Dhammadinnasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye. Atha kho dhammadinno upāsako pañcahi upāsakasatehi saddhiṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho dhammadinno upāsako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ovadatu no, bhante, bhagavā; anusāsatu no, bhante, bhagavā yaṁ amhākaṁ assa dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā”ti.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana. Then the lay follower Dhammadinna, together with five hundred lay followers, went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “May the Buddha please advise and instruct us. It will be for our lasting welfare and happiness.”

“Tasmātiha vo, dhammadinna, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘ye te suttantā tathāgatabhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīratthā lokuttarā suññatapaṭisaṁyuttā te kālena kālaṁ upasampajja viharissāmā’ti. Evañhi vo, dhammadinna, sikkhitabban”ti. “Na kho netaṁ, bhante, sukaraṁ amhehi puttasambādhasayanaṁ ajjhāvasantehi kāsikacandanaṁ paccanubhontehi mālāgandhavilepanaṁ dhārayantehi jātarūparajataṁ sādiyantehi— ye te suttantā tathāgatabhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīratthā lokuttarā suññatapaṭisaṁyuttā te kālena kālaṁ upasampajja viharituṁ. Tesaṁ no, bhante, bhagavā amhākaṁ pañcasu sikkhāpadesu ṭhitānaṁ uttaridhammaṁ desetū”ti.

“So, Dhammadinna, you should all train like this: ‘From time to time we will undertake and dwell upon the discourses spoken by the Realized One that are deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness.’ That’s how you should train yourselves.” “Sir, we live at home with our children, using sandalwood imported from Kāsi, wearing garlands, fragrance, and makeup, and accepting gold and currency. It’s not easy for us to undertake and dwell from time to time upon the discourses spoken by the Realized One that are deep, profound, transcendent, dealing with emptiness. Since we are established in the five training rules, please teach us further.”

“Tasmātiha vo, dhammadinna, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgatā bhavissāma— itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme …pe… saṅghe …pe… ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgatā bhavissāma akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehī’ti. Evañhi vo, dhammadinna, sikkhitabban”ti.

“So, Dhammadinna, you should all train like this: ‘We will have experiential confidence in the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … And we will have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.’ That’s how you should train yourselves.”

“Yānimāni, bhante, bhagavatā cattāri sotāpattiyaṅgāni desitāni, saṁvijjante dhammā amhesu, mayañca tesu dhammesu sandissāma. Mayañhi, bhante, buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgatā— itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Dhamme …pe… saṅghe …pe… ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgatā akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehī”ti. “Lābhā vo, dhammadinna, suladdhaṁ vo, dhammadinna. Sotāpattiphalaṁ tumhehi byākatan”ti. Tatiyaṁ.

“Sir, these four factors of stream-entry that were taught by the Buddha are found in us, and we embody them. For we have experiential confidence in the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … And we have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.” “You’re all fortunate, Dhammadinna, so very fortunate! You’ve all declared the fruit of stream-entry.”