4. Puññābhisandavagga

Saṁyutta Nikāya 55.40

Linked Discourses 55.40

4. Puññābhisandavagga

4. Overflowing Merit

Nandiyasakkasutta

Nandiya the Sakyan

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

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

“yasseva nu kho, bhante, ariyasāvakassa cattāri sotāpattiyaṅgāni sabbena sabbaṁ sabbathā sabbaṁ natthi sveva nu kho, bhante, ariyasāvako pamādavihārī”ti.

“Sir, if a noble disciple were to totally and utterly lack the four factors of stream-entry, would they live negligently?”

“‘Yassa kho, nandiya, cattāri sotāpattiyaṅgāni sabbena sabbaṁ sabbathā sabbaṁ natthi tamahaṁ bāhiro puthujjanapakkhe ṭhito’ti vadāmi.

“Nandiya, someone who totally and utterly lacks these four factors of stream-entry stands outside in the faction of ordinary persons, I say.

Api ca, nandiya, yathā ariyasāvako pamādavihārī ceva hoti, appamādavihārī ca

Neverthless, Nandiya, as to how a noble disciple lives negligently and how they live diligently,

taṁ suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.

listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho nandiyo sakko bhagavato paccassosi.

“Yes, sir,” Nandiya replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“Kathañca, nandiya, ariyasāvako pamādavihārī hoti?

“And how does a noble disciple live negligently?

Idha, nandiya, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti—

Firstly, a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha …

itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.

So tena buddhe aveccappasādena santuṭṭho na uttari vāyamati divā pavivekāya, rattiṁ paṭisallānāya.

They’re content with that confidence, and don’t make a further effort for solitude by day or retreat by night.

Tassa evaṁ pamattassa viharato pāmojjaṁ na hoti.

When they live negligently, there’s no joy.

Pāmojje asati, pīti na hoti.

When there’s no joy, there’s no rapture.

Pītiyā asati, passaddhi na hoti.

When there’s no rapture, there’s no tranquility.

Passaddhiyā asati, dukkhaṁ viharati.

When there’s no tranquility, there’s suffering.

Dukkhino cittaṁ na samādhiyati.

When one is suffering, the mind does not become immersed in samādhi.

Asamāhite citte dhammā na pātubhavanti.

When the mind is not immersed in samādhi, principles do not become clear.

Dhammānaṁ apātubhāvā pamādavihārītveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.

Because principles have not become clear, they’re reckoned to live negligently.

Puna caparaṁ, nandiya, ariyasāvako dhamme …pe…

Furthermore, a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the teaching …

saṅghe …pe…

the Saṅgha …

ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehi.

And they have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.

So tehi ariyakantehi sīlehi santuṭṭho na uttari vāyamati divā pavivekāya rattiṁ paṭisallānāya.

They’re content with that ethical conduct loved by the noble ones, and don’t make a further effort for solitude by day or retreat by night.

Tassa evaṁ pamattassa viharato pāmojjaṁ na hoti.

When they live negligently, there’s no joy.

Pāmojje asati, pīti na hoti.

When there’s no joy, there’s no rapture.

Pītiyā asati, passaddhi na hoti.

When there’s no rapture, there’s no tranquility.

Passaddhiyā asati, dukkhaṁ viharati.

When there’s no tranquility, there’s suffering.

Dukkhino cittaṁ na samādhiyati.

When one is suffering, the mind does not become immersed in samādhi.

Asamāhite citte dhammā na pātubhavanti.

When the mind is not immersed in samādhi, principles do not become clear.

Dhammānaṁ apātubhāvā pamādavihārītveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.

Because principles have not become clear, they’re reckoned to live negligently.

Evaṁ kho, nandiya, ariyasāvako pamādavihārī hoti.

That’s how a noble disciple lives negligently.

Kathañca, nandiya, ariyasāvako appamādavihārī hoti?

And how does a noble disciple live diligently?

Idha, nandiya, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti—

Firstly, a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha …

itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.

So tena buddhe aveccappasādena asantuṭṭho uttari vāyamati divā pavivekāya rattiṁ paṭisallānāya.

But they’re not content with that confidence, and make a further effort for solitude by day and retreat by night.

Tassa evaṁ appamattassa viharato pāmojjaṁ jāyati.

When they live diligently, joy springs up.

Pamuditassa pīti jāyati.

Being joyful, rapture springs up.

Pītimanassa kāyo passambhati.

When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil.

Passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vediyati.

When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss.

Sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati.

And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi.

Samāhite citte dhammā pātubhavanti.

When the mind is immersed in samādhi, principles become clear.

Dhammānaṁ pātubhāvā appamādavihārītveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.

Because principles have become clear, they’re reckoned to live diligently.

Puna caparaṁ, nandiya, ariyasāvako dhamme …pe…

Furthermore, a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the teaching …

saṅghe …pe…

the Saṅgha …

ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehi.

And they have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.

So tehi ariyakantehi sīlehi asantuṭṭho uttari vāyamati divā pavivekāya rattiṁ paṭisallānāya.

But they’re not content with that ethical conduct loved by the noble ones, and make a further effort for solitude by day and retreat by night.

Tassa evaṁ appamattassa viharato pāmojjaṁ jāyati.

When they live diligently, joy springs up.

Pamuditassa pīti jāyati.

Being joyful, rapture springs up.

Pītimanassa kāyo passambhati.

When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil.

Passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vediyati.

When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss.

Sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati.

And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi.

Samāhite citte dhammā pātubhavanti.

When the mind is immersed in samādhi, principles become clear.

Dhammānaṁ pātubhāvā appamādavihārītveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.

Because principles have become clear, they’re reckoned to live diligently.

Evaṁ kho, nandiya, ariyasāvako appamādavihārī hotī”ti.

That’s how a noble disciple lives diligently.”

Dasamaṁ.

Puññābhisandavaggo catuttho.

Tassuddānaṁ

Abhisandā tayo vuttā,

duve devapadāni ca;

Sabhāgataṁ mahānāmo,

vassaṁ kāḷī ca nandiyāti.