SN 48.50

Āpaṇasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā aṅgesu viharati āpaṇaṁ nāma aṅgānaṁ nigamo. Tatra kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ āmantesi: “yo so, sāriputta, ariyasāvako tathāgate ekantagato abhippasanno, na so tathāgate vā tathāgatasāsane vā kaṅkheyya vā vicikiccheyya vā”ti?

At Āpaṇa

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Aṅgas, near the Aṅgan town named Āpaṇa. Then the Buddha said to Venerable Sāriputta: “Sāriputta, would a noble disciple who is sure and devoted to the Realized One have any doubt or uncertainty about the Realized One or his instructions?”

“Yo so, bhante, ariyasāvako tathāgate ekantagato abhippasanno, na so tathāgate vā tathāgatasāsane vā kaṅkheyya vā vicikiccheyya vā. saddhassa hi, bhante, ariyasāvakassa etaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ yaṁ āraddhavīriyo viharissati—akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu. Yaṁ hissa, bhante, vīriyaṁ tadassa vīriyindriyaṁ.

“Sir, a noble disciple who is sure and devoted to the Realized One would have no doubt or uncertainty about the Realized One or his instructions. You can expect that a faithful noble disciple will live with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. They’re strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities. For their energy is the faculty of energy.

Saddhassa hi, bhante, ariyasāvakassa āraddhavīriyassa etaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ yaṁ satimā bhavissati, paramena satinepakkena samannāgato, cirakatampi cirabhāsitampi saritā anussaritā. Yā hissa, bhante, sati tadassa satindriyaṁ.

You can expect that a faithful and energetic noble disciple will be mindful, with utmost mindfulness and alertness, able to remember and recall what was said and done long ago. For their mindfulness is the faculty of mindfulness.

Saddhassa hi, bhante, ariyasāvakassa āraddhavīriyassa upaṭṭhitassatino etaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ yaṁ vossaggārammaṇaṁ karitvā labhissati samādhiṁ, labhissati cittassa ekaggataṁ. Yo hissa, bhante, samādhi tadassa samādhindriyaṁ.

You can expect that a faithful, energetic, and mindful noble disciple will, relying on letting go, gain immersion, gain unification of mind. For their immersion is the faculty of immersion.

Saddhassa hi, bhante, ariyasāvakassa āraddhavīriyassa upaṭṭhitassatino samāhitacittassa etaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ yaṁ evaṁ pajānissati— anamataggo kho saṁsāro. Pubbakoṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ. Avijjāya tveva tamokāyassa asesavirāganirodho santametaṁ padaṁ paṇītametaṁ padaṁ, yadidaṁ— sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānaṁ. Yā hissa, bhante, paññā tadassa paññindriyaṁ.

You can expect that a faithful, energetic, mindful noble disciple with their mind immersed in samādhi will understand this: ‘Transmigration has no known beginning. No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving. But when that dark mass of ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, that state is peaceful and sublime. That is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.’ For their noble wisdom is the faculty of wisdom.

Saddho so, bhante, ariyasāvako evaṁ padahitvā padahitvā evaṁ saritvā saritvā evaṁ samādahitvā samādahitvā evaṁ pajānitvā pajānitvā evaṁ abhisaddahati: ‘ime kho te dhammā ye me pubbe sutavā ahesuṁ. Tenāhaṁ etarahi kāyena ca phusitvā viharāmi, paññāya ca ativijjha passāmī’ti. Yā hissa, bhante, saddhā tadassa saddhindriyan”ti.

When a noble disciple has tried again and again, recollected again and again, entered immersion again and again, and understood with wisdom again and again, they will be confident of this: ‘I have previously heard of these things. But now I have direct meditative experience of them, and see them with penetrating wisdom.’ For their faith is the faculty of faith.”

“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta. Yo so, sāriputta, ariyasāvako tathāgate ekantagato abhippasanno, na so tathāgate vā tathāgatasāsane vā kaṅkheyya vā vicikiccheyya vā. Saddhassa hi, sāriputta, ariyasāvakassa etaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ yaṁ āraddhavīriyo viharissati— akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu. Yaṁ hissa, sāriputta, vīriyaṁ tadassa vīriyindriyaṁ. Saddhassa hi, sāriputta, ariyasāvakassa āraddhavīriyassa etaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ yaṁ satimā bhavissati, paramena satinepakkena samannāgato, cirakatampi cirabhāsitampi saritā anussaritā. Yā hissa, sāriputta, sati tadassa satindriyaṁ. Saddhassa hi, sāriputta, ariyasāvakassa āraddhavīriyassa upaṭṭhitassatino etaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ yaṁ vossaggārammaṇaṁ karitvā labhissati samādhiṁ, labhissati cittassa ekaggataṁ. Yo hissa, sāriputta, samādhi tadassa samādhindriyaṁ. Saddhassa hi, sāriputta, ariyasāvakassa āraddhavīriyassa upaṭṭhitassatino samāhitacittassa etaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ yaṁ evaṁ pajānissati— anamataggo kho saṁsāro. Pubbakoṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ. Avijjāya tveva tamokāyassa asesavirāganirodho santametaṁ padaṁ paṇītametaṁ padaṁ, yadidaṁ— sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānaṁ. Yā hissa, sāriputta, paññā tadassa paññindriyaṁ. Saddho so, sāriputta, ariyasāvako evaṁ padahitvā padahitvā evaṁ saritvā saritvā evaṁ samādahitvā samādahitvā evaṁ pajānitvā pajānitvā evaṁ abhisaddahati: ‘ime kho te dhammā ye me pubbe sutavā ahesuṁ. Tenāhaṁ etarahi kāyena ca phusitvā viharāmi, paññāya ca ativijjha passāmī’ti. Yā hissa, sāriputta, saddhā tadassa saddhindriyan”ti.

“Good, good, Sāriputta! Sāriputta, a noble disciple who is sure and devoted to the Realized One would have no doubt or uncertainty about the Realized One or his instructions. …” The Buddha then repeated Sāriputta’s answer word for word.