21 (1) Mahānāma (1)

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in Nigrodha’s Park. Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Venerable sir, this Kapilavatthu is rich and prosperous, populous, crowded, with congested thoroughfares. In the evening, when I am entering Kapilavatthu after visiting the Blessed One or the Bhikkhus worthy of esteem, I come across a stray elephant, a stray horse, a stray chariot, a stray cart, a stray man. On that occasion, venerable sir, my mindfulness regarding the Blessed One becomes muddled, my mindfulness regarding the Dhamma becomes muddled, my mindfulness regarding the Saṅgha becomes muddled. The thought then occurs to me: ‘If at this moment I should die, what would be my destination, what would be my future bourn?’”

“Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Your death will not be a bad one, your demise will not be a bad one. When a person’s mind has been fortified over a long time by faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom, right here crows, vultures, hawks, dogs, jackals, or various creatures eat his body, consisting of form, composed of the four great elements, originating from mother and father, built up out of rice and gruel, subject to impermanence, to being worn and rubbed away away, to breaking apart and dispersal. But his mind, which has been fortified over a long time by faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom—that goes upwards, goes to distinction.

“Suppose, Mahānāma, a man submerges a pot of ghee or a pot of oil in a deep pool of water and breaks it. All of its shards and fragments would sink downwards, but the ghee or oil there would rise upwards. So too, Mahānāma, when a person’s mind has been fortified over a long time by faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom, right here crows … or various creatures eat his body.… But his mind, which has been fortified over a long time by faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom—that goes upwards, goes to distinction.

“Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Your death will not be a bad one, your demise will not be a bad one.”

22 (2) Mahānāma (2)

(As above down to:)

“Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Your death will not be a bad one, your demise will not be a bad one. A noble disciple who possesses four things slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna. What four? Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha … in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha.… He possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration.

“Suppose, Mahānāma, a tree was slanting, sloping, and inclining towards the east. If it was cut down at its foot, in what direction would it fall?”

“In whatever direction it was slanting, sloping, and inclining, venerable sir.”

“So too, Mahānāma, a noble disciple who possesses these four things slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.”

23 (3) Godhā

At Kapilavatthu. Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached Godhā the Sakyan and said to him: “How many things, Godhā, must an individual possess for you to recognize him as a stream-enterer, one no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination?”

“When an individual possesses three things, Mahānāma, I recognize him as a stream-enterer, one no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination. What three? Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha … in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha…. When an individual possesses these three things, I recognize him as a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination. But, Mahānāma, how many things must an individual possess for you to recognize him as a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination?”

“When an individual possesses four things, Godhā, I recognize him as a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination. What four? Here, Godhā, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha … in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha.… He possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration. When an individual possesses these four things, I recognize him as a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination.”

“Wait, Mahānāma! Wait, Mahānāma! The Blessed One alone would know whether or not he possesses these things.”

“Come, Godhā, we should approach the Blessed One. Having approached, we will report this matter to him.”

Then Mahānāma the Sakyan and Godhā the Sakyan approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. Mahānāma the Sakyan then reported their conversation, [continuing thus]:

“Here, venerable sir, some issue concerning the Dhamma may arise. The Blessed One might take one side and the Bhikkhu Saṅgha might take the other side. Whatever side the Blessed One would take, I would take that same side. Let the Blessed One remember me as one who has such confidence.

“Here, venerable sir, some issue concerning the Dhamma may arise. The Blessed One might take one side, and the Bhikkhu Saṅgha and the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha might take the other side.… The Blessed One might take one side, and the Bhikkhu Saṅgha, the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha, and the male lay followers might take the other side.… The Blessed One might take one side, and the Bhikkhu Saṅgha, the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha, the male lay followers, and the female lay followers might take the other side. Whatever side the Blessed One would take, I would take that same side. Let the Blessed One remember me as one who has such confidence.

