Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: Then Sāriputta approached the Auspicious One, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Auspicious One said to him:
“‘sotāpattiyaṅgaṁ, sotāpattiyaṅgan’ti hidaṁ, sāriputta, vuccati. “Sāriputta, they speak of a ‘factor for stream-entry’. Katamaṁ nu kho, sāriputta, sotāpattiyaṅgan”ti? What is a factor for stream-entry?”
“Sappurisasaṁsevo hi, bhante, sotāpattiyaṅgaṁ, saddhammassavanaṁ sotāpattiyaṅgaṁ, yonisomanasikāro sotāpattiyaṅgaṁ, dhammānudhammappaṭipatti sotāpattiyaṅgan”ti. “Bhante, the factors for stream-entry are associating with righteous men, listening to the true teaching, attention in light of the origin, and practicing in line with the teaching.”
“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta. “Good, good, Sāriputta! Sappurisasaṁsevo hi, sāriputta, sotāpattiyaṅgaṁ, saddhammassavanaṁ sotāpattiyaṅgaṁ, yonisomanasikāro sotāpattiyaṅgaṁ, dhammānudhammappaṭipatti sotāpattiyaṅgaṁ. For the factors of stream-entry are associating with righteous men, listening to the true teaching, attention in light of the origin, and practicing in line with the teaching.
‘Soto, soto’ti hidaṁ, sāriputta, vuccati. Sāriputta, they speak of ‘the stream’. Katamo nu kho, sāriputta, soto”ti? What is the stream?”
“Ayameva hi, bhante, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo soto, seyyathidaṁ—“Bhante, the stream is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: sammādiṭṭhi, sammāsaṅkappo, sammāvācā, sammākammanto, sammāājīvo, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati, sammāsamādhī”ti. right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right recollectedness, and right composure.”
“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta. “Good, good, Sāriputta! Ayameva hi, sāriputta, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo soto, seyyathidaṁ—For the stream is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi. right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right recollectedness, and right composure.
‘Sotāpanno, sotāpanno’ti hidaṁ, sāriputta, vuccati. Sāriputta, they speak of ‘a stream-enterer’. Katamo nu kho, sāriputta, sotāpanno”ti? What is a stream-enterer?”
“Yo hi, bhante, iminā ariyena aṭṭhaṅgikena maggena samannāgato ayaṁ vuccati sotāpanno, svāyaṁ āyasmā evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto”ti. “Bhante, anyone who possesses this noble eightfold path is called a stream-enterer, the venerable of such and such name and clan.” *This statement highlights how the path *begins* with stream-entry. Prior to that, one’s effort must be aimed at understanding what the path is, not to practicing it, just as the goal for someone who is new to weightlifting should be to learn the right technique, not to lift heavy weight. The same applies for all the other wholesome factors the Buddha described: the seven awakening factors are *attained* by the stream-enterer (47.30), the five faculties are present only in a _saddhānusāri_ at least (SN 48.12), who is [already a noble one by definition](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=mn34#mn34:10.1-mn34:10.2), and the four right strivings are only possible if one has properly understood the root of the wholesome and the root of the unwholesome, [which is the defining quality of a _sotāpanna_](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=mn9#mn9:8.1-mn9:8.2).
“Sādhu sādhu, sāriputta. “Good, good, Sāriputta! Yo hi, sāriputta, iminā ariyena aṭṭhaṅgikena maggena samannāgato ayaṁ vuccati sotāpanno, svāyaṁ āyasmā evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto”ti. For the one who possesses this noble eightfold path is called a stream-enterer, the venerable of such and such name and clan.”
Pañcamaṁ.
Origin URL: https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=sn55.5