The Objective of the Spiritual Life

Linked Discourses 55.2

1. At Bamboo Gate

The Objective of the Spiritual Life

“Mendicants, a noble disciple who has four things is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.

What four?

It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha …

the teaching …

the Saṅgha …

And they have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion.

A noble disciple who has these four things is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.”

That is what the Buddha said.

Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Those who have faith and ethics,

confidence, and vision of the truth,

in time arrive at happiness,

the objective of the spiritual life.”