AN 3.75

Nivesakasutta

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

Support

Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

“Ye, ānanda, anukampeyyātha ye ca sotabbaṁ maññeyyuṁ mittā vā amaccā vā ñātī vā sālohitā vā te vo, ānanda, tīsu ṭhānesu samādapetabbā nivesetabbā patiṭṭhāpetabbā. Katamesu tīsu? Buddhe aveccappasāde samādapetabbā nivesetabbā patiṭṭhāpetabbā: ‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ, buddho bhagavā’ti, dhamme aveccappasāde samādapetabbā nivesetabbā patiṭṭhāpetabbā: ‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti, saṅghe aveccappasāde samādapetabbā nivesetabbā patiṭṭhāpetabbā: ‘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.

“Ānanda, those who you have sympathy for, and those worth listening to—friends and colleagues, relatives and family—should be encouraged, supported, and established in three things. What three? Experiential confidence in the Buddha: ‘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.’ Experiential confidence in the teaching: ‘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.’ Experiential confidence in the Saṅgha: ‘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.’

Siyā, ānanda, catunnaṁ mahābhūtānaṁ aññathattaṁ— pathavīdhātuyā āpodhātuyā tejodhātuyā vāyodhātuyā, na tveva buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgatassa ariyasāvakassa siyā aññathattaṁ tatridaṁ aññathattaṁ. So vatānanda, buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato ariyasāvako nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā pettivisayaṁ vā upapajjissatīti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

There might be change in the four principal states— earth, water, air, and fire—but a noble disciple with experiential confidence in the Buddha would never change. In this context, ‘change’ means that such a noble disciple will be reborn in hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm: this is quite impossible.

Siyā, ānanda, catunnaṁ mahābhūtānaṁ aññathattaṁ— pathavīdhātuyā āpodhātuyā tejodhātuyā vāyodhātuyā, na tveva dhamme …pe… na tveva saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgatassa ariyasāvakassa siyā aññathattaṁ tatridaṁ aññathattaṁ. So vatānanda, saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgato ariyasāvako nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā pettivisayaṁ vā upapajjissatīti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

There might be change in the four principal states— earth, water, air, and fire—but a noble disciple with experiential confidence in the teaching … or the Saṅgha would never change. In this context, ‘change’ means that such a noble disciple will be reborn in hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm: this is quite impossible.

Ye, ānanda, anukampeyyātha ye ca sotabbaṁ maññeyyuṁ mittā vā amaccā vā ñātī vā sālohitā vā te vo, ānanda, imesu tīsu ṭhānesu samādapetabbā nivesetabbā patiṭṭhāpetabbā”ti.

Those who you have sympathy for, and those worth listening to—friends and colleagues, relatives and family—should be encouraged, supported, and established by you in these three things.”