1At Sāvatthī. Then the Venerable Sāriputta approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

"Venerable sir, it is said, ‘a great man, a great man.’ [n.150] Mahāpurisa. See AN IV 228–35 for the eight thoughts of a great man (aṭṭha mahāpurisavitakkā). In what way, venerable sir, is one a great man?"

"With a liberated mind, I say, Sāriputta, one is a great man. Without a liberated mind, I say, one is not a great man.

2"And how, Sāriputta, does one have a liberated mind? Here, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. As he dwells contemplating the body in the body, the mind becomes dispassionate, and by nonclinging it is liberated from the taints.

"He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings … mind in mind … phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. As he dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena, the mind becomes dispassionate, and by nonclinging it is liberated from the taints.

"It is in such a way, Sāriputta, that one has a liberated mind. With a liberated mind, I say, Sāriputta, one is a great man. Without a liberated mind, I say, one is not a great man." sn.v.159

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"‘mahāpuriso, mahāpuriso’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, mahāpuriso hotī"ti?

"Vimuttacittattā khvāhaṁ, sāriputta, ‘mahāpuriso’ti vadāmi. Avimuttacittattā ‘no mahāpuriso’ti vadāmi.

2Kathañca, sāriputta, vimuttacitto hoti? Idha, sāriputta, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī vihārati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Tassa kāye kāyānupassino vihārato cittaṁ virajjati, vimuccati anupādāya āsavehi.

Vedanāsu … pe … citte … pe … dhammesu dhammānupassī vihārati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Tassa dhammesu dhammānupassino vihārato cittaṁ virajjati, vimuccati anupādāya āsavehi.

Evaṁ kho, sāriputta, vimuttacitto hoti. Vimuttacittattā khvāhaṁ, sāriputta, ‘mahāpuriso’ti vadāmi. Avimuttacittattā ‘no mahāpuriso’ti vadāmī"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.