SC 11 Như vậy tôi nghe. Một thời Thế Tôn du hành trong xứ Anga (Ương-già) cùng với đại chúng Tỷ-kheo khoảng năm trăm vị, đến tại thành Campà (Chiêm-bà) và tại Campà, Thế Tôn ở trên bờ hồ Gaggara (Già-già liên-trì). Lúc bấy giờ, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa (Chủng Ðức) trú tại Campà, một chỗ dân cư đông đúc, cây cỏ, ao nước, lúa gạo phì nhiêu, một vương địa do vua Bimbisāra (Tần-bà-ta-la), vua nước Magadha (Ma-kiệt-đà) cấp, một ân tứ của vua, một tịnh ấp.
SC 2PTS cs 2 Các Bà-la-môn và gia chủ ở Campà được nghe tiếng đồn như sau: “Sa-môn Gotama, dòng họ Thích-ca, xuất gia từ gia tộc Thích-ca, đang du hành trong nước Anga với đại chúng Tỷ-kheo khoảng năm trăm vị đã đến tại thành Campà, và tại Campà. Sa-môn Gotama ở trên bờ hồ Gaggara. Tiếng đồn tốt đẹp sau đây được truyền đi về Thế Tôn Gotama: “Ðây là đức Thế Tôn, bậc A-la-hán, Chánh Ðẳng Giác, Minh Hạnh Túc, Thiện Thệ, Thế Gian Giải, Vô Thượng Sĩ, Ðiều Ngự Trượng Phu, Thiên Nhân Sư, Phật, Thế Tôn. Với thắng trí, Ngài tự thân chứng ngộ thế giới này cùng với Thiên giới, Phạm thiên giới, cùng với chúng Sa-môn, Bà-la-môn, các loài Trời và Người—Khi đã chứng ngộ, Ngài còn tuyên thuyết điều Ngài đã chứng ngộ, Ngài thuyết pháp sơ thiện, trung thiện, hậu thiện, có nghĩa có văn. Ngài truyền dạy phạm hạnh hoàn toàn đầy đủ trong sạch. Tốt đẹp thay, sự chiêm ngưỡng một vị A-la-hán như vậy”.
SC 3Rồi các Bà-la-môn và gia chủ ở Campà, từng đoàn từng đoàn, lũ lượt đi ra khỏi Campà và đến tại hồ nước Gaggara.
SC 4PTS cs 3 Lúc bấy giờ Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa đi lên trên lầu để nghỉ trưa, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa thấy các Bà-la-môn và gia chủ ở Campà từng đoàn từng đoàn, lũ lượt đi ra khỏi Campà và đến tại hồ nước Gaggara. Thấy vậy, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa bèn gọi người gác cửa
SC 5—Này người gác cửa, vì sao các Bà-la-môn và gia chủ ở Campà từng đoàn từng đoàn lũ lượt đi ra khỏi Campà và đến tại hồ Gaggara như vậy?
SC 6- Thưa Tôn giả, có Sa-môn Gotama, dòng họ Thích-ca, xuất gia từ gia tộc Thích-ca, đang du hành trong nước Anga với đại chúng Tỷ-kheo khoảng năm trăm vị, đến tại thành Campà, và tại Campà Sa-môn Gotama ở trên bờ hồ Gaggara. Tiếng đồn tốt đẹp sau đây được truyền đi về Thế Tôn Gotama: “Ðây là Thế Tôn, bậc A-la-hán, Chánh Ðẳng Giác, Minh Hạnh Túc, Thiện Thệ, Thế Gian Giải, Vô Thượng Sĩ, Ðiều Ngự Trượng Phu, Thiên Nhân Sư, Phật, Thế Tôn”. Nay những người ấy đi đến để yết kiến Tôn giả Gotama.
SC 7- Này người giữ cửa, hãy đi đến các Bà-la-môn và gia chủ ở Campà, khi đến nơi, hãy nói với những Bà-la-môn và gia chủ: “Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa có nói: “Này các Hiền giả, hãy chờ đợi! Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa sẽ tự thân hành đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama”.
- Dạ vâng!
SC 8Người giữ cửa ấy vâng theo lời của Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa, đi đến các Bà-la-môn và gia chủ ở Campà. Khi đến xong, liền nói với các Bà-la-môn và gia chủ ở Campà
SC 9—Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa có nói: “Này các Hiền giả, hãy chờ đợi! Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa sẽ tự thân hành đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama”.
SC 10PTS cs 4 Lúc bấy giờ, có khoảng năm trăm Bà-la-môn từ nhiều địa phương khác nhau, đến ở tại Campà vì công vụ. Những Bà-la-môn nghe: “Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa sẽ đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama”. Những Bà-la-môn này đến Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa, khi đến xong, liền thưa với Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa
SC 11—Có phải Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa sẽ đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama?
SC 12- Này các Hiền giả, đó là ý định của ta. Ta sẽ đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama.
SC 13- Tôn giả Canke, chớ có đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama. Thật không xứng đáng cho Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama. Nếu Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama, thì danh tiếng của Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa bị hao tổn, danh tiếng của Sa-môn Gotama được tăng trưởng. Vì danh tiếng của Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa bị hao tổn và danh tiếng của Sa-môn Gotama được tăng trưởng, do điểm này, thật không xứng đáng cho Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama, thật xứng đáng cho Sa-môn Gotama yết kiến Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa.
SC 14Lại Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa thiện sanh cả từ mẫu hệ và phụ hệ, huyết thống thanh tịnh cho đến bảy đời tổ phụ không bị một vết nhơ nào, không bị một dèm pha nào về vấn đề huyết thống thọ sanh. Vì Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa thiện sanh cả từ mẫu hệ và phụ hệ, huyết thống thanh tịnh cho đến bảy đời tổ phụ, không bị một vết nhơ nào, không bị một chỉ trích nào về vấn đề huyết thống thọ sanh, do điểm này, thật không xứng đáng cho Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama, thật xứng đáng cho Sa-môn Gotama đến yết kiến Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa. Lại Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa là nhà giàu có, đại phú, sung túc … Lại Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa là nhà phúng tụng, nhà trì chú, thông hiểu ba tập Vedà với danh nghĩa, lễ nghi, ngữ nguyên, chú giải và lịch sử truyền thống là thứ năm, thông hiểu ngữ pháp và văn phạm, biện tài về Thuận thế (tự nhiên học) và tướng của vị đại nhân. Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa đẹp trai, khả ái, làm đẹp lòng người, với màu da thù thắng khôi ngô tuấn tú, cử chỉ trang nhã, dáng điệu cao thượng. Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa thiện ngôn, dùng lời thiện ngôn nói lời tao nhã, ý nghĩa minh bạch, giọng nói không bập bẹ phều phào, giải thích nghĩa lý minh xác. Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa là bậc tôn sư của hàng tôn sư nhiều người, dạy ba trăm thanh niên Bà-la-môn tụng đọc chú thuật, thanh niên Bà-la-môn từ nhiều phương, từ nhiều nước, tha thiết với chú thuật đến với Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa để học thuộc lòng các chú thuật. Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa niên cao, lạp lớn, bậc lão thành, đến tuổi trưởng thượng; còn Sa-môn Gotama thì tuổi trẻ, xuất gia chưa được nhiều năm. Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa được vua Seniya Bimbisāra (Tần-bà-ta-la) xứ Magadha (Ma-kiệt-đà) kính trọng, tôn sùng, chiêm ngưỡng, kính lễ, trọng vọng. Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa được Bà-la-môn Pokkharasāti kính trọng tôn sùng, chiêm ngưỡng, kính lễ, trọng vọng. Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa sống ở Campà, một địa phương dân chúng đông đúc, cỏ cây, ao nước phì nhiêu, lúa gạo sung túc, một vương lãnh địa, một tịnh thí địa, một ân tứ của vua Seniya Bimbisāra xứ Magadha. Do điểm này, thật không xứng đáng cho Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama, thật xứng đáng cho Sa-môn Gotama yết kiến Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa.
