Reading guide
Five precepts, reframed as fears quelled
Confirmed by direct reading, rather than simply listing the five precepts as rules, this discourse frames each as a fear and enmity that killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxication each generate “both in this life and in lives to come” — abstention is framed as the quelling of a specific, named psychological burden.
The four factors, unchanged
Confirmed by direct reading, the second element is the identical formula met throughout this saṃyutta: confidence in the Buddha, teaching, and Saṅgha, and ethical conduct loved by the noble ones.
Dependent origination, given in full
Confirmed by direct reading, the third element is the complete twelve-link chain, forward (“ignorance is a requirement for choices…”, ending in the arising of the entire mass of suffering) and reverse (“when ignorance fades away and ceases…”, ending in the cessation of that same mass of suffering) — a rare instance in this saṃyutta of doctrinal content well beyond the four-factor formula alone.
Three elements, one declaration
Confirmed by direct reading, all three elements are explicitly required together before the same self-declaration formula met throughout this saṃyutta may be spoken — this discourse's own structure confirms stream-entry, at its most complete, is not ethical conduct, confidence, or insight alone, but all three combined.
Key terms
The text
§1At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, the Buddha said to the householder Anāthapiṇḍika: “Householder, when a noble disciple has quelled five fears and enmities, possesses the four factors of stream-entry, and has clearly seen and penetrated the noble system with wisdom, they may, if they wish, declare of themselves: ‘I’ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I’ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I’m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am assured, destined for awakening.’
Five fears and enmities quelledWhat are the five fears and enmities they have quelled? Anyone who kills living creatures brims with fear and enmity both in this life and in lives to come, and experiences mental pain and sadness. So that fear and enmity is quelled for anyone who refrains from killing living creatures. Anyone who steals … Anyone who commits sexual misconduct … Anyone who lies … Anyone who consumes beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants brims with fear and enmity both in this life and in lives to come, and experiences mental pain and sadness. So that fear and enmity is quelled for anyone who refrains from beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. These are the five fears and enmities they have quelled.
The four factors, once moreWhat are the four factors of stream-entry that they possess? It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … And they have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion. These are the four factors of stream-entry that they possess.
Dependent origination, forward and reverseAnd what is the noble system that they have clearly seen and penetrated with wisdom? A noble disciple rationally applies the mind to dependent origination itself: ‘When this exists, this comes to be; due to the arising of this, this arises. When this doesn’t exist, this doesn’t come to be; due to the cessation of this, this ceases.' That is: Ignorance is a requirement for choices. Choices are a requirement for consciousness. Consciousness is a requirement for name and form. Name and form are requirements for the six sense fields. The six sense fields are requirements for contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. Feeling is a requirement for craving. Craving is a requirement for grasping. Grasping is a requirement for continued existence. Continued existence is a requirement for rebirth. Rebirth is a requirement for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be. That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices cease. When choices cease, consciousness ceases. When consciousness ceases, name and form cease. When name and form cease, the six sense fields cease. When the six sense fields cease, contact ceases. When contact ceases, feeling ceases. When feeling ceases, craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. When continued existence ceases, rebirth ceases. When rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress cease. That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases. This is the noble system that they have clearly seen and penetrated with wisdom.
§2When a noble disciple has quelled five fears and enmities, possesses the four factors of stream-entry, and has clearly seen and penetrated the noble system with wisdom, they may, if they wish, declare of themselves: ‘I’ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I’ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I’m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am assured, destined for awakening.’”
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