Aṅguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka-Nipāta
XVIII. Upāsaka Vaggo

The Book of the Fives

Chapter XVIII: The Lay-Disciple

Sutta 179

Gihī Suttaṃ

The Home-Man

[155]

Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī.

Now the householder Anāthapiṇḍika,
surrounded by about five hundred lay disciples,
visited the Exalted One and,
after saluting,
sat down at one side.

Then the Exalted One addressed the venerable Sāriputta
and said;

'Sāriputta, any white-frocked home-man¹ you know,
who acts controlled²
in the five steps of the training
and obtains at will,
easily and without difficulty
the four³ very purposive abodes of ease,
here amid things seen,
may, should he desire,
declare just the (state of) self
by the self,
saying:

"Destroyed' is hell for me;
destroyed is animal-rebirth;
destroyed is the realm of ghosts;
destroyed for me is the wayward way,
the ill way,
the abyss;
I am he who has won to the Stream,
not subject to any falling away,
sure
and bound for enlightenment."

He acts controlled
in what five steps of the training?

Herein, Sāriputta, the Ariyan disciple
abstains from taking life,
from taking what is not given,
from fleshly lusts,
from lying
and from drinking spirituous liquors
that cause indolence.

He acts controlled
in these five steps of the training.

■

What are the four abodes of ease,
very purposive,
he obtains at will,
easily and without difficulty
here amid things seen?

Herein, Sāriputta, the Ariyan disciple
has unwavering faith in the Buddha:

Of a truth he is that,
the Exalted One,
arahant,
fully enlightened,
walking in knowledge,
well gone,
wise in the ways of the worlds,
with none greater,
tamer of tamable men,
teacher of devas and men,
Buddha,
lord.

This is the first
very purposive abode of ease,
won, here amid things seen,
by purifying impure thought,
by cleansing unclean thought.

-◦-

Again, Sāriputta, the Ariyan disciple
has unwavering faith in Dhamma;

Well declared by the Exalted One is Dhamma,
one to be seen here and now,
not for other times,
bidding one [156] come and see,
a guide to be understood by wise men,
each for himself.

This is the second
very purposive abode of ease,
won, here amid things seen,
by purifying impure thought,
by cleansing unclean thought.

-◦-

He has unwavering faith in the Order;

Well trained
is the Exalted One's Order of disciples;
trained in uprightness
is the Exalted One's Oder of disciples;
trained in method
is the Exalted One's Order of disciples;
trained in the way of right⁴
is the Exalted One's Order of disciples —
the four pairs of men,
the eight male persons —
this is the Exalted One's Order of disciples,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of oblations,
worthy of gifts,
meet to be reverently saluted,
a field for merit,
none greater in the world.

This is the third
very purposive abode of ease,
won, here amid things seen,
by purifying impure thought,
by cleansing unclean thought.

-◦-

Moreover, Sāriputta, the Ariyan disciple
is possessed of virtues
beloved by Ariyans —
whole,
unbroken,
untarnished,
without blemish,
bringing freedom,
praised by wise men,
incorrupt,
conducive to concentration.

This is the fourth
very purposive abode of ease,
won, here amid things seen,
by purifying impure thought,
by cleansing unclean thought.

These are the four abodes of ease,
very purposive,
he obtains at will,
easily and without difficulty
here amid things seen

Sāriputta, any white-frocked home-man you know,
who acts controlled
in these five steps of the training
and obtains at will,
easily and without difficulty,
these four very purposive abodes of ease,
here amid things seen,
may, should he desire,
declare just the (state of) self
by the self
and say:

Destroyed is hell for me;
destroyed is animal-rebirth;
destroyed is the realm of ghosts;
destroyed for me is the wayward way,
the ill way,
the abyss;
I am he who has won to the Stream,
not subject to any falling away,
sure and bound for enlightenment.

Seeing hell's fearfulness, shun wickedness;
Wise men shun that, firm set in Ariyan Dhamma.
Not harming aught that breathes where progress is;⁵
Lie not, nor knowingly touch things ungiven;
live gladly with thine own, leave⁶ others' wives;
[157] No man should drink strong drink⁷ that dulls the thought;
Mind⁸ thou the Buddha, think on Dhamma oft;
With fair and harmless thoughts make thyself fit
For heaven. For him who merit's meed would win,⁹
With gift in Dhamma¹⁰ furnished, that gift,
First giv'n to godly men, will richly ripen.
Here I'll make known such men, list Sāriputta!
Mid¹¹ cows, black, white, red, tawny, dapple, dove,
Is found the well-tamed ox, strong beast of burden,
Gentle and swift to move, on whom they set
The load and yoke whatever his hue may be;
So among men of noble, brahman, low,
Or serf breeds, outcasts, aboriginals,
Is found the well-tamed, pious, modest man,
Just,¹² virtuous, truth-speaking, done with birth
And death, accomplished in the godly life,
With load put down, done what was to be done.
Rid of the cankers, yea and gone beyond
All states, not clinging, cool — lo! in that field
Of faultless men a gift will richly ripen.
The witless, loreless¹³ fools, all-ignorant,
Give gifts outside that field nor serve good men.
But they, with faith firm rooted in the Well-gone,
Who serve the good—wise men and by wise men
Held wise¹⁴ — go to the deva-realm, or here
Are born within some clan;¹⁵ and as wise men
In gradual course attain Nibbāna's bliss.'

¹ Gihin as opposed to the yellow-robed pabbajita, one gone forth.

² Saṃvuta-kammanta, Comy. pihita-.

³ Cf. A. iv, 405 ff.; D. ii, 93; S. v, 357; the four are called the mirror of Dhamma. Cf. Gotama the Man, pp. 169, 229.

⁴ Sāmīci.

⁵ Vijjamāne parakkame.

⁶ Ārame; S.e. and v.l. nārame; at A. iv, 137 we have āramati in the same sense; P.E.D. omits, but see ārata, ārati; the root is √ram, meaning to set at rest, to be at ease, to delight in.

⁷ Merayaṃ vāruṇiṃ. Comy. catubbidhaṃ merayaṃ, pañcavidhañ ca suraṃ; vāruṇī is a Jātaka word and does not seem to recur in the four Nikāyas; it is odd that the Commentaries do not connect it with Varuṇa's daughter, the Hindu goddess of spirituous liquor; see J. i, 251.

⁸ Cf. Romans viii, 5.

⁹ Jigiṃsato.

¹⁰ Deyya-dhamma: a Dhamma-ly gift, but see P.E.D. s.v.

¹¹ From here onwards recurs at A. i, 162, see G.S. i, 145; Comy. refers to AA. ii, 258.

¹² This line of the text recurs above, § 42.

¹³ Assutāvino

¹⁴ Sappaññe dhīrasammate.