SC 15PTS cs 6 Nghe nói vậy, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa nói với những Bà-la-môn ấy
SC 16—Các Hiền giả, hãy nghe ta giải thích vì sao thật xứng đáng cho chúng ta đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama, trái lại thật không xứng đáng cho Sa-môn Gotama đến thăm chúng ta. Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama thiện sanh cả từ mẫu hệ và phụ hệ, huyết thống thanh tịnh cho đến bảy đời tổ phụ không bị một vết nhơ nào, không bị một dèm pha nào về vấn đề huyết thống thọ sanh; vì điểm này thật không xứng đáng cho Sa-môn Gotama đến yết kiến chúng ta, trái lại thật xứng đáng cho chúng ta đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama.
SC 17Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama xuất gia từ bỏ đại gia đình quyến thuộc.
SC 18Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama xuất gia từ bỏ rất nhiều vàng bạc, bỏ cả loại đang chôn dưới đất lẫn loại trên mặt đất.
SC 19Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama trong tuổi thanh niên, tóc còn đen nhánh, trong tuổi trẻ đẹp của thời niên thiếu, đã xuất gia từ bỏ gia đình sống không gia đình.
SC 20Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama dầu song thân không đồng ý, khóc than, nước mắt thấm ướt cả mặt, vẫn cạo bỏ râu tóc, khoác áo cà-sa, xuất gia từ bỏ gia đình, sống không gia đình.
SC 21Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama đẹp trai, khả ái, làm đẹp lòng mọi người, với màu da thù thắng, khôi ngô tuấn tú, cử chỉ trang nhã, dáng điệu cao thượng.
SC 22Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama có đức hạnh, gìn giữ giới hạnh của bậc Thánh, có thiện đức, đầy đủ thiện đức.
SC 23Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama thiện ngôn, dùng lời thiện ngôn, nói lời tao nhã, ý nghĩa minh bạch, giọng nói không bập bẹ, phều phào, giải thích nghĩa lý minh xác.
SC 24Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama là bậc tôn sư trong các hàng tôn sư của nhiều người.
SC 25Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama đã diệt trừ tham dục, đã diệt trừ được mọi xao động của tâm.
SC 26Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama chủ trương về nghiệp, chủ trương về hành động, đặt trọng tâm vào chí thiện khi thuyết pháp với chúng Bà-la-môn.
SC 27Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama xuất gia từ chủng tộc cao quý, từ dòng họ Sát-đế-lỵ thanh tịnh.
SC 28Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama xuất gia từ chủng tộc khá giả, đại phú, tài sản sung mãn.
SC 29Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, dân chúng băng ngàn vượt biển (băng qua nhiều địa phương, băng qua nhiều quốc độ) đến hỏi đạo Sa-môn Gotama.
SC 30Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, có hàng ngàn Thiên, Nhân đến quy y Sa-môn Gotama.
SC 31Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, tiếng đồn tốt đẹp sau đây được truyền đi về Sa-môn Gotama: “Ngài là bậc Thế Tôn, A-la-hán, Chánh Ðẳng Giác, Minh Hạnh Túc, Thiện Thệ, Thế Gian Giải, Vô Thượng Sĩ, Ðiều Ngự Trượng Phu, Thiên Nhân Sư, Phật, Thế Tôn”.
SC 32Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama có đầy đủ ba mươi hai tướng tốt của bậc đại nhân.
SC 33Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama nói lời chào đón, thân thiện, tao nhã, trang trọng, chân trực thẳng thắn, lời nói có dẫn chứng.
SC 34Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama được bốn chúng kính trọng, tôn sùng, chiêm ngưỡng, kính nể, trọng vọng.
SC 35Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, rất nhiều Thiên, Nhân tín ngưỡng Sa-môn Gotama.
SC 36Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, ở tại làng nào, thôn ấp nào, Sa-môn Gotama cư trú, tại làng ấy, tại thôn ấp ấy, các loài phi nhân không làm hại loài người.
SC 37Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama là giáo hội chủ, giáo phái chủ, giáo phái sư, được tôn là tối thượng trong các giáo tổ.
SC 38Này các Hiền giả, danh tiếng của một số Sa-môn, Bà-la-môn dựa trên những bằng chứng không đâu, danh tiếng của Sa-môn Gotama không phải vậy. Danh tiếng của Sa-môn Gotama dựa trên trí đức vô thượng của Ngài.
SC 39Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, vua Seniya Bimbisāra nước Magadha, cùng với vương tử, cung phi, thị tùng đều quy y Sa-môn Gotama.
SC 40Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, vua Pasenadi nước Kosala, cùng với vương tử, cung phi, thị tùng đều quy y Sa-môn Gotama.
SC 41Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Bà-la-môn Pokkharasāti cùng với các con, vợ, thị giả, đều quy y Sa-môn Gotama.
SC 42Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama được vua Seniya Bimbisāra nước Magadha kính trọng, tôn sùng, chiêm ngưỡng, kính lễ, trọng vọng.
SC 43Này Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama, được Bà-la-môn Pokkharasāti kính trọng, tôn sùng, chiêm ngưỡng, kính lễ, trọng vọng.
SC 44Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama được vua Pasenadi nước Kosala kính trọng, tôn sùng, chiêm ngưỡng, kính lễ trọng vọng.
SC 45Này các Hiền giả, thật vậy, Sa-môn Gotama đã đến Campà, nay đang ở tại Campà, trên bờ ao Gaggara. Những Sa-môn, Bà-la-môn nào đến ruộng làng chúng ta đều là khách của chúng ta. Ðối với khách, chúng ta phải kính trọng, tôn sùng, chiêm ngưỡng, kính lễ, trọng vọng. Này các Hiền giả, nay Sa-môn Gotama đã đến Campà, hiện ở tại Campà trên bờ hồ Gaggara, như vậy Sa-môn Gotama là khách của chúng ta. Và đã là khách, chúng ta phải kính trọng, tôn sùng, chiêm ngưỡng, kính lễ, trọng vọng. Do điểm này, thật không xứng đáng cho Tôn giả Gotama đến yết kiến chúng ta, thật xứng đáng cho chúng ta đến yết kiến Tôn giả Gotama. Này các Hiền giả, đó là những ưu điểm mà ta được biết về Tôn giả Gotama. Tôn giả Gotama không phải có chừng ấy ưu điểm mà thôi. Tôn giả Gotama có đến vô lượng ưu điểm.
SC 46PTS cs 7 Khi nghe nói vậy, các Bà-la-môn ấy nói với Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa
SC 47—Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa đã tán thán Sa-môn Gotama như vậy dầu cho một ai ở xa Tôn giả Gotama đến một trăm do tuần cũng đủ cho người ấy cùng gia tộc đi đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama, dầu phải đem theo lương thực. Do vậy, tất cả chúng tôi sẽ đi đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama.
SC 48Lúc bấy giờ, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa cùng với đại chúng Bà-la-môn đi đến bờ hồ Gaggara.
