Buddha attributes (4): Sugato

The Commentary explains this attribute in four ways:

(a) Su, well; gata, gone. Thus the going, i.e. the attaining of the Ariya Path, hence the “One who has attained the Ariya Paths” is the first meaning. The Ariya Path is faultless or flawless and therefore is magnificent. Therefore, the Buddha is called sugata because He proceeds to the haven from all dangers, by the magnificent Path, in an unattached attitude. (Under this interpretation, the Ariya Path is the attribute and the mind-body continuum of the five aggregates of the Buddha is the possessor of that attribute.)

(b) Su, Nibbāna, the excellent goal; gala: proceeds there by means of knowledge. Nibbāna is the excellent goal because it is the end of all strife and is the Ultimate Peace. Attaining that excellent goal with magga-ñāṇa at one sitting is the Buddha’s attribute. (Here the Ariya Path is the attribute and the mind-body continuum of the five aggregates of the Buddha is the possessor of that attribute.) In both these two interpretations, proceeding to Nibbāna means having Nibbāna as object of thought. The going or proceeding here is by means of knowledge only and does not, cannot, connote the physical act of going which applies where a certain geographical place is the destination.

(c) Su: Sammā well; gata: gone to Nibbāna by means of Path Knowledge (Magga-ñāṇa). Here the adverb “well” denotes freedom from defilements. The going is well since the defilements destroyed by the four Path Knowledges do not arise in the Buddha any more.

In all the above three interpretations the ultimate sense is the same: having Nibbāna as object of thought through the four maggas. This is the first explanation of sugata in the brief meaning given earlier on.

(d) Su: Sammā, well; gata, speaks appropriately on appropriate occasions. Here gada is the root that is changed into gata.

The appropriate speech or speaking well is further explained thus:

“There are six kinds of speech among people; of these six, four should be rejected, i.e. not resorted to, and only two should be adopted.”

(i) There is the kind of speech which is not true, which is not beneficial and not liked by the other party, (e.g. saying that a virtuous person is wicked.) The Buddha avoids this kind of speech.

(ii) There is the kind of speech which is true but which is of no benefit to, and not acceptable to the other party, (e.g. calling a bad man a bad man, not intending to correct him but merely out of malice.) The Buddha avoids this kind of speech also.

(iii) There is the kind of speech which is true, which is beneficial but is not liked by the other party to hear it. (e.g. Referring to Devadatta as the one heading for Niraya –spoken by the Buddha out of compassion for him.) The Buddha speaks this kind of speech when occasion demands it.

(iv) There is the kind of speech which is not true, which is not beneficial to the other party, but is liked by him. (e.g. quoting the Vedas and claiming that an evil deed such as killing will lead to the good destinations.) The Buddha avoids this kind of speech also.

(v) There is the kind of speech which is true but is not beneficial to the other party, and he likes to hear it. (e.g. a true statement which is going to drive a wedge between the other parties.) The Buddha avoids this kind of speech also.

(vi) There is the kind of speech which is true, which is beneficial to the other party, and he likes to hear it. (e.g. discourse on alms-giving, morality, etc. given on appropriate occasions.) The Buddha speaks this kind of speech when the occasion is appropriate.

Out of the above six kinds of speech, the Buddha speaks only the third and the sixth kinds only.

Regarding the third kind above, if a statement is true and is beneficial to the other party, although he does not like to hear it, the Buddha would say it because it would benefit other people who hear it, and will be for the good of the world at large.

Thus, if a statement is true and is beneficial to the hearer, the Buddha says it whether the hearer likes it or not. Therefore the Buddha is called Sugata, the One who speaks what is beneficial and true. The speaking of what is beneficial and true is the attribute, and the mind-body continuum of the five aggregates of the Buddha is the possessor of this attribute. (refer to the brief meaning of this attribute given earlier on.)

[Abhaya Rājakumāra Sutta In Brief]