The Chapter on the Lion's Roar
AN 9.11 Sāriputta's Lion's Roar Sīhanādasutta
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery.
Then Venerable Sāriputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, "Sir, I have completed the rainy season residence at Sāvatthī. I wish to depart to wander the countryside."
"Please, Sāriputta, go at your convenience." Then Sāriputta got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.
And then, not long after Sāriputta had left, a certain monk said to the Buddha, "Sir, Venerable Sāriputta attacked me and left without saying sorry."
So the Buddha addressed one of the monks, "Please, monk, in my name tell Sāriputta that the teacher summons him."
"Yes, sir," that monk replied. He went to Sāriputta and said to him, "Reverend Sāriputta, the teacher summons you."
"Yes, reverend," Sāriputta replied.
Now at that time the Venerables Mahāmoggallāna and Ānanda, taking a latchkey, went from dwelling to dwelling, saying: "Come forth, venerables! Come forth, venerables! Now Venerable Sāriputta will roar his lion's roar in the presence of the Buddha!"
Then Venerable Sāriputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:
"Sāriputta, one of your spiritual companions has made this complaint: 'Venerable Sāriputta attacked me and left without saying sorry.'"
"Sir, someone who had not established mindfulness of the body might well attack one of their spiritual companions and leave without saying sorry.
Suppose they were to toss both clean and unclean things on the earth, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The earth isn't horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, I live with a heart like the earth, abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. Someone who had not established mindfulness of the body might well attack one of their spiritual companions and leave without saying sorry.
Suppose they were to wash both clean and unclean things in water, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The water isn't horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, I live with a heart like water, abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. Someone who had not established mindfulness of the body might well attack one of their spiritual companions and leave without saying sorry.
Suppose a fire were to burn both clean and unclean things, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The fire isn't horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, I live with a heart like fire, abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. Someone who had not established mindfulness of the body might well attack one of their spiritual companions and leave without saying sorry.
Suppose the wind was to blow on both clean and unclean things, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The wind isn't horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, I live with a heart like the wind, abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. Someone who had not established mindfulness of the body might well attack one of their spiritual companions and leave without saying sorry.
Suppose a rag was to wipe up both clean and unclean things, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The rag isn't horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, I live with a heart like a rag, abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. Someone who had not established mindfulness of the body might well attack one of their spiritual companions and leave without saying sorry.
Suppose a boy or girl of a corpse-worker tribe, holding a pot and clad in rags, were to enter a town or village. They'd enter with a humble mind. In the same way, I live with a heart like a boy or girl of a corpse-worker tribe, abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. Someone who had not established mindfulness of the body might well attack one of their spiritual companions and leave without saying sorry.
Suppose there was a bull with his horns cut, gentle, well tamed and well trained. He'd wander from street to street and square to square without hurting anyone with his feet or horns. In the same way, I live with a heart like a bull with horns cut, abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. Someone who had not established mindfulness of the body might well attack one of their spiritual companions and leave without saying sorry.
Suppose there was a woman or man who was young, youthful, and fond of adornments, and had bathed their head. If the carcass of a snake or a dog or a human were hung around their neck, they'd be horrified, repelled, and disgusted. In the same way, I'm horrified, repelled, and disgusted by this rotten body. Someone who had not established mindfulness of the body might well attack one of their spiritual companions and leave without saying sorry.
Suppose someone was to carry around a bowl of fat that was leaking and oozing from holes and cracks. In the same way, I carry around this body that's leaking and oozing from holes and cracks. Someone who had not established mindfulness of the body might well attack one of their spiritual companions and leave without saying sorry."
Then that monk rose from his seat, placed his robe over one shoulder, bowed with his head at the Buddha's feet, and said, "I have made a mistake, sir. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of me to speak ill of Venerable Sāriputta with an incorrect, hollow, false, untruthful claim. Please, sir, accept my mistake for what it is, so I will restrain myself in future."
"Indeed, monk, you made a mistake. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of you to act in that way. But since you have recognized your mistake for what it is, and have dealt with it properly, I accept it. For it is growth in the training of the Noble One to recognize a mistake for what it is, deal with it properly, and commit to restraint in the future."
Then the Buddha said to Venerable Sāriputta, "Sāriputta, forgive that futile man before his head explodes into seven pieces right here."
"I will pardon that venerable if he asks me: 'May the venerable please pardon me too.'"
AN 9.12 With Residue Saupādisesasutta
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery.
Then Venerable Sāriputta robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then it occurred to him, "It's too early to wander for alms in Sāvatthī. Why don't I visit the monastery of the wanderers of other religions?" Then he went to the monastery of the wanderers of other religions and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side.
