The Buddha teaches on the factors of stream-entry regarding with mahānāma (1st), showing how confidence in the Triple Gem and noble ethics lead to liberation from loss.

SN 55.21 With Mahānāma (1st)

Evaṁ me sutaṁ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme. Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“idaṁ, bhante, kapilavatthu iddhañceva phītañca bāhujaññaṁ ākiṇṇamanussaṁ sambādhabyūhaṁ. So khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ payirupāsitvā manobhāvanīye bhikkhū sāyanhasamayaṁ kapilavatthuṁ pavisanto; bhantenapi hatthinā samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi assena samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi rathena samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi sakaṭena samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi purisena samāgacchāmi. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, tasmiṁ samaye mussateva bhagavantaṁ ārabbha sati, mussati dhammaṁ ārabbha sati, mussati saṅghaṁ ārabbha sati. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘imamhi cāhaṁ samaye kālaṁ kareyyaṁ, mayhaṁ gati, ko abhisamparāyo’”ti?

“Mā bhāyi, mahānāma, bhāyi, mahānāma. Apāpakaṁ te maraṇaṁ bhavissati apāpikā kālaṅkiriyā. Yassa kassaci, mahānāma, dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ sīlaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ sutaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ cāgaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ paññāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ, tassa yo hi khvāyaṁ kāyo rūpī cātumahābhūtiko mātāpettikasambhavo odanakummāsūpacayo aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammo. Taṁ idheva kākā khādanti gijjhā khādanti kulalā khādanti sunakhā khādanti siṅgālā khādanti vividhā pāṇakajātā khādanti; yañca khvassa cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ …pe… paññāparibhāvitaṁ taṁ uddhagāmi hoti visesagāmi.

Seyyathāpi, mahānāma, puriso sappikumbhaṁ telakumbhaṁ gambhīraṁ udakarahadaṁ ogāhitvā bhindeyya. Tatra assa sakkharā kaṭhalā adhogāmī assa, yañca khvassa tatra sappi telaṁ taṁ uddhagāmi assa visesagāmi.

Evameva kho, mahānāma, yassa kassaci dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ …pe… paññāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ tassa yo hi khvāyaṁ kāyo rūpī cātumahābhūtiko mātāpettikasambhavo odanakummāsūpacayo aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammo taṁ idheva kākā khādanti gijjhā khādanti kulalā khādanti sunakhā khādanti siṅgālā khādanti vividhā pāṇakajātā khādanti; yañca khvassa cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ …pe… paññāparibhāvitaṁ taṁ uddhagāmi hoti visesagāmi.

Tuyhaṁ kho pana, mahānāma, dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ …pe… paññāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ. bhāyi, mahānāma, bhāyi, mahānāma. Apāpakaṁ te maraṇaṁ bhavissati, apāpikā kālaṅkiriyā”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Evaṁ me sutaṁ

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery.

Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Mahānāma the Sakyan went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“idaṁ, bhante, kapilavatthu iddhañceva phītañca bāhujaññaṁ ākiṇṇamanussaṁ sambādhabyūhaṁ.

“Sir, this Kapilavatthu is successful and prosperous, populous, full of people, with cramped cul-de-sacs.

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ payirupāsitvā manobhāvanīye bhikkhū sāyanhasamayaṁ kapilavatthuṁ pavisanto;

In the late afternoon, after paying homage to the Buddha or an esteemed mendicant, I enter Kapilavatthu.

bhantenapi hatthinā samāgacchāmi;

I encounter a stray elephant,

bhantenapi assena samāgacchāmi;

horse,

bhantenapi rathena samāgacchāmi;

chariot,

bhantenapi sakaṭena samāgacchāmi;

cart,

bhantenapi purisena samāgacchāmi.

or person.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, tasmiṁ samaye mussateva bhagavantaṁ ārabbha sati, mussati dhammaṁ ārabbha sati, mussati saṅghaṁ ārabbha sati.

At that time I lose mindfulness regarding the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti:

I think:

‘imamhi cāhaṁ samaye kālaṁ kareyyaṁ, mayhaṁ gati, ko abhisamparāyo’”ti?

