni.)

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

  1. SN 55.10 At the Brick Hall (3rd) 0.97near 4.2But if you should come and ask me about it each and every time someone passes away, that would be a bother for me. So Ānanda, I will teach you the explanation of the Dhamma named ‘the mirror of the teaching’. A noble dis…
  2. DN 16 The Great Discourse on the Buddha’s Extinguishment 0.83near 0.1Then the Buddha together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants arrived in the land of the Ñātikas, where he stayed in the brick house at Ñātika. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and s…
  3. SN 55.9 At the Brick Hall (2nd) 0.73near 0.1Linked Discourses 55.9 1. At Bamboo Gate At the Brick Hall (2nd) Ānanda said to the Buddha: “Sir, the monk named Asoka has passed away. Where has he been reborn in his next life? The nun named Asokā, the layman named Aso…
  4. DN 18 With Janavasabha 0.57near 0.1Long Discourses 18 With Janavasabha 1. Declaring the Rebirths of People From Ñātika and Elsewhere So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying at Ñātika in the brick house. Now at that time the Buddha was explaini…