Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa

Introduction to 3.1.5 Paṭhamaparisuddhasuttaṃ - An Utterly Pure Path for Any Householder to Tread On!

The present sutta, the Paṭhamaparisuddhasutta, as well as the next, the Dutiyaparisuddhasutta, express the perfection of the Dhamma, which is pure in every aspect. Nothing has been left aside and nothing needs to be enhanced to reach full perfection; the Dhamma can be applied by one and all, female and male, of whatever background, nationality or origin, lay followers and recluses alike.

The Buddha taught for one and all!

Naturally those who are able to leave the householder’s life will encounter less hindrances and have more time available to dedicate themselves fully to the path. But especially today — when the practice of abstinence and asceticism seems too challenging for many — the path is still made accessible for householders.

Various texts verify that the Buddha laid out his path to one and all. There were many among his lay disciples who had reached higher stages such as Sudatta (better known as Anāthapiṇḍaka), Jīvaka, Citta and female lay followers like Sujātā, Visākhā, Khujjuttarā and Kaccānī (to give just a few examples). Still, at times a misapprehension persists that the Buddha instructed only his Bhikkhus and thus the path was only for those who left the householder’s life.

This misunderstanding was expressed though resolved at the time of the Kathāvatthu.1 The examples of Yaso-kulaputto, Uttiyo-gahapati and Setu-māṇavo — who attained the state of Arahantship even while being householders — demonstrate that one’s inner fetters decide one’s ability to reach higher stages of liberation rather than the outer circumstances of life. Buddha also gave numerous discourses to laypeople and among these we find next to the well-known Maṅgālasutta,2 the Kesamuttisutta,3 the Siṅgālasutta,4 the Dīghajāṇusutta,5 the Paṭhamasamajīvīsutta6 addressed to the householder couple Nakulapitā and Nakulamātā; the Piyatarasutta was spoken to King Pasenadi and Queen Mallikā7 and the Parābhavasutta8 or instructions to village headmen (gāmaṇi) like Talapuṭa, Rāsiya or Pāṭaliya.

King Milinda, before he met and challenged the Venerable Nagasena, had especially harassed different eminent Bhikkhus of that time with this quest. Once he posed the following question to the Venerable Āyupālo:9

Atha kho milindo rājā pañcamattehi yonakasatehi parivuto10 rathavaramāruyha11 yena saṅkhyeyyapariveṇaṃ12 yenāyasmā āyupālo tenupasaṅkami, upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā āyupālena saddhiṃ sammodi, sammodanīyaṃ kathaṃ sāraṇīyaṃ vītisāretvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi, ekamantaṃ nisinno kho milindo rājā āyasmantaṃ āyupālaṃ etadavoca:

“kimatthiyā, bhante āyupāla, tumhākaṃ pabbajjā, ko ca tumhākaṃ paramattho”ti.

At one time the great King Milinda visited the Venerable Āyupālo in his Saṅkhyeyya hermitage by royal chariot with five hundred of his ministers. On reaching him, he saluted the Venerable Āyupālo and after the exchange of pleasant greetings and courtesies sat down at one side. Having thus sat down at one side, the great King Milinda adressed the Venerable Āyupālo thus:

“How is it, Venerable Āyupālo, you have gone forth, what is your highest perspective?”

Thero āha “dhammacariyasamacariyatthā13 kho, mahārāja, pabbajjā, sāmaññaphalaṃ kho pana amhākaṃ paramattho”ti.

The Venerable Āyupālo replied:

“Going forth is done, O’ great king, for the sake of walking in Dhamma uprightly, the highest perspective is to gain the fruit of Sāmaññaship.”

“Atthi pana, bhante, koci gihīpi dhammacārī samacārī”ti?

“But are there, Bhante, amongst those householders some who are walking in Dhamma uprightly?”

“Āma,14 mahārāja, atthi gihīpi dhammacārī samacārī, bhagavati kho, mahārāja, bārāṇasiyaṃ isipatane migadāye dhammacakkaṃ pavattente aṭṭhārasannaṃ brahmakoṭīnaṃ dhammābhisamayo ahosi, devatānaṃ pana dhammābhisamayo gaṇanapathaṃ15 vītivatto,16 sabbete gihibhūtā, na pabbajitā. Puna caparaṃ, mahārāja, bhagavatā kho mahāsamayasuttante desiyamāne, mahāmaṅgalasuttante desiyamāne, samacitta pariyāyasuttante desiyamāne, rāhulovādasuttante desiyamāne, parābhavasuttante desiyamāne gaṇanapathaṃ vītivattānaṃ devatānaṃ dhammābhisamayo ahosi, sabbete gihibhūtā, na pabbajitā”ti.

“There are, great king, householders who are walking in Dhamma uprightly. When the Bhagava set the wheel of Dhamma rolling at the deer park Isipatane at Bārāṇasi, eighteen myriads17 of devas from the Brahmā worlds and a great number of others attained the comprehension of Dhamma. None of them had renounced the world, all of them were householders. And again, when the Bhagava delivered the Mahāsamayasutta, the Mahāmaṅgalasutta, the Pariyāyasutta and the Rāhulovādasutta, a great number of devas attained the comprehension of Dhamma. None of them had renounced the world, all of them were householders.”

May all components of the Noble Eightfold Path — so well-explained, pure in every aspect, with nothing to be added nor anything left aside, directly leading towards the desired goal — be applied by one and all.

May householders even today, like those who leave the householder’s life, be enabled to tread on this auspicious path for the benefit of one and all!

  1. See 3.2.10 Kathavatthu - Refuting Wrong Doctrines1

  2. See 3.6.8 Maṅgālasuttaṃ - The Householder Wholesome Blessing2

  3. See 2.1.1 Kesamuttisuttaṃ, Part One - Don`t Believe in Tradition, in Hearsay, in Teachers but Your Own Experience and 2.1.2 Kesamuttisuttaṃ, Part Two.3

  4. See 3.6.5 Siṅgālasuttaṃ, Part One - The Buddha’s Advice to Laypeople and Siṅgālasuttaṃ, Part Two.4

  5. See 3.6.7 Dīghajāṇusuttaṃ - Earning one’s Bread honestly by the Sweat of one’s Brow5

  6. See 3.6.11 Paṭhamasamajīvīsuttaṃ - How a Couple Can Meet Again for Many Lives?6

  7. See 3.3.12 Piyatarasuttaṃ - Who Is Dearer than Oneself?7

  8. See 3.6.3 Parābhavasuttaṃ - The Causes of Downfall.8

  9. Pubbayogādi, Bāhirakathā, Milindapañhapāḷi.9

  10. parivuto: attended, surrounded.10

  11. rathavaramāruyha: ratha + varaṃ + āruyha – chariot + excellent + having ascended.11

  12. saṅkhyeyyapariveṇaṃ: saṅkhyeyya + pariveṇaṃ – Saṅkhyeyya + hermit's cell.12

  13. dhammacariyasamacariyatthā: dhamma + cariya + samacariya +atthā – dhamma + walking + correct walking + for the purpose, reason of.13

  14. āma: yes, truly, indeed.14

  15. gaṇanapathaṃ: gaṇanā + pathaī – period of time, range of counting, measuring.15

  16. vītivatto: vīti + vatto – having overcome, gone through.16

  17. aṭṭhārasa koṭī expresses an extremely high number. aṭṭhārasa is an alternative form to aṭṭhādasa.

    koṭī means the end of, the highest point of (space, time, number) and is used to express large numbers dasasatasahassa: 1000000.17

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Last modified: Friday, 19 April 2024, 12:59 PM