{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn47.12/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn47.12","id":"suttacentral_sn47.12","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn47.12/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"At one time the Buddha was staying near N\u0101\u1e37and\u0101 in P\u0101v\u0101rika\u2019s Mango Grove. Then S\u0101riputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: \u201cSir, I have such confidence in the Buddha that I believe there\u2019s no other ascetic or brahmin\u2014whether past, future, or present\u2014whose direct knowledge is superior to the Buddha when it comes to awakening.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s a grand and bold statement, S\u0101riputta. You\u2019ve roared a definitive, categorical lion\u2019s roar, saying: \u2018I have such confidence in the Buddha that I believe there\u2019s no other ascetic or brahmin\u2014whether past, future, or present\u2014whose direct knowledge is superior to the Buddha when it comes to awakening.\u2019 What about all the perfected ones, the fully awakened Buddhas who lived in the past? Have you encompassed their minds to know that those Buddhas had such ethics, or such qualities, or such wisdom, or such meditation, or such freedom?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cAnd what about all the perfected ones, the fully awakened Buddhas who will live in the future? Have you encompassed their minds to know that those Buddhas will have such ethics, or such qualities, or such wisdom, or such meditation, or such freedom?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cAnd what about me, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha at present? Have you encompassed my mind to know that I have such ethics, or such qualities, or such wisdom, or such meditation, or such freedom?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cIn that case, S\u0101riputta, given that you don\u2019t encompass the minds of Buddhas past, future, or present, what then are you doing, making such a grand and bold statement, roaring such a definitive, categorical lion\u2019s roar?\u201d \u201cSir, though I don\u2019t encompass the minds of Buddhas past, future, and present, still I understand this by inference from the teaching. Suppose there was a king\u2019s frontier citadel with fortified embankments, ramparts, and arches, and a single gate. And it has a gatekeeper who is astute, competent, and intelligent. He keeps strangers out and lets known people in. As he walks around the patrol path, he doesn\u2019t see a hole or cleft in the wall, not even one big enough for a cat to slip out. He thinks, \u2018Whatever sizable creatures enter or leave the citadel, all of them do so via this gate.\u2019 In the same way, I understand this by inference from the teaching: \u2018Those who are perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas\u2014whether past, future, or present\u2014give up the five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom. Their mind is firmly established in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation. They correctly develop the seven awakening factors. And they awaken to the supreme perfect awakening.\u2019\u201d \u201cGood, good, S\u0101riputta! So S\u0101riputta, you should frequently speak this exposition of the teaching to the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. Though there will be some futile people who have doubt or uncertainty regarding the Realized One, when they hear this exposition of the teaching they\u2019ll give up that doubt or uncertainty.\u201d","title":"At N\u0101\u1e37and\u0101","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":491}