Saɱyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saɱyutta
6. Upāya Vagga
The Connected Discourses of the Buddha
Part II.
The Book of the Aggregates Khandha-Vagga
22. Connected Discourses on the Aggregates
2.1. Engagement
Sutta 58
Sambuddha Suttaɱ
The Perfectly Enlightened One
Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi
Copyright Bhikkhu Bodhi 2000, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2000)
This selection from The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saɱyutta Nikāya by Bhikkhu Bodhi is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://www.wisdompubs.org/book/connected-discourses-buddha.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available
at http://www.wisdompubs.org/terms-use.
"Bhikkhus, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, liberated by nonclinging through revulsion towards form, through its fading away and cessation, is called a Perfectly Enlightened One.
A bhikkhu liberated by wisdom, liberated by nonclinging through revulsion towards form, through its fading away and cessation, is called one liberated by wisdom.
"The Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, liberated by nonclinging through revulsion towards feeling ... perception ... volitional formations ... consciousness, through its fading away [66] and cessation, is called a Perfectly Enlightened One.
A bhikkhu liberated by wisdom, liberated by nonclinging through revulsion towards feeling ... perception ... volitional formations ... consciousness, through its fading away and cessation, is called one liberated by wisdom.
"Therein, bhikkhus, what is the distinction, what is the disparity, what is the difference between the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, and a bhikkhu liberated by wisdom?"
"Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, take recourse in the Blessed One.
It would be good if the Blessed One would clear up the meaning of this statement.
Having heard it from him, the bhikkhus will remember it."
"Then listen and attend closely, bhikkhus, I will speak."
"Yes, venerable sir," the bhikkhus replied.
The Blessed One said this:
"The Tathāgata, bhikkhus, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is the originator of the path unarisen before, the producer of the path unproduced before, the declarer of the path undeclared before.
He is the knower of the path, the discoverer of the path, the one skilled in the path.
And his disciples now dwell following that path and become possessed of it afterwards.
"This, bhikkhus, is the distinction, the disparity, the difference between the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, and a bhikkhu liberated by wisdom."