SC 49PTS cs 8 Sự lo lắng sau đây khởi lên trong tâm trí của Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa khi đi ngang qua khu rừng: “Nếu ta hỏi Sa-môn Gotama một câu và nếu Sa-môn Gotama trả lời với ta như sau: “Này Bà-la-môn, không nên đặt câu hỏi như thế này”. Thời như vậy, hội chúng này sẽ khinh miệt ta: “Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa là ngu si, bất tài, không thể hỏi một câu cho chín chắn”. Nếu hội chúng này khinh miệt ta thời danh tiếng ta bị giảm bớt. Và ai bị danh tiếng giảm bớt thời thâu nhận cúng dường bị giảm thiểu. Vì cúng dường của chúng ta tùy thuộc với danh dự chúng ta được có. Nếu Sa-môn Gotama hỏi ta một câu, câu trả lời của ta về câu hỏi ấy có thể không làm cho tâm trí được thỏa mãn; và nếu Sa-môn Gotama nói với ta như sau: “Này Bà-la-môn, câu hỏi ấy nên trả lời như thế này”, thời như vậy, hội chúng này sẽ khinh miệt ta: “Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa là ngu si bất tài không thể làm cho tâm trí Sa-môn Gotama thỏa mãn với câu trả lời câu hỏi ấy”. Nếu hội chúng này khinh miệt ta thì danh tiếng ta bị giảm bớt và ai bị danh tiếng giảm bớt, thời thâu nhận cúng dường bị giảm thiểu, vì cúng dường của chúng ta tùy thuộc với danh dự chúng ta được có. Nếu ta đi đến gần như thế này mà ta trở về không gặp Sa-môn Gotama, thời hội chúng này sẽ khinh miệt ta: “Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa là người ngu si bất tài, kiêu mạn, cứng đầu, sợ hãi, không dám đến yết kiến Sa-môn Gotama, làm sao đã đi đến gần như thế này mà lại trở về không gặp Sa-môn Gotama”. Nếu hội chúng khinh miệt ta, thì danh dự ta bị giảm bớt, và ai bị danh dự giảm bớt thời thâu nhận cúng dường bị giảm thiểu. Vì cúng dường của chúng ta tùy thuộc với danh dự chúng ta được có”.
SC 50PTS cs 9 Lúc bấy giờ Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa đến chỗ đức Thế Tôn. Sau khi đến bèn nói lời thân ái, chào đón, chúc tụng rồi ngồi xuống một bên. Các Bà-la-môn và gia chủ ở Campà, có người đảnh lễ Sa-môn Gotama rồi ngồi xuống một bên, có người nói lời thân ái chào đón chúc tụng với Sa-môn Gotama rồi ngồi xuống một bên, có người chắp tay vái chào Sa-môn Gotama rồi ngồi xuống một bên, có người nói tên và dòng họ rồi ngồi xuống một bên, có người yên lặng ngồi xuống một bên.
SC 51PTS cs 10 Lúc ấy Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa đang ngồi, tâm trí lo lắng: “Nếu ta hỏi Sa-môn Gotama một câu và nếu Sa-môn Gotama trả lời với ta như sau: “Này Bà-la-môn, không nên đặt câu hỏi như vậy, nên đặt câu hỏi như thế này”. Thời như vậy hội chúng sẽ khinh miệt ta: “Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa là ngu si, bất tài, không thể hỏi một câu cho chín chắn”. Nếu hội chúng này khinh miệt ta thì danh tiếng ta bị giảm bớt. Và ai bị danh tiếng giảm bớt thời thâu nhận cúng dường bị giảm thiểu. Vì cúng dường của chúng ta tùy thuộc với danh tiếng chúng ta được có. Nếu Sa-môn Gotama hỏi ta một câu và câu trả lời của ta về câu hỏi ấy có thể không làm cho tâm trí được thỏa mãn, và nếu Sa-môn Gotama nói với ta như thế này; “Này Bà-la-môn, câu hỏi ấy không nên trả lời như vậy”. Này Bà-la-môn, câu hỏi ấy nên trả lời như thế này, thời như vậy hội chúng này sẽ khinh miệt ta: “Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa là người ngu si, bất tài, không làm cho tâm trí Sa-môn Gotama thỏa mãn với câu trả lời (ấy)”. Nếu hội chúng này khinh miệt ta thời danh tiếng ta bị giảm bớt. Và ai danh tiếng bị giảm bớt thì thâu nhận cúng dường bị giảm thiểu. Vì cúng dường của chúng ta tùy thuộc với danh tiếng chúng ta được có. Mong rằng Sa-môn Gotama hãy hỏi ta câu hỏi thuộc sự truyền bá về ba quyển Vedà. Như vậy chắc chắn ta có thể làm tâm trí của Ngài được thỏa mãn với câu trả lời của ta cho câu hỏi ấy”.
SC 52PTS cs 11 Lúc bấy giờ, đức Thế Tôn được biết sự phân vân lo lắng của Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa với tri giác của mình, liền tự nghĩ: “Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa này đang phân vân lo lắng. Ta hãy hỏi Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa với câu hỏi thuộc sự truyền bá về ba quyển Vedà”.
SC 53Rồi đức Thế Tôn hỏi Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa
SC 54—Này Bà-la-môn, những vị Bà-la-môn phải đầy đủ bao nhiêu đức tính mới được gọi là Bà-la-môn, và để có thể khi nói: “Tôi là Bà-la-môn”, lời nói ấy là chơn chánh, không phải là lời nói dối?
SC 55PTS cs 12 Lúc bấy giờ Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa suy nghĩ: “Thật vậy, điều mà chúng ta mong ước, hy vọng, yêu cầu, mong đợi. Mong Sa-môn Gotama hãy hỏi ta câu hỏi thuộc sự truyền về ba quyển Vedà. Như vậy chắc chắn ta có thể làm tâm trí của Ngài được thỏa mãn với câu trả lời cho câu hỏi ấy. Nay Sa-môn Gotama hỏi ta câu hỏi thuộc sự truyền bá về ba quyển Vedà. Chắc chắn ta có thể làm cho tâm trí của Ngài được thỏa mãn với câu trả lời cho câu hỏi ấy”.
SC 56PTS cs 13 Rồi Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa ngồi thẳng lưng, nhìn xung quanh hội chúng và bạch đức Thế Tôn
SC 57—Có năm đức tánh, những vị Bà-la-môn phải đầy đủ mới được gọi là Bà-la-môn và để có thể khi nói: “Tôi là Bà-la-môn ”, lời nói ấy chơn chánh, không phải là lời nói dối. Thế nào là năm? Ở đây, này Tôn giả, người Bà-la-môn thiện sanh cả từ mẫu hệ và phụ hệ, huyết thống thanh tịnh cho đến bảy đời tổ phụ, không bị một vết nhơ nào, không bị một dèm pha nào về vấn đề huyết thống thọ sanh. Vị ấy là nhà phúng tụng, nhà trì chú, thông hiểu ba tập Vedà với danh nghĩa, lễ nghi, ngữ nguyên, chú giải và lịch sử truyền thống là thứ năm, thông hiểu ngữ pháp và văn phạm, biệt tài về Thuận thế (tự nhiên học) và tướng của vị đại nhân. Vị ấy đẹp trai, khả ái, làm đẹp lòng mọi người, với màu da thù thắng, khôi ngô tuấn tú, cử chỉ trang nhã, dáng điệu cao thượng. Vị ấy có đức hạnh, đức độ cao dày, đầy đủ giới hạnh cao dày. Và vị ấy là người học rộng, sáng suốt, là người đệ nhất hay đệ nhị trong những người cầm muỗng (để đổ bơ làm lễ tế thần). Này Tôn giả Gotama, đó là năm đức tánh, những vị Bà-la-môn phải đầy đủ mới được gọi là Bà-la-môn và để có thể, khi nói: “Tôi là Bà-la-môn ”, lời nói ấy là chơn chánh, không phải là lời nói dối.
SC 58PTS cs 14 - Này Bà-la-môn, trong năm đức tánh này, có thể bỏ qua một đức tánh nào, chỉ có bốn đức tánh thôi, mà vẫn có thể gọi là Bà-la-môn và để có thể khi nói: “Tôi là Bà-la-môn ”, lời nói ấy là lời nói chơn chánh, không phải là lời nói dối.
