{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an3.75/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an3.75","id":"suttacentral_an3.75","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an3.75/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"Then Venerable \u0100nanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: \u201c\u0100nanda, those who you have sympathy for, and those worth listening to\u2014friends and colleagues, relatives and family\u2014should be encouraged, supported, and established in three things. What three? Experiential confidence in the Buddha: \u2018That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.\u2019 Experiential confidence in the teaching: \u2018The teaching is well explained by the Buddha\u2014apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.\u2019 Experiential confidence in the Sa\u1e45gha: \u2018The Sa\u1e45gha of the Buddha\u2019s disciples is practicing the way that\u2019s good, direct, systematic, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individual persons. This is the Sa\u1e45gha of the Buddha\u2019s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.\u2019 There might be change in the four principal states\u2014 earth, water, air, and fire\u2014but a noble disciple with experiential confidence in the Buddha would never change. In this context, \u2018change\u2019 means that such a noble disciple will be reborn in hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm: this is quite impossible. There might be change in the four principal states\u2014 earth, water, air, and fire\u2014but a noble disciple with experiential confidence in the teaching \u2026 or the Sa\u1e45gha would never change. In this context, \u2018change\u2019 means that such a noble disciple will be reborn in hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm: this is quite impossible. Those who you have sympathy for, and those worth listening to\u2014friends and colleagues, relatives and family\u2014should be encouraged, supported, and established by you in these three things.\u201d","title":"Support","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":323}