Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, and Thus have I heard:
“Tayome, bhikkhave, aggappasādā. Katame tayo? Yāvatā, bhikkhave, sattā apadā vā dvipadā vā catuppadā vā bahuppadā vā rūpino vā arūpino vā saññino vā asaññino vā nevasaññināsaññino vā, tathāgato tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho. Ye, bhikkhave, buddhe pasannā, agge te pasannā. Agge kho pana pasannānaṁ aggo vipāko hoti.
“Bhikkhus, there are three kinds of best confidence. What three? However many |sentient beings::living beings [satta]| there are—whether they are without feet, with two feet, with four feet, or with many feet; with form or formless; having perception, non-percipient, or neither percipient nor non-percipient—the |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]|, the |Arahant::a worthy one, a fully awakened being, epithet of the Buddha [arahant]|, the |Perfectly Awakened One::fully awakened being, fully enlightened being [sammāsambuddha]| is regarded the foremost among them. Those bhikkhus, who place their confidence in the Buddha, place their confidence in the best. And for those who place their confidence in the best, the result is the best.
Yāvatā, bhikkhave, dhammā saṅkhatā vā asaṅkhatā vā, virāgo tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati, yadidaṁ madanimmadano pipāsavinayo ālayasamugghāto vaṭṭupacchedo taṇhakkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānaṁ. Ye, bhikkhave, virāge dhamme pasannā, agge te pasannā. Agge kho pana pasannānaṁ aggo vipāko hoti.
Bhikkhus, however many |mental qualities::characteristics, traits, and tendencies of the mind, shaped by repeated actions and sustained attention, guided by particular ways of understanding; they may be wholesome or unwholesome, bright or dark [dhammā]| there are—whether |conditioned::constructed, created, fabricated [saṅkhata]| or |unconditioned::not created, unconstructed, unformed, epithet of Nibbāna [asaṅkhata]|—the |fading of desire::disappearance of desire, dispassion, disenchantment, detachment [virāga]| is regarded as the foremost among them. That is, the |crushing of conceit::removing vanity, subduing pride [madanimmadana]|, the |dispelling of thirst::removal of thirst [pipāsavinaya]|, the |uprooting of clinging::eradication of attachment [ālayasamugghāta]|, the |breaking off the cycle of existence::ending continued existence [vaṭṭupaccheda]|, the |wearing away of craving::depletion of desire, extinction of longing [taṇhakkhaya]|, the fading of desire, |gradual ending::cessation, termination [nirodha]|, |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]|. Those, bhikkhus, who place their confidence in the teaching of fading of desire, place their confidence in the best. And for those who place their confidence in the best, the result is the best.
Yāvatā, bhikkhave, saṅghā vā gaṇā vā, tathāgatasāvakasaṅgho tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati, yadidaṁ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa. Ye, bhikkhave, saṅghe pasannā, agge te pasannā. Agge kho pana pasannānaṁ aggo vipāko hoti. Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo aggappasādā”ti.
Bhikkhus, however many |communities::fellowships, collections [saṅghā]| or |gatherings::associations, groups [gaṇā]| there are, the |community of the Tathāgata’s disciples::the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples [tathāgatasāvakasaṅgha]| is regarded as the foremost among them. That is, the four pairs of persons, the eight kinds of individuals [1] — this is the Blessed One’s community of disciples, worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, and the unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Those, bhikkhus, who place their confidence in the community of the Blessed One’s disciples, place their confidence in the best. And for those who place their confidence in the best, the result is the best.”
Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
The Blessed One spoke on this matter. In this regard, it is said:
“Aggato ve pasannānaṁ,
aggaṁ dhammaṁ vijānataṁ;
Agge buddhe pasannānaṁ,
dakkhiṇeyye anuttare.
“Those who have placed their confidence in the foremost,
and who understand the unsurpassed |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|;
place their confidence in the best—the Buddha,
the unsurpassed one, worthy of offerings.
Agge dhamme pasannānaṁ,
virāgūpasame sukhe;
Agge saṅghe pasannānaṁ,
puññakkhette anuttare.
Those who place their confidence in the foremost mental quality,
the ease born from |fading of desire and calming::dispassion and tranquilization [virāgūpasama]|;
Those who place their confidence in the foremost community,
the unsurpassed field of merit.
Aggasmiṁ dānaṁ dadataṁ,
aggaṁ puññaṁ pavaḍḍhati;
Aggaṁ āyu ca vaṇṇo ca,
yaso kitti sukhaṁ balaṁ.
For those who give gifts to the best,
their merit grows to be the best;
Their lifespan, beauty, |fame::glory, prestige [yasa]|,
|reputation::renown, celebrity [kitti]|, contentment, and strength grow to be the best.
Aggassa dātā medhāvī,
aggadhammasamāhito;
Devabhūto manusso vā,
aggappatto pamodatī”ti.
The wise giver to the foremost,
one established in the highest mental quality;
Whether reborn as a god or as a human,
|delights::is very happy, is joyful [pamodati]| having attained the best.”
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.
This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.
[1] The four pairs of persons and the eight kinds of individuals that constitute the community of the Blessed One’s disciples are as follows:
1) |Personal existence::individual identity, embodied being, view that one is the owner of the body and mind [sakkāya]|
2) |Doubt::uncertainty, indecisiveness, lack of confidence in the Buddha’s teachings [vicikicchā]|
3) |Clinging to rules and observances::clinging to precepts and practices, adherence to rites and rituals [sīlabbataparāmāsa]|
4) |Sensual desire::interest in sensual pleasure, sensual impulse [kāmacchanda]|
5) |Ill will::intentional act of mentally opposing or rejecting others; an intentional construct fueled by aversion, directed against kindness or compassion. It manifests as hostility of will, impeding goodwill and fostering internal or external conflict. [byāpāda]|
4) Sensual desire
5) Ill will
6) |Passion for worldly existence::desire for material existence [rūparāga]|
7) |Passion for formless existence::desire for non-material existence [arūparāga]|
8) |Conceit::self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth [māna]|
9) |Restlessness::mental agitation, distraction, excitement [uddhacca]|
10) |Ignorance::fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths [avijjā]|