“Sotānugatānaṁ, bhikkhave, dhammānaṁ, vacasā paricitānaṁ, manasānupekkhitānaṁ, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhānaṁ cattāro ānisaṁsā pāṭikaṅkhā. Katame cattāro?
“Bhikkhus, for those |teachings [of the perfectly Awakened One]::discourses [dhammā]| that have been |followed by ear::closely followed, listened to [sotānugata]|, recited aloud, |familiarized::rehearsed, consolidated, practiced [paricita]|, |mentally re-examined::reconsidered, rechecked, re-investigated [manasānupekkhita]|, and |thoroughly penetrated::completely understood [suppaṭividdha]| |by view::in concept, in theory, in attitude, in philosophy [diṭṭhi]|, four benefits are to be expected. What four?”
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Tassa te dhammā sotānugatā honti, vacasā paricitā, manasānupekkhitā, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā. So muṭṭhassati kālaṁ kurumāno aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ upapajjati. Tassa tattha sukhino dhammapadā plavanti. Dandho, bhikkhave, satuppādo; atha so satto khippaṁyeva visesagāmī hoti. Sotānugatānaṁ, bhikkhave, dhammānaṁ, vacasā paricitānaṁ, manasānupekkhitānaṁ, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhānaṁ ayaṁ paṭhamo ānisaṁso pāṭikaṅkho.
1.) Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu |thoroughly learns::studies well, masters [pariyāpuṇāti]| the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| — discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, sayings, birth stories, marvelous accounts, and questions-and-answers. He follows those teachings, recites them aloud, familiarizes [himself] with them, mentally re-examines them, and thoroughly penetrates them by view. Even if he passes away |muddle-minded::forgetful, not mindful [muṭṭhassatī]|, he is reborn in a certain order of deities. There, the happy ones recite passages of the Dhamma to him. Though the |arising of mindfulness::remembrance [satuppāda]| is |sluggish::slow [dandha]|, that |sentient being::living being; what is clung to, stuck to, attached to [satta]| swiftly |reaches distinction::reaches a superior state [visesagāmī]|. This is the first benefit to be expected from teachings that have been followed by ear, recited aloud, familiarized, mentally re-examined, and thoroughly penetrated by view.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Tassa te dhammā sotānugatā honti, vacasā paricitā, manasānupekkhitā, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā. So muṭṭhassati kālaṁ kurumāno aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ upapajjati. Tassa tattha na heva kho sukhino dhammapadā plavanti; api ca kho bhikkhu iddhimā cetovasippatto devaparisāyaṁ dhammaṁ deseti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘ayaṁ vā so dhammavinayo, yatthāhaṁ pubbe brahmacariyaṁ acarin’ti. Dandho, bhikkhave, satuppādo; atha so satto khippameva visesagāmī hoti.
2.) Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu thoroughly learns the Dhamma—discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, sayings, birth stories, marvelous accounts, and questions-and-answers. He follows those teachings, recites them aloud, familiarizes himself with them, mentally re-examines them, and thoroughly penetrates them by view. Even if he passes away muddle-minded, he is reborn in a certain order of deities. There, the happy ones do not recite passages of the Dhamma to him, but a bhikkhu endowed |with psychic powers::possessing psychic potency, supernormal power [iddhimant]| and |mastery over the mind::who has attained mental mastery, in control of one’s mind [cetovasippatta]| teaches the Dhamma to a host of deities. Then it occurs to him: ‘This is that very Dhamma and |Vinaya::code of monastic discipline rules, training [vinaya]| under which I formerly led the |spiritual life::a life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures [brahmacariya]|.’ Though the arising of mindfulness is sluggish, that sentient being swiftly reaches distinction.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso kusalo bherisaddassa. So addhānamaggappaṭipanno bherisaddaṁ suṇeyya. Tassa na heva kho assa kaṅkhā vā vimati vā: ‘bherisaddo nu kho, na nu kho bherisaddo’ti. Atha kho bherisaddotveva niṭṭhaṁ gaccheyya.
Suppose a man were skilled in the sound of the kettledrum. While traveling along a long road, he might hear the sound of a kettledrum and would not at all have |doubt::uncertainty, perplexity, hesitation—especially in relation to faith, truth, or decision-making on the path [kaṅkhā]| or |confusion::uncertainty, indecision, deluded thinking, mental cloudiness [vimati]| about the sound; rather, he would conclude: ‘That is the sound of the kettledrum.’
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Tassa te dhammā sotānugatā honti, vacasā paricitā, manasānupekkhitā, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā. So muṭṭhassati kālaṁ kurumāno aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ upapajjati. Tassa tattha na heva kho sukhino dhammapadā plavanti; api ca kho bhikkhu iddhimā cetovasippatto devaparisāyaṁ dhammaṁ deseti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘ayaṁ vā so dhammavinayo, yatthāhaṁ pubbe brahmacariyaṁ acarin’ti. Dandho, bhikkhave, satuppādo; atha so satto khippaṁyeva visesagāmī hoti. Sotānugatānaṁ, bhikkhave, dhammānaṁ, vacasā paricitānaṁ, manasānupekkhitānaṁ, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhānaṁ ayaṁ dutiyo ānisaṁso pāṭikaṅkho.
