1At Kapilavatthu. Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached Godha the Sakyan and said to him: sn.v.372 "How many things, Godha, must an individual possess for you to recognize him as a stream-enterer, one no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination?"

2"When an individual possesses three things, Mahānāma, I recognize him as a stream-enterer, one no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination. What three? Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha … in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha … . When an individual possesses these three things, I recognize him as a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination.

3But, Mahānāma, how many things must an individual possess for you to recognize him as a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination?"

"When an individual possesses four things, Godha, I recognize him as a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination. What four? Here, Godha, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha … in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha. … He possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration. When an individual possesses these four things, I recognize him as a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination."

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4–7"Wait, Mahānāma! Wait, Mahānāma! The Blessed One alone would know whether or not he possesses these things."
Then Mahānāma the Sakyan and Godha the Sakyan approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. Mahānāma the Sakyan then reported their conversation, continuing thus: sn.v.374

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"Here, venerable sir, some issue concerning the Dhamma may arise. The Blessed One might take one side and the Bhikkhu Saṅgha might take the other side. Whatever side the Blessed One would take, I would take that same side. Let the Blessed One remember me as one who has such confidence. [n.340] Spk: He thought: "The Bhikkhu Saṅgha might speak without knowing, as it lacks omniscient knowledge, but there is no lack of knowledge in the Teacher." Kocideva dhammasamuppādo, "issue concerning the Dhamma," is glossed by Spk kiñcideva kāraṇam. At SN22.7 the same compound dhammasamuppāda has quite a different meaning, rendered "a constellation of mental states."

"Here, venerable sir, some issue concerning the Dhamma may arise. The Blessed One might take one side, and the Bhikkhu Saṅgha and the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha might take the other side. … The Blessed One might take one side, and the Bhikkhu Saṅgha, the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha, and the male lay followers might take the other side. … The Blessed One might take one side, and the Bhikkhu Saṅgha, the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha, the male lay followers, and the female lay followers might take the other side. Whatever side the Blessed One would take, I would take that same side. Let the Blessed One remember me as one who has such confidence.

"Here, venerable sir, some issue concerning the Dhamma may arise. The Blessed One might take one side, and the Bhikkhu Saṅgha, the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha, the male lay followers, the female lay followers, and the world with its devas, Māra, and Brahma, this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, might take the other side. Whatever side the Blessed One would take, I would take that same side. Let the Blessed One remember me as one who has such confidence."

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The Blessed One said: "When he speaks like that, [n.341] Here Ee alone has the reading required, evaṁvādiṁ. Be and Se have evaṁvādī. See II, n. 205. Godha, what would you say about Mahānāma the Sakyan?"

"When he speaks in such a way, venerable sir, I would not say anything about Mahānāma the Sakyan except what is good and favourable." [n.342] Though the argument has not been explicitly settled, the matter seems to be clinched through Mahānāma's testimony to his faith. By expressing so intensely his confidence in the Buddha, Mahānāma confirms his status as a noble disciple, and thus his viewpoint must be correct. Spk-pṭ says that while one endowed with any one of these four qualities is a stream-enterer, one should explain in terms of possessing all four. sn.v.375

1Kapilavatthunidānaṁ. Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena godhā sakko tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā godhaṁ sakkaṁ etadavoca: "katihi tvaṁ, godhe, dhammehi samannāgataṁ sotāpannapuggalaṁ ājānāsi avinipātadhammaṁ niyataṁ sambodhiparāyaṇan"ti?

2"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.

3Tvaṁ 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.

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4"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:

5"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 –

6Tīhi 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?

7Evaṁ 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.

8Evaṁ vutte, bhante, godhā sakko maṁ etadavoca: ‘āgamehi tvaṁ, mahānāma, āgamehi tvaṁ, mahānāma. Bhagavāva etaṁ jāneyya etehi dhammehi samannāgataṁ vā asamannāgataṁ vā’ti.

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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.

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"Evaṁvādī tvaṁ, godhe, mahānāmaṁ sakkaṁ kiṁ vadesī"ti?

"Evaṁvādāhaṁ, bhante, mahānāmaṁ sakkaṁ na kiñci vadāmi, aññatra kalyāṇā aññatra kusalā"ti.

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Tatiyaṁ.