“Here, venerable sir, some issue concerning the Dhamma may arise. The Blessed One might take one side, and the Bhikkhu Saṅgha, the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha, the male lay followers, the female lay followers, and the world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, might take the other side. Whatever side the Blessed One would take, I would take that same side. Let the Blessed One remember me as one who has such confidence.”

[The Blessed One said:] “When he speaks like that, Godhā, what would you say about Mahānāma the Sakyan?”

“When he speaks in such a way, venerable sir, I would not say anything about Mahānāma the Sakyan except what is good and favourable.”

24 (4) Sarakāni (1)

At Kapilavatthu. Now on that occasion Sarakāni the Sakyan had died, and the Blessed One had declared him to be a streamenterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination. Thereupon a number of Sakyans, having met and assembled, deplored this, grumbled, and complained about it, saying: “It is wonderful indeed, sir! It is amazing indeed, sir! Now who here won’t be a stream-enterer when the Blessed One has declared Sarakāni the Sakyan after he died to be a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination? Sarakāni the Sakyan was too weak for the training; he drank intoxicating drink!”

Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported this matter to him. [The Blessed One said:]

“Mahānāma, when a lay follower has gone for refuge over a long time to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, how could he go to the nether world? For if one speaking rightly were to say of anyone: ‘He was a lay follower who had gone for refuge over a long time to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha,’ it is of Sarakāni the Sakyan that one could rightly say this. Mahānāma, Sarakāni the Sakyan had gone for refuge over a long time to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, so how could he go to the nether world?

“Here, Mahānāma, some person possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ And so in the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is one of joyous wisdom, of swift wisdom, and he has attained liberation. By the destruction of the taints, in this very life he enters and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, realizing it for himself with direct knowledge. This person, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.

“Here, Mahānāma, some person possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. He is one of joyous wisdom, of swift wisdom, yet he has not attained liberation. With the utter destruction of the five lower fetters he has become one of spontaneous birth, due to attain Nibbāna there without returning from that world. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.

“Here, Mahānāma, some person possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. With the utter destruction of three fetters and with the diminishing of greed, hatred, and delusion, he is a once-returner who, after coming back to this world only one more time, will make an end to suffering. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world. “Here, Mahānāma, some person possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. With the utter destruction of three fetters he is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.

“Here, Mahānāma, some person does not possess confirmed confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. However, he has these five things: the faculty of faith, the faculty of energy, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, the faculty of wisdom. And the teachings proclaimed by the Tathāgata are accepted by him after being pondered to a sufficient degree with wisdom. This person too, Mahānāma, is one who does not go to hell, the animal realm, or the domain of ghosts, to the plane of misery, the bad destina tions, the nether world.

“Here, Mahānāma, some person does not possess confirmed confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. However, he has these five things: the faculty of faith … the faculty of wisdom. And he has sufficient faith in the Tathāgata, sufficient devotion to him. This person too, Mahānāma, is one who does not go to hell, the animal realm, or the domain of ghosts, to the plane of misery, the bad destina tions, the nether world.

“Even if these great sal trees, Mahānāma, could understand what is well spoken and what is badly spoken, then I would declare these great sal trees to be stream-enterers, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as their destination. How much more, then, Sarakāni the Sakyan? Mahānāma, Sarakāni the Sakyan undertook the training at the time of his death.”

25 (5) Sarakāni (2)

At Kapilavatthu. Now on that occasion Sarakāni the Sakyan had died, and the Blessed One had declared him to be a streamenterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination. Thereupon a number of Sakyans, having met and assembled, deplored this, grumbled, and complained about it, saying: “It is wonderful indeed, sir! It is amazing indeed, sir! Now who here won’t be a stream-enterer when the Blessed One has declared Sarakāni the Sakyan after he died to be a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination? Sarakāni the Sakyan was one who had failed to fulfil the training!”

Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported this matter to him. [The Blessed One said:]

“Mahānāma, when, over a long time, a lay follower has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, how could he go to the nether world?… Mahānāma, over a long time Sarakāni the Sakyan had gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, so how could he go to the nether world?

