3-28-1 Sāriputtavaggo | Samyutta
Chapter VII
28 Sāriputtasamyutta
Connected Discourses with Sāriputta
1 Born of Seclusion
On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.
Then, in the morning, the Venerable Sāriputta dressed and, taking bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms.
Then, when he had walked for alms in Sāvatthī and had returned from the alms round, after his meal he went to the Blind Men’s Grove for the day’s abiding.
Having plunged into the Blind Men’s Grove, he sat down at the foot of a tree for the day’s abiding.
Then, in the evening, the Venerable Sāriputta emerged from seclusion and went to Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.
The Venerable Ānanda saw the Venerable Sāriputta coming in the distance and said to him:
Friend Sāriputta, your faculties are serene, your facial complexion is pure and bright. In what dwelling has the Venerable Sāriputta spent the day?
Here, friend, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I entered and dwelt in the 1st jhāna, which is accompanied by thought and examination, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion.
Yet, friend, it did not occur to me, ‘I am attaining the 1st jhāna,’ or ‘I have attained the 1st jhāna,’ or ‘I have emerged from the 1st jhāna.’
It must be because I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit have been thoroughly uprooted in the Venerable Sāriputta for a long time that such thoughts did not occur to him.
2 Without Thought
At Sāvatthī…. (as above) …
The Venerable Ānanda saw the Venerable Sāriputta coming in the distance and said to him:
Friend Sāriputta, your faculties are serene, your complexion is pure and bright. In what dwelling has the Venerable Sāriputta spent the day?
Here, friend, with the subsiding of thought and examination, I entered and dwelt in the 2nd jhāna, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without thought and examination, and has rapture and happiness born of concentration.
Yet, friend, it did not occur to me, ‘I am attaining the 2nd jhāna,’ or ‘I have attained the 2nd jhāna,’ or ‘I have emerged from the 2nd jhāna.’
It must be because I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit have been thoroughly uprooted in the Venerable Sāriputta for a long time that such thoughts did not occur to him.
3 Rapture
At Sāvatthī….
The Venerable Ānanda saw the Venerable Sāriputta coming in the distance….
Here, friend, with the fading away as well of rapture, I dwelt equanimous and, mindful and clearly comprehending, I experienced happiness with the body;
I entered and dwelt in the 3rd jhāna of which the noble ones declare: ‘He is equanimous, mindful, one who dwells happily.’
Yet, friend, it did not occur to me, ‘I am attaining the 3rd jhāna….’
(Complete as in preceding Sutta.)
4 Equanimity
At Sāvatthī….
The Venerable Ānanda saw the Venerable Sāriputta coming in the distance….
Here, friend, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and displeasure, I entered and dwelt in the 4th jhāna, which is neither painful nor pleasant and includes the purification of mindfulness by equanimity.
Yet, friend, it did not occur to me, ‘I am attaining the 4th jhāna….’
5 The Base of the Infinity of Space
At Sāvatthī….
The Venerable Ānanda saw the Venerable Sāriputta coming in the distance….
Here, friend, with the complete transcendence of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite,’ I entered and dwelt in the base of the infinity of space.
Yet, friend, it did not occur to me, ‘I am attaining the base of the infinity of space….’
6 The Base of the Infinity of Consciousness
At Sāvatthī….
The Venerable Ānanda saw the Venerable Sāriputta coming in the distance….
Here, friend, by completely transcending the base of the infinity of space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite,’ I entered and dwelt in the base of the infinity of consciousness.
Yet, friend, it did not occur to me, ‘I am attaining the base of the infinity of consciousness….’
7 The Base of Nothingness
At Sāvatthī….
The Venerable Ānanda saw the Venerable Sāriputta coming in the distance….
Here, friend, by completely transcending the base of the infinity of consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing,’ I entered and dwelt in the base of nothingness.
Yet, friend, it did not occur to me, ‘I am attaining the base of nothingness….’
8 The Base of Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-perception
At Sāvatthī….
The Venerable Ānanda saw the Venerable Sāriputta coming in the distance….
Here, friend, by completely transcending the base of nothingness, I entered and dwelt in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
Yet, friend, it did not occur to me, ‘I am attaining the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception….’
9 The Attainment of Cessation
At Sāvatthī….
The Venerable Ānanda saw the Venerable Sāriputta coming in the distance….
Here, friend, by completely transcending the base of neither- perception-nor-non-perception, I entered and dwelt in the cessation of perception and feeling.
Yet, friend, it did not occur to me,
‘I am attaining the cessation of perception and feeling,’ or
‘I have attained the cessation of perception and feeling,’ or
‘I have emerged from the cessation of perception and feeling.’
It must be because I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit have been thoroughly uprooted in the Venerable Sāriputta for a long time that such thoughts did not occur to him.
10 Sucimukhī
On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary.
Then, in the morning, the Venerable Sāriputta dressed and, taking bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms.
Then, when he had walked for alms on continuous alms round in Rājagaha, he ate that alms-food leaning against a certain wall.
Then the female wanderer Sucimukhī approached the Venerable Sāriputta and said to him:
Ascetic, do you eat facing downwards?
I don’t eat facing downwards, sister.
Then, ascetic, do you eat facing upwards?
I don’t eat facing upwards, sister.
Then, ascetic, do you eat facing the [4] quarters?
I don’t eat facing the [4] quarters, sister.
Then, ascetic, do you eat facing the intermediate directions?
I don’t eat facing the intermediate directions, sister.
When you are asked, ‘Ascetic, do you eat facing downwards?’… ‘Do you eat facing the intermediate directions?’ you reply, ‘I don’t eat thus, sister.’
- How then do you eat, ascetic?
Sister, those ascetics and Brahmins who earn their living by the debased art of geomancy—a wrong means of livelihood— these are called ascetics and Brahmins who eat facing downwards.
Those ascetics and Brahmins who earn their living by the debased art of astrology—a wrong means of livelihood—these are called ascetics and Brahmins who eat facing upwards.
Those ascetics and Brahmins who earn their living by undertaking to go on errands and run messages—a wrong means of livelihood— these are called ascetics and Brahmins who eat facing the [4] quarters.
Those ascetics and Brahmins who earn their living by the debased art of palmistry—a wrong means of livelihood— these are called ascetics and Brahmins who eat facing the intermediate directions.
Sister, I do not earn my living by such wrong means of livelihood as the debased art of geomancy, or the debased art of astrology, or by undertaking to go on errands and run messages, or by the debased art of palmistry.
I seek alms-food righteously and, having sought it, I eat my alms-food righteously.
Then the female wanderer Sucimukhī went from street to street and from square to square in Rājagaha announcing:
The ascetics following the Sakyan son eat righteous food; they eat blameless food. Give alms-food to the ascetics following the Sakyan son.