1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery.

1.3Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya kosambiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.Then Venerable Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Kosambī for alms.1.4Atha kho āyasmato ānandassa etadahosi:Then it occurred to him,1.5“atippago kho tāva kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ.“It’s too early to wander for alms in Kosambī.1.6Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan”ti.Why don’t I visit the monastery for the wanderers of other religions?”

1.7Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodi.Then he went to the monastery for the wanderers of other religions and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there.1.8Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side.

2.1Tena kho pana samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:Now at that time while those wanderers of other religions were sitting together this discussion came up among them,2.2“yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā”ti.“Reverends, anyone who lives the full and pure spiritual life for twelve years is qualified to be called a ‘graduate mendicant’.”

3.1PTS 4.38Atha kho āyasmā ānando tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandi nappaṭikkosi.Ānanda neither approved nor rejected that statement of the wanderers of other religions.3.2Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi:He rose from his seat, thinking,3.3“bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī”ti.“I will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.”

3.4Atha kho āyasmā ānando kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:Then Ānanda wandered for alms in Kosambī. 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, adding:

4.1“Idhāhaṁ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya kosambiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁ.4.2Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:4.3‘atippago kho tāva kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ.4.4Yannūnāhaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyan’ti …pe…4.5tehi saddhiṁ sammodiṁ.4.6Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁ.

5.1Tena kho pana, bhante, samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:5.2‘yo hi koci, āvuso, dvādasavassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, niddaso bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāyā’ti.5.3Atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandiṁ nappaṭikkosiṁ.5.4Anabhinanditvā, appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁ:5.5‘bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmī’ti.5.6Sakkā nu kho, bhante, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetun”ti?“Sir, in this teaching and training can we describe a mendicant as a ‘graduate’ solely because they have completed a certain number of years?”

6.1“Na kho, ānanda, sakkā imasmiṁ dhammavinaye kevalaṁ vassagaṇanamattena niddaso bhikkhu paññāpetuṁ.“No, Ānanda, we cannot.6.2Satta kho imāni, ānanda, niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.These are the seven qualifications for graduation that I make known after realizing them with my own insight.

7.1PTS 4.39Katamāni satta?What seven?7.2Idhānanda, bhikkhu, saddho hoti, hirīmā hoti, ottappī hoti, bahussuto hoti, āraddhavīriyo hoti, satimā hoti, paññavā hoti.It’s when someone is faithful, conscientious, prudent, learned, energetic, mindful, and wise.7.3Imāni kho, ānanda, satta niddasavatthūni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni.These are the seven qualifications for graduation that I make known after realizing them with my own insight.7.4Imehi kho, ānanda, sattahi niddasavatthūhi samannāgato bhikkhu dvādasa cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya;A mendicant who possesses these seven qualifications for graduation is qualified to be called a ‘graduate mendicant’. This is so whether they have lived the full and pure spiritual life for twelve years,7.5catubbīsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya;twenty-four years,7.6chattiṁsati cepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāya, aṭṭhacattārīsañcepi vassāni paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati, ‘niddaso bhikkhū’ti alaṁvacanāyā”ti.thirty-six years, or forty-eight years.”

7.7Dvādasamaṁ.

7.8Devatāvaggo catuttho.

8.0Tassuddānaṁ

8.1Appamādo hirī ceva,8.2dve suvacā duve mittā;8.3Dve paṭisambhidā dve vasā,8.4duve niddasavatthunāti.