➥ aveccappasāda:

• for aveccappasāda:
  • unshakeable faith
• for aveccappasannā:
  • having unshakeable faith
• for buddhe aveccappasāda:
  • unshakeable faith in the [perfection of the] Buddha’s [enlightenment]
• for dhamme aveccappasāda:
  • unshakeable faith in the [excellence of the] teaching
• for saṅghe aveccappasāda:
  • unshakeable faith in the [excellent qualities of the] community of disciples
• aveccappasādena: unshakeable faith

Etymology: avecca

The etymology and meaning of avecca is at last clear, because whereas the PED had said ‘the form is not sufficiently clear semantically,’ the DOP now recognises it as an absolutive of aveti, to know. Therefore Tha 497 can be translated accordingly:

• One is neither a thief nor a sage by the word of another. But as one knows oneself, the devas likewise know one too.

Na pare vacanā coro na pare vacanā muni
Attā ca naṁ yathāveti devā pi naṁ tathā vidū. (Tha 497)

Notice that veti in pāda c corresponds to vidū in pāda d, from vindati, to know.

Avecca: meaning

DOP says avecca means ‘having penetrated’ or ‘understanding.’ Norman says ‘having understood’ or ‘understanding’:

1) ‘He who having understood the noble truths sees them [clearly]’

Yo ariyasaccāni avecca passati. (Norman, Snp 229)

2) ‘Understanding all knowledge, you have revealed the doctrine, having sympathy for beings.’

Sabbaṁ tuvaṁ ñāṇamavecca dhammaṁ pakāsesi satte anukampamāno. (Norman, Snp 378)

DOP’s ‘having penetrated’ makes better sense, and we have shown sv Passati that when it lacks an object, passati means ‘see [the nature of reality].’ Thus we translate the two verses as:

1) He who, having penetrated the [four] noble truths, sees [the nature of reality] (Snp 229).

2) Having penetrated all knowledge, you have explained the teaching (Snp 378).

Thus, so far, if pasāda means ‘faith,’ aveccappasāda means ‘faith through having penetrated.’

Avecca and unshakability

Avecca is linked in the scriptures to unshakability, for example in this verse:

• Like a locking-post firmly embedded in the ground that is unshakeable by the winds of the four quarters, I declare, is the [quality of a] spiritually outstanding person, who, having penetrated the [four] noble truths, sees [the nature of reality].

Yathindakhīlo paṭhaviṁ sito siyā catubbhi vātehi asampakampiyo
Tathūpamaṁ sappurisaṁ vadāmi yo ariyasaccāni avecca passati. (Sn.v.229)

If avecca implies unshakability, then aveccappasāda seems to mean faith that is unshakeable on account of having penetrated profound truths.

Faith is stabilised by knowledge: Sekha Sutta

The theme of stabilising faith through knowledge is confirmed in the Sekha Sutta, which says that noble knowledge [of things according to reality] (ariyañāṇaṁ) stabilises four of the faculties, including the faculty of faith (saddhindriya):

• When noble knowledge [of things according to reality] has arisen in the noble disciple, then there is stability and steadiness in four faculties. Which four? The faculties of faith [in the perfection of the Perfect One’s enlightenment], energetic application [to the practice], mindfulness, and inward collectedness.

yato ca kho bhikkhave ariyasāvakassa ariyañāṇaṁ uppannaṁ hoti atha catunnaṁ indriyānaṁ saṇṭhiti hoti atha catunnaṁ indriyānaṁ avaṭṭhiti hoti. Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ saddhindriyassa viriyindriyassa satindriyassa samādhindriyassa. (SN v 228-9)

Faith is stabilised by knowledge: Vīmaṁsaka Sutta

Likewise the Vīmaṁsaka Sutta. Here a disciple explains how his unshakeable faith arose from transcendent insight into the teaching:

• As the Blessed One explained the teaching to me with its increasingly higher and more sublime levels, concerning what is inwardly dark and bright with their correlative combinations, thus through transcendent insight into a certain one of those teachings, I came to a conclusion about the teachings. I gained faith in the Teacher thus: “The Blessed One is perfectly enlightened. The teaching is well explained by the Blessed One. The community of disciples is applied to the excellent practice.”

Yathā yathā me āvuso bhagavā dhammaṁ deseti uttaruttariṁ paṇītapaṇītaṁ kaṇhasukkasappaṭibhāgaṁ tathā tathāhaṁ tasmiṁ dhamme abhiññāya idhekaccaṁ dhammaṁ dhammesu niṭṭhamagamaṁ satthari pasīdiṁ sammā sambuddho bhagavā svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo supaṭipanno saṅgho ti.

… Bhikkhus, when one’s faith in the [perfection of the] Perfect One’s [enlightenment] is settled, rooted, and established, and described in these terms, words, and phrases, then one’s faith is said to be supported by reasons, rooted in vision [of things according to reality], and firm. It is not shakeable by any ascetic, Brahmanist, deva, māra, or brahmā, or by anyone in the world.

