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SN 38.2PTS SN 4.2521 min read

A Question About Perfection

Arahattapañhāsutta

The wanderer Jambukhādaka asks Sāriputta about perfection (arahantship) and the path to realize it.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 38.2Linked Discourses 38.2
  • 0.21. Jambukhādakavagga1. With Jambukhādaka

0.3ArahattapañhāsuttaA Question About Perfection

1.1“‘Arahattaṁ, arahattan’ti, āvuso sāriputta, vuccati.“Reverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ‘perfection’.1.2Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, arahattan”ti?What is perfection?”1

1.3“Yo kho, āvuso, rāgakkhayo dosakkhayo mohakkhayo—“Reverend, the ending of greed, hate, and delusion1.4idaṁ vuccati arahattan”ti.is called perfection.”

1.5“Atthi panāvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā etassa arahattassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti?“But, reverend, is there a path and a practice for realizing this perfection?”

1.6“Atthi kho, āvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā etassa arahattassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.“There is, reverend.”

1.7“Katamo panāvuso, maggo katamā paṭipadā etassa arahattassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti?“Well, what is it?”

1.8“Ayameva kho, āvuso, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo etassa arahattassa sacchikiriyāya, seyyathidaṁ—“It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:1.9sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.1.10Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, maggo, ayaṁ paṭipadā etassa arahattassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.This is the path, the practice, for realizing this perfection.”

1.11“Bhaddako, āvuso, maggo bhaddikā paṭipadā etassa arahattassa sacchikiriyāya.“Reverend, this is a fine path, a fine practice, for realizing this perfection.1.12Alañca panāvuso sāriputta, appamādāyā”ti.Just this much is enough for diligence.”

1.13Dutiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. Arahatta, the state of being an arahant.

    ↩ sn38.2:1.2