3: The Book of the Threes
21. Saviṭṭha
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi (More copyright information)
1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Then the Venerable Saviṭṭha and the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita approached the Venerable Sāriputta and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, they sat down to one side. The Venerable Sāriputta then said to the Venerable Saviṭṭha:
2"Friend Saviṭṭha, there are these three kinds of persons found existing in the world. What three? The body witness, the one attained to view, and the one liberated by faith. [n.355] For formal explanations of these three types, see MN 70.19–21, I 478,4 –479,3. All three classes are sekhas ranging from the stream-enterer through one on the path to arahantship. As general classes, they differ, not in their position relative to the final goal, but in their dominant spiritual faculty. The body witness (kāyasakkhī) gives prominence to concentration and attains the "peaceful formless emancipations." One attained to view (diṭṭhippatta) gives prominence to wisdom and does not attain the formless emancipations. One liberated by faith (saddhāvimutta) gives prominence to faith and does not attain the formless emancipations. Because these three categories comprise persons standing anywhere from stream-enterer to the path to arahantship, their members cannot be prejudged as superior and inferior merely by falling into a particular class. To make such judgments, one would have to know their standing in terms of the six levels they each comprise. The body witness, on attaining arahantship, becomes "liberated in both respects" (ubhatobhāgavimutta). The other two become "liberated by wisdom" (paññāvimutta). On the two types of arahant, see MN 70.18, I 477,24 –478,3. These are the three kinds of persons found existing in the world. Which of these three kinds of persons do you consider the most excellent and sublime?"
3"Friend Sāriputta, of those three kinds of persons, I consider the one liberated by faith to be the most excellent and sublime. [n.356] In the Pāli, each participant in the discussion repeats the opening statement about the three persons before expressing his own opinion. To avoid redundancy, I have deleted this repetition. For what reason? Because this person's faculty of faith is predominant."
4Then the Venerable Sāriputta said to the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita: "Friend Koṭṭhita, there are these three kinds of persons found existing in the world …. Which of these three kinds of persons do you consider the most excellent and sublime?"
5"Friend Sāriputta, of those three kinds of persons, I consider the body witness to be the most excellent and sublime. For what reason? Because this person's faculty of concentration is predominant."
6Then the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita said to the Venerable Sāriputta: "Friend Sāriputta, there are these three kinds of persons found existing in the world …. Which of these three kinds of persons do you consider the most excellent and sublime?"
7"Friend Koṭṭhita, of those three kinds of persons, I consider the one attained to view to be the most excellent and sublime. For what reason? Because this person's faculty of wisdom is predominant."
8Then the Venerable Sāriputta said to the Venerable Saviṭṭha and the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita: "Friends, we have each explained according to our own ideal. Come, let's approach the Blessed One and report this matter to him. We will retain it in mind as he explains it to us..
"Yes, friend," the Venerable Saviṭṭha and the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita replied. Then the Venerable Sāriputta, the Venerable Saviṭṭha, and the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The Venerable Sāriputta then reported to him the entire conversation that had taken place.
9The Blessed One said: "It isn’t easy, Sāriputta, to make a definitive declaration about this matter and say: ‘Of these three kinds of persons, this one is the most excellent and sublime..
(1) "For it is possible that a person liberated by faith is practicing for arahantship, while a body witness and one attained to view are once-returners or non-returners.
10It isn’t easy, Sāriputta, to make a definitive declaration about this matter and say: ‘Of these three kinds of persons, this one is the most excellent and sublime..
(2) "It is possible that a person who is a body witness is practicing for arahantship, while one liberated by faith and one attained to view are once-returners or non-returners.
11It isn’t easy, Sāriputta, to make a definitive declaration about this matter and say: ‘Of these three kinds of persons, this one is the most excellent and sublime.’
(3) "It is possible that a person attained to view is practicing for arahantship, [n.357] Ce has, for this case only, "a person attained to view is an arahant or one practicing for arahantship" (svāssa arahā vā arahattāya paṭipanno). Be and Ee, consistent with the previous two types, state only that this person is practicing the way to arahantship. According to the typology of MN 70, a body witness, one liberated by faith, and one attained to view have not completely eliminated their āsavas and therefore are not arahants. while one liberated by faith and a body witness are once-returners or non-returners.
12It isn’t easy, Sāriputta, to make a definitive declaration about this matter and say: ‘Of these three kinds of persons, this one is the most excellent and sublime.’"
1Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ samiddhaṁ āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:
2"Tayome, āvuso samiddha, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame tayo? Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā"ti?
3"Tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame tayo? Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca. Taṁ kissa hetu? Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa saddhindriyaṁ adhimattan"ti.
4Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca: "tayome, āvuso koṭṭhika, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame tayo? Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā"ti?
5"Tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame tayo? Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca. Taṁ kissa hetu? Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa samādhindriyaṁ adhimattan"ti.
6Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: "tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame tayo? Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā"ti?
7"Tayome, āvuso koṭṭhika, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame tayo? Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca. Taṁ kissa hetu? Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa paññindriyaṁ adhimattan"ti.
8Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantañca samiddhaṁ āyasmantañca mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca: "byākataṁ kho, āvuso, amhehi sabbeheva yathāsakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ. Āyāmāvuso, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocessāma. Yathā no bhagavā byākarissati tathā naṁ dhāressāmā"ti.
"Evamāvuso"ti kho āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ. Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto yāvatako ahosi āyasmatā ca samiddhena āyasmatā ca mahākoṭṭhikena saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesi.
9"Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: ‘Ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti.
Ṭhānañhetaṁ, sāriputta, vijjati yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto svāssa arahattāya paṭipanno, yvāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī svāssa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā, yo cāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto sopassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā.
10Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: ‘Ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti.
Ṭhānañhetaṁ, sāriputta, vijjati yvāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī svāssa arahattāya paṭipanno, yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto svāssa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā, yo cāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto sopassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā.
11Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: ‘Ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti.
Ṭhānañhetaṁ, sāriputta, vijjati yvāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto svāssa arahattāya paṭipanno, yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto svāssa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā, yo cāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī sopassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā.
12Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: ‘Ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’"ti.
Paṭhamaṁ.