SC 59- Tôn giả Gotama, có thể được. Tôn giả Gotama, trong năm đức tánh này, chúng tôi có thể bỏ dung sắc. Thật vậy, dung sắc làm được gì? Khi một Tôn giả Bà-la-môn thiện sanh từ mẫu hệ và phụ hệ, huyết thống thanh tịnh cho đến bảy đời tổ phụ, không bị một vết nhơ nào, không bị một dèm pha nào về vấn đề huyết thống thọ sanh. Vị ấy lại là nhà phúng tụng, nhà trì chú, thông hiểu ba tập Vedà với danh nghĩa, lễ nghi, ngữ nguyên, chú giải, và lịch sử truyền thống là thứ năm, thông hiểu ngữ pháp và văn phạm, biệt tài về Thuận thế (tự nhiên học) và tướng của vị đại nhân. Vị ấy có đức hạnh, đức độ cao dày, đầy đủ giới hạnh cao dày. Và vị ấy là người học rộng, sáng suốt, là người đệ nhất hay đệ nhị trong những người cầm muỗng. Này Tôn giả Gotama, những đức tánh này, những vị Bà-la-môn phải đầy đủ mới được gọi là Bà-la-môn và để có thể, khi nói: “Tôi là Bà-la-môn ”, lời nói ấy là chơn chánh, không phải là lời nói dối.
SC 60PTS cs 15 - Này Bà-la-môn, trong bốn đức tánh này, có thể bỏ qua một đức tánh nào, chỉ có ba đức tánh thôi, mà vẫn có thể gọi là Bà-la-môn và để có thể khi nói: “Tôi là Bà-la-môn ”, lời nói ấy là lời nói chơn chánh, không phải là lời nói dối.
SC 61- Tôn giả Gotama, có thể được. Tôn giả Gotama, trong bốn đức tánh này, chúng tôi có thể bỏ chú thuật. Thật vậy, chú thuật làm được gì? Khi một Tôn giả Bà-la-môn thiện sanh từ mẫu hệ và phụ hệ, huyết thống thanh tịnh cho đến bảy đời tổ phụ, không bị một vết nhơ nào, không bị một dèm pha nào về vấn đề huyết thống thọ sanh. Vị ấy lại là nhà phúng tụng, nhà trì chú, thông hiểu ba tập Vedà với danh nghĩa, lễ nghi, ngữ nguyên, chú giải, và lịch sử truyền thống là thứ năm, thông hiểu ngữ pháp và văn phạm, biệt tài về Thuận thế (tự nhiên học) và tướng của vị đại nhân, vị ấy lại có đức hạnh, đức độ cao dày, đầy đủ giới hạnh cao dày, vị ấy là người học rộng, sáng suốt, là người đệ nhất hay đệ nhị trong những người cầm muỗng.—Này Tôn giả Gotama, những đức tính này, những vị Bà-la-môn phải đầy đủ mới được gọi là Bà-la-môn và để có thể, khi nói: “Tôi là Bà-la-môn ”, lời nói ấy là chơn chánh, không phải là lời nói dối.
SC 62PTS cs 16 - Này Bà-la-môn, trong ba đức tánh này, có thể bỏ qua một đức tánh nào, chỉ có hai đức tánh thôi, mà vẫn có thể gọi là Bà-la-môn và để có thể khi nói: “Tôi là Bà-la-môn”, lời nói ấy là chơn chánh, không phải là lời nói dối.
SC 63- Tôn giả Gotama, có thể được. Tôn giả Gotama, trong ba đức tánh này, chúng tôi có thể bỏ thọ sanh. Thật vậy, thọ sanh làm được gì? Khi một Tôn giả Bà-la-môn có đức hạnh, đức độ cao dày, đầy đủ giới hạnh cao dày, vị ấy là người học rộng, sáng suốt, là người đệ nhất hay đệ nhị trong những người cầm muỗng. Những đức tánh này, những vị Bà-la-môn phải đầy đủ mới được gọi là Bà-la-môn và để có thể, khi nói: “Tôi là Bà-la-môn”, lời nói ấy là chơn chánh, không phải là lời nói dối.
SC 64PTS cs 17 Khi nghe nói vậy, những vị Bà-la-môn kia nói với Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa
SC 65—Này Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa, chớ có nói như vậy! Này Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa, chớ có nói như vậy! Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa khinh bác dung sắc, khinh bác chú thuật, khinh bác thọ sanh. Thật sự Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa đã ngả theo quan niệm của Sa-môn Gotama.
SC 66PTS cs 18 Lúc bấy giờ đức Thế Tôn nói với những vị Bà-la-môn ấy
SC 67—Nếu các người Bà-la-môn nghĩ: “Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa không phải là bậc đa văn, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa không phải là nhà hùng biện giỏi, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa không phải là nhà bác học và Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa không có thể biện luận với Sa-môn Gotama về vấn đề này”, thời Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa hãy đứng yên và để các ngươi biện luận với Ta. Nếu các người Bà-la-môn nghĩ: “Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa là bậc đa văn, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa là nhà hùng biện giỏi, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa là nhà bác học, và Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa có thể biện luận với Sa-môn Gotama về vấn đề này”, thời các ngươi đứng yên và để Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa biện luận với Ta.
SC 68PTS cs 19 Khi nghe nói vậy, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa bạch với đức Thế Tôn
SC 69—Tôn giả Gotama hãy đứng yên. Tôn giả Gotama hãy giữ im lặng. Tôi sẽ trả lời cho các vị Bà-la-môn ấy đúng với chánh pháp.
SC 70Rồi Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa nói với những vị Bà-la-môn ấy
SC 71—Này các Hiền giả, chớ có nói như vậy: “Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa khinh bác dung sắc, khinh bác chú thuật, khinh bác thọ sanh. Thật sự Tôn giả Soṇadaṇḍa đã ngả theo quan niệm của Sa-môn Gotama”. Này các Hiền giả, tôi không có phỉ báng dung sắc hoặc chú thuật hoặc thọ sanh.
SC 72PTS cs 20 Lúc bấy giờ thanh niên Angaka là người cháu của Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa đang ngồi trong hội chúng ấy. Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa nói với những vị Bà-la-môn kia
SC 73—Này các Hiền giả, các Hiền giả có thấy người cháu tôi, thanh niên Angaka không?
SC 74- Thưa Tôn giả, có thấy.
SC 75- Các Hiền giả, thanh niên Angaka là đẹp trai khả ái, làm đẹp lòng mọi người, với màu da thù thắng, khôi ngô tuấn tú, cử chỉ trang nhã, dáng điệu cao thượng, không một ai trong chúng này có thể bằng được về dung sắc, trừ Sa-môn Gotama. Này các Hiền giả, thanh niên Angaka là nhà trì chú, thông hiểu ba tập Vedà, với danh nghĩa, lễ nghi, ngữ nguyên, chú giải, và lịch sử truyền thống là thứ năm, thông hiểu ngữ pháp và văn phạm, biệt tài về Thuận thế (tự nhiên học) và tướng của vị đại nhân. Chính ta dạy cho nó chú thuật. Này các Hiền giả, thanh niên Angaka thiện sanh cả từ mẫu hệ và phụ hệ, huyết thống thanh tịnh cho đến bảy đời tổ phụ, không bị một chỉ trích nào về vấn đề huyết thống thọ sanh. Ta biết cha và mẹ nó. Này các Hiền giả nếu thanh niên Angaka giết hại các loại hữu tình, lấy của không cho, đi tư thông với vợ người, nói láo, uống rượu, như vậy này các Hiền giả, nay dung sắc làm được cái gì, thọ sanh làm được cái gì? Này các Hiền giả, khi một Bà-la-môn nào có đức hạnh, đức độ cao dày, đầy đủ giới hạnh cao dày, lại là người học rộng, sáng suốt, là người đệ nhất hay đệ nhị trong những người cầm muỗng; này các Hiền giả, những Bà-la-môn nào đầy đủ hai đức tánh ấy mới được gọi là Bà-la-môn và để có thể, khi nói: “Tôi là Bà-la-môn ”, lời nói ấy là chơn chánh, không phải là lời nói dối.