Now at that time while those wanderers of other religions were sitting together this discussion came up among them:
"Reverends, no-one who dies with residue is exempt from hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm. They're not exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld."
Sāriputta neither approved nor dismissed that statement of the wanderers of other religions. He got up from his seat, thinking, "I will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself."
Then Sāriputta wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on his return from almsround, he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.
"Sāriputta, these foolish, incompetent wanderers following other religions: who are they to know whether someone has residue or not?
There are these nine people who, dying with residue, are exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They're exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld. What nine?
There's a person who has fulfilled ethics and immersion, but has limited wisdom. With the ending of the five lower fetters they're extinguished between one life and the next. This is the first person ...
Furthermore, there's a person who has fulfilled ethics and immersion, but has limited wisdom. With the ending of the five lower fetters they're extinguished upon landing. This is the second person ...
With the ending of the five lower fetters they're extinguished without extra effort. This is the third person ...
With the ending of the five lower fetters they're extinguished with extra effort. This is the fourth person ...
With the ending of the five lower fetters they head upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm. This is the fifth person ...
Furthermore, there's a person who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, they're a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering. This is the sixth person ...
Furthermore, there's a person who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, they're a one-seeder. They will be reborn just one time in a human existence, then make an end of suffering. This is the seventh person ...
Furthermore, there's a person who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, they go from family to family. They will transmigrate between two or three families and then make an end of suffering. This is the eighth person ...
Furthermore, there's a person who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, they have at most seven rebirths. They will transmigrate at most seven times among gods and humans and then make an end of suffering. This is the ninth person ...
These foolish, incompetent wanderers following other religions: who are they to know whether someone has residue or not? These are the nine people who, dying with residue, are exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They're exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
Up until now, Sāriputta, I have not felt the need to give this exposition of the teaching to the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. Why is that? For I didn't want those who heard it to introduce negligence. However, I have spoken it in order to answer your question."
AN 9.13 With Koṭṭhita Koṭṭhikasutta
Then Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Sāriputta:
"Reverend Sāriputta, is the spiritual life lived under the Buddha for this purpose: 'May deeds to be experienced in this life be experienced by me in lives to come'?"
"Certainly not, reverend."
"Then is the spiritual life lived under the Buddha for this purpose: 'May deeds to be experienced in lives to come be experienced by me in this life'?"
"Certainly not."
"Is the spiritual life lived under the Buddha for this purpose: 'May deeds to be experienced as pleasant be experienced by me as painful'?"
"Certainly not."
"Then is the spiritual life lived under the Buddha for this purpose: 'May deeds to be experienced as painful be experienced by me as pleasant'?"
"Certainly not."
"Is the spiritual life lived under the Buddha for this purpose: 'May deeds to be experienced when ripe be experienced by me when unripe'?"
"Certainly not."
"Then is the spiritual life lived under the Buddha for this purpose: 'May deeds to be experienced when unripe be experienced by me when ripe'?"
"Certainly not."
"Is the spiritual life lived under the Buddha for this purpose: 'May deeds to be experienced a lot be experienced by me a little'?"
"Certainly not."
"Then is the spiritual life lived under the Buddha for this purpose: 'May deeds to be experienced a little be experienced by me a lot'?"
"Certainly not."
"Is the spiritual life lived under the Buddha for this purpose: 'May deeds to be experienced by me be not experienced'?"
"Certainly not."
"Then is the spiritual life lived under the Buddha for this purpose: 'May deeds not to be experienced be experienced'?"
"Certainly not."
"Reverend Sāriputta, when you were asked whether the spiritual life was lived under the Buddha so that deeds to be experienced in this life are experienced in lives to come, you said, 'Certainly not'.
When you were asked whether the spiritual life was lived under the Buddha so that deeds to be experienced in lives to come are experienced in this life ...
deeds to be experienced as pleasant are experienced as painful ...
deeds to be experienced as painful are experienced as pleasant ...
deeds to be experienced when ripe are experienced when unripe ...
deeds to be experienced when unripe are experienced when ripe ...
deeds to be experienced a lot are experienced a little ...
deeds to be experienced a little are experienced a lot ...
deeds to be experienced are not experienced ...
When you were asked whether the spiritual life was lived under the Buddha so that deeds not to be experienced are experienced, you said, 'Certainly not.' Then what exactly is the purpose of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha?"
"Reverend, the spiritual life is lived under the Buddha to know, see, attain, realize, and comprehend that which is unknown, unseen, unattained, unrealized, and uncomprehended."
"But what is the unknown, unseen, unattained, unrealized, and uncomprehended?"