In the same way, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu thoroughly learns the Dhamma—discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, sayings, birth stories, marvelous accounts, and questions-and-answers. He follows those teachings, recites them aloud, familiarizes himself with them, mentally re-examines them, and thoroughly penetrates them by view. Even if he passes away muddle-minded, he is reborn in a certain order of deities. There, the happy ones do not recite passages of the Dhamma to him, but a bhikkhu endowed with psychic powers and mastery over the mind teaches the Dhamma to a host of deities. Then it occurs to him: ‘This is that very Dhamma and Vinaya under which I formerly led the spiritual life.’ Though the arising of mindfulness is sluggish, that sentient being swiftly reaches distinction. This is the second benefit to be expected from teachings that have been followed by ear, recited aloud, familiarized, mentally re-examined, and thoroughly penetrated by view.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Tassa te dhammā sotānugatā honti, vacasā paricitā, manasānupekkhitā, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā. So muṭṭhassati kālaṁ kurumāno aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ upapajjati. Tassa tattha na heva kho sukhino dhammapadā plavanti, napi bhikkhu iddhimā cetovasippatto devaparisāyaṁ dhammaṁ deseti; api ca kho devaputto devaparisāyaṁ dhammaṁ deseti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘ayaṁ vā so dhammavinayo, yatthāhaṁ pubbe brahmacariyaṁ acarin’ti. Dandho, bhikkhave, satuppādo; atha so satto khippaṁyeva visesagāmī hoti.
3.) Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu thoroughly learns the Dhamma—discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, sayings, birth stories, marvelous accounts, and questions-and-answers. He follows those teachings, recites them aloud, familiarizes himself with them, mentally re-examines them, and thoroughly penetrates them by view. Even if he passes away muddle-minded, he is reborn in a certain order of deities. There, the happy ones do not recite passages of the Dhamma to him, nor does a bhikkhu endowed with psychic powers and mastery over the mind teach the Dhamma to a host of deities. However, a young deity teaches the Dhamma to a host of deities. Then it occurs to him: ‘This is that very Dhamma and Vinaya under which I formerly led the spiritual life.’ Though the arising of mindfulness is sluggish, that sentient being swiftly reaches distinction.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso kusalo saṅkhasaddassa. So addhānamaggappaṭipanno saṅkhasaddaṁ suṇeyya. Tassa na heva kho assa kaṅkhā vā vimati vā: ‘saṅkhasaddo nu kho, na nu kho saṅkhasaddo’ti. Atha kho saṅkhasaddotveva niṭṭhaṁ gaccheyya.
Suppose a man were skilled in the sound of conch shells. While traveling along a long road, he might hear the sound of a conch shell and would not at all have doubt or confusion about the sound; rather, he would conclude: ‘That is the sound of a conch shell.’
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Tassa te dhammā sotānugatā honti, vacasā paricitā, manasānupekkhitā, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā. So muṭṭhassati kālaṁ kurumāno aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ upapajjati. Tassa tattha na heva kho sukhino dhammapadā plavanti, napi bhikkhu iddhimā cetovasippatto devaparisāyaṁ dhammaṁ deseti; api ca kho devaputto devaparisāyaṁ dhammaṁ deseti. Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘ayaṁ vā so dhammavinayo, yatthāhaṁ pubbe brahmacariyaṁ acarin’ti. Dandho, bhikkhave, satuppādo; atha so satto khippaṁyeva visesagāmī hoti. Sotānugatānaṁ, bhikkhave, dhammānaṁ, vacasā paricitānaṁ, manasānupekkhitānaṁ, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhānaṁ ayaṁ tatiyo ānisaṁso pāṭikaṅkho.
