Friday, February 13, 2009

Who is a stream-winner ?



"Sariputta, when you know of a householder clothed in white, that he is restrained in terms of the five training rules(i) and that he obtains at will, without difficulty, without hardship, four pleasant mental abidings(ii) in the here & now, then if he wants he may state about himself: 'Hell is ended; animal wombs are ended; the state of the hungry shades is ended; states of deprivation, destitution, the bad bourns are ended! I am a stream-winner, steadfast, never again destined for states of woe, headed for self-awakening!'

(i)Five training rules
1. Abstains from taking life
2. Abstains from taking what is not given
3. Abstains from illicit sex
4. Abstains from lying
5. Abstains from distilled & fermented drinks that cause heedlessness

(ii) Four pleasant mental abidings
1. 'Endowed with unwavering faith (conviction) in the Awakened One: '
'Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy & rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings, awakened, blessed.'

2. 'Endowed with unwavering faith (conviction)  in the Dhamma:'
'The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One, to be seen here & now, timeless, inviting verification, pertinent, to be realized by the wise for themselves.'

3. 'Endowed with unwavering faith (conviction) in the Sangha:
'The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples who have practiced well... who have practiced straight-forwardly... who have practiced methodically... who have practiced masterfully — in other words, the four pairs, the eight individuals — they are the Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples: worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, the incomparable field of merit for the world.'

4. 'Endowed with virtues that are appealing to the noble ones: untorn, unbroken, unspotted, unsplattered, liberating, praised by the wise, untarnished, leading to concentration.


Gihi Sutta-The Householder

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