42(11)Bases for[Being]"Ten-less"(1)
*On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Savatthī in Jeta's Grove,Anathapindika's Park.*Then,in the morning,the Venerable Sariputta dressed,took his bowl and robe,and entered Savatthī for alms.
It then occurred to him:[35]
"It is still too early to walk for alms in Sāvatthī.
Let me go to the park of the wanderers of other sects."
Then the Venerable Sariputta went to the park of the wanderers of other sects.
He exchanged greetings with those wanderers
and,when they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk,sat down to one side.
Now on that occasion those wanderers had assembled and were sitting together when this conversation arose among them:
"Friends,anyone at all who lives the complete and purified spiritual life for twelve years is fit to be called a bhikkhu who is 'ten-less.'"
Then the Venerable Sariputta neither delighted in nor rejected the statement of those wanderers,
but rose from his seat and left,[thinking]:
"I shall find out what the Blessed One has to say about this statement."
Then,when the Venerable Sariputta had walked for alms in Sāvatthi,after his meal,on returning from his alms round,he approached the Blessed One,
paid homage to him,and sat down to one side.
[He here reports verbatim the entire course of events and asks:][36]
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"Is it possible,Bhante,in this Dhamma and discipline to describe a bhikkhu as 'ten-less'by the mere counting of years?"
"In this Dhamma and discipline;Sariputta,it isn't possible to describe a bhikkhu as 'ten-less'by the mere counting of years.
There are,Sariputta,these seven bases for [being]'ten-less'that I have proclaimed after realizing them for myself with direct knowledge.
See 7:20.
What seven?
Here,(1)a bhikkhu has a keen desire to undertake the training and does not lose his fondness for undertaking the training in the future.(2)He has a strong desire to attend to the Dhamma and does not lose his fondness for attending to the Dhamma in the future.(3)He has a strong desire to remove vain wishes and does not lose his fondness for removing vain wishes in the future.(4)He has a strong desire for seclusion and does not lose his fondness for seclusion in the
future.(5)He has a strong desire to arouse energy and does not lose his fondness for arousing energy in the future.(6)He has a strong desire for mindfulness and alertness and does not lose his fondness for mindfulness and alertness in the future.(7)He has a strong desire to penetrate by view and does not lose his fondness for penetrating by view in the future.
These are the seven bases for [being]'ten-less'that I have proclaimed after realizing them for myself with direct knowledge.
"Sariputta,if a bhikkhu possesses these seven bases for[being]'ten-less,'then,if he lives the complete and pure spiritual life for twelve years,he is fit to be called 'ten-less.'
If,too,he lives the complete and pure spiritual life for twenty-four years,he is [37]fit to be called 'ten-less.'
If,too,he lives the completeand pure spiritual life for thirty-six years,he is fit to be calledten-less.'If,too,he lives the complete and pure spiritual life forforty-eight years,he is fit to be called 'ten-less.'"