Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
55. Sot'Āpatti Saṃyutta
3. Saraṇāni (or Sarakāni) Vagga

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
55. Kindred Sayings on Streamwinning
3. Sarakāni

Sutta 22

Dutiya Mahānāma Suttaṃ

Mahānāma (b)

Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids

Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved

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[321]

[1][than][olds] Thus have I heard:

On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying among the Sakyans
near Kapilavatthu,
in the Banyan Park.

Now Mahānāma the Sakyan came to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him saluted him
and sat down at one side.

As he thus sat
Mahānāma the Sakyan said this to the Exalted One:

"Lord, this town of Kapilavatthu is rich,
prosperous, populous,
crowded with men,
a dense mass of folk.

Now, lord, when I enter Kapilavatthu at eventide
after waiting upon the Exalted One
or the worshipful monks,
I meet with elephants,
horses, chariots,
carts and men,
all swaying and rolling along.

At such times, lord, my thoughts,
which are fixed on the Exalted One,
on the Norm and the Order,
are simply bewildered.

Then it occurs to me:

'If I were at this very moment to make an end,
what would be my lot,
what would be my destiny
in the life to come?'"

"Have no fears, Mahānāma!
Have no fears, Mahānāma!

Blameless will be your death.

You will make a blameless end.

For the Ariyan disciple, Mahānāma,
who is blessed with four things,
bends to Nibbāna,
slopes to Nibbāna,
tends to Nibbāna.

What are the four things?

Herein, Mahānāma,
the Ariyan disciple is blessed
with unwavering loyalty to the Buddha, thus:

'He it is the Exalted One,
Arahant, a fully Enlightened One,
perfect in knowledge and practice,
a Happy One,
world-knower,
unsurpassed charioteer of men to be tamed,
teacher of devas and mankind,
a Buddha,
an Exalted One.'

He is possessed
of unwavering loyalty to the Norm, thus:

'Well proclaimed by the Exalted One is the Norm,
seen in this very life,
a thing not involving time,
inviting one to come and see,
leading onward,
to be known for themselves
by the wise.'

He is possessed
of unwavering faith in the Order, thus:

'Walking righteously is the Exalted One's Order,
walking uprightly,
walking in the right way,
walking dutifully
is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples:
namely, the four airs of men,
the eight sorts of men.
That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.

Worthy of honour are they,
worthy of reverence,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of salutations with clsped hands,
— a field of merit unsurpassed for theworld.'

Then he is possessed
of the virtues loved by the Ariyans,
virtues unbroken,
whole, unspotted, untarnished,
giving freedom,
praised by the wise:
virtues untainted (by craving or delusion),
which lead to concentration of the mind.

For instance, Mahānāma,
if a tree bends to the east,
slopes to the east,
tends to the east,
which way will it fall
when its root is cut?"

"It will fall whither it bends,
slopes and tends, lord."

"Just so, Mahānāma,
the Ariyan disciple who is blessed with four things
bends to Nibbāna,
slopes to Nibbāna,
tends to Nibbāna."