AN 9.12

Saupādisesasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi: “atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ, yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

With Residue

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then Venerable Sāriputta robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then it occurred to him, “It’s too early to wander for alms in Sāvatthī. Why don’t I visit the monastery for the wanderers of other religions?” Then he went to the monastery for the wanderers of other religions and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side.

Tena kho pana samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: “yo hi koci, āvuso, saupādiseso kālaṁ karoti, sabbo so aparimutto nirayā aparimutto tiracchānayoniyā aparimutto pettivisayā aparimutto apāyaduggativinipātā”ti. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandi nappaṭikkosi. Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi: “bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī”ti. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Idhāhaṁ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁ. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ; yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan’ti. Atha kho ahaṁ, bhante, yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodiṁ. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁ. Tena kho pana samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: ‘yo hi koci, āvuso, saupādiseso kālaṁ karoti, sabbo so aparimutto nirayā aparimutto tiracchānayoniyā aparimutto pettivisayā aparimutto apāyaduggativinipātā’ti. Atha kho ahaṁ, bhante, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandiṁ nappaṭikkosiṁ. Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁ: ‘bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī’”ti.

Now at that time while those wanderers of other religions were sitting together this discussion came up among them: “Reverends, no one who dies with residue is exempt from hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm. They’re not exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.” Sāriputta neither approved nor rejected that statement of the wanderers of other religions. He rose from his seat, thinking, “I will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.” 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.

“Ke ca, sāriputta, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā bālā abyattā, ke ca saupādisesaṁ vā ‘saupādiseso’ti jānissanti, anupādisesaṁ vā ‘anupādiseso’ti jānissanti.

“Sāriputta, these foolish, incompetent wanderers following other religions: who are they to know whether someone has residue or not?

Navayime, sāriputta, puggalā saupādisesā kālaṁ kurumānā parimuttā nirayā parimuttā tiracchānayoniyā parimuttā pettivisayā parimuttā apāyaduggativinipātā. Katame nava? Idha, sāriputta, ekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṁ paripūrakārī, paññāya mattaso kārī. So pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā antarāparinibbāyī hoti. Ayaṁ, sāriputta, paṭhamo puggalo saupādiseso kālaṁ kurumāno parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

There are these nine individuals who, dying with residue, are exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld. What nine? There’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics and immersion, but has limited wisdom. With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished between one life and the next. This is the first individual …

Puna caparaṁ, sāriputta, idhekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṁ paripūrakārī, paññāya mattaso kārī. So pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā upahaccaparinibbāyī hoti …pe… asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti …pe… sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti …pe… uddhaṁsoto hoti akaniṭṭhagāmī. Ayaṁ, sāriputta, pañcamo puggalo saupādiseso kālaṁ kurumāno parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

Furthermore, there’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics and immersion, but has limited wisdom. With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished upon landing. This is the second individual … With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished without extra effort. This is the third individual … With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished with extra effort. This is the fourth individual … With the ending of the five lower fetters they head upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm. This is the fifth individual …

Puna caparaṁ, sāriputta, idhekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṁ mattaso kārī, paññāya mattaso kārī. So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmī hoti, sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti. Ayaṁ, sāriputta, chaṭṭho puggalo saupādiseso kālaṁ kurumāno parimutto nirayā …pe… parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

Furthermore, there’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, they’re a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering. This is the sixth individual …

Puna caparaṁ, sāriputta, idhekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṁ mattaso kārī, paññāya mattaso kārī. So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā ekabījī hoti, ekaṁyeva mānusakaṁ bhavaṁ nibbattetvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti. Ayaṁ, sāriputta, sattamo puggalo saupādiseso kālaṁ kurumāno parimutto nirayā …pe… parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

Furthermore, there’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, they’re a one-seeder. They will be reborn just one time in a human existence, then make an end of suffering. This is the seventh individual …

Puna caparaṁ, sāriputta, idhekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṁ mattaso kārī, paññāya mattaso kārī. So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā kolaṅkolo hoti, dve vā tīṇi vā kulāni sandhāvitvā saṁsaritvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti. Ayaṁ, sāriputta, aṭṭhamo puggalo saupādiseso kālaṁ kurumāno parimutto nirayā …pe… parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

Furthermore, there’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, they go from family to family. They will transmigrate between two or three families and then make an end of suffering. This is the eighth individual …

Puna caparaṁ, sāriputta, idhekacco puggalo sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti, samādhismiṁ mattaso kārī, paññāya mattaso kārī. So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sattakkhattuparamo hoti, sattakkhattuparamaṁ deve ca manusse ca sandhāvitvā saṁsaritvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti. Ayaṁ, sāriputta, navamo puggalo saupādiseso kālaṁ kurumāno parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchānayoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāyaduggativinipātā.

Furthermore, there’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, they have at most seven rebirths. They will transmigrate at most seven times among gods and humans and then make an end of suffering. This is the ninth individual …

Ke ca, sāriputta, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā bālā abyattā, ke ca saupādisesaṁ vā ‘saupādiseso’ti jānissanti, anupādisesaṁ vā ‘anupādiseso’ti jānissanti. Ime kho, sāriputta, nava puggalā saupādisesā kālaṁ kurumānā parimuttā nirayā parimuttā tiracchānayoniyā parimuttā pettivisayā parimuttā apāyaduggativinipātā. Na tāvāyaṁ, sāriputta, dhammapariyāyo paṭibhāsi bhikkhūnaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ upāsakānaṁ upāsikānaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Māyimaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ sutvā pamādaṁ āhariṁsūti. Api ca mayā, sāriputta, dhammapariyāyo pañhādhippāyena bhāsito”ti.

These foolish, incompetent wanderers following other religions: who are they to know whether someone has residue or not? These are the nine individuals who, dying with residue, are exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld. Up until now, Sāriputta, I have not felt the need to give this exposition of the teaching to the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. Why is that? For I didn’t want those who heard it to introduce negligence. However, I have spoken it in order to answer your question.”