..续本文上一页, since he had attained Arahatship while dying. This story is found in the Channovada Sutta (Majjh. 144).

　　It is said that whenever Sariputta gave advice, he showed infinite patience; he would admonish and instruct up to a hundred or a thousand times, until his pupil was established in the Fruition of stream-entry. Only then did he discharge him and give his advice to others. Very great was the number of those who, after receiving his instruction and following it faithfully, attained to Arahatship. In the Sacca-vibhanga Sutta (Majjh. 141) the Buddha says: "Sariputta is like a mother who brings forth, while Moggallana is like a nurse of that which has been brought forth. Sariputta trains to the Fruit of stream-entry, and Moggallana trains to the highest goal."

　　Explaining this passage, the Commentary says: "When Sariputta accepted pupils for training, whether they were ordained by him or by others, he favored them with his material and spiritual help, looked after them in sickness, gave them a subject of meditation and at last, when he knew that they had become stream-winners and had risen above the dangers of the lower worlds, he dismissed them in the confident knowledge that ”Now they can, by their own manly strength, produce the higher stages of Saintship.” Having thus become free from concern about their future, he instructed new groups of pupils. But Maha Moggallana, when training pupils in the same way, did not give up concern for them until they had attained Arahatship. This was because he felt, as was said by the Master: ”As even a little excrement is of evil smell, I do not praise even the shortest spell of existence, be it no longer than a snap of the fingers.”"

　　But although the Majjhima Commentary says that Sariputta used to lead his regular pupils only up to stream-entry, in inpidual cases he helped monks to attain the higher stages. The Udana Commentary, for example, says that "at that time bhikkhus in higher training (sekha) often used to approach the Venerable Sariputta for a subject of meditation that could help them to attain the three higher Paths." It was after taking instruction from Sariputta that the Elder Lakuntika Bhaddiya ("The Dwarf") attained Arahatship,[24] having been a stream-winner at the time. There is also the case of the Venerable Anuruddha, referred to on p. 27.

　　It was in this manner that the Venerable Sariputta gave the help of the Dhamma. He was a great leader of men and an outstanding spiritual adviser. To the latter task he brought not only a keen and perceptive understanding of the human mind, but also a warm, human interest in others which must have been a great encouragement to those under his spiritual guidance. We have already seen how ready he was to give generous praise where it was due; he was also keen at all times to meet noble monks, particularly those whom the Master had commended. One such was the Elder Punna Mantaniputta; when Sariputta learned that he had come on a visit he went to meet him. Without telling him who he was, he listened to Punna”s great discourse, the Stage Coach simile (Majjh. No. 24), and when it was ended gave it high praise.

　　Administering to the physical as well as the spiritual needs of the monks under his charge, restraining them with kindly admonitions and encouraging them with the praise their efforts deserved, guiding them on the path showing in all he did that vital sympathetic interest which draws forth the best from a pupil, Sariputta combined the qualities of a perfect teacher with those of a perfect friend. He was ready to help in every way, in small things as in great. Filled with the virtue of the Holy Life himself, he was quick to see virtue in others, expert in developing it in those in whom it was latent, and among the first to extol it where…

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