In the same way, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu thoroughly learns the Dhamma—discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, sayings, birth stories, marvelous accounts, and questions-and-answers. He follows those teachings, recites them aloud, familiarizes himself with them, mentally re-examines them, and thoroughly penetrates them by view. Even if he passes away muddle-minded, he is reborn in a certain order of deities. There, the happy ones do not recite passages of the Dhamma to him, nor does a bhikkhu endowed with psychic powers and mastery over the mind teach the Dhamma to a host of deities. However, a young deity teaches the Dhamma to a host of deities. Then it occurs to him: ‘This is that very Dhamma and Vinaya under which I formerly led the spiritual life.’ Though the arising of mindfulness is sluggish, that sentient being swiftly reaches distinction. This is the third benefit to be expected from teachings that have been followed by ear, recited aloud, familiarized, mentally re-examined, and thoroughly penetrated by view.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Tassa te dhammā sotānugatā honti, vacasā paricitā, manasānupekkhitā, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā. So muṭṭhassati kālaṁ kurumāno aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ upapajjati. Tassa tattha na heva kho sukhino dhammapadā plavanti, napi bhikkhu iddhimā cetovasippatto devaparisāyaṁ dhammaṁ deseti, napi devaputto devaparisāyaṁ dhammaṁ deseti; api ca kho opapātiko opapātikaṁ sāreti: ‘sarasi tvaṁ, mārisa, sarasi tvaṁ, mārisa, yattha mayaṁ pubbe brahmacariyaṁ acarimhā’ti. So evamāha: ‘sarāmi, mārisa, sarāmi, mārisā’ti. Dandho, bhikkhave, satuppādo; atha so satto khippaṁyeva visesagāmī hoti.
4.) Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu thoroughly learns the Dhamma—discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, sayings, birth stories, marvellous accounts, and questions-and-answers. He follows those teachings, recites them aloud, familiarizes himself with them, mentally re-examines them, and thoroughly penetrates them by view. Even if he passes away muddle-minded, he is reborn in a certain order of deities. There, the happy ones do not recite passages of the Dhamma to him, nor does a bhikkhu endowed with psychic powers and mastery over the mind teach the Dhamma to a host of deities, nor does a young deity teach the Dhamma to a host of deities. However, a spontaneously reborn being reminds another spontaneously reborn being: ‘Do you remember, friend? Do you remember, friend, where we formerly lived the spiritual life?’ And he replies: ‘I remember, friend, I remember.’ Though the arising of mindfulness is sluggish, that sentient being swiftly reaches distinction.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, dve sahāyakā sahapaṁsukīḷikā. Te kadāci karahaci aññamaññaṁ samāgaccheyyuṁ. Añño pana sahāyako sahāyakaṁ evaṁ vadeyya: ‘idampi, samma, sarasi, idampi, samma, sarasī’ti. So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘sarāmi, samma, sarāmi, sammā’ti.
Suppose, bhikkhus, there were two friends |who had played together in the mud::who had fun together in the sand [sahapaṁsukīḷika]| [as children]. Sometime later, they might meet again. One might say to the other: ‘Do you remember this, friend? Do you remember that, friend?’ And the other would reply: ‘I remember, friend, I remember.’
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Tassa te dhammā sotānugatā honti, vacasā paricitā, manasānupekkhitā, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā. So muṭṭhassati kālaṁ kurumāno aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ upapajjati. Tassa tattha na heva kho sukhino dhammapadā plavanti, napi bhikkhu iddhimā cetovasippatto devaparisāyaṁ dhammaṁ deseti, napi devaputto devaparisāyaṁ dhammaṁ deseti; api ca kho opapātiko opapātikaṁ sāreti: ‘sarasi tvaṁ, mārisa, sarasi tvaṁ, mārisa, yattha mayaṁ pubbe brahmacariyaṁ acarimhā’ti. So evamāha: ‘sarāmi, mārisa, sarāmi, mārisā’ti. Dandho, bhikkhave, satuppādo; atha kho so satto khippaṁyeva visesagāmī hoti. Sotānugatānaṁ, bhikkhave, dhammānaṁ, vacasā paricitānaṁ, manasānupekkhitānaṁ, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhānaṁ ayaṁ catuttho ānisaṁso pāṭikaṅkho.
In the same way, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu thoroughly learns the Dhamma—discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, sayings, birth stories, marvelous accounts, and questions-and-answers. He follows those teachings, recites them aloud, familiarizes himself with them, mentally re-examines them, and thoroughly penetrates them by view. Even if he passes away muddle-minded, he is reborn in a certain order of deities. There, the happy ones do not recite passages of the Dhamma to him, nor does a bhikkhu endowed with psychic powers and mastery over the mind teach the Dhamma to a host of deities, nor does a young deity teach the Dhamma to a host of deities. However, a spontaneously reborn being reminds another spontaneously reborn being: ‘Do you remember, friend? Do you remember, friend, where we formerly lived the spiritual life?’ And he replies: ‘I remember, friend, I remember.’ Though the arising of mindfulness is sluggish, that sentient being swiftly reaches distinction. This is the fourth benefit to be expected from teachings that have been followed by ear, recited aloud, familiarized, mentally re-examined, and thoroughly penetrated by view.
Sotānugatānaṁ, bhikkhave, dhammānaṁ, vacasā paricitānaṁ, manasānupekkhitānaṁ diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhānaṁ ime cattāro ānisaṁsā pāṭikaṅkhā”ti.
Bhikkhus, for those teachings [of the perfectly Awakened One] that have been followed by ear, recited aloud, familiarized, mentally re-examined, and thoroughly penetrated by view, these four benefits are to be expected.”