SN 48.53

Sekhasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “atthi nu kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajāneyya, asekho bhikkhu asekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘asekhosmī’ti pajāneyyā”ti?

A Trainee

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, is there a way that a mendicant who is a trainee, standing at the level of a trainee, can understand that they are a trainee? And that a mendicant who is an adept, standing at the level of an adept, can understand that they are an adept?”

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe… “atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajāneyya, asekho bhikkhu asekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘asekhosmī’ti pajāneyya.

“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …” “There is a way that a mendicant who is a trainee, standing at the level of a trainee, can understand that they are a trainee, and that a mendicant who is an adept, standing at the level of an adept, can understand that they are an adept.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajānāti? Idha, bhikkhave, sekho bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti— ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajānāti.

And what is a way that a mendicant who is a trainee can understand that they are a trainee? It’s when a mendicant who is a trainee truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. This is a way that a mendicant who is a trainee can understand that they are a trainee.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sekho bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘atthi nu kho ito bahiddhā añño samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā yo evaṁ bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ tathaṁ dhammaṁ deseti yathā bhagavā’ti? So evaṁ pajānāti: ‘natthi kho ito bahiddhā añño samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā yo evaṁ bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ tathaṁ dhammaṁ deseti yathā bhagavā’ti. Ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajānāti.

Furthermore, a mendicant who is a trainee reflects: ‘Is there any other ascetic or brahmin elsewhere whose teaching is as true, as real, as accurate as that of the Buddha?’ They understand: ‘There is no other ascetic or brahmin elsewhere whose teaching is as true, as real, as accurate as that of the Buddha.’ This too is a way that a mendicant who is a trainee can understand that they are a trainee.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sekho bhikkhu pañcindriyāni pajānāti— saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ. Yaṅgatikāni yaṁparamāni yaṁphalāni yaṁpariyosānāni. Na heva kho kāyena phusitvā viharati; paññāya ca ativijjha passati. Ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma sekho bhikkhu sekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘sekhosmī’ti pajānāti.

Furthermore, a mendicant who is a trainee understands the five faculties: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. And although they don’t have direct meditative experience of their destination, apex, fruit, and culmination, they do see them with penetrating wisdom. This too is a way that a mendicant who is a trainee can understand that they are a trainee.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma asekho bhikkhu asekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘asekhosmī’ti pajānāti? Idha, bhikkhave, asekho bhikkhu pañcindriyāni pajānāti— saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ. Yaṅgatikāni yaṁparamāni yaṁphalāni yaṁpariyosānāni. Kāyena ca phusitvā viharati; paññāya ca ativijjha passati. Ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma asekho bhikkhu asekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘asekhosmī’ti pajānāti.

And what is the way that a mendicant who is an adept can understand that they are an adept? It’s when a mendicant who is an adept understands the five faculties: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. They have direct meditative experience of their destination, apex, fruit, and culmination, and they see them with penetrating wisdom. This is a way that a mendicant who is an adept can understand that they are an adept.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, asekho bhikkhu cha indriyāni pajānāti. ‘Cakkhundriyaṁ, sotindriyaṁ, ghānindriyaṁ, jivhindriyaṁ, kāyindriyaṁ, manindriyaṁ— imāni kho cha indriyāni sabbena sabbaṁ sabbathā sabbaṁ aparisesaṁ nirujjhissanti, aññāni ca cha indriyāni na kuhiñci kismiñci uppajjissantī’ti pajānāti. Ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma asekho bhikkhu asekhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhito ‘asekhosmī’ti pajānātī”ti.

Furthermore, a mendicant who is an adept understands the six faculties: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. They understand: ‘These six faculties will totally and utterly cease without remainder. And no other six faculties will arise anywhere anyhow.’ This too is a way that a mendicant who is an adept can understand that they are an adept.”