SC 76PTS cs 21 - Này Bà-la-môn trong hai đức tánh ấy, có thể bỏ qua một đức tánh, và những người Bà-la-môn đầy đủ một đức tánh nào, để có thể khi nói: “Tôi là Bà môn”, lời nói ấy là lời nói chơn chánh, không phải là lời nói dối.
SC 77- Tôn giả Gotama, không thể được. Tôn giả Gotama, trí tuệ được giới hạnh làm cho thanh tịnh, giới hạnh được trí tuệ làm cho thanh tịnh. Chỗ nào có giới hạnh, chỗ ấy có trí tuệ; chỗ nào có trí tuệ, chỗ ấy có giới hạnh; người có giới hạnh nhất định có trí tuệ; người có trí tuệ nhất định có giới hạnh. Giới hạnh và trí tuệ được xem là tối thắng ở trên đời. Tôn giả Gotama, cũng như lấy bàn tay rửa bàn tay, lấy bàn chân để rửa bàn chân; cũng vậy, Tôn giả Gotama, trí tuệ được giới hạnh làm cho thanh tịnh, giới hạnh được trí tuệ làm cho thanh tịnh. Chỗ nào có giới hạnh, chỗ ấy có trí tuệ; chỗ nào có trí tuệ, chỗ ấy có giới hạnh. Người có giới hạnh nhất định có trí tuệ; người có trí tuệ nhất định có giới hạnh. Giới hạnh và trí tuệ được xem là tối thắng ở trên đời.
SC 78PTS cs 22 - Thật như vậy, này Bà-la-môn. Này Bà-la-môn, trí tuệ được giới hạnh làm cho thanh tịnh, giới hạnh được trí tuệ làm cho thanh tịnh. Chỗ nào có giới hạnh, chỗ ấy có trí tuệ; chỗ nào có trí tuệ, chỗ ấy có giới hạnh. Người có giới hạnh nhất định có trí tuệ; người có trí tuệ nhất định có giới hạnh. Giới hạnh và trí tuệ được xem là tối thắng ở trên đời. Nhưng này Bà-la-môn, thế nào là giới hạnh, thế nào là trí tuệ?
SC 79- Tôn giả Gotama, chúng tôi chỉ biết có vậy là tột bực về vấn đề này. Lành thay, nếu Tôn giả Gotama giải thích ý nghĩa của câu nói ấy!
SC 80PTS cs 23 - Này Bà-la-môn, vậy hãy nghe và suy nghĩ kỹ, ta sẽ nói.
SC 81- Tôn giả, xin vâng. Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa trả lời đức Thế Tôn.
SC 82Ðức Thế Tôn thuyết như sau
SC 83—Này Bà-la-môn, ở đây đức Thế Tôn ra đời, là bậc A-la-hán, Chánh Ðẳng Giác … [giống như kinh "Sa-môn quả"- kinh số 2, đoạn kinh 40–74] … Này Bà-la-môn, như vậy vị Tỷ-kheo đầy đủ giới hạnh. Này Bà-la-môn, đó là giới hạnh.
SC 84… vị ấy chứng và trú sơ thiền … chứng và trú đệ nhị thiền … đệ tam thiền … chứng và trú đệ tứ thiền … tâm hướng đến tri kiến … Này Bà-la-môn như vậy là trí huệ [như kinh "Sa-môn quả", đoạn kinh 75–98].
SC 85PTS cs 24 Khi nghe nói như vậy, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa nói với đức Thế Tôn
SC 86—Thật là vi diệu thay, Tôn giả Gotama! Thật là vi diệu thay, Tôn giả Gotama! Tôn giả Gotama, như người dựng đứng lại những gì bị quăng ngã xuống, phơi bày ra những gì bị che kín, chỉ đường cho kẻ bị lạc hướng, đem đèn sáng vào trong bóng tối để những ai có mắt có thể thấy sắc. Cũng vậy chánh pháp đã được Tôn giả Gotama dùng nhiều phương tiện trình bày giải thích. Vậy nay con xin quy y Thế Tôn Gotama, quy y Pháp và quy y Tỷ-kheo Tăng. Mong Tôn giả Gotama nhận con làm đệ tử, từ nay trở đi cho đến mạng chung, con trọn đời quy ngưỡng. Và mong Tôn giả Gotama, ngày mai cùng chúng Tỷ-kheo nhận lời mời đến dùng cơm do con mời.
SC 87Ðức Thế Tôn im lặng nhận lời. Lúc bấy giờ Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa được biết Ðức Thế Tôn đã nhận lời, liền từ chỗ ngồi đứng dậy, đảnh lễ đức Thế Tôn, thân phía hữu hướng về đức Phật và từ biệt. Rồi Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa khi đêm đã mãn liền làm cho sẵn sàng tại nhà các món thượng vị, loại cứng và loại mềm, rồi báo thì giờ cho đức Thế Tôn: “Giờ đã đến, Tôn giả Gotama, cơm đã sẵn sàng”.
SC 88PTS cs 25 Khi ấy đức Thế Tôn buổi sáng đắp y, đem theo bình bát, và cùng chúng Tỷ-kheo đi đến cư xá của Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa, đi đến liền ngồi trên chỗ đã soạn sẵn. Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa tự tay làm cho chúng Tỷ-kheo với đức Phật là vị cầm đầu, thỏa mãn với những món ăn thượng vị, loại cứng và loại mềm. Lúc bấy giờ Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa, sau khi được biết đức Thế Tôn dùng cơm đã xong, đã rửa tay và bát, liền lấy một ghế thấp khác ngồi xuống một bên. Sau khi ngồi xuống một bên, Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa bạch đức Thế Tôn
SC 89PTS cs 26—Tôn giả Gotama, khi con ở trong hội chúng nếu con từ chỗ ngồi đứng dậy và đảnh lễ Thế Tôn Gotama thời hội chúng này sẽ phỉ báng con. Ai bị hội chúng này phỉ báng, thời danh tiếng sẽ bị tổn giảm, và ai danh tiếng bị tổn giảm, thời thâu nhận cúng dường bị giảm thiểu. Vì cúng dường tùy thuộc vào danh tiếng chúng con có. Tôn giả Gotama, nếu ở trong hội chúng mà con chắp tay vái chào, mong Tôn giả Gotama nhận đấy là con đứng dậy. Tôn giả Gotama, nếu trong hội chúng mà con tháo khăn đầu, mong Tôn giả Gotama nhận đấy là con vái chào với đầu của con. Tôn giả Gotama, khi con đi trên xe, nếu con xuống xe và đảnh lễ Thế Tôn Gotama, thời hội chúng sẽ phỉ báng con. Ai bị hội chúng này phỉ báng, thời danh tiếng bị tổn giảm, và ai bị danh tiếng tổn giảm, thời thâu nhận cúng dường bị giảm thiểu. Vì sự cúng dường tùy thuộc vào danh tiếng chúng con có. Tôn giả Gotama, nếu trong khi con đi xe, con hạ cán roi xuống, mong Tôn giả Gotama nhận đấy là con xuống xe. Tôn giả Gotama, nếu trong khi con đi xe, con vẫy tay, mong Tôn giả Gotama nhận đấy là con vái chào với đầu của con.
SC 90PTS cs 27 Rồi đức Thế Tôn với một thời thuyết pháp, giảng dạy, khích lệ, kích thích và làm cho Bà-la-môn Soṇadaṇḍa hoan hỷ, rồi từ chỗ ngồi đứng dậy và từ biệt.