“Here, Mahānāma, some person is completely dedicated to the Buddha and has full confidence in him thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is one of joyous wisdom, of swift wisdom, and he has attained liberation. By the destruction of the taints, in this very life he enters and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, realizing it for himself with direct knowledge. This person, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.

“Here, Mahānāma, some person is completely dedicated to the Buddha and has full confidence in him…. And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is one of joyous wisdom, of swift wisdom, yet he has not attained liberation. With the utter destruction of the five lower fetters he has become one who attains final knowledge early in this very life, or one who attains final knowledge at the time of death, or an attainer of Nibbāna in the interval, or an attainer of Nibbāna upon landing, or an attainer of Nibbāna without exertion, or an attainer of Nibbāna with exertion, or one bound upstream, heading towards the Akaniṭṭha realm. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.

“Here, Mahānāma, some person is completely dedicated to the Buddha and has full confidence in him…. And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. With the utter destruction of three fetters and with the diminishing of greed, hatred, and delusion, he is a once-returner who, after coming back to this world only one more time, will make an end to suffering. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.

“Here, Mahānāma, some person is completely dedicated to the Buddha and has full confidence in him…. And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. With the utter destruction of three fetters he is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination. This person too, Mahānāma, is freed from hell, the animal realm, and the domain of ghosts, freed from the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.

“Here, Mahānāma, some person is not completely dedicated to the Buddha and does not have full confidence in him thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. However, he has these five things: the faculty of faith … the faculty of wisdom. And the teachings proclaimed by the Tathāgata are accepted by him after being pondered to a sufficient degree with wisdom. This person too, Mahānāma, is one who does not go to hell, the animal realm, or the domain of ghosts, to the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.

“Here, Mahānāma, some person is not completely dedicated to the Buddha and does not have full confidence in him…. And so in regard to the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He is not one of joyous wisdom, nor of swift wisdom, and he has not attained liberation. However, he has these five things: the faculty of faith … the faculty of wisdom. And he has sufficient faith in the Tathāgata, sufficient devotion to him. This person too, Mahānāma, is one who does not go to hell, the animal realm, or the domain of ghosts, to the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world.

“Suppose, Mahānāma, there is a bad field, a bad piece of ground, with stumps not cleared, and the seeds sown there would be broken, spoilt, damaged by wind and sun, unfertile, not planted securely, and the sky would not send down a proper rainfall. Would those seeds come to growth, increase, and expansion?”

“No, venerable sir.”

“So too, Mahānāma, here a Dhamma is badly expounded, badly proclaimed, unemancipating, not conducive to peace, proclaimed by one who is not perfectly enlightened. This, I say, is like the bad field. And the disciple dwells in that Dhamma practising in accordance with it, practising it properly, conducting himself accordingly. This, I say, is like the bad seed.

“Suppose, Mahānāma, there is a good field, a good piece of ground, well cleared of stumps, and the seeds sown there would be unbroken, unspoilt, undamaged by wind and sun, fertile, planted securely, and the sky would send down a proper rainfall. Would those seeds come to growth, increase, and expansion?”

“Yes, venerable sir.”

“So too, Mahānāma, here a Dhamma is well expounded, well proclaimed, emancipating, conducive to peace, proclaimed by one who is perfectly enlightened. This, I say, is like the good field. And the disciple dwells in that Dhamma practising in accordance with it, practising it properly, conducting himself accordingly. This, I say, is like the good seed. How much more, then, Sarakāni the Sakyan? Mahānāma, Sarakāni the Sakyan was one who fulfilled the training at the time of death.”

