The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [430]
19. “Again, bhikkhus, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, Sāriputta entered upon and abided in the cessation of perception and feeling. And his taints were destroyed by his seeing with wisdom.1052
20. “He emerged mindful from that attainment. Having done so, he recalled the states that had passed, ceased, and changed, thus: ‘So indeed, these states, not having been, come into being; having been, they vanish.’1053 Regarding those states, he abided unattracted, unrepelled, independent, detached, free, dissociated, with a mind rid of barriers. He understood: ‘There is no escape beyond,’ and with the cultivation of that [attainment], he confirmed that there is not.1054
21. “Bhikkhus, rightly speaking, were it to be said of anyone: ‘He has attained mastery and perfection1055 in noble virtue, [29] attained mastery and perfection in noble concentration, attained mastery and perfection in noble wisdom, attained mastery and perfection in noble deliverance,’ it is of Sāriputta indeed that rightly speaking this should be said.
22. “Bhikkhus, rightly speaking, were it to be said of anyone: ‘He is the son of the Blessed One, born of his breast, born of his mouth, born of the Dhamma, created by the Dhamma, an heir in the Dhamma, not an heir in material things,’ it is of Sāriputta indeed that rightly speaking this should be said.
23. “Bhikkhus, the matchless Wheel of the Dhamma set rolling by the Tathāgata is kept rolling rightly by Sāriputta.”
That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Chabbisodhana Sutta
The Sixfold Purity
1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”—“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said this:
2. “Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu makes a declaration of final knowledge thus: ‘I understand: Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.’
3. “That bhikkhu’s words should neither be approved nor disapproved. Without approving or disapproving, a question should be put thus: ‘Friend, there are four kinds of expression rightly proclaimed by the Blessed One who knows and sees, accomplished and fully enlightened. What four? One speaks of the seen as it was seen; one speaks of the heard as it was heard; one speaks of the sensed as it was sensed; one speaks of the cognized as it was cognized.1056 [30] These, friend, are the four kinds of expression rightly proclaimed by the Blessed One who knows and sees, accomplished and fully enlightened. How does the venerable one know, how does he see, regarding these four kinds of expression, so that through not clinging his mind is liberated from the taints?’
4. “Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu is one with taints destroyed, who has lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached the true goal, destroyed the fetters of being, and is completely liberated through final knowledge, this is the natural way for him to answer.
“‘Friends, regarding the seen I abide unattracted, unrepelled, independent, detached, free, dissociated, with a mind rid of barriers. 1057 Regarding the heard…Regarding the sensed…Regarding the cognized I abide unattracted, unrepelled, independent, detached, free, dissociated, with a mind rid of barriers. It is by knowing thus, seeing thus, regarding these four kinds of expression, that through not clinging my mind is liberated from the taints.’
5. “Saying ‘good,’ one may delight and rejoice in that bhikkhu’s words.