..续本文上一页of the monk who has understood this it is said: "Even to this extent, much has been achieved by that monk," Thus the exposition is rounded off with the Four Noble Truths. This discourse is indeed like an intricate and beautifully constructed piece of music ending on a solemn and majestic chord.

　　Another model exposition of the Venerable Sariputta”s is the Samma-ditthi Sutta.[29] This is a masterpiece of teaching, which also provides a framework for further elaboration, such as given in the extensive commentary to it. The Commentary says: "In the Buddha Word as collected in the five great Nikayas there is no discourse other than the Discourse on Right Understanding, wherein the Four Noble Truths are stated thirty-two times, and thirty-two times the state of Arahatship." The same discourse also gives us an original exposition of dependent origination, with slight, but very instructive, variations. Each factor of dependent origination is used, as are also the additional sections, to illustrate the right understanding of the Four Noble Truths, the comprehension of which is thus greatly enhanced, broadened and deepened. This discourse has been widely used for instructional purposes throughout the centuries down to the present day.

　　Another of the Venerable Sariputta”s discourses is the Sama-citta Sutta[30] which was listened to by the "devas of tranquil mind." It is concerned with the first three stages of sanctitude, the stream-winner, the once-returner and the non-returner. Its purpose is to clarify the question of their residuum of rebirths, in the five-sense world or in the fine-material and non-material worlds, which depends upon their mode of practice and on the fetters of existence still remaining. It is a very short discourse, but had a singular impact on the huge assembly of devas who, according to tradition, assembled to hear it. It is said that a very large number of them attained Arahatship, and innumerable were those who reached stream-entry. This discourse of the Venerable Sariputta is, in fact, counted among the few which had unusually far-reaching results among beings of the higher worlds; and although it is a very brief text rather cryptic without the commentarial explanation, it had a high reputation in succeeding centuries. It is the sermon that was preached by the arahant Mahinda on the evening of his arrival in Ceylon, and the Mahavamsa (XIV, 34ff), Ceylon”s famous chronicle, relates that on this occasion, also, numerous devas listened and achieved penetration of the Dhamma.

　　The high regard in which the discourse is held, and the strong impact ascribed to it, may be attributed to the fact that it helps those on the Path to define their position as to the kind of rebirths still to be expected by them. Devas on higher levels of development are sometimes inclined to regard their heavenly status as final, and do not expect to be reborn in the five-sense world, as may sometimes be the case. The Great Elder”s discourse gave them a criterion by which to judge their position. For worldlings still outside the Paths, as well, it must have offered valuable orientation for the direction of their efforts.

　　The Sangiti Sutta ("The Recital") and Dasuttara Sutta ("Up to Ten"), two more of the Venerable Sariputta”s sermons, are the last two texts of the Digha Nikaya, the Collection of Long Discourses. Both these texts are compilations of doctrinal terms, in which a large number of topics are classified as falling into groups of from one to ten members. The reason for bringing the compilation only up to ten may have been that there are only very few groups of doctrinal terms extending beyond ten members, and these could be supposed to be well known and easily remembered. The Sangiti Sutta was preached in the presence of the Buddha,…

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