1. Campeyyakabrāhmaṇagahapatikā
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā aṅgesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ pañcamattehi bhikkhusatehi yena campā tadavasari.
Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā campāyaṁ viharati gaggarāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre.
Tena kho pana samayena soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo campaṁ ajjhāvasati sattussadaṁ satiṇakaṭṭhodakaṁ sadhaññaṁ rājabhoggaṁ raññā māgadhena seniyena bimbisārena dinnaṁ rājadāyaṁ brahmadeyyaṁ.
Assosuṁ kho campeyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā:
“samaṇo khalu bho gotamo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito aṅgesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ pañcamattehi bhikkhusatehi campaṁ anuppatto campāyaṁ viharati gaggarāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre.
Taṁ kho pana bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggato:
‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’.
So imaṁ lokaṁ sadevakaṁ samārakaṁ sabrahmakaṁ sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiṁ pajaṁ sadevamanussaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedeti.
So dhammaṁ deseti ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāseti.
Sādhu kho pana tathārūpānaṁ arahataṁ dassanaṁ hotī”ti.
Atha kho campeyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā campāya nikkhamitvā saṅghasaṅghī gaṇībhūtā yena gaggarā pokkharaṇī tenupasaṅkamanti.
Tena kho pana samayena soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo uparipāsāde divāseyyaṁ upagato hoti.
Addasā kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo campeyyake brāhmaṇagahapatike campāya nikkhamitvā saṅghasaṅghī gaṇībhūte yena gaggarā pokkharaṇī tenupasaṅkamante.
Disvā khattaṁ āmantesi:
“kiṁ nu kho, bho khatte, campeyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā campāya nikkhamitvā saṅghasaṅghī gaṇībhūtā yena gaggarā pokkharaṇī tenupasaṅkamantī”ti?
“Atthi kho, bho, samaṇo gotamo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito aṅgesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ pañcamattehi bhikkhusatehi campaṁ anuppatto campāyaṁ viharati gaggarāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre.
Taṁ kho pana bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggato:
‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.
Tamete bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamantī”ti.
“Tena hi, bho khatte, yena campeyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā tenupasaṅkama, upasaṅkamitvā campeyyake brāhmaṇagahapatike evaṁ vadehi:
‘soṇadaṇḍo, bho, brāhmaṇo evamāha—
āgamentu kira bhavanto, soṇadaṇḍopi brāhmaṇo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissatī’”ti.
“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho so khattā soṇadaṇḍassa brāhmaṇassa paṭissutvā yena campeyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā campeyyake brāhmaṇagahapatike etadavoca:
“soṇadaṇḍo bho brāhmaṇo evamāha:
‘āgamentu kira bhavanto, soṇadaṇḍopi brāhmaṇo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissatī’”ti.
2. Soṇadaṇḍaguṇakathā
Tena kho pana samayena nānāverajjakānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ pañcamattāni brāhmaṇasatāni campāyaṁ paṭivasanti kenacideva karaṇīyena.
Assosuṁ kho te brāhmaṇā:
“soṇadaṇḍo kira brāhmaṇo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissatī”ti.
Atha kho te brāhmaṇā yena soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā soṇadaṇḍaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavocuṁ:
“saccaṁ kira bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissatī”ti?
“Evaṁ kho me, bho, hoti:
‘ahampi samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissāmī’”ti.
“Mā bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkami.
Na arahati bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ.
Sace bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissati, bhoto soṇadaṇḍassa yaso hāyissati, samaṇassa gotamassa yaso abhivaḍḍhissati.
Yampi bhoto soṇadaṇḍassa yaso hāyissati, samaṇassa gotamassa yaso abhivaḍḍhissati, imināpaṅgena na arahati bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ;
samaṇo tveva gotamo arahati bhavantaṁ soṇadaṇḍaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ.
Bhavañhi soṇadaṇḍo ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena.
Yampi bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena, imināpaṅgena na arahati bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ;
samaṇo tveva gotamo arahati bhavantaṁ soṇadaṇḍaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ.
Bhavañhi soṇadaṇḍo aḍḍho mahaddhano mahābhogo …pe…
Bhavañhi soṇadaṇḍo ajjhāyako mantadharo tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū sanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ sākkharappabhedānaṁ itihāsapañcamānaṁ padako veyyākaraṇo, lokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu anavayo …pe…
Bhavañhi soṇadaṇḍo abhirūpo dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato brahmavaṇṇī brahmavacchasī akhuddāvakāso dassanāya …pe…
Bhavañhi soṇadaṇḍo sīlavā vuddhasīlī vuddhasīlena samannāgato …pe…
Bhavañhi soṇadaṇḍo kalyāṇavāco kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā …pe…
Bhavañhi soṇadaṇḍo bahūnaṁ ācariyapācariyo tīṇi māṇavakasatāni mante vāceti. Bahū kho pana nānādisā nānājanapadā māṇavakā āgacchanti bhoto soṇadaṇḍassa santike mantatthikā mante adhiyitukāmā …pe…
Bhavañhi soṇadaṇḍo jiṇṇo vuddho mahallako addhagato vayoanuppatto;
samaṇo gotamo taruṇo ceva taruṇapabbajito ca …pe…
Bhavañhi soṇadaṇḍo rañño māgadhassa seniyassa bimbisārassa sakkato garukato mānito pūjito apacito …pe…
Bhavañhi soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇassa pokkharasātissa sakkato garukato mānito pūjito apacito …pe…
Bhavañhi soṇadaṇḍo campaṁ ajjhāvasati sattussadaṁ satiṇakaṭṭhodakaṁ sadhaññaṁ rājabhoggaṁ, raññā māgadhena seniyena bimbisārena dinnaṁ, rājadāyaṁ brahmadeyyaṁ.
Yampi bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo campaṁ ajjhāvasati sattussadaṁ satiṇakaṭṭhodakaṁ sadhaññaṁ rājabhoggaṁ, raññā māgadhena seniyena bimbisārena dinnaṁ, rājadāyaṁ brahmadeyyaṁ.
Imināpaṅgena na arahati bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ;
samaṇo tveva gotamo arahati bhavantaṁ soṇadaṇḍaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamitun”ti.
3. Buddhaguṇakathā
Evaṁ vutte, soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo te brāhmaṇe etadavoca:
“Tena hi, bho, mamapi suṇātha, yathā mayameva arahāma taṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ;
na tveva arahati so bhavaṁ gotamo amhākaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ.
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā, akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena.
Yampi, bho, samaṇo gotamo ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā, akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena, imināpaṅgena na arahati so bhavaṁ gotamo amhākaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ;
atha kho mayameva arahāma taṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ.
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo mahantaṁ ñātisaṅghaṁ ohāya pabbajito …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo pahūtaṁ hiraññasuvaṇṇaṁ ohāya pabbajito bhūmigatañca vehāsaṭṭhaṁ ca …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo daharova samāno yuvā susukāḷakeso bhadrena yobbanena samannāgato paṭhamena vayasā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo akāmakānaṁ mātāpitūnaṁ assumukhānaṁ rudantānaṁ kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo abhirūpo dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato, brahmavaṇṇī, brahmavacchasī, akhuddāvakāso dassanāya …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo sīlavā ariyasīlī kusalasīlī kusalasīlena samannāgato …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo kalyāṇavāco kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo bahūnaṁ ācariyapācariyo …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo khīṇakāmarāgo vigatacāpallo …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo kammavādī kiriyavādī apāpapurekkhāro brahmaññāya pajāya …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo uccā kulā pabbajito asambhinnakhattiyakulā …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo aḍḍhā kulā pabbajito mahaddhanā mahābhogā …pe…
Samaṇaṁ khalu, bho, gotamaṁ tiroraṭṭhā tirojanapadā pañhaṁ pucchituṁ āgacchanti …pe…
Samaṇaṁ khalu, bho, gotamaṁ anekāni devatāsahassāni pāṇehi saraṇaṁ gatāni …pe…
Samaṇaṁ khalu, bho, gotamaṁ evaṁ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggato:
‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇehi samannāgato …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo ehisvāgatavādī sakhilo sammodako abbhākuṭiko uttānamukho pubbabhāsī …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo catunnaṁ parisānaṁ sakkato garukato mānito pūjito apacito …pe…
Samaṇe khalu, bho, gotame bahū devā ca manussā ca abhippasannā …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo yasmiṁ gāme vā nigame vā paṭivasati, na tasmiṁ gāme vā nigame vā amanussā manusse viheṭhenti …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo saṅghī gaṇī gaṇācariyo puthutitthakarānaṁ aggamakkhāyati. Yathā kho pana, bho, etesaṁ samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ yathā vā tathā vā yaso samudāgacchati, na hevaṁ samaṇassa gotamassa yaso samudāgato.
