AN 3.75 a noble one's disciple, IF(?) they are a stream enterer, can not be reborn in hell

AN 3.75 a noble-one's-disciple (ariya-sāvakassa) with experiential confidence (aveccappasāde) in the Buddha ... can not be reborn in animal realm, hell, or other unfavorable births.

avecca-p-pasāda

masc. perfect clarity; absolute faith; epithet of stream entry [avecca + pasāda] ✓

So what about the ariya savaka who DOESN'T have perfect experiential confidence in Buddha?

According to B.Bodhi and Sujato,

ariya-savaka is a "noble disciple", someone who is already a confirmed stream enterer or higher attainment.

Their translation of AN 3.75, effectively ends up saying,

An arahant, nonreturner, once returner, or stream enterer,

IF they have experiential confidence in the Buddha (epithet of someone who is at least a stream enterer),

can not be reborn in ... hell, bad realms.

Or a more simple example, to illustrate the absurd illogic of it,

A stream enterer, if he is a confirmed stream enterer, can not be reborn in hell.

By definition, a stream enterer is already a stream enterer, he can not lack perfect confidence in the Buddha, can not be reborn in hell.

Therefore ariya savaka is "a noble one's disciple"

not "confirmed noble disciple" as Sujato and B. Bodhi translate.

Contact them, let them know their error.

People have only been complaining about it for a few decades now.

Comments

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