SN 22:58 · Awakened (Buddha Sutta)
Some schools of Buddhism teach that there is a qualitative difference between the liberation of a Buddha and that of an arahant disciple. This sutta, however, shows that the Buddha saw the distinction in different terms.
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Near Sāvatthī… “Monks, the Tathāgata—the worthy one, the rightly self-awakened one, who from disenchantment with form, from dispassion, from cessation, from lack of clinging (for form) is released—is termed ‘rightly self-awakened.’ And a discernment-released monk—who from disenchantment with form, from dispassion, from cessation, from lack of clinging (for form) is released—is termed ‘discernment-released.’
“The Tathāgata—the worthy one, the rightly self-awakened one, who from disenchantment with feeling… perception… fabrication, from dispassion, from cessation, from lack of clinging (for feeling… perception… fabrication) is released—is termed ‘rightly self-awakened.’ And a discernment-released monk—who from disenchantment with feeling… perception… fabrication, from dispassion, from cessation, from lack of clinging (for feeling… perception… fabrication) is released—is termed ‘discernment-released.’
“The Tathāgata—the worthy one, the rightly self-awakened one, who from disenchantment with consciousness, from dispassion, from cessation, from lack of clinging (for consciousness) is released—is termed ‘rightly self-awakened.’ And a discernment-released monk—who from disenchantment with consciousness, from dispassion, from cessation, from lack of clinging (for consciousness) is released—is termed ‘discernment-released.’
“So what difference, what distinction, what distinguishing factor is there between one rightly self-awakened and a monk discernment-released?”
“For us, lord, the teachings have the Blessed One as their root, their guide, & their arbitrator. It would be good if the Blessed One himself would elaborate on the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it.”
“In that case, monks, listen & pay close attention. I will speak.”
“As you say, lord,” the monks responded to him.
The Blessed One said, “The Tathāgata—the worthy one, the rightly self-awakened one—is the one who gives rise to the path (previously) unarisen, who engenders the path (previously) unengendered, who points out the path (previously) not pointed out. He knows the path, is expert in the path, is adept at the path. And his disciples now keep following the path and afterward become endowed with the path.
“This is the difference, this the distinction, this the distinguishing factor between one rightly self-awakened and a monk discernment-released.”
See also: Iti 112
Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).
