The Buddha was dwelling in Sravasti. At that time, the householder Anathapindika came to where the Buddha was, paid respects to the Buddha, and sat to one side. The Buddha said to Anathapindika who was seated to one side:

"Householder, when a noble disciple's five fears and enmities have subsided, he possesses the four factors of stream-entry, and he has clearly seen and penetrated with wisdom the noble method, then if he wishes, he can declare of himself: 'I have exhausted hell, the animal realm, and the realm of ghosts; I have exhausted the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the lower realms; I am a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the lower worlds, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as my destination.'"

"What are the five fears and enmities that have subsided? Householder, one who destroys life, because of destroying life, generates fear and enmity in the present life and generates fear and enmity in future lives, and experiences mental pain and dejection. For one who abstains from destroying life, this fear and enmity has subsided."

"Householder, one who takes what is not given, because of taking what is not given, generates fear and enmity in the present life and generates fear and enmity in future lives, and experiences mental pain and dejection. For one who abstains from taking what is not given, this fear and enmity has subsided."

"Householder, one who engages in sexual misconduct, because of sexual misconduct, generates fear and enmity in the present life and generates fear and enmity in future lives, and experiences mental pain and dejection. For one who abstains from sexual misconduct, this fear and enmity has subsided."

"Householder, one who speaks falsely, because of false speech, generates fear and enmity in the present life and generates fear and enmity in future lives, and experiences mental pain and dejection. For one who abstains from false speech, this fear and enmity has subsided."

"Householder, one who indulges in wine, liquor, and intoxicants, because of indulgence in intoxicants, generates fear and enmity in the present life and generates fear and enmity in future lives, and experiences mental pain and dejection. For one who abstains from wine, liquor, and intoxicants, this fear and enmity has subsided. These are the five fears and enmities that have subsided."

"What are the four factors of stream-entry that he possesses? Here, householder, the noble disciple possesses unwavering faith in the Buddha thus: 'The Blessed One is an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.'"

"He possesses unwavering faith in the Dhamma thus: 'The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise.'"

"He possesses unwavering faith in the Sangha thus: 'The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing the good way, practicing the straight way, practicing the true way, practicing the proper way; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals - this Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.'"

"He possesses the virtues dear to the noble ones - unbroken, untorn, unblemished, unmottled, freeing, praised by the wise, ungrasped, leading to concentration. These are the four factors of stream-entry that he possesses."

"And what is the noble method that he has clearly seen and penetrated with wisdom? Here, householder, the noble disciple attends closely and carefully to dependent origination thus: 'When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases. That is, with ignorance as condition, volitional formations come to be; with volitional formations as condition, consciousness comes to be... Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering. But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations; with the cessation of volitional formations, cessation of consciousness... Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.' This is the noble method that he has clearly seen and penetrated with wisdom."

"Householder, when a noble disciple possesses these five fears and enmities that have subsided, these four factors of stream-entry, and has clearly seen and penetrated with wisdom this noble method, if he wishes, he can declare of himself: 'I have exhausted hell, the animal realm, and the realm of ghosts; I have exhausted the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the lower realms; I am a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the lower worlds, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as my destination.'"

Let's analyze this important Buddhist teaching in depth:

1. Background Analysis:

Sravasti was a common place where the Buddha resided and taught. Anathapindika was a devout lay follower. This scene depicts a typical situation where a layperson seeks teachings from the Buddha, reflecting that Buddhist teachings are for both monastics and laypeople.

2. The Deeper Meaning of the Five Fears and Enmities:

The Buddha elaborates on the profound significance of the five precepts (not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, and not consuming intoxicants). These are not mere behavioral rules, but wisdom pointing directly to the human heart:

For each precept, the Buddha explains:

- Present-life consequences: immediate psychological burdens and social pressures

- Future-life consequences: long-term karmic results

- Internal suffering: indicating that unwholesome actions primarily harm the doer themselves

3. The Wisdom of the Four Factors of Stream-Entry:

This section outlines the four foundations for becoming a stream-enterer (first stage of enlightenment):

- Faith in the Buddha: recognizing the qualities and merits of the Awakened One

- Faith in the Dhamma: understanding the practicality and universality of the Buddha's teachings

- Faith in the Sangha: recognizing the importance of the practice community

- Maintaining pure precepts: as the foundation for practice

4. The Profound Insight into Dependent Origination:

The famous principle of dependent origination, "When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises," reveals:

- The truth of the interconnectedness of all things in the universe

- The root of suffering lies in ignorance

- The possibility of liberation lies in breaking the causal chain

The twelve links of dependent origination are explained in detail in Suttas 1 and 2 of the Connected Discourses 12, so we won't elaborate further here.

Deep Reflections:

1. A Revolution of the Mind

This sutra is actually describing an inner revolution. The five precepts are not simple rules, but tools to help us fundamentally transform our minds. When we keep the precepts, we're not limiting our freedom, but gaining a deeper freedom.

2. The Wisdom of Cause and Effect

The Buddha teaches us to see the full dimensions of our actions: not just the actions themselves, but their effects on our psychology, on others, and on our entire life journey. This comprehensive observation is true wisdom.

3. The Path to Liberation

The sutra shows a clear path to liberation: starting with keeping precepts, cultivating right view through faith in the Triple Gem, and finally reaching a profound understanding of dependent origination. This is a gradual process.

4. The Meaning of Practice

Becoming a "stream-enterer" is not the end, but an important milestone, marking that one has undoubtedly set foot on the path to enlightenment. This gives great encouragement to all sincere practitioners.

Inspirations:

1. The Power of Actions

Every action is like a stone thrown into water, creating ripples. Keeping precepts is not passive prohibition, but active cultivation of the mind.

2. The Importance of Faith

Faith in the Triple Gem is not blind belief, but firm conviction based on rational understanding. This faith will guide us towards deeper wisdom.

3. Practical Guidance

The sutra provides us with a clear map for practice: starting with keeping precepts, cultivating right faith, and finally reaching the realization of wisdom. Everyone can progress along this path.

4. A Beacon of Hope

The Buddha clearly states that through diligent practice, everyone has the potential to become a stream-enterer, giving us great hope and courage.

Conclusion:

This sutra is not just a doctrinal exposition, but a practical guide to life. It tells us that by adhering to correct behavioral guidelines and cultivating faith in the truth, we can ultimately achieve complete inner liberation. This is a teaching full of hope and wisdom, worthy of our deep contemplation and practice.