Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
55. Sotāpatti Saṃyutta
3. Saraṇāni (or Sarakāni) Vagga
Subject-Related Sayings
V. The Great Chapter
55. Subject-Related Sayings on Streamwinning
III. Sarakāni
Sutta 22
Dutiya Mahānāma Suttaṃ
Mahānāma (2)
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time the Lucky Man,
among the Sakkas residing,
Kapilavatthu,
Nigrodha's Woods.
There then Mahānāma the Sakkian
approached The Lucky Man,
and drew near.
Having drawn near,
and exchanged greetings,
he took a seat to one side.
Seated to one side, then,
Mahānāma the Sakkian said this to The Lucky Man:
"This Kaplivatthu, Bhante, is thriving,
prosperous,
and densely populous
filled with humanity
stacked in oppressive heaps.
And when, Bhante, at eventide,
after sitting in worshipful attendance on the Lucky Man,
or on the beggars developing mind,
I enter Kapilavatthu,
I might encounter an out-of-control elephant,
I might encounter an out-of-control horse,
I might encounter an out-of-control chariot,
I might encounter an out-of-control cart,
I might encounter an out-of-control person.
Then, at such a time Bhante,
I become forgetful of the Lucky Man
forgetful of the Dhamma
forgetful of the Saṇgha.
At such a time, Bhante,
I have this thought:
'If, at this time,
my time were up,
what would be my getting?
what would be the follow-up for me?'"
§
"Never fear, Mahānāma!
Never fear, Mahānāma!
Not bad will your becoming be after death,
not bad your time's end.
Four, good Mahānāma, are forms
possessed of which the student of the Aristocrats
inclines towards Nibbāna,
slops towards Nibbāna,
is lead on to Nibbāna.
What are these four?
Here Mahānāma, the student of the Aristocrats
has got complete confidence in the Buddha
along such lines as:
'This Lucky Man is the Arahant
Number One Self-Awakened One,
perfected in conduct and vision,
The Welcome One,
a knower of the world,
unsurpassable trainer of trainable men,
teacher of gods and man,
The Buddha,
The Lucky Man'.
■
He has complete confidence in the Dhamma
along such lines as:
'The Dhamma is well said by the Lucky Man,
to be seen for one's self here,
not a thing of Time,
a 'come'n-see' thing,
a thing that guides the intelligent
in understanding for themselves.'
■
He has complete confidence in the Saṇgha
along such lines as:
'The Bhagava's Order of the Hearers
is undertaking the good.
The Bhagava's Order of the Hearers
is undertaking the straight.
The Bhagava's Order of the Hearers
is undertaking the method.
The Bhagava's Order of the Hearers
is undertaking the highest.
The four pairs of men,
the eight individual men —
this is the Bhagava's Order of the Hearers
that is worthy of offerings,
that are worthy guests,
worthy of the gifts
of those wishing to make good kamma,
worthy of the gesture
of putting together the fingers of both hands
and stretching them forth to the sky
and bringing them to the forehead,
a site unsurpassed in the world
for sewing merit.'
And he comes to be one
who goes after getting that intact,
unrent,
unspotted,
unbruised,
unwarped,
praised by the wise,
uncorrupted,
ethical culture
that evolves into serenity.
■
Imagine, Mahānāma, if a tree,
inclined towards the East,
sloping towards the East,
pointing towards the East,
were to be cut down at the base —
in which direction would it fall?"
"However, Bhante, it inclined,
however it sloped,
however it was pointing."
"Even so then, Mahānāma,
these four are forms possessed of which
the student of the Aristocrats
inclines towards Nibbāna,
slops towards Nibbāna,
is lead on to Nibbāna."
