Aṅguttara Nikāya
IX. Navaka Nipāta
I. Sambodha Vagga

The Book of Nines

Sutta 10

Ābuneyya^[1]-Puggala Suttaṃ

Individuals Worthy of Offerings

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

 

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[1][pts][upal] I hear tell:

Once upon a time in
Sāvātthi-town.^[2]

"There are, beggars, nine individuals
worthy of offerings,
worthy of being a guest,
worthy of a gift,
worthy of being honoured with
a respectful salutation,
unsurpassed as a field of merit in the world.

What nine?

The Arahant,
the headed towards Arahantship,
the Non-returner,
the headed towards Non-returning,
the Once-returner,
the headed towards Once-returning,
the Streamwinner,
the headed towards realization of the fruit of Streamwinning,
a member of the line
aimed at attaining Nibbāna.^[3]

These are, beggars, the nine individuals
worthy of offerings,
worthy of being a guest,
worthy of a gift,
worthy of being honoured with
a respectful salutation,
unsurpassed as a field of merit in the world."

 

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^[1] Spelled Āhuneyya in PED. PED; sacrificial, worthy of offerings or of sacrifice, venerable, adorable, worshipful.

^[2] This sutta does not give us any speaker.

^[3] Gotrabhu PED: "become of the lineage"; a technical term used from the end of the Nikāya period to designate one, whether layman or bhikkhu, who, as converted, was no longer of the worldlings (puthujjanā), but of the Ariyas, having Nibbāna as his aim.

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