The drinker who gained enlightenment (sutra)

Maurice O'Connell Walshe (trans.); Dhr. Seven, Crystal Quintero, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly (Sarakani Sutra, SN 55.24 PTS: S v 375 CDB ii 1811)

Thai Theravada monks, Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai, Thailand (wegstudio/flickr).

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Bamiyan, foothills of the the Himalayas

[At Kapilavastu, Sakya-muni or "the Sage of the Sakyas," the Buddha's birthplace] Now at that time Sarakani the Sakyan [a relative of the Buddha], who had died, was proclaimed by the Blessed One to be a stream-winner [the first stage of enlightenment], no longer subject to rebirth in any states of woe [lower than the human plane], assured of [full] enlightenment [within seven lives].

• Afghan history: the Central Asian grand chessboard

Fat Happy "Buddha" beer bottle

At this a number of Sakyans, whenever they met each other or came together in company, were indignant and angry, and said scornfully: "A fine thing, a marvelous thing! Nowadays anyone can become a stream-winner, if the Blessed One has proclaimed Sarakani who died to be stream-winner...assured of [full] enlightenment! Why, Sarakani failed in his training and took to drink!"

[Mahanama the Sakyan reported this to the Buddha, who responded:] "Mahanama, a lay follower who has for a long time gone for guidance to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha -- how could that person go to states of woe? [And this can be truly asked of Sarakani the Sakyan.] How could that person go to states of woe?

Golden Buddha, hands over heart  mudra,Thai style (Teiemo.espeerotetee/flickr.com)

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"Mahanama, take the case of a person endowed with unwavering confidence in [devotion to] the Buddha, declaring 'He is the Blessed One...' [Note 1] the Dharma... the Sangha... A person who has gained release is joyous and quick in wisdom [2].

"By the destruction of the cankers [the taints or defilements of the mind/heart] a person has by one's own realization gained the taintless heart's release, the release through wisdom, in this very life, and abides in it. This person is entirely released from the [the danger of ever again falling into] hell-states, from rebirth as an animal [3], one is free from the realm of hungry ghosts, fully freed from the downfall, the way of harm, from states of woe [deprivation].

"Take the case of another person. That person is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha... the Dharma... the Sangha... one is joyous and quick in wisdom but has not yet gained release. Having destroyed the five lower fetters [4], such a person is reborn spontaneously [5] in a world where one will attain nirvana without returning from that world. That person is entirely released from...states of woe.

"Take the case of another person. That person is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha. But one is not joyous in wisdom and has not gained release. Yet, by destroying [the first] three fetters [6] and weakening lust, hatred, and delusion, that person is a once-returner, who will return once more from there to this world and make an end to all suffering. That person is entirely freed from... states of woe.

"Take the case of another person. One is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha. But one is not joyous in wisdom and has not gained release. Yet, by destroying three fetters one is a stream-winner, no longer subject to rebirth in [subhuman] states of woe, but assured of enlightenment [within seven lives]. That person is entirely freed...from states of woe.

"Take the case of another person. One is not even endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha. He is not joyous and swift in wisdom and has not gained release. But perhaps he has these things: the faculty of faith, of energy, of mindfulness, of concentration, of wisdom. And the things proclaimed by the Tathaagata are moderately approved by him with insight. That man does not go to the realm of hungry ghosts, to the downfall, to the evil way, to states of woe.

"Take the case of another person. One is not even endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha. One is not joyous and quick in wisdom and has not gained release. But one has just these things: the faculty of confidence (faith), energy, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom. Yet, if one merely has confidence, merely affection for the Tathagata, that person, too, does not go to... states of woe [7].

"Why, Mahanama, if these great sal trees could distinguish what is well spoken from what is ill spoken, I would proclaim these great sal trees to be stream-winners...bound for enlightenment. How much more so then Sarakani the Sakyan! Mahanama, Sarakaani the Sakyan fulfilled the training at the time of his death' [8].

FOOTNOTES

1. These are, of course, the standard formulations for referring to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha [community of enlightened/noble individuals, lay and monastic, from stream-winners to arhats]. They seem to fit awkwardly into the context here and may have been interpolated.

2. These terms are used of Sariputra at SN 2.9. Compare the distinction between difficult and easy progress in the Path of Purification (VM XXI, 117).

3. Theosophists and others maintain that rebirth as an animal, after a human existence, is impossible. This view is not supported by the Buddhist texts of any school.

4. Compare Note 300. This is the anagamin or "non-returner."

5. That is, not born from a womb or through parents but by arising in another world by the power of karma, in this case the "Pure Abodes" (suddhavasa), where they will attain to final liberation from efforts made there without having to return to this world).

6. These are the first three of the five lower fetters (orambhagiya-samyojanani, Vol. I, Note 83), that is, (1) "personality-view" (sakkaya-ditthi), the belief in a permanent, really existing self; (2) "doubt" (once the "personality view" has been shattered, there can be no further fundamental doubt about the Dharma); and (3) "attachment to rites and rituals" [clinging to the belief that superficial things can result in enlightenment, which is dependent on calm-and-insight not ceremonies and magic. It is noteworthy that even at this (second) stage on the Path, sensuality (kama-raga) and ill-will (vyapada), the fourth and fifth fetters, are only weakened but not destroyed. Their destruction is, however, inevitable in subsequent stages.

7. An encouraging message for many! Compare to the end of MN 22, and also the charming image of the newborn calf in MN 34. The Commentary (MA) to MN 22 says such people are termed "lesser stream-winners" (cula-sotapanna). This term is discussed in the Path of Purification (VM XIX, 27). The stress laid here on the importance of faith, confidence, or conviction (saddha) is interesting in view of later developments such as the overly devotional Pure Land Schools (e.g., Jodo-Shinshu or "Shin-Buddhism" in Japan).

8. Sarakani, in fact, became a stream-winner right at the moment of death [not during the time when others are criticizing him for not being upright and mindful enough to have possibly accomplished the development of liberating insight].