SN 55.52

Vassaṁvutthasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena aññataro bhikkhu sāvatthiyaṁ vassaṁvuttho kapilavatthuṁ anuppatto hoti kenacideva karaṇīyena. Assosuṁ kho kāpilavatthavā sakyā: “aññataro kira bhikkhu sāvatthiyaṁ vassaṁvuttho kapilavatthuṁ anuppatto”ti.

One Who Completed the Rains

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time a certain mendicant who had completed the rainy season residence in Sāvatthī arrived at Kapilavatthu on some business. The Sakyans of Kapilavatthu heard about this.

Atha kho kāpilavatthavā sakyā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho kāpilavatthavā sakyā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocuṁ: “kacci, bhante, bhagavā arogo ceva balavā cā”ti? “Arogo cāvuso, bhagavā balavā cā”ti.

They went to that mendicant, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, we hope that the Buddha is healthy and strong.” “He is, respectable sirs.”

“Kacci pana, bhante, sāriputtamoggallānā arogā ceva balavanto cā”ti? “Sāriputtamoggallānāpi kho, āvuso, arogā ceva balavanto cā”ti.

“And we hope that Sāriputta and Moggallāna are healthy and strong.” “They are.”

“Kacci pana, bhante, bhikkhusaṅgho arogo ca balavā cā”ti. “Bhikkhusaṅghopi kho, āvuso, arogo ca balavā cā”ti.

“And we hope that the mendicant Saṅgha is healthy and strong.” “It is.”

“Atthi pana te, bhante, kiñci iminā antaravassena bhagavato sammukhā sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitan”ti? “Sammukhā metaṁ, āvuso, bhagavato sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ: ‘appakā te, bhikkhave, bhikkhū ye āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti. Atha kho eteva bahutarā bhikkhū ye pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātikā tattha parinibbāyino anāvattidhammā tasmā lokā’ti.

“But sir, during this rains residence did you hear and learn anything in the presence of the Buddha?” “Respectable sirs, I heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘There are fewer mendicants who realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements. There are more mendicants who, having ended the five lower fetters, are reborn spontaneously, and will be extinguished there, not liable to return from that world.’

Aparampi kho me, āvuso, bhagavato sammukhā sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ: ‘appakā te, bhikkhave, bhikkhū ye pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātikā tattha parinibbāyino anāvattidhammā tasmā lokā. Atha kho eteva bahutarā bhikkhū ye tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmino, sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karissantī’ti.

In addition, I heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘There are fewer mendicants who, having ended the five lower fetters, are reborn spontaneously, and will be extinguished there, not liable to return from that world. There are more mendicants who, with the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, are once-returners, who come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering.’

Aparampi kho me, āvuso, bhagavato sammukhā sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ: ‘appakā te, bhikkhave, bhikkhū ye tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmino, sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karissanti. Atha kho eteva bahutarā bhikkhū ye tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sotāpannā avinipātadhammā niyatā sambodhiparāyaṇā’”ti.

In addition, I heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘There are fewer mendicants who, with the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, are once-returners, who come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering. There are more mendicants who, with the ending of three fetters are stream-enterers, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.’”