‘If I were to die at this time, where would I be reborn in my next life?’”

“Mā bhāyi, mahānāma, bhāyi, mahānāma.

“Do not fear, Mahānāma, do not fear!

Apāpakaṁ te maraṇaṁ bhavissati apāpikā kālaṅkiriyā.

Your death will not be a bad one; your passing will not be a bad one.

Yassa kassaci, mahānāma, dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ sīlaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ sutaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ cāgaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ paññāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ, tassa yo hi khvāyaṁ kāyo rūpī cātumahābhūtiko mātāpettikasambhavo odanakummāsūpacayo aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammo.

Take someone whose mind has for a long time been imbued with faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom. Their body is formed, made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction.

Taṁ idheva kākā khādanti gijjhā khādanti kulalā khādanti sunakhā khādanti siṅgālā khādanti vividhā pāṇakajātā khādanti;

Right here the crows, vultures, hawks, hounds, jackals, and many kinds of little creatures devour it.

yañca khvassa cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ …pe… paññāparibhāvitaṁ taṁ uddhagāmi hoti visesagāmi.

But their mind rises up, headed for a higher place.

Seyyathāpi, mahānāma, puriso sappikumbhaṁ telakumbhaṁ gambhīraṁ udakarahadaṁ ogāhitvā bhindeyya.

Suppose a person was to sink a pot of ghee or oil into a deep lake and break it open.

Tatra assa sakkharā kaṭhalā adhogāmī assa, yañca khvassa tatra sappi telaṁ taṁ uddhagāmi assa visesagāmi.

Its shards and chips would sink down, while the ghee or oil in it would rise up, headed for a higher place.

Evameva kho, mahānāma, yassa kassaci dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ …pe…

In the same way, take someone whose mind has for a long time been imbued with faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom. Their body consists of form, made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction.

paññāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ tassa yo hi khvāyaṁ kāyo rūpī cātumahābhūtiko mātāpettikasambhavo odanakummāsūpacayo aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammo taṁ idheva kākā khādanti gijjhā khādanti kulalā khādanti sunakhā khādanti siṅgālā khādanti vividhā pāṇakajātā khādanti;

Right here the crows, vultures, hawks, hounds, jackals, and many kinds of little creatures devour it.

yañca khvassa cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ …pe… paññāparibhāvitaṁ taṁ uddhagāmi hoti visesagāmi.

But their mind rises up, headed for a higher place.

Tuyhaṁ kho pana, mahānāma, dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ …pe… paññāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ.

Your mind, Mahānāma, has for a long time been imbued with faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.

bhāyi, mahānāma, bhāyi, mahānāma.

Do not fear, Mahānāma, do not fear!

Apāpakaṁ te maraṇaṁ bhavissati, apāpikā kālaṅkiriyā”ti.

Your death will not be a bad one; your passing will not be a bad one.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Faith

Faith

Confidence in the Buddha's awakening and the efficacy of the path. It brightens and steadies the mind, removing doubt and inspiring energy toward wholesome practice. True faith rests on clarity and direct experience rather than mere belief.

Also known as: confidence, trust, belief, conviction, self-assurance
Pāli: saddha, pasanna
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Fear

Fear

A constricting mental state that arises when the mind perceives threat or danger. It agitates and destabilizes, driving the mind toward avoidance, paralysis, or desperate action.

Also known as: feeling afraid, timid, dread, fright, horror, panic, terror
Pāli: bhaya, dara
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Giving

Giving

The act of generosity, sharing, or offering to others without expecting anything in return. Giving is considered a foundational virtue in Buddhist practice, fostering selflessness and compassion.

Also known as: generosity, charity, donation, almsgiving, donating, philanthropy, providing with, gift with
Pāli: dāna
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Harm

Harm

Intention or action that causes injury or suffering to oneself or others. It arises from aversion and heedlessness and destroys trust and safety. The opposite of non-harm, it obscures compassion and leads to regret.

Also known as: injury causing behavior, destructiveness, bad, evil
Pāli: pāpaka
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026