[270] 1. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:
"Bhikkhus, there are these three foremost confidences (aggappasādā). What three?
"Bhikkhus, as far as there are beings — whether footless or two-footed or four-footed or many-footed, whether having form or formless, whether percipient or non-percipient or neither percipient nor non-percipient — the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Enlightened One, is declared the foremost of them. Bhikkhus, those who have confidence in the Buddha have confidence in the foremost; and for those who have confidence in the foremost, the result (vipāka) is foremost.
"Bhikkhus, as far as there are dhammas, whether conditioned (saṅkhata) or unconditioned (asaṅkhata), dispassion (virāga) is declared the foremost of them, that is: the crushing of intoxication, the removal of thirst, the uprooting of attachment (ālaya), the cutting off of the round (vaṭṭa), the destruction of craving (taṇhā), dispassion, cessation (nirodha), Nibbāna. Bhikkhus, those who have confidence in the Dhamma that is dispassion have confidence in the foremost; and for those who have confidence in the foremost, the result is foremost.
"Bhikkhus, as far as there are conditioned dhammas,¹ the Noble Eightfold Path (ariya aṭṭhaṅgika magga) is declared the foremost of them, namely: right view (sammādiṭṭhi), right intention (sammāsaṅkappa), right speech (sammāvācā), right action (sammākammanta), right livelihood (sammā-ājīva), right effort (sammāvāyāma), right mindfulness (sammāsati), and right concentration (sammāsamādhi). Bhikkhus, those who have confidence in the Dhamma that is the noble path have confidence in the foremost; and for those who have confidence in the foremost, the result is foremost.
"Bhikkhus, as far as there are communities or groups, the Saṅgha of the Tathāgata's disciples is declared the foremost of them, that is: the four pairs of persons, the eight individual persons. Bhikkhus, those who have confidence in the Saṅgha have confidence in the foremost; and for those who have confidence in the foremost, the result is foremost. These, bhikkhus, are the three foremost confidences."
The Blessed One spoke this matter. In this connection it is said:
"For those truly confident in the foremost,
who understand the foremost Dhamma —
confident in the Buddha, the foremost,
worthy of offerings, unsurpassed;
confident in the foremost Dhamma,
the blissful peace of dispassion;
confident in the foremost Saṅgha,
the unsurpassed field of merit —
for those giving gifts to the foremost,
foremost merit increases:
foremost life span and beauty,
fame, renown, happiness, and strength.
The wise one, a giver to the foremost,
concentrated upon the foremost Dhamma,
having become a deva or a human being,
rejoices, having attained the foremost."
This matter, too, was spoken by the Blessed One; so I have heard.
The first.
¹ [Siam edition note:] In the Po., M., and Yu. editions, the passage beginning "yāvatā bhikkhave saṅkhatā dhammā" is not found.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.