AN 7.42 Graduation (1st)

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Then Venerable Sāriputta robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms.

Then it occurred to him,

“It’s too early to wander for alms in Sāvatthī.

Why don’t I visit the monastery of the wanderers of other religions?”

Then he went to the monastery of the wanderers of other religions and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side.

Now at that time while those wanderers of other religions were sitting together this discussion came up among them,

“Reverends, anyone who lives the full and pure spiritual life for twelve years is qualified to be called a ‘graduate mendicant’.”

Sāriputta neither approved nor rejected that statement of the wanderers of other religions.

He rose from his seat, thinking,

“I will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.”

Then Sāriputta wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on his return from almsround, he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened, adding:

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“Sir, in this teaching and training can we describe a mendicant as a ‘graduate’ solely because they have completed a certain number of years?”

“No, Sāriputta, we cannot.

I make known these seven qualifications for graduation after realizing them with my own insight.

What seven?

It’s when a mendicant has a keen enthusiasm to undertake the training … to examine the teachings … to get rid of desires … for retreat … to rouse up energy … for mindfulness and alertness … to penetrate theoretically. And they don’t lose these desires in the future.

These are the seven qualifications for graduation that I make known after realizing them with my own insight.

A mendicant who has these seven qualifications for graduation is qualified to be called a ‘graduate mendicant’. This is so whether they have lived the full and pure spiritual life for twelve years,

twenty-four years,

thirty-six years, or forty-eight years.”

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Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.

Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi:

“atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ.

Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodi.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Tena kho pana samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:

“yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā”ti.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandi nappaṭikkosi.

Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi:

“bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī”ti.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Idhāhaṁ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁ.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:

‘atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ.

Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan’ti.

Atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodiṁ.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁ.

Tena kho pana, bhante, samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:

‘yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, niddaso bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāyā’ti.

Atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandiṁ nappaṭikkosiṁ.

Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁ:

‘bhagavato santike etassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī’ti.

Sakkā nu kho, bhante, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetun”ti?

“Na kho, sāriputta, sakkā imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetuṁ.

Satta kho imāni, sāriputta, niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.

Katamāni satta?

Idha, sāriputta, bhikkhu sikkhāsamādāne tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca sikkhāsamādāne avigatapemo, dhammanisantiyā tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca dhammanisantiyā avigatapemo, icchāvinaye tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca icchāvinaye avigatapemo, paṭisallāne tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca paṭisallāne avigatapemo, vīriyārambhe tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca vīriyārambhe avigatapemo, satinepakke tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca satinepakke avigatapemo, diṭṭhipaṭivedhe tibbacchando hoti āyatiñca diṭṭhipaṭivedhe avigatapemo.

Imāni kho, sāriputta, satta niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.

Imehi kho, sāriputta, sattahi niddasavatthūhi samannāgato bhikkhu dvādasa cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya;

catubbīsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya;

chattiṁsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya, aṭṭhacattārīsañcepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā”ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.