Atha kho anuttarāya vijjācaraṇasampadāya samaṇassa gotamassa yaso samudāgato …pe…
Samaṇaṁ khalu, bho, gotamaṁ rājā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro saputto sabhariyo sapariso sāmacco pāṇehi saraṇaṁ gato …pe…
Samaṇaṁ khalu, bho, gotamaṁ rājā pasenadi kosalo saputto sabhariyo sapariso sāmacco pāṇehi saraṇaṁ gato …pe…
Samaṇaṁ khalu, bho, gotamaṁ brāhmaṇo pokkharasāti saputto sabhariyo sapariso sāmacco pāṇehi saraṇaṁ gato …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo rañño māgadhassa seniyassa bimbisārassa sakkato garukato mānito pūjito apacito …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo rañño pasenadissa kosalassa sakkato garukato mānito pūjito apacito …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo brāhmaṇassa pokkharasātissa sakkato garukato mānito pūjito apacito …pe…
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo campaṁ anuppatto, campāyaṁ viharati gaggarāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre.
Ye kho pana, bho, keci samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā amhākaṁ gāmakhettaṁ āgacchanti atithī no te honti.
Atithī kho panamhehi sakkātabbā garukātabbā mānetabbā pūjetabbā apacetabbā.
Yampi, bho, samaṇo gotamo campaṁ anuppatto campāyaṁ viharati gaggarāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre, atithimhākaṁ samaṇo gotamo;
atithi kho panamhehi sakkātabbo garukātabbo mānetabbo pūjetabbo apacetabbo.
Imināpaṅgena na arahati so bhavaṁ gotamo amhākaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ.
Atha kho mayameva arahāma taṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ.
Ettake kho ahaṁ, bho, tassa bhoto gotamassa vaṇṇe pariyāpuṇāmi, no ca kho so bhavaṁ gotamo ettakavaṇṇo.
Aparimāṇavaṇṇo hi so bhavaṁ gotamo”ti.
Evaṁ vutte, te brāhmaṇā soṇadaṇḍaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavocuṁ:
“yathā kho bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo samaṇassa gotamassa vaṇṇe bhāsati ito cepi so bhavaṁ gotamo yojanasate viharati, alameva saddhena kulaputtena dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ api puṭosenā”ti.
“Tena hi, bho, sabbeva mayaṁ samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissāmā”ti.
4. Soṇadaṇḍaparivitakka
Atha kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo mahatā brāhmaṇagaṇena saddhiṁ yena gaggarā pokkharaṇī tenupasaṅkami.
Atha kho soṇadaṇḍassa brāhmaṇassa tirovanasaṇḍagatassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:
“ahañceva kho pana samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pañhaṁ puccheyyaṁ;
tatra ce maṁ samaṇo gotamo evaṁ vadeyya:
‘na kho esa, brāhmaṇa, pañho evaṁ pucchitabbo, evaṁ nāmesa, brāhmaṇa, pañho pucchitabbo’ti, tena maṁ ayaṁ parisā paribhaveyya:
‘bālo soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo abyatto, nāsakkhi samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ yoniso pañhaṁ pucchitun’ti.
Yaṁ kho panāyaṁ parisā paribhaveyya, yasopi tassa hāyetha.
Yassa kho pana yaso hāyetha, bhogāpi tassa hāyeyyuṁ.
Yasoladdhā kho panamhākaṁ bhogā.
Mamañceva kho pana samaṇo gotamo pañhaṁ puccheyya, tassa cāhaṁ pañhassa veyyākaraṇena cittaṁ na ārādheyyaṁ;
tatra ce maṁ samaṇo gotamo evaṁ vadeyya:
‘na kho esa, brāhmaṇa, pañho evaṁ byākātabbo, evaṁ nāmesa, brāhmaṇa, pañho byākātabbo’ti, tena maṁ ayaṁ parisā paribhaveyya:
‘bālo soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo abyatto, nāsakkhi samaṇassa gotamassa pañhassa veyyākaraṇena cittaṁ ārādhetun’ti.
Yaṁ kho panāyaṁ parisā paribhaveyya, yasopi tassa hāyetha.
Yassa kho pana yaso hāyetha, bhogāpi tassa hāyeyyuṁ.
Yasoladdhā kho panamhākaṁ bhogā.
Ahañceva kho pana evaṁ samīpagato samāno adisvāva samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ nivatteyyaṁ, tena maṁ ayaṁ parisā paribhaveyya:
‘bālo soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo abyatto mānathaddho bhīto ca, no visahati samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ, kathañhi nāma evaṁ samīpagato samāno adisvā samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ nivattissatī’ti.
Yaṁ kho panāyaṁ parisā paribhaveyya, yasopi tassa hāyetha.
Yassa kho pana yaso hāyetha, bhogāpi tassa hāyeyyuṁ,
yasoladdhā kho panamhākaṁ bhogā”ti.
Atha kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Campeyyakāpi kho brāhmaṇagahapatikā appekacce bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu; appekacce bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu; sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu; appekacce yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu; appekacce nāmagottaṁ sāvetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu; appekacce tuṇhībhūtā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.
Tatrapi sudaṁ soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo etadeva bahulamanuvitakkento nisinno hoti:
“ahañceva kho pana samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pañhaṁ puccheyyaṁ;
tatra ce maṁ samaṇo gotamo evaṁ vadeyya:
‘na kho esa, brāhmaṇa, pañho evaṁ pucchitabbo, evaṁ nāmesa, brāhmaṇa, pañho pucchitabbo’ti, tena maṁ ayaṁ parisā paribhaveyya:
‘bālo soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo abyatto, nāsakkhi samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ yoniso pañhaṁ pucchitun’ti.
Yaṁ kho panāyaṁ parisā paribhaveyya, yasopi tassa hāyetha.
Yassa kho pana yaso hāyetha, bhogāpi tassa hāyeyyuṁ.
Yasoladdhā kho panamhākaṁ bhogā.
Mamañceva kho pana samaṇo gotamo pañhaṁ puccheyya, tassa cāhaṁ pañhassa veyyākaraṇena cittaṁ na ārādheyyaṁ;
tatra ce maṁ samaṇo gotamo evaṁ vadeyya:
‘na kho esa, brāhmaṇa, pañho evaṁ byākātabbo, evaṁ nāmesa, brāhmaṇa, pañho byākātabbo’ti, tena maṁ ayaṁ parisā paribhaveyya:
‘bālo soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo abyatto, nāsakkhi samaṇassa gotamassa pañhassa veyyākaraṇena cittaṁ ārādhetun’ti.
Yaṁ kho panāyaṁ parisā paribhaveyya, yasopi tassa hāyetha.