"'This is suffering.' ... 'This is the origin of suffering.' ... 'This is the cessation of suffering.' ... 'This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.' ... This is the unknown, unseen, unattained, unrealized, and uncomprehended. The spiritual life is lived under the Buddha to know, see, attain, realize, and comprehend this."
AN 9.14 With Samiddhi Samiddhisutta
Then Venerable Samiddhi went up to Venerable Sāriputta, bowed, and sat to one side. Venerable Sāriputta said to him:
"Samiddhi, based on what do thoughts arise in a person?"
"Based on name and form, sir."
"Where do they become diversified?"
"In the elements."
"What is their origin?"
"Contact is their origin."
"What is their meeting place?"
"Feeling is their meeting place."
"What is their chief?"
"Immersion is their chief."
"What is their ruler?"
"Mindfulness is their ruler."
"What is their overseer?"
"Wisdom is their overseer."
"What is their core?"
"Freedom is their core."
"What is their culmination?"
"They culminate in freedom from death."
"Samiddhi, when you were asked what is the basis on which thoughts arise in a person, you answered 'name and form'. When you were asked ... what is their culmination, you answered 'freedom from death'. Good, good, Samiddhi! It's good that you answered each question. But don't get conceited because of that."
AN 9.15 The Simile of the Boil Gaṇḍasutta
"Mendicants, suppose there was a boil that was many years old. And that boil had nine orifices that were continually open wounds. Whatever oozed out of them would be filthy, stinking, and disgusting. Whatever leaked out them would be filthy, stinking, and disgusting.
'Boil' is a term for this body made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction. And that boil has nine orifices that are continually open wounds. Whatever oozes out of them is filthy, stinking, and disgusting. Whatever leaks out of them is filthy, stinking, and disgusting. So, mendicants, have no illusion about this body."
AN 9.16 Perceptions Saññāsutta
"Mendicants, these nine perceptions, when developed and cultivated, are very fruitful and beneficial. They culminate in freedom from death and end in freedom from death. What nine? The perceptions of ugliness, death, repulsiveness of food, dissatisfaction with the whole world, impermanence, suffering in impermanence, not-self in suffering, giving up, and fading away. These nine perceptions, when developed and cultivated, are very fruitful and beneficial. They culminate in freedom from death and end in freedom from death."
AN 9.17 Families Kulasutta
"Mendicants, visiting a family with nine factors is not worthwhile, or if you've already arrived, sitting down is not worthwhile. What nine? They don't politely rise, bow, or offer a seat. They hide what they have. Even when they have much they give little. Even when they have fine things they give coarse things. They give carelessly, not carefully. They don't sit nearby to listen to the teachings. When you're speaking, they don't listen well. Visiting a family with these nine factors is not worthwhile, or if you've already arrived, sitting down is not worthwhile.
Visiting a family with nine factors is worthwhile, or if you've already arrived, sitting down is worthwhile. What nine? They politely rise, bow, and offer a seat. They don't hide what they have. When they have much they give much. When they have refined things they give refined things. They give carefully, not carelessly. They sit nearby to listen to the teachings. When you're speaking, they listen well. Visiting a family with these nine factors is worthwhile, or if you've already arrived, sitting down is worthwhile."
AN 9.18 The Sabbath with Nine Factors Navaṅguposathasutta
"Mendicants, the observance of the sabbath with its nine factors is very fruitful and beneficial and splendid and bountiful. And how should it be observed?
It's when a noble disciple reflects: 'As long as they live, the perfected ones give up killing living creatures, renouncing the rod and the sword. They are scrupulous and kind, and live full of sympathy for all living beings. I, too, for this day and night will give up killing living creatures, renouncing the rod and the sword. I'll be scrupulous and kind, and live full of sympathy for all living beings. I will observe the sabbath by doing as the perfected ones do in this respect.' This is its first factor. ...
'As long as they live, the perfected ones give up high and luxurious beds. They sleep in a low place, either a small bed or a straw mat. I, too, for this day and night will give up high and luxurious beds. I'll sleep in a low place, either a small bed or a straw mat. I will observe the sabbath by doing as the perfected ones do in this respect.' This is its eighth factor.
They meditate spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of love to the whole world---abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. This is its ninth factor.
The observance of the sabbath with its nine factors in this way is very fruitful and beneficial and splendid and bountiful."
AN 9.19 A Deity Devatāsutta
"Mendicants, tonight, several glorious deities, lighting up the entire Jeta's Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side, and said to me: 'Sir, formerly when we were human beings, renunciates came to our homes. We politely rose for them, but we didn't bow. And so, having not fulfilled our duty, full of remorse and regret, we were reborn in a lesser realm.'
Then several other deities came to me and said: 'Sir, formerly when we were human beings, renunciates came to our homes. We politely rose for them and bowed, but we didn't offer a seat. And so, having not fulfilled our duty, full of remorse and regret, we were reborn in a lesser realm.'
Then several other deities came to me and said: 'Sir, formerly when we were human beings, renunciates came to our homes. We politely rose for them, bowed, and offered a seat, but we didn't share as best we could. ...'
'... we didn't sit nearby to listen to the teachings. ...'
'... we didn't actively listen to the teachings. ...'
'... we didn't memorize the teachings. ...'
'... we didn't examine the meaning of teachings we'd memorized. ...'
'... not having understood the meaning and the teaching, we didn't practice accordingly. And so, having not fulfilled our duty, full of remorse and regret, we were reborn in a lesser realm.'
Then several other deities came to me and said: 'Sir, formerly when we were human beings, renunciates came to our homes. We politely rose, bowed, and offered them a seat. We shared as best we could. We sat nearby to listen to the teachings, lent an ear, memorized them, and examined their meaning. Understanding the teaching and the meaning we practiced accordingly. And so, having fulfilled our duty, free of remorse and regret, we were reborn in a superior realm.'
Here, mendicants, are these roots of trees, and here are these empty huts. Practice absorption, mendicants! Don't be negligent! Don't regret it later, like those former deities."
AN 9.20 About Velāma Velāmasutta
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, "Householder, I wonder whether your family gives gifts?"
"It does, sir. But only coarse gruel with pickles."
"Householder, someone might give a gift that's either coarse or fine. But they give it carelessly, thoughtlessly, not with their own hand. They give the dregs, and they give without consideration for consequences. Then wherever the result of any such gift manifests, their mind doesn't incline toward enjoyment of nice food, clothes, vehicles, or the five refined kinds of sensual stimulation. And their children, wives, bondservants, servants, and workers don't want to listen to them. They don't actively listen or try to understand. Why is that? Because that is the result of deeds done carelessly.
Someone might give a gift that's either coarse or fine. And they give it carefully, thoughtfully, with their own hand. They don't give the dregs, and they give with consideration for consequences. Then wherever the result of any such gift manifests, their mind inclines toward enjoyment of nice food, clothes, vehicles, or the five refined kinds of sensual stimulation. And their children, wives, bondservants, servants, and workers want to listen. They actively listen and try to understand. Why is that? Because that is the result of deeds done carefully.
Once upon a time, householder, there was a brahmin named Velāma. He gave the following gift, a great offering. 84,000 gold cups filled with silver. 84,000 silver cups filled with gold. 84,000 bronze cups filled with gold coins. 84,000 elephants with gold adornments and banners, covered with snow gold netting. 84,000 chariots upholstered with the hide of lions, tigers, and leopards, and cream rugs, with gold adornments and banners, covered with snow gold netting. 84,000 milk cows with silken reins and bronze pails. 84,000 maidens bedecked with jeweled earrings. 84,000 couches spread with woolen covers---shag-piled, pure white, or embroidered with flowers---and spread with a fine deer hide, with canopies above and red pillows at both ends. 8,400,000,000 fine cloths of linen, cotton, silk, and wool. And who can say how much food, drink, snacks, meals, refreshments, and beverages? It seemed like an overflowing river.
Householder, you might think: 'Surely the brahmin Velāma must have been someone else at that time?' But you should not see it like this. I myself was the brahmin Velāma at that time. I gave that gift, a great offering. But at that event there was no-one worthy of a religious donation, and no-one to purify the religious donation.
It would be more fruitful to feed one person accomplished in view than that great offering of Velāma.
It would be more fruitful to feed one once-returner than a hundred persons accomplished in view.
It would be more fruitful to feed one non-returner than a hundred once-returners.
It would be more fruitful to feed one perfected one than a hundred non-returners.
It would be more fruitful to feed one Independent Buddha than a hundred perfected ones.
It would be more fruitful to feed one Realized One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha than a hundred Independent Buddhas.
It would be more fruitful to feed the mendicant Saṅgha headed by the Buddha than to feed one Realized One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha.
It would be more fruitful to build a dwelling especially for the Saṅgha of the four quarters than to feed the mendicant Saṅgha headed by the Buddha.
It would be more fruitful to go for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha with a confident heart than to build a dwelling for the Saṅgha of the four quarters.
It would be more fruitful to undertake the training rules---not to kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants---than to go for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha with a confident heart.
It would be more fruitful to develop a heart of love---even just as long as it takes to pull a cow's udder---than to undertake the training rules.
It would be more fruitful to develop the perception of impermanence---even for as long as a finger-snap---than to do all of these things, including developing a heart of love for as long as it takes to pull a cow's udder."