This teaching is from the section The Planes of Realization of “In the Buddha’s Words” by Bhikkhu Bodhi.
The Buddha describes the wholesome and unwholesome states to the wanderer Vacchagotta, and then answers Vacchagotta’s questions about the accomplishments of his disciples.
Thus have I heard - At one time, the Blessed One was residing in Rājagaha, at the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary.
Then, the wanderer Vacchagotta approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he exchanged courteous greetings with the Blessed One, and after this friendly exchange, he sat down to one side. As he was seated to one side, the wanderer Vacchagotta said to the Blessed One: “For a long time, I have been a companion in discussion with venerable Gotama. It would be good if Venerable Gotama would teach me briefly about wholesome and unwholesome states.”
Wholesome and Unwholesome States
“Vaccha, I can teach you about wholesome and unwholesome states briefly or in detail. Still, let me do so in brief. Listen and pay close attention, and I will speak.”
“Yes, Venerable sir,” the wanderer Vacchagotta replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"Greed (lust, desire, attachment), Vaccha, is unwholesome; non-greed is wholesome. Aversion (ill-will, hatred, resentment), Vaccha, is unwholesome; good-will (friendliness, loving-kindness) is wholesome. Delusion (assumption making tendencies, absence of close examination and verification), Vaccha, is unwholesome; non-delusion is wholesome. Thus, Vaccha, these three qualities are unwholesome, and these three qualities are wholesome.
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Killing living beings, Vaccha, is unwholesome;abstaining from killing living beings is wholesome.
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Taking what is not given, Vaccha, is unwholesome; abstaining from taking what is not given is wholesome.
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Sexual misconduct, Vaccha, is unwholesome; abstaining from sexual misconduct is wholesome.
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False speech, Vaccha, is unwholesome; abstaining from false speech is wholesome.
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Malicious speech, Vaccha, is unwholesome; abstaining from malicious speech is wholesome.
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Harsh speech, Vaccha, is unwholesome; abstaining from harsh speech is wholesome.
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Idle chatter, Vaccha, is unwholesome; abstaining from idle chatter is wholesome.
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Craving, Vaccha, is unwholesome; contentment is wholesome.
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Ill-will, Vaccha, is unwholesome; non-ill-will is wholesome.
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Wrong view, Vaccha, is unwholesome; right view is wholesome.
Thus, Vaccha, these ten qualities are unwholesome, and these ten qualities are wholesome.
Accomplishments of the Disciples
Vaccha, when a bhikkhu has abandoned craving, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, deprived of the conditions for future arising, he becomes an arahant, one whose taints are exhausted, who has lived the spiritual life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached his own goal, exhausted the fetters of existence, and is completely liberated through final knowledge."
“Let that be, Venerable Gotama. Is there, Venerable Gotama, even one bhikkhu among your disciples who, by the exhaustion of the taints, has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, the liberation by wisdom, and abides in it?”
“No, Vaccha, not merely one hundred, nor two hundred, nor three, four, or five hundred, but many more bhikkhus who are my disciples have, through the exhaustion of the taints, realized for themselves, with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom, and abide in it.”
“Let that be, Venerable Gotama, let it be with the bhikkhus. Is there even one bhikkhunī among your disciples who, by the destruction of the taints, has realized for herself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom, and abides in it?”
“No, Vaccha, not merely one hundred, nor two hundred, nor three, four, or five hundred, but far more, the bhikkhunīs who are my disciples, who, by the destruction of the taints, have realized for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom, and abide in it.”
“Let that be, Venerable Gotama, let it be with the bhikkhus, let it be with the bhikkhunīs. Is there even one male lay disciple among your followers, wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, who, by the destruction of the five lower fetters, has been spontaneously reborn and will attain final Nibbāna there, not returning to this world?”
“No, Vaccha, not merely one hundred, nor two hundred, nor three, four, or five hundred, but far more, the male lay disciples who are my followers, who, by the destruction of the five lower fetters, have been spontaneously reborn, and will attain final Nibbāna there, not returning to this world.”
“Let that be, Venerable Gotama, let it be with the bhikkhus, let it be with the bhikkhunīs, let it be with the male lay disciples, wearing white clothes and practicing celibacy. Is there even one male lay disciple among your followers, wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, fulfilling duties, receiving instructions, who has overcome doubt, free from confusion, self-assured and independent of others, and lives relying on the Teacher’s instruction?”
“No, Vaccha, not merely one hundred, nor two hundred, nor three, four, or five hundred, but far more, the male lay disciples who are my followers, wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, fulfilling duties, receiving instructions, free from doubt, devoid of perplexity, who have gained confidence, and live relying on the Teacher’s instruction.”
“Let that be, Venerable Gotama, let it be with the bhikkhus, let it be with the bhikkhunīs, let it be with the male lay disciples wearing white clothes and practicing celibacy, let it be with the male lay disciples wearing white clothes and enjoying sensual pleasures. Is there even one female lay disciple among your followers, wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, who, by the destruction of the five lower fetters, has been spontaneously reborn and will attain final Nibbāna there, not returning to this world?”
