Nalanda Vagga

Satipathana Samyutta Mahavagga Samyutta,
Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka

2.Nalanda Sutta
Discourse given at Nalanda

      378. Once the Bhagava was dwelling in the grove of (the rich man) Pavarika at Nalanda. At that time the Venerable Sariputta approached the Bhagava and after paying obeisance to him sat at a suitable place and spoke to him thus:

      "Venerable Sir, this faith I have in the Bhagava: that there never has been there will not be nor is there now, any samana or brahmana who can excel the Bhagava in Enlightenment". Indeed, Sariputta, you make a noble, fearless speech, a definite statement (as if with personal knowledge), and a bold utterance (like a lion's roar) thus: "Venerable Sir, this faith I have in the Bhagava: there never has been, there will not be nor is there now, any samana or brahmana who can excel the Bhagava in Enlightenment'.

      Sariputta. how is this? Are all those Homage-Worthy, perfectly Self- Enlightened Bhagavas of bygone times rightly and fully known to you through knowing their minds with your mind thus: 'Such was their Sila, practice of morality; such was their Concentration (samadhi pakkhiya dhamma); such was their wisdom, panna; such was how they abided in the attainment of cessation of Consciousness (nirodha-samapatti); Such was their emancipation'.

      "Not, so, Venerable Sir." And how is this, Sariputta." Are all those Homage-Worthy, Perfectly Self- Enlightened Bhagavas of time of come rightly and fully known to you through knowing their minds with your thus: "such will be their sila. practice of morality; such will be their Concentration (samadhai pakkhiyadhamma): such will be their panna, wisdom; such is how they will abide in the attainment of Cessation of Consciousness (nirodha samapatti); such will be their emancipation'?

      "Not so. Venerable Sir".

     And how is this, Sariputta? Am I, the present Homage-Worthy, Perfectly Self Enlightened Bhagava. rightly and fully known to you through knowing my mind with your mind thus: 'Such is the practice of morality of the Bhagava; such is his Concentration (samadhipakkhiya dhamma); such is his wisdom, such is how he abides in the attainment of cessation of Consciousness; such is his emancipation'?

      "Not, so, Venerable Sir."

      Sariputta, you do not have cetopariya nana, personal knowledge of the minds of the Homage-Worthy, Perfectly Self Enlightened Bhagavas of the past, the future and the present time. Then, Sariputta, without such knowledge how can you make a noble fearless speech, a definite statement (as if with personal knowledge), and a bold utterance (like a lion's roar) thus: 'Venerable Sir, this faith I have in the Bhagava: that there never has been, there will not be nor is there now, any samana or brahmana who can excel the bhagava, in Enlightenment'?

      "Venerable Sir, I do not have cetopariya nana, personal knowledge of the minds of the past, the future, and the present Homage-Worthy, Perfectly Self- Enlightened Bhagava. Nevertheless I do have the dhammanvaya nana, knowledge by inference from personal experience.

     "Suppose, Venerable Sir, there is a frontier fortress town of the king, with firm foundations, strongly fortified with ramparts and a single arched gateway. And there is a gate keeper, wise, intelligent, prudent, who would keep out the strangers he does not know and admit only those he knows And as he patrols the path that encircles the fortress, he does nor perceive a hole or a gap in the rampart wide enough to allow even a cat to pass through. Then this thought might occur to the gate keeper: Whatever big living things enter or leave the city, they do so by this gate only. In the same way, Venerable Sir, I have come to possess the dhammavaya nana, knowledge by inference from personal experience.

      "Venerable Sir, all the Homage-Worthy, Perfectly Self Enlightened Bhagavas of the past, had abandoned the Five Hindrances that defile the mind and weaken the intellect, had well established their minds in the practice of the Four Methods of Steadfast Mindfulness, had truly cultivated the Seven Factors of Enlightenment and had fully attained the unsurpassed knowledge of the highest Path, and the Supreme Enlightenment.

      "And, Venerable Sir, all the Homage-Worthy, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened Bhagavas of the future will abandon the Five Hindrance that defile the mind and weaken the intellect, will have their minds well established in the practice of the Four Methods of Steadfast Mindfulness, will truly cultivate the Seven Factors of Enlightenment and will fully attain the unsurpassed knowledge of the highest Path, and the Supreme Enlightenment.

      "Venerable Sir, the present Homage-Worthy and Perfectly Self-Enlightened bhagava also has abandoned the Five Hindrances that defile the mind and weaken the intellect, has well established his mind in the practice of the Four Methods of Steadfast Mindfulness, has truly cultivated the Seven Factors of Enlightenment and has fully attained the unsurpassed knowledge of the highest Path and the supreme Enlightenment."

      Well said, Sariputta; Well said. Therefore, Sariputta. you should repeatedly keep on giving this discourse to the bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, to the laymen and the laywomen. Wherever there may be foolish ones (without Magga Knowledge) who entertain doubt and scepticism about the Tathagata, they will have their doubt and scepticism banished by hearing this discourse.

End of the Nalanda Sutta,

the second in this Vagga.