Yassa kho pana yaso hāyetha, bhogāpi tassa hāyeyyuṁ.
Yasoladdhā kho panamhākaṁ bhogā.
Aho vata maṁ samaṇo gotamo sake ācariyake tevijjake pañhaṁ puccheyya, addhā vatassāhaṁ cittaṁ ārādheyyaṁ pañhassa veyyākaraṇenā”ti.
5. Brāhmaṇapaññatti
Atha kho bhagavato soṇadaṇḍassa brāhmaṇassa cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya etadahosi:
“vihaññati kho ayaṁ soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo sakena cittena.
Yannūnāhaṁ soṇadaṇḍaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ sake ācariyake tevijjake pañhaṁ puccheyyan”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā soṇadaṇḍaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:
“katihi pana, brāhmaṇa, aṅgehi samannāgataṁ brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ paññapenti;
‘brāhmaṇosmī’ti ca vadamāno sammā vadeyya, na ca pana musāvādaṁ āpajjeyyā”ti?
Atha kho soṇadaṇḍassa brāhmaṇassa etadahosi:
“yaṁ vata no ahosi icchitaṁ, yaṁ ākaṅkhitaṁ, yaṁ adhippetaṁ, yaṁ abhipatthitaṁ:
‘aho vata maṁ samaṇo gotamo sake ācariyake tevijjake pañhaṁ puccheyya, addhā vatassāhaṁ cittaṁ ārādheyyaṁ pañhassa veyyākaraṇenā’ti, tatra maṁ samaṇo gotamo sake ācariyake tevijjake pañhaṁ pucchati.
Addhā vatassāhaṁ cittaṁ ārādhessāmi pañhassa veyyākaraṇenā”ti.
Atha kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo abbhunnāmetvā kāyaṁ anuviloketvā parisaṁ bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“pañcahi, bho gotama, aṅgehi samannāgataṁ brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ paññapenti;
‘brāhmaṇosmī’ti ca vadamāno sammā vadeyya, na ca pana musāvādaṁ āpajjeyya.
Katamehi pañcahi?
Idha, bho gotama, brāhmaṇo ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena;
ajjhāyako hoti mantadharo tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū sanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ sākkharappabhedānaṁ itihāsapañcamānaṁ padako veyyākaraṇo lokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu anavayo;
abhirūpo hoti dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato brahmavaṇṇī brahmavacchasī akhuddāvakāso dassanāya;
sīlavā hoti vuddhasīlī vuddhasīlena samannāgato;
paṇḍito ca hoti medhāvī paṭhamo vā dutiyo vā sujaṁ paggaṇhantānaṁ.
Imehi kho, bho gotama, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgataṁ brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ paññapenti;
‘brāhmaṇosmī’ti ca vadamāno sammā vadeyya, na ca pana musāvādaṁ āpajjeyyā”ti.
“Imesaṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, pañcannaṁ aṅgānaṁ sakkā ekaṁ aṅgaṁ ṭhapayitvā catūhaṅgehi samannāgataṁ brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ paññapetuṁ;
‘brāhmaṇosmī’ti ca vadamāno sammā vadeyya, na ca pana musāvādaṁ āpajjeyyā”ti?
“Sakkā, bho gotama.
Imesañhi, bho gotama, pañcannaṁ aṅgānaṁ vaṇṇaṁ ṭhapayāma.
Kiñhi vaṇṇo karissati?
Yato kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇo ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena;
ajjhāyako ca hoti mantadharo ca tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū sanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ sākkharappabhedānaṁ itihāsapañcamānaṁ padako veyyākaraṇo lokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu anavayo;
sīlavā ca hoti vuddhasīlī vuddhasīlena samannāgato;
paṇḍito ca hoti medhāvī paṭhamo vā dutiyo vā sujaṁ paggaṇhantānaṁ.
Imehi kho, bho gotama, catūhaṅgehi samannāgataṁ brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ paññapenti;
‘brāhmaṇosmī’ti ca vadamāno sammā vadeyya, na ca pana musāvādaṁ āpajjeyyā”ti.
“Imesaṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, catunnaṁ aṅgānaṁ sakkā ekaṁ aṅgaṁ ṭhapayitvā tīhaṅgehi samannāgataṁ brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ paññapetuṁ;
‘brāhmaṇosmī’ti ca vadamāno sammā vadeyya, na ca pana musāvādaṁ āpajjeyyā”ti?
“Sakkā, bho gotama.
Imesañhi, bho gotama, catunnaṁ aṅgānaṁ mante ṭhapayāma.
Kiñhi mantā karissanti?
Yato kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇo ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena;
sīlavā ca hoti vuddhasīlī vuddhasīlena samannāgato;
paṇḍito ca hoti medhāvī paṭhamo vā dutiyo vā sujaṁ paggaṇhantānaṁ.
Imehi kho, bho gotama, tīhaṅgehi samannāgataṁ brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ paññapenti;
‘brāhmaṇosmī’ti ca vadamāno sammā vadeyya, na ca pana musāvādaṁ āpajjeyyā”ti.
“Imesaṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, tiṇṇaṁ aṅgānaṁ sakkā ekaṁ aṅgaṁ ṭhapayitvā dvīhaṅgehi samannāgataṁ brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ paññapetuṁ;
‘brāhmaṇosmī’ti ca vadamāno sammā vadeyya, na ca pana musāvādaṁ āpajjeyyā”ti?
“Sakkā, bho gotama.
Imesañhi, bho gotama, tiṇṇaṁ aṅgānaṁ jātiṁ ṭhapayāma.
Kiñhi jāti karissati?
Yato kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇo sīlavā hoti vuddhasīlī vuddhasīlena samannāgato;
paṇḍito ca hoti medhāvī paṭhamo vā dutiyo vā sujaṁ paggaṇhantānaṁ.
Imehi kho, bho gotama, dvīhaṅgehi samannāgataṁ brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ paññapenti;
‘brāhmaṇosmī’ti ca vadamāno sammā vadeyya, na ca pana musāvādaṁ āpajjeyyā”ti.
Evaṁ vutte, te brāhmaṇā soṇadaṇḍaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavocuṁ:
“mā bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo evaṁ avaca, mā bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo evaṁ avaca.
Apavadateva bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo vaṇṇaṁ, apavadati mante, apavadati jātiṁ, ekaṁsena bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo samaṇasseva gotamassa vādaṁ anupakkhandatī”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā te brāhmaṇe etadavoca:
“sace kho tumhākaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ evaṁ hoti:
‘appassuto ca soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo, akalyāṇavākkaraṇo ca soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo, duppañño ca soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo, na ca pahoti soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ asmiṁ vacane paṭimantetun’ti, tiṭṭhatu soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo, tumhe mayā saddhiṁ mantavho asmiṁ vacane.
Sace pana tumhākaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ evaṁ hoti:
‘bahussuto ca soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo, kalyāṇavākkaraṇo ca soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo, paṇḍito ca soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo, pahoti ca soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ asmiṁ vacane paṭimantetun’ti, tiṭṭhatha tumhe, soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo mayā saddhiṁ paṭimantetū”ti.
Evaṁ vutte, soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“tiṭṭhatu bhavaṁ gotamo, tuṇhī bhavaṁ gotamo hotu, ahameva tesaṁ sahadhammena paṭivacanaṁ karissāmī”ti.
Atha kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo te brāhmaṇe etadavoca:
“mā bhavanto evaṁ avacuttha, mā bhavanto evaṁ avacuttha:
‘apavadateva bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo vaṇṇaṁ, apavadati mante, apavadati jātiṁ, ekaṁsena bhavaṁ soṇadaṇḍo samaṇasseva gotamassa vādaṁ anupakkhandatī’ti.
Nāhaṁ, bho, apavadāmