4 Factors Stream Enterer vs King of the World | Linked Discourse 55.1

At Savatthi.

There the Buddha said:

“Monks, suppose a wheel-turning monarch were to rule as sovereign lord over these four continents. And when his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm, in the company of the gods of the thirty-three, Tavatimsa. There, he entertains himself in the Garden of Delight, escorted by a band of nymphs, and supplied and provided with the five kinds of heavenly sensual stimulation. Still, as he’s lacking four qualities, he’s not exempt from hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm. He’s not exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.

Now, suppose a noble disciple wears rags and feeds on scraps of almsfood. Still, as they have four qualities of noble disciples, they’re exempt from hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.

What four qualities?

It’s when a noble disciple has unshakable confidence in the Buddha: 

‘In this way, the Blessed One, Who has broken the bonds, A fully transformed awakened Buddha, Who fully understood behaviors and living according to the knowledge, Who has become good, Knower of the worlds, Supreme guide for those who wish to train, Teacher of gods and humans, Awakened, Blessed.’

They have unshakable confidence in the teaching, dhamma: 

‘The teaching is clearly explained by the Buddha, can be experienced right now, independent of time, inviting to come and verified personally, leading to insight, so wise people can personally know it for themselves.

They have unshakable confidence in the Sangha, a Community of Buddha's Disciples:

‘The Sangha, a community of the Buddha’s disciples has practicing the path well, 

The Sangha, a community of the Buddha’s disciples has practicing the path straightforwardly, 

The Sangha, a community of the Buddha’s disciples has practicing the path step by step, 

The Sangha, a community of the Buddha’s disciples has practicing the path in their daily life, 

That is, the four true pairs, Consist of the eight true persons,

This is one of the Sangha, a community of the Buddha’s disciples.

That is worthy of gifts, Worthy of hospitality, Worthy of offering dedicated to the gods, worthy of greeting with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’ 

Furthermore, a noble disciple’s ethical conduct is loved by the noble ones, unbroken, impeccable, spotless, and unblemished, liberating, praised by wise people, untarnished, and leading to samadhi.

These are the four qualities that they have.

And, monks, gaining these four continents is not worth a sixteenth part of gaining these four qualities of noble disciples.

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