[Buddha-l] Loving your object of study

[Joy Vriens]

Jack,
>Any idea where I can find this? Access to Insight only has up to AN 1.52. 

Testifying with body 

Thus have I heard: On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi at Jeta Grove, in Anathapindika’s Park. 

Now the venerable Savittha and Kotthita the Great went to visit the venerable Sariputta, and on coming to him greeted him courteously . . . As he sat at one side the venerable Sariputta said this to the venerable Savittha: 

‘Reverend Savittha, there are these three persons to be found in the world. What three? One who has testified to the truth with body, one who has won view, and one released by faith. These are the three . . . Now sir, of these three which seems to you most excellent and choice?’ 

‘Yes, reverend Sariputta, there are these three persons . . . Of these three I prefer the one released by faith. Why so? Because in this one the faculty of faith is most developed.’ 

Then the venerable Sariputta asked the same question of the venerable Kotthita the Great, who replied: 

‘To me the one who has testified to the truth with body seems most excellent and choice. Why so? Because in this one the faculty of concentration is most developed.’ [Note that this term implies that samadhi is a matter of bodily training -- that is the letting go of "things." This would approach the mental processes as a totality: let go of Vitaka and Vicara, not as a matter of letting go of individual ideas one at a time, but in one fell swoop, by considering all that falls within the concept of mentation and letting it go.] 

Then the venerable Kotthita the Great asked the same question of the venerable Sariputta, who replied: 

‘Reverend Kotthita, there are these three persons . . . Of these three he who has won view seems to me the most excellent and choice. Why? Because, sir, in this one the faculty of insight is most developed.’ [The two words here are vijja (vision) and pannindriyam (not vipassana! Pannindriyam: The faculty of wisdom.)] 

Then said the venerable Sariputta to the two others: 

‘Now, sirs, we have all three expressed our views according to our several leanings. Suppose we go together to visit the Exalted One, and on coming to him let us tell him of this matter. According as the Exalted One shall decide it, so will we uphold.’ 

‘Very good, sir,’ said the other two to the venerable Sariputta. 

So all three went to visit the Exalted One, and on coming to him saluted him and sat down at one side. So seated the venerable Sariputta told the Exalted One (all the talk they had had on the subject0. Then said the Exalted One: 

‘It is no easy matter, Sariputta, to decide off-hand [meaning without examining specific individuals] which of these three persons is the most excellent and choice. It may well be that this person who is released by faith is on the path to arahantship: that this one who has testified to the truth with body is a once-returner or a non-returner: that this one who has won view is also a once-returner or a non-returner. It is no easy thing, Sariputta, to decide off-hand about this matter. It may well be that this person who has testified to the truth with body is on the path to arahantship: that the other two are once-returners or non-returners. Or again it may well be that this person who has won view is on the path to arahantship, while the two others are once-returners or non-returners. Indeed it is no easy task, Sariputta, to decide off-hand which of these three persons is most excellent and choice.’
http://halfsmile.org/buddhadust/www.buddhadust.org/TheOnes/theonesenglish211-234.htm