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SN 55.38PTS SN 5.3961 min read

Rain

Vassasutta

Like rain falling on the mountain top, the four factors of stream-entry flow on to the ending of defilements.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 55.38Linked Discourses 55.38
  • 0.24. Puññābhisandavagga4. Overflowing Merit

0.3VassasuttaRain

1.1PTS 5.396“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, uparipabbate thullaphusitake deve vassante taṁ udakaṁ yathāninnaṁ pavattamānaṁ pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūreti, pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūrā kusobbhe paripūrenti, kusobbhā paripūrā mahāsobbhe paripūrenti, mahāsobbhā paripūrā kunnadiyo paripūrenti, kunnadiyo paripūrā mahānadiyo paripūrenti, mahānadiyo paripūrā mahāsamuddaṁ paripūrenti;“Mendicants, suppose the heavens rain heavily on a mountain top, and the water flows downhill to fill the hollows, crevices, and creeks. As they become full, they fill up the pools. The pools fill up the lakes, the lakes fill up the streams, and the streams fill up the rivers. And as the rivers become full, they fill up the ocean.11.2evameva kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa yo ca buddhe aveccappasādo, yo ca dhamme aveccappasādo, yo ca saṅghe aveccappasādo, yāni ca ariyakantāni sīlāni—In the same way, a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, and the ethics loved by the noble ones.1.3ime dhammā sandamānā pāraṁ gantvā āsavānaṁ khayāya saṁvattantī”ti.These things flow onwards; and, after crossing to the far shore, they lead to the ending of defilements.”

1.4Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This simile (see note at SN 12.23:7.1) is balanced out in SN 55.40, which underlines that this process only succeeds for the diligent.

    ↩ sn55.38:1.1