Yassa kassa ci bhikkhave imehi ākārehi imehi padehi imehi vyañjanehi tathāgate saddhā niviṭṭhā hoti mūlajātā patiṭṭhitā ayaṁ vuccatī bhikkhave ākāravatī saddhā dassanamūlikā daḷhā asaṁhāriyā samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasmiṁ. (MN i 320)

Aveccappasāda: unshakeable faith

In conclusion, aveccappasāda implies a faith that is ‘supported by reasons, rooted in vision [of things according to reality], and firm. It is not shakeable by any ascetic, Brahmanist, deva, māra, or brahmā.’ We call it ‘unshakeable faith.’

Buddhe aveccappasāda

A noble disciple who has unshakeable faith in the Buddha (buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti) has come to the conclusion that:

• He is indeed the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, perfect in insightfulness into reality and in conduct, the Sublime One, one who knows the world [of phenomena] [according to reality], the unexcelled trainer of men to be tamed, the teacher of devas and men, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.

iti pi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammā sambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidu anuttaro purisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā ti. (SN v 390)

According to this, the noble disciple’s faith is not in the person of the Buddha, but in the perfection of his enlightenment. This is in accordance with the definition of saddhindriyaṁ which is linked to tathāgatassa bodhiṁ:

• And what is the faculty of faith? In this regard, the noble disciple has faith. He has faith in the [perfection of the] Perfect One’s enlightenment: ‘He is indeed the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, perfect in insightfulness into reality and in conduct, the Sublime One, one who knows the world [of phenomena] [according to reality], the unexcelled trainer of men to be tamed, the teacher of devas and men, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’

Katamañca bhikkhave saddhindriyaṁ idha bhikkhave ariyasāvako saddho hoti saddahati tathāgatassa bodhiṁ iti pi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathī satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā ti. Idaṁ vuccati bhikkhave saddhindriyaṁ. (SN v 196)

Therefore ‘unshakeable faith in the Buddha’ means ‘unshakeable faith in the [perfection of the] Buddha’s [enlightenment].’

Dhamme aveccappasāda

A noble disciple who has unshakeable faith in the teaching (dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti) has come to the conclusion that:

• The teaching is well explained by the Blessed One, fathomable in this lifetime, realisable in the here and now, intriguing, personally applicable, to be realised by the wise for themselves.

svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opanayiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī ti. (SN v 390)

In the light of these qualities, the teaching’s excellence and effectiveness, ‘unshakeable faith in the Dhamma’ means ‘unshakeable faith in the [excellence of the] teaching.’

Saṅghe aveccappasāda

A noble disciple who has unshakeable faith in the community of disciples (saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti) has come to the conclusion that:

• The community of the Blessed One’s [noble] disciples is applied to the excellent practice, the correct practice, the noble practice, the proper practice; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals. This is the community of the Blessed One’s [noble] disciples. They are worthy of offerings, hospitality, gifts, and honouring with joined palms. They are the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho ujupaṭipanno bhagato sāvakasaṅgho ñāyapaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho sāmīcipaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho yadidaṁ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭhapurisapuggalā esabhagavato sāvakasaṅgho āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassāti. (SN v 390)

‘Unshakeable faith in the community of disciples’ is therefore faith in their excellent qualities.

Increasing levels of unshakeability

Although unshakeable faith is associated with stream-entry, the Cūḷahatthipadopama Sutta says one cannot conclude that the Blessed One is perfectly enlightened until arahantship:

• And it is not until this point that a noble disciple can come to the conclusion: ‘The Blessed One is perfectly enlightened; the teaching is well explained by the Blessed One; the community of the Blessed One’s [noble] disciples is applied to the excellent practice.’“

Ettāvatā kho brāhmaṇa ariyasāvako niṭṭhaṁ gato hoti sammāsambuddho bhagavā svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho ti. (MN i 184)

At levels lesser than arahantship, the faculties, including the faculty of faith, are correspondingly weaker:

• One who has completed and fulfilled these five spiritual faculties is an arahant. If they are weaker than that, one is a non-returner; if still weaker, a once-returner; if still weaker, a stream-enterer.

Imesaṁ kho bhikkhave pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ samattā paripūrattā arahaṁ hoti. Tato mudutarehi anāgāmī hoti. Tato mudutarehi sakadāgāmī hoti. Tato mudutarehi sotāpanno hoti. (SN v 200)

➥ aveccappasannā: (main article see: aveccappasāda)

Illustration: aveccappasannā, having unshakeable faith

Whoever has unshakeable faith in me, all are stream-enterers.

ye keci bhikkhave mayi aveccappasannā sabbe te sotāpannā. (AN v 120)

➥ aveccappasādena: (main article see: aveccappasāda)

Illustration: aveccappasādena, unshakeable faith

Bhikkhus, a noble disciple possessed of four factors is said to be well off, with great wealth and riches, of great glory. What four?”

Catūhi bhikkhave dhammehi samannāgato ariyasāvako aḍḍho mahaddhano mahābhogo mahāyaso ti vuccati. Katamehi catūhi

1) He has unshakeable faith in the [perfection of the] Buddha’s [enlightenment],

buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti

2) He has unshakeable faith in the [excellence of the] teaching,

Dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti

3) He has unshakeable faith in the [excellent qualities of the] community of disciples,

Saṅghe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti

4) He possesses the virtues dear to the Noble Ones.

Ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti. (SN v 402)