Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Awakened One, as I have 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.
“There are three kinds of best confidence. What three? However many sentient beings 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, the Arahant, the Perfectly Awakened One is regarded as the foremost among them. Those 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.
However many Dhammas there are—whether conditioned or unconditioned—the fading of desire is regarded as the foremost among them. That is, the crushing of conceit; the dispelling of thirst; the uprooting of clinging; the breaking off of the cycle of existence; the wearing away of craving; the fading of desire; cessation; Nibbāna. Those who place their confidence in the Dhamma 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.
However many communities or gatherings there are, the community of the Tathāgata’s disciples 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, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Those 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,
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 Dhamma,
the ease born from fading of desire and calming,
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,
reputation, 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 Dhamma;
whether reborn as a god or as a human,
delights having attained the best.”
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.
This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.
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::the felt sense of being someone; the five aggregates subject to clinging; the totality of psycho-physical experience within which a sense of "I" or "mine" arises [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::hostile thought, malevolent intent, wishing ruin or downfall [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 [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]|