Sāraṇīyasutta — Reader

Commemoration

Sāraṇīyasutta

“An anointed aristocratic king should commemorate three places as long as he lives. What three? The place he was born. This is the first place.

“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyāni bhavanti. Katamāni tīṇi? Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, padese rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto jāto hoti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

The place he was anointed as king. This is the second place. The place where he won victory in battle, establishing himself as foremost in battle.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto hoti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto saṅgāmaṁ abhivijinitvā vijitasaṅgāmo tameva saṅgāmasīsaṁ ajjhāvasati.

This is the third place. These are the three places an anointed king should commemorate as long as he lives. In the same way, a mendicant should commemorate three places as long as they live. What three?

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti. Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyāni bhavanti. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tīṇimāni bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyāni bhavanti. Katamāni tīṇi?

The place where the mendicant shaved off their hair and beard, dressed in ocher robes, and went forth from the lay life to homelessness. This is the first place. The place where the mendicant truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, padese bhikkhu kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṁ bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

This is the second place. The place where the mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements. This is the third place.

Idaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyaṁ bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ padese bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. Idaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyaṁ bhikkhussa yāvajīvaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ hoti.

These are the three places a mendicant should commemorate as long as they live.”