[301] Bhikkhus, there are these six unsurpassable things (anuttariya). Which six? The unsurpassed seeing (dassanānuttariya), the unsurpassed hearing (savanānuttariya), the unsurpassed gain (lābhānuttariya), the unsurpassed training (sikkhānuttariya), the unsurpassed service (pāricariyānuttariya), and the unsurpassed recollection (anussatānuttariya).
And what, bhikkhus, is the unsurpassed seeing? Here, bhikkhus, someone goes to see the elephant-treasure, goes to see the horse-treasure, goes to see the jewel-treasure, or else goes to see things high and low, or goes to see an ascetic or a brahmin of wrong view, of wrong practice. There is such seeing, bhikkhus; I do not say that there is not. But that seeing, bhikkhus, is inferior, vulgar, worldly, ignoble, unconnected with benefit; it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation (nirodha), to peace, to direct knowledge (abhiññā), to full awakening, to Nibbāna. But when one of settled faith (saddhā), of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence goes to see the Tathāgata or a disciple of the Tathāgata — this, bhikkhus, is the unsurpassed among seeings; it conduces to the purification of beings, to the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, to the passing away of pain and grief, to the attainment of the true way (ñāya), to the realization of Nibbāna: namely, that one of settled faith, of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence goes to see the Tathāgata or a disciple of the Tathāgata. This, bhikkhus, is called the unsurpassed seeing. Such is the unsurpassed seeing.
And how is there the unsurpassed hearing? Here, bhikkhus, someone goes to hear the sound of drums, goes to hear the sound of lutes, goes to hear the sound of singing, or else goes to hear things high and low, or goes to hear the teaching of an ascetic or a brahmin of wrong view, of wrong practice. There is such hearing, bhikkhus; I do not say that there is not. But that hearing, bhikkhus, is inferior, vulgar, worldly, ignoble, unconnected with benefit; it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to Nibbāna. But when one of settled faith, of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence goes to hear the teaching of the Tathāgata or of a disciple of the Tathāgata — this, bhikkhus, is the unsurpassed among hearings; it conduces to the purification of beings, to the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, to the passing away of pain and grief, to the attainment of the true way, to the realization of Nibbāna: namely, that one of settled faith, of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence goes to hear the teaching of the Tathāgata or of a disciple of the Tathāgata. This, bhikkhus, is called the unsurpassed hearing. Such are the unsurpassed seeing and the unsurpassed hearing.
And how is there the unsurpassed gain? Here, bhikkhus, someone gains a son, gains a wife, gains wealth, or else gains things high and low, or acquires faith in an ascetic or a brahmin of wrong view, of wrong practice. There is such gain, bhikkhus; I do not say that there is not. But that gain, bhikkhus, is inferior, vulgar, worldly, ignoble, unconnected with benefit; it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to Nibbāna. But when one of settled faith, of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence acquires faith in the Tathāgata or in a disciple of the Tathāgata — this, bhikkhus, is the unsurpassed among gains; it conduces to the purification of beings, to the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, to the passing away of pain and grief, to the attainment of the true way, to the realization of Nibbāna: namely, that one of settled faith, of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence acquires faith in the Tathāgata or in a disciple of the Tathāgata. This, bhikkhus, is called the unsurpassed gain. Such are the unsurpassed seeing, the unsurpassed hearing, and the unsurpassed gain.
And how is there the unsurpassed training? Here, bhikkhus, someone trains in elephantry, trains in horsemanship, trains in chariotry, trains in archery, trains in swordsmanship, or else trains in things high and low, or trains under an ascetic or a brahmin of wrong view, of wrong practice. There is such training, bhikkhus; I do not say that there is not. But that training, bhikkhus, is inferior, vulgar, worldly, ignoble, unconnected with benefit; it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to Nibbāna. But when one of settled faith, of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence trains in the higher virtue, trains in the higher mind, and trains in the higher wisdom in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata — this, bhikkhus, is the unsurpassed among trainings; it conduces to the purification of beings, to the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, to the passing away of pain and grief, to the attainment of the true way, to the realization of Nibbāna: namely, that one of settled faith, of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence trains in the higher virtue, trains in the higher mind, and trains in the higher wisdom in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This, bhikkhus, is called the unsurpassed training. Such are the unsurpassed seeing, the unsurpassed hearing, the unsurpassed gain, and the unsurpassed training.
And how is there the unsurpassed service? Here, bhikkhus, someone serves a khattiya, serves an ascetic, serves a brahmin, serves a householder, or else serves persons high and low, or serves an ascetic or a brahmin of wrong view, of wrong practice. There is such service, bhikkhus; I do not say that there is not. But that service, bhikkhus, is inferior, vulgar, worldly, ignoble, unconnected with benefit; it does not lead to disenchantment … to Nibbāna. But when one of settled faith, of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence serves the Tathāgata or a disciple of the Tathāgata — this, bhikkhus, is the unsurpassed among services; it conduces to the purification of beings, to the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, to the passing away of pain and grief, to the attainment of the true way, to the realization of Nibbāna: namely, that one of settled faith, of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence serves the Tathāgata or a disciple of the Tathāgata. This, bhikkhus, is called the unsurpassed service. Such are the unsurpassed seeing, the unsurpassed hearing, the unsurpassed gain, the unsurpassed training, and the unsurpassed service.
And how is there the unsurpassed recollection? Here, bhikkhus, someone recollects the gain of a son, recollects the gain of a wife, recollects the gain of wealth, or else recollects gains high and low, or recollects an ascetic or a brahmin of wrong view, of wrong practice. There is such recollection, bhikkhus; I do not say that there is not. But that recollection, bhikkhus, is inferior, vulgar, worldly, ignoble, unconnected with benefit; it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to Nibbāna. But when one of settled faith, of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence recollects the Tathāgata or a disciple of the Tathāgata — this, bhikkhus, is the unsurpassed among recollections; it conduces to the purification of beings, to the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, to the passing away of pain and grief, to the attainment of the true way, to the realization of Nibbāna: namely, that one of settled faith, of settled affection, wholly dedicated, and full of confidence recollects the Tathāgata or a disciple of the Tathāgata. This, bhikkhus, is called the unsurpassed recollection. These, bhikkhus, are the six unsurpassable things.
Having gained the unsurpassed seeing and the unsurpassed hearing,
having gained the unsurpassed gain, delighting in the unsurpassed training,
attentive in service, they develop the recollection
connected with seclusion, secure, leading to the Deathless.
Rejoicing in heedfulness, prudent, restrained in virtue,
they in due time come to realize where suffering (dukkha) ceases.
The Chapter on the Unsurpassable Things, the third.
Its summary:
Sāmaka, Non-decline, Fear, Himavanta, "is purified" (the Bases of Recollection),
Kaccāna, the two Occasions, Udāyī, and with the Unsurpassable Things.
__________________
The Chapter on the Decline of a Trainee, the fourth.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.