Dighanikaya 33.309

33.309

Ariyavaṃsāti ariyānaṃ vaṃsā. Yathā hi khattiyavaṃso, brāhmaṇavaṃso, vessavaṃso, suddavaṃso, samaṇavaṃso, kulavaṃso, rājavaṃso, evaṃ ayampi aṭṭhamo ariyavaṃso ariyatanti ariyapaveṇī nāma hoti. So kho panāyaṃ ariyavaṃso imesaṃ vaṃsānaṃ mūlagandhādīnaṃ kāḷānusāritagandhādayo viya aggamakkhāyati. Ke pana te ariyā yesaṃ ete vaṃsāti? Ariyā vuccanti buddhā ca paccekabuddhā ca tathāgatasāvakā ca, etesaṃ ariyānaṃ vaṃsāti ariyavaṃsā. Ito pubbe hi satasahassakappādhikānaṃ catunnaṃ asaṅkhyeyyānaṃ matthake taṇhaṅkaro medhaṅkaro saraṇaṅkaro dīpaṅkaroti cattāro buddhā uppannā, te ariyā, tesaṃ ariyānaṃ vaṃsāti ariyavaṃsā. Tesaṃ buddhānaṃ parinibbānato aparabhāge asaṅkhyeyyaṃ atikkamitvā koṇḍañño nāma buddho uppanno…pe… imasmiṃ kappe kakusandho, koṇāgamano, kassapo, amhākaṃ bhagavā gotamoti cattāro buddhā uppannā. Tesaṃ ariyānaṃ vaṃsāti ariyavaṃsā. Apica atītānāgatapaccuppannānaṃ sabbabuddhapaccekabuddhabuddhasāvakānaṃ ariyānaṃ vaṃsāti ariyavaṃsā. Te kho panete aggaññā aggāti jānitabbā. Rattaññā dīgharattaṃ pavattāti jānitabbā. Vaṃsaññā vaṃsāti jānitabbā.

“Lineages of the noble ones” means lineages of the noble ones. For just as there is a lineage of khattiyas, a lineage of brahmins, a lineage of vessas, a lineage of suddas, a lineage of ascetics, a lineage of clans, and a lineage of kings, so too this eighth lineage is called the lineage of the noble ones, the noble tradition, the noble heritage. Furthermore, this lineage of the noble ones is declared to be the foremost among these lineages, like black tagara fragrance and others among root-fragrances and so on. But who are those noble ones whose lineages these are? The Buddhas, the Paccekabuddhas, and the disciples of the Tathāgata are called noble ones; the lineages of these noble ones are the lineages of the noble ones. For prior to this, at the end of four incalculable periods and a hundred thousand aeons, four Buddhas arose: Taṇhaṅkara, Medhaṅkara, Saraṇaṅkara, and Dīpaṅkara. They were noble ones; the lineages of these noble ones are the lineages of the noble ones. After the final passing of those Buddhas, an incalculable period having elapsed, a Buddha named Koṇḍañña arose… and so on… In this aeon, four Buddhas have arisen: Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana, Kassapa, and our Blessed One Gotama. The lineages of these noble ones are the lineages of the noble ones. Moreover, the lineages of all past, future, and present Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas, and Buddha-disciples, the noble ones, are the lineages of the noble ones. Furthermore, they are to be known as foremost because they are supreme. They are to be known as of long standing because they have continued for a long time. They are to be known as lineages because they are traditions.