“No, Vaccha, not merely one hundred, nor two hundred, nor three, four, or five hundred, but far more, the female lay disciples who are my followers, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, who, by the destruction of the five lower fetters, have been spontaneously reborn and will attain final Nibbāna there, not returning to this world.”
“Let that be, Venerable Gotama, let it be with the bhikkhus, let it be with the bhikkhunīs, let it be with the male lay disciples wearing white clothes and practicing celibacy, let it be with the male lay disciples wearing white clothes and enjoying sensual pleasures, let it be with the female lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes and practicing celibacy. Is there even one female lay disciple among your followers, householders wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, fulfilling duties, receiving instructions, who is free from doubt, devoid of perplexity, gained confidence, and lives relying on the Teacher’s instruction?”
“No, Vaccha, not merely one hundred, nor two hundred, nor three, four, or five hundred, but far more, the female lay disciples who are my followers, householders wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, fulfilling duties, receiving instructions, free from doubt, devoid of perplexity, who have gained confidence, and live relying on the Teacher’s instruction.”
"If, Venerable Gotama, only you had accomplished this Dhamma, and not the bhikkhus, then this spiritual life would not be complete in that aspect. But since, Venerable Gotama, you have accomplished this Dhamma, and the bhikkhus have also accomplished it, thus this spiritual life is complete in that aspect.
If, Venerable Gotama, only you and the bhikkhus had accomplished this Dhamma, and not the bhikkhunīs, then this spiritual life would not be complete in that aspect. But since, Venerable Gotama, you have accomplished this Dhamma, the bhikkhus have also accomplished it, and the bhikkhunīs have accomplished it, thus this spiritual life is complete in that aspect. If, Venerable Gotama, only you, the bhikkhus, and the bhikkhunīs had accomplished this Dhamma, and not the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, then this spiritual life would not be complete in that aspect. But since, Venerable Gotama, you, the bhikkhus, the bhikkhunīs, and the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, have accomplished this Dhamma, thus this spiritual life is complete in that aspect. If, Venerable Gotama, only you, the bhikkhus, the bhikkhunīs, and the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, had accomplished this Dhamma, and not the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, then this spiritual life would not be complete in that aspect. But since, Venerable Gotama, you, the bhikkhus, the bhikkhunīs, the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, and the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, have accomplished this Dhamma, thus this spiritual life is complete in that aspect. If, Venerable Gotama, only you, the bhikkhus, the bhikkhunīs, the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, and the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, had accomplished this Dhamma, and not the female lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, then this spiritual life would not be complete in that aspect. But since, Venerable Gotama, you, the bhikkhus, the bhikkhunīs, the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, and the female lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, have accomplished this Dhamma, thus this spiritual life is complete in that aspect.
If, Venerable Gotama, only you, the bhikkhus, the bhikkhunīs, the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, and the female lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, had accomplished this Dhamma, and not the female lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, then this spiritual life would not be complete in that aspect. But since, Venerable Gotama, you, the bhikkhus, the bhikkhunīs, the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, the male lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, the female lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, practicing celibacy, and the female lay disciples, householders wearing white clothes, enjoying sensual pleasures, have accomplished this Dhamma, thus this spiritual life is complete in that aspect.
Just as, Venerable Gotama, the Ganges River inclines towards the ocean, flows towards the ocean, slopes towards the ocean, and reaches the ocean, in the same way, this assembly of yours, Venerable Gotama, including householders and those gone forth, inclines towards Nibbāna, flows towards Nibbāna, slopes towards Nibbāna, and reaches Nibbāna.
Excellent, Venerable Gotama … I go to Venerable Gotama for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. May I receive the going forth under Venerable Gotama, may I receive the full ordination.
“Vaccha, one who has previously followed another sect and wishes to go forth and receive full ordination in this Dhamma and Discipline must wait for four months. At the end of four months, if the bhikkhus are satisfied, they give him the going forth and the full ordination. However, I recognize individual differences in this matter.”
“Venerable Sir, if those who have previously followed another sect and wish to go forth and receive full ordination in this Dhamma and discipline wait for four months, and at the end of four months, if the bhikkhus are satisfied, they give them the going forth and the full ordination, I will wait for four years. At the end of four years, if the bhikkhus are satisfied, let them give me the going forth and the full ordination.” Vacchagotta the wanderer received the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One and received the full ordination.
Shortly after his ordination, within half a month, Venerable Vacchagotta approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Venerable Vacchagotta said to the Blessed One: “Venerable Sir, to whatever extent higher knowledge and true understanding can be attained by a trainee, I have attained that. Let the Blessed One teach me further.”
Three Knowledges
"Then, Vaccha, develop further the two qualities of tranquility and insight. For when these two qualities are developed further, they lead to the penetration of various states.
