A Great Man

SN 47.11 · Mahāpurisasutta

Gentle waves moving around smooth stones on a quiet shore.

At Sāvatthī.

Then Sāriputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Sir, they speak of ‘a great man’. How is a great man defined?”

“Sāriputta, someone whose mind is free is a great man, I say. If their mind is not free, I say they’re not a great man.

And how does someone have a free mind? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. As they meditate observing an aspect of the body, their mind becomes dispassionate, and is freed from the defilements by not grasping. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings … mind … principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. As they meditate observing an aspect of principles, their mind becomes dispassionate, and is freed from the defilements by not grasping. That’s how someone has a free mind.

Someone whose mind is free is a great man, I say. If their mind is not free, I say they’re not a great man.”

Connections

Collection & context

Saṃyutta NikāyaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.