26 (6) Anāthapindika (1)

At Sāvatthi. Now on that occasion the householder Anāthapindika was sick, afflicted, gravely ill. Then the householder Anāthapindika addressed a man thus:

“Come, good man, approach the Venerable Sāriputta, pay homage to him in my name with your head at his feet, and say: ‘Venerable sir, the householder Anāthapindika is sick, afflicted, gravely ill; he pays homage to the Venerable Sāriputta with his head at his feet.’ Then say: ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the Venerable Sāriputta would come to the residence of the householder Anāthapindika out of compassion.’”

“Yes, master,” that man replied, and he approached the Venerable Sāriputta, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and delivered his message. The Venerable Sāriputta consented by silence.

Then, in the morning, the Venerable Sāriputta dressed and, taking bowl and robe, went to the residence of the householder Anāthapindika with the Venerable Ānanda as his companion. He then sat down in the appointed seat and said to the householder Anāthapindika: “I hope you are bearing up, householder, I hope you are getting better. I hope your painful feelings are subsiding and not increasing, and that their subsiding, not their increase, is to be discerned.”

“I am not bearing up, venerable sir, I am not getting better. Strong painful feelings are increasing in me, not subsiding, and their increase, not their subsiding, is to be discerned.”

“You, householder, do not have that distrust towards the Buddha which the uninstructed worldling possesses because of which the latter, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the nether world, in hell. And you have confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ As you consider within yourself that confirmed confidence in the Buddha, your pains may subside on the spot.

“You, householder, do not have that distrust towards the Dhamma which the uninstructed worldling possesses because of which the latter … is reborn in the plane of misery … in hell. And you have confirmed confidence in the Dhamma thus: ‘The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One … to be personally experienced by the wise.’ As you consider within yourself that confirmed confidence in the Dhamma, your pains may subside on the spot.

“You, householder, do not have that distrust towards the Saṅgha which the uninstructed worldling possesses because of which the latter … is reborn in the plane of misery … in hell. And you have confirmed confidence in the Saṅgha thus: ‘The Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practising the good way … the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.’ As you consider within yourself that confirmed confidence in the Saṅgha, your pains may subside on the spot.

“You, householder, do not have that immorality which the uninstructed worldling possesses because of which the latter … is reborn in the plane of misery … in hell. And you have those virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration. As you consider within yourself those virtues dear to the noble ones, your pains may subside on the spot.

“You, householder, do not have that wrong view which the uninstructed worldling possesses because of which the latter … is reborn in the plane of misery … in hell. And you have right view. As you consider within yourself that right view, your pains may subside on the spot.

“You, householder, do not have that wrong intention … … wrong speech … wrong action … wrong livelihood … wrong effort … wrong mindfulness … wrong concentration … wrong knowledge … wrong liberation which the uninstructed worldling possesses because of which the latter … is reborn in the plane of misery … in hell. And you have right intention … right speech … right action … right livelihood … right effort … right mindfulness … right concentration … … right knowledge … right liberation. As you consider within yourself that right liberation, your pains may subside on the spot.”

Then the pains of the householder Anāthapindika subsided on the spot.

Then the householder Anāthapindika served the Venerable Sāriputta and the Venerable Ānanda from his own dish. When the Venerable Sāriputta had finished his meal and had put away his bowl, the householder Anāthapindika took a low seat and sat down to one side, and the Venerable Sāriputta thanked him with these verses:

“When one has faith in the Tathāgata,
Unshakable and well established,
And good conduct built on virtue,
Dear to the noble ones and praised;

“When one has confidence in the Saṅgha
And view that has been rectified,
They say that one is not poor,
That one’s life is not vain.

“Therefore the person of intelligence,
Remembering the Buddha’s Teaching,
Should be devoted to faith and virtue,
To confidence and vision of the Dhamma.”

Then the Venerable Sāriputta, having thanked the householder Anāthapindika with these verses, rose from his seat and departed.

Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The Blessed One then said to him: “Now, Ānanda, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”

“The householder Anāthapindika, venerable sir, has been exhorted by the Venerable Sāriputta with such and such an exhortation.”

“Sāriputta is wise, Ānanda, Sāriputta has great wisdom, in so far as he can analyse the four factors of stream-entry in ten modes.”

