Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
48. Indriya Saṃyutta
5. Jarā Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
48. Kindred Sayings on the Faculties
5. Old Age
Sutta 44
Pubba-Koṭṭhaka Suttaṃ
Eastern Gatehouse[1]
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying at Sāvatthī
in Eastern Gatehouse.[2]
On that occasion the Exalted One addressed the venerable Sāriputta thus:
"Do you believe, Sāriputta, that the controlling faculty of faith,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending?
[196] Do you believe, Sāriputta, that the controlling faculty of energy,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending?
Do you believe, Sāriputta, that the controlling faculty of mindfulness,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending?
Do you believe, Sāriputta, that the controlling faculty of concentration,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending?
Do you believe, Sāriputta, that the controlling faculty of insight,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending?"
§
In this matter, lord,
I walk not by faith[3] in the Exalted One,
to wit:
That the controlling faculty of faith,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of energy,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of mindfulness,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of concentration,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of insight,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending.
■
But, lord, they who have realized,
seen,
understood,
made sure of,
they who have attained this fact by insight, -
such are free from doubt,
free from wavering,[4]
(in believing)
that the controlling faculty of faith,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of energy,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of mindfulness,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of concentration,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of insight,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending.
■
But I, lord, have realized it,
I have seen,
understood
and made sure of it,
I have attained it by insight,
I am free from doubt about it,[5]
that the controlling faculty of faith,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of energy,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of mindfulness,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of concentration,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of insight,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending."
§
"Well said!
Well said, Sāriputta!
Indeed they who have not realized,
not seen,
not understood,
who have not made sure of,
who have not attained this fact by insight, -
such may well walk by faith in others
(in believing)
that the controlling [197] faculty of faith,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of energy,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of mindfulness,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of concentration,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of insight,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending.
But indeed, Sāriputta, they who have realized,
who have seen,
understood,
made sure of
and attained this fact by insight, -
such are indeed free from doubt,
free from wavering,
(in knowing)
that the controlling faculty of faith,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of energy,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of mindfulness,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of concentration,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending;
that the controlling faculty of insight,
if cultivated and made much of,
plunges into the Deathless,
has the Deathless for its goal,
the Deathless for its ending.
[1] This Sutta is quoted in full at Nidd. 1, 236, as comment on the text Sn. 853, na saddho na virajjati.
[2] At A. iii, 345, the only place where it seems to be mentioned, the Buddha goes there with Ānanda to bathe. Koṭṭhaka is a chamber or storehouse (here, over the gate). By the city gates were pubhc bathing-places.
[3] Saddhāya gacchāmi. I take saddhāya to be gerund, saddhahitvā (as Comy. elsewhere).
[4] Nibbicikicchā (ni-vicikicchā). Cf. S. ii, 84.
[5] Here text inserts paresaṇ (not in Smh, MSS.), which makes no sense.