Then, Vaccha, as much as you wish, you will experience various kinds of supernormal powers: being one, you will become many; being many, you will become one; you will appear and disappear; you will go unhindered through a wall, through an enclosure, through a mountain as if through space; you will dive in and out of the earth as if it were water; you will walk on water without sinking as if it were earth; you will travel cross-legged through the sky like a bird with wings; you will touch and stroke with your hand even the sun and moon, mighty and powerful as they are; you will have power over your body as far as the Brahmā world. You will achieve direct knowledge of that, whenever there is an appropriate basis.
Then, Vaccha, as much as you wish, you will hear, with the divine ear element, purified and surpassing the human, both kinds of sounds: divine and human, whether near or far. You will achieve direct knowledge of that, whenever there is an appropriate basis.
Then, Vaccha, as much as you wish, you will know the minds of other beings, other individuals, with your mind. You will understand a mind with passion as a mind with passion, and a mind free of passion as a mind free of passion; a mind with aversion as a mind with aversion, and a mind free of aversion as a mind free of aversion; a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind free of delusion as a mind free of delusion; a contracted mind as a contracted mind, and a distracted mind as a distracted mind; a developed mind as a developed mind, and an undeveloped mind as an undeveloped mind; a surpassable mind as a surpassable mind, and an unsurpassable mind as an unsurpassable mind; a collected mind as a collected mind, and an uncollected mind as an uncollected mind; a liberated mind as a liberated mind, and an unliberated mind as an unliberated mind. You will achieve direct knowledge of that, whenever there is an appropriate basis.
Then, Vaccha, as much as you wish, you will recollect your manifold past lives, such as one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many eons of world contraction, many eons of world expansion, many eons of world contraction and expansion: ‘There I was, named so-and-so, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my sustenance, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from there, I was reborn elsewhere; and there too I was named so-and-so, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my sustenance, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from there, I was reborn here.’ Thus, with their aspects and particulars, you will recollect your manifold past lives. You will achieve direct knowledge of that, whenever there is an appropriate basis.
Then, Vaccha, as much as you wish, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human, you will see beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in good destinations and bad destinations, and you will understand how beings are reborn according to their actions: ‘These beings, indeed, endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, and mind, revilers of the noble ones, with wrong views, undertaking actions under the influence of wrong views, with the break-up of the body, after death, have been reborn in a state of misery, a bad destination, a lower realm, in hell; but these beings, indeed, endowed with good conduct of body, speech, and mind, not revilers of the noble ones, with right views, undertaking actions under the influence of right views, with the break-up of the body, after death, have been reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.’ Thus, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human, you will see beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in good destinations and bad destinations, and you will understand how beings are reborn according to their actions. You will achieve direct knowledge of that, whenever there is an appropriate basis.
Then, Vaccha, as much as you wish, by the exhaustion of the taints, you will attain the taintless liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom, having realized it for yourself with direct knowledge in this very life, and you will abide in it. You will achieve direct knowledge of that, whenever there is an appropriate basis.
Then Venerable Vacchagotta rejoiced and approved of the Blessed One’s words. He rose from his seat, paid homage to the Blessed One, circumambulated him, and departed.
Then Venerable Vacchagotta, being alone, diligent, ardent, and resolute, soon realized for himself with direct knowledge in this very life that ultimate goal of the spiritual life, for the sake of which sons of good families rightly go forth from the household life into homelessness.
He directly knew: “Birth is ended, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.” Venerable Vacchagotta became one of the Arahants.
At that time, several bhikkhus were going to see the Blessed One. Venerable Vacchagotta saw them coming from afar. Seeing them, he went to meet them and said, “Where are you venerable ones going?”
“We are going to see the Blessed One, friend,” they replied.
“Then, venerable ones, pay homage to the Blessed One on my behalf with your heads at his feet and say this: ‘Venerable Sir, Vacchagotta pays homage to the Blessed One with his head at his feet and says, “The Blessed One is fully served by me, the Blessed One is fully honored by me.”’”
“Yes, friend,” those bhikkhus replied to Venerable Vacchagotta. Then they went to the Blessed One; having approached, they paid homage to him and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, those bhikkhus said to the Blessed One: “Venerable Sir, Venerable Vacchagotta pays homage to the Blessed One with his head at his feet and says, ‘The Blessed One is fully served by me, the Blessed One is fully honored by me.’”
“Even before, bhikkhus, I knew by mind that Vacchagotta the bhikkhu is endowed with the threefold knowledge, is mighty, and has great power. The deities also informed me: ‘Venerable Sir, Vacchagotta the bhikkhu is endowed with the threefold knowledge, is mighty, and has great power.’”
The Blessed One said this. Those bhikkhus were satisfied and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words.
Related Teachings:
Eight Persons Worth of Gifts (AN 8.59) - The Buddha is sharing in this teaching that it is very beneficial to be associated with individuals that are enlightened or practicing to attain enlightenment.
What is the stream and who is a stream-enterer (SN 55.5) - A dialogue between the Buddha and Sāriputta on the four factors for stream-entry: 1.) association with good people, 2.) hearing the true teaching, 3.) wise attention, and 4.) practice in accordance with the teaching. Sāriputta also defines the “stream” and the “stream-enterer” and the Buddha approves of his answer.