This teaching recounts the story of the lay follower Dīghāvu, who is gravely ill and requests his father to ask the Blessed One to visit him. Dīghāvu confirms to the Blessed One that he possesses the four factors of stream-entry and the six factors conducive to true knowledge. Despite his spiritual attainments, Dīghāvu expresses concern for his father’s potential grief after his passing.

At one time, the Blessed One was residing at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel’s sanctuary.

Now at that time, the lay follower Dīghāvu was sick, experiencing pain, and gravely ill. Then Dīghāvu addressed his father, the householder Jotika, saying, “Please, householder, go to the Blessed One, and in my name, bow down with your head at his feet and say: ‘Venerable sir, Dīghāvu, the lay follower, is sick, experiencing pain, and gravely ill. He bows down with his head at the Blessed One’s feet.’ And also say, ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would come to the dwelling of Dīghāvu the lay follower, out of compassion.’”

“Yes, dear,” replied the householder Jotika to Dīghāvu the lay follower, and he went to the Blessed One. Having approached, he bowed down to the Blessed One and sat to one side. Sitting there, the householder Jotika addressed the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, Dīghāvu, the lay follower, is sick, experiencing pain, and gravely ill. He bows down with his head at the Blessed One’s feet. And he also says, ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would come to the dwelling of Dīghāvu the lay follower, out of compassion.’” The Blessed One consented in silence.

Then the Blessed One, after putting on his robe and taking his bowl and outer robe, went to the dwelling of Dīghāvu the lay follower. Having arrived, he sat down on the prepared seat. Sitting there, the Blessed One addressed Dīghāvu the lay follower: “Is it bearable for you, Dīghāvu? Is it manageable for you? Are your painful feelings decreasing, not increasing? Is their subsiding, not their intensifying, discernible?”

“Venerable sir, it is not bearable for me, it is not manageable for me. My painful feelings are increasing, not decreasing. Their intensifying, not their subsiding, is discernible.”

“Therefore, Dīghāvu, you should train yourself thus: ‘I will be endowed with experiential confidence in the Buddha — thus indeed is the Blessed One: an Arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, well-gone, knower of the worlds, incomparable leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One. I will be endowed with experiential confidence in the Dhamma… I will be endowed with experiential confidence in the Sangha… I will be endowed with the virtues loved by the noble ones — unbroken, unblemished, unspotted, untarnished, leading to collectedness.’ Thus should you train yourself, Dīghāvu.”

“Venerable sir, the four factors of stream-entry taught by the Blessed One are found in me, and I am found among them. Venerable sir, I am endowed with experiential confidence in the Buddha — thus indeed is the Blessed One: an Arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, well-gone, knower of the worlds, incomparable leader of persons to be trained, teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One. I am endowed with experiential confidence in the Dhamma… I am endowed with experiential confidence in the Sangha… I am endowed with the virtues loved by the noble ones — unbroken, unblemished, unspotted, untarnished, leading to collectedness.”

“Therefore, Dīghāvu, based on these four factors of stream-entry, you should further develop the six factors conducive to true knowledge. Here, Dīghāvu, you should dwell contemplating impermanence in all conditions, perceiving discontentment in what is impermanent, perceiving non-self in what is discontented, perceiving abandoning, perceiving dispassion, and perceiving ending. Thus should you train yourself, Dīghāvu.”

“Venerable sir, the six factors conducive to true knowledge taught by the Blessed One are found in me, and I am found among them. Venerable sir, I dwell contemplating impermanence in all conditions, perceiving discontentment in what is impermanent, perceiving non-self in what is discontented, perceiving abandoning, perceiving dispassion, and perceiving ending.”

“However, venerable sir, it occurs to me: ‘Let not the householder Jotika fall into grief upon my passing.’” “Do not think that way, dear Dīghāvu. Rather, remember what I have taught you, and focus your mind on it well.”

Then the Blessed One, having given this exhortation to Dīghāvu the lay follower, rose from his seat and departed. Soon after the Blessed One had left, Dīghāvu the lay follower passed away. Then several bhikkhus went to the Blessed One, bowed down to him, and sat to one side. Sitting there, the bhikkhus addressed the Blessed One:

“Venerable sir, the lay follower named Dīghāvu, who was exhorted by the Blessed One with a brief exhortation, has passed away. What is his destination, what is his future state?”

“Bhikkhus, Dīghāvu the lay follower was wise. He practiced in accordance with the Dhamma and did not trouble me with technical points about the teaching. By the destruction of the five lower fetters, Dīghāvu the lay follower has been reborn spontaneously and will attain final Nibbāna there, without ever returning to this world.”

The four factors shared by the Buddha to train in for acquiring experiential confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma (his teachings), and the Sangha, and to cultivate virtues dear to the noble ones are how one awakens to the truth of enlightenment, also known as stream-entry.

It is okay to be skeptical of the teachings if one is having skepticism. One can use this to cultivate an inquisitive mind, to closely examine the teachings, to reflect on them to independently verify, and then to integrate the independently verified teachings into one’s life practice. This is where one would see the most benefits, and how one would gradually acquire experiential confidence in the Buddha, in the Dhamma, and in the Sangha.

Related Teachings:

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.

What Is Nibbāna? (SN 38.1) - What is called Nibbāna, is the ending of greed (lust, passion, attachment), the ending of hate (ill-will, resentment, aversion), the ending of delusion (assumption making tendencies, absence of close examination and verification) — this is called Nibbāna.

33 Synonyms for Nibbāna (from SN 43.12 - 43.44) - This compilation of similar teachings is an invitation to broaden one’s personal understanding of what the state of Nibbāna is.