Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 38.2

A Question About Perfection

Arahattapañhāsutta — Jambukhādakavagga

Setting
Not restated; continues directly as dialogue from SN 38.1's own setting
Speakers
The wanderer Jambukhādaka questioning Venerable Sāriputta
Form
The identical four-step catechism, applied to a second term
Length
~1 minute to read
Northern parallel
A rough counterpart may exist in the Chinese Saṃyukta-āgama (T99), though this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — a one-word change from SN 38.1's own definition

Why this discourse

Jambukhādaka now asks about “perfection” (arahatta), and Sāriputta answers with the exact same phrase he used for extinguishment at SN 38.1: the ending of greed, hate, and delusion. The identical eightfold-path answer follows, still spelled out in full here — though root Pali itself has already begun eliding this recitation from this discourse onward (“...pe...”), a full discourse before Sujato's own English elision begins at SN 38.4.

Reading guide

Two terms, one identical definition

Nibbāna and arahatta receive the exact same defining phrase in this saṃyutta — not two different descriptions of related states, but the identical wording applied to both terms in direct succession.

Root Pali begins abbreviating here, English does not yet

This is the first discourse where bilara-data's own root Pali elides the eightfold-path recitation (“...pe...”); Sujato's own English translation continues spelling it out in full through this discourse and SN 38.3, only beginning its own elision two discourses later, at SN 38.4.

Key terms

arahattaṁ — “perfection, arahantship” — this discourse's own subject term
rāgakkhayo dosakkhayo mohakkhayo — the identical defining phrase used at SN 38.1 for extinguishment, reused here word for word for perfection
āvuso — “reverend, friend” — the reciprocal address term Jambukhādaka and Sāriputta use throughout this saṃyutta
pañhā — “question” — the recurring suffix naming every discourse's own Pali title throughout this saṃyutta
dutiyaṁ — “second” — this discourse's own untranslated closing ordinal

The text

The complete discourse. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1“Reverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ‘perfection’. What is perfection?” “Reverend, the ending of greed, hate, and delusion is called perfection.” “But, reverend, is there a path and a practice for realizing this perfection?” “There is, reverend.” “Well, what is it?” “It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is the path, the practice, for realizing this perfection.” “Reverend, this is a fine path, a fine practice, for realizing this perfection. Just this much is enough for diligence.”

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Self-check quiz

2 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 2
How does Sāriputta define "perfection" (arahatta) in this discourse?
Correct: A. Word-for-word the same defining phrase, applied to a second term.
Question 2 of 2
Where does root Pali begin eliding the eightfold-path recitation?
Correct: A. Confirmed by reading bilara-data's own root file directly against Sujato's English.
Answered 0 of 2 · Correct 0

Further reading

← PreviousSN 38.1 · A Question About Extinguishment