SN 55.23

Godhasakkasutta

Kapilavatthunidānaṁ. Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena godhā sakko tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā godhaṁ sakkaṁ etadavoca: “katihi tvaṁ, godhe, dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāsi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇan”ti?

With Godhā the Sakyan

At Kapilavatthu. Then Mahānāma the Sakyan went up to Godhā the Sakyan, and said to her, “Godhā, how many things must an individual have for you to recognize them as a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening?”

“Tīhi khvāhaṁ, mahānāma, dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāmi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇaṁ. Katamehi tīhi? Idha, mahānāma, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti— itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme …pe… saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti— suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho …pe… anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassāti. Imehi khvāhaṁ, mahānāma, tīhi dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāmi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇaṁ.

“Mahānāma, an individual must have three things for me to recognize them as a stream-enterer. What three? It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha … the teaching … and the Saṅgha … When an individual has these three things I recognize them as a stream-enterer.

Tvaṁ pana, mahānāma, katihi dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāsi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇan”ti? “Catūhi khvāhaṁ, godhe, dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāmi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇaṁ. Katamehi catūhi? Idha, godhe, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti— itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme …pe… saṅghe …pe… ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehi. Imehi khvāhaṁ, godhe, catūhi dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāmi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇan”ti.

But Mahānāma, how many things must an individual have for you to recognize them as a stream-enterer?” “Godhā, an individual must have four things for me to recognize them as a stream-enterer. What four? It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … And they have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion. When an individual has these four things I recognize them as a stream-enterer.”

“Āgamehi tvaṁ, mahānāma, āgamehi tvaṁ, mahānāma. Bhagavāva etaṁ jāneyya etehi dhammehi samannāgataṁ vā asamannāgataṁ vā”ti. “Āyāma, godhe, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkameyyāma; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocessāmā”ti. Atha kho mahānāmo sakko godhā ca sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Idhāhaṁ, bhante, yena godhā sakko tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā godhaṁ sakkaṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘katihi tvaṁ, godhe, dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāsi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇaṁ’? Evaṁ vutte, bhante, godhā sakko maṁ etadavoca— Tīhi khvāhaṁ, mahānāma, dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāmi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇaṁ. Katamehi tīhi? Idha, mahānāma, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti— itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme …pe… saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti— suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho …pe… anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassāti. Imehi khvāhaṁ, mahānāma, tīhi dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāmi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇaṁ. Tvaṁ pana, mahānāma, katamehi dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāsi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇan’ti? Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, godhaṁ sakkaṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘catūhi khvāhaṁ, godhe, dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāmi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇaṁ. Katamehi catūhi? Idha, godhe, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti— itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme …pe… saṅghe …pe… ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehi. Imehi khvāhaṁ, godhe, catūhi dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāmi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇan’ti.

“Hold on, Mahānāma, hold on! Only the Buddha would know whether or not they have these things.” “Come, Godhā, let’s go to the Buddha and inform him about this.” Then Mahānāma and Godhā went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. Mahānāma told the Buddha all that had happened, and then said:

Evaṁ vutte, bhante, godhā sakko maṁ etadavoca: ‘āgamehi tvaṁ, mahānāma, āgamehi tvaṁ, mahānāma. Bhagavāva etaṁ jāneyya etehi dhammehi samannāgataṁ vā asamannāgataṁ vā’ti. Idha, bhante, kocideva dhammo samuppādo uppajjeyya, ekato assa bhagavā ekato bhikkhusaṅgho ca. Yeneva bhagavā tenevāhaṁ assaṁ. Evaṁ pasannaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu. Idha, bhante, kocideva dhammo samuppādo uppajjeyya, ekato assa bhagavā ekato bhikkhusaṅgho bhikkhunisaṅgho ca. Yeneva bhagavā tenevāhaṁ assaṁ. Evaṁ pasannaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu. Idha, bhante, kocideva dhammo samuppādo uppajjeyya, ekato assa bhagavā ekato bhikkhusaṅgho bhikkhunisaṅgho ca upāsakā ca. Yeneva bhagavā tenevāhaṁ assaṁ. Evaṁ pasannaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu. Idha, bhante, kocideva dhammo samuppādo uppajjeyya, ekato assa bhagavā ekato bhikkhusaṅgho bhikkhunisaṅgho upāsakā upāsikāyo ca. Yeneva bhagavā tenevāhaṁ assaṁ. Evaṁ pasannaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu. Idha, bhante, kocideva dhammo samuppādo uppajjeyya, ekato assa bhagavā ekato bhikkhusaṅgho bhikkhunisaṅgho upāsakā upāsikāyo sadevako ca loko samārako sabrahmako sassamaṇabrāhmaṇī pajā sadevamanussā. Yeneva bhagavā tenevāhaṁ assaṁ. Evaṁ pasannaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretū”ti. “Evaṁvādī tvaṁ, godhe, mahānāmaṁ sakkaṁ kiṁ vadesī”ti? “Evaṁvādāhaṁ, bhante, mahānāmaṁ sakkaṁ na kiñci vadāmi, aññatra kalyāṇā aññatra kusalā”ti.

“Sir, some instigation of a legal proceeding might come up. The Buddha might take one side, and the Saṅgha of monks the other. I’d side with the Buddha. May the Buddha remember me as having such confidence. Some instigation of a legal proceeding might come up. The Buddha might take one side, and the Saṅgha of monks and the Saṅgha of nuns the other. … The Buddha might take one side, and the Saṅgha of monks and the Saṅgha of nuns and the laymen the other. … The Buddha might take one side, and the Saṅgha of monks and the Saṅgha of nuns and the laymen and the laywomen the other. … The Buddha might take one side, and the Saṅgha of monks and the Saṅgha of nuns and the laymen and the laywomen and the world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—the other. I’d side with the Buddha. May the Buddha remember me as having such confidence.” “Godhā, what do you have to say to Mahānāma when he speaks like this?” “Sir, I have nothing to say to Mahānāma when he speaks like this, except what is good and wholesome.”