27 (7) Anāthapindika (2)

(The opening of this sutta as in the preceding one, except that Anāthapiṇḍika calls for Ānanda, down to:)

“I am not bearing up, venerable sir, I am not getting better. Strong painful feelings are increasing in me, not subsiding, and their increase, not their subsiding, is to be discerned.”

“Householder, for the uninstructed worldling who possesses four things there is fright, there is trepidation, there is fear of imminent death. What four?

“Here, householder, the uninstructed worldling has distrust towards the Buddha, and when he considers within himself that distrust towards the Buddha, there is fright, trepidation, and fear of imminent death.

“Again, householder, the uninstructed worldling has distrust towards the Dhamma, and when he considers within himself that distrust towards the Dhamma, there is fright, trepidation, and fear of imminent death.

“Again, householder, the uninstructed worldling has distrust towards the Saṅgha, and when he considers within himself that distrust towards the Saṅgha, there is fright, trepidation, and fear of imminent death.

“Again, householder, the uninstructed worldling is immoral, and when he considers within himself that immorality, there is fright, trepidation, and fear of imminent death.

“For the uninstructed worldling who possesses these four things there is fright, trepidation, and fear of imminent death.

“Householder, for the instructed noble disciple who possesses four things there is no fright, no trepidation, no fear of imminent death. What four?

“Here, householder, the instructed noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ When he considers within himself that confirmed confidence in the Buddha, there is no fright, trepidation, or fear of imminent death.

“Again, householder, the instructed noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Dhamma thus: ‘The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One … to be personally experienced by the wise.’ When he considers within himself that confirmed confidence in the Dhamma, there is no fright, trepidation, or fear of imminent death.

“Again, householder, the instructed noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Saṅgha thus: ‘The Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practising the good way … the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.’ When he considers within himself that confirmed confidence in the Saṅgha, there is no fright, trepidation, or fear of imminent death.

“Again, householder, the instructed noble disciple possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration. When he considers within himself those virtues dear to the noble ones, there is no fright, trepidation, or fear of imminent death.

“For the instructed noble disciple who possesses these four things there is no fright, trepidation, or fear of imminent death.” “I am not afraid, Venerable Ānanda. Why should I be afraid? For, venerable sir, I possess confirmed confidence in the Buddha

… in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha. And as to these training rules for the laity taught by the Blessed One, I do not see within myself any that has been broken.”

“It is a gain for you, householder! It is well gained by you, householder! You have declared, householder, the fruit of stream-entry.”

28 (8) Fearful Animosities (1) [or Anāthapindika (3)]

(This sutta is identical with 12:41.)

29 (9) Fearful Animosities (2)

At Sāvatthi. Then a number of Bhikkhus approached the Blessed One … and sat down to one side. The Blessed One then said to them as they were sitting to one side:

(All as in the preceding sutta; identical with 12:42.)

30 (10) The Licchavi

On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the Great Wood in the Hall with the Peaked Roof. Then Nandaka, the minister of the Licchavis, approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The Blessed One then said to him:

“Nandaka, a noble disciple who possesses four things is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination. What four? Here, Nandaka, a noble disciple possesses confirmed confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is … teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ He possesses confirmed confidence in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha.… He possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration. A noble disciple who possesses these four things is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination.

“Further, Nandaka, a noble disciple who possesses these four things becomes endowed with a long life span, whether celestial or human; he becomes endowed with beauty, whether celestial or human; he becomes endowed with happiness, whether celestial or human; he becomes endowed with fame, whether celestial or human; he becomes endowed with sovereignty, whether celestial or human. Now I say this, Nandaka, without having heard it from another ascetic or brahmin; rather, I say just what I have known, seen, and understood by myself.”

When this was said, a man said to Nandaka, the minister of the Licchavis: “It is time for your bath, sir.”

“Enough now, I say, with that external bath. This internal bath will suffice, namely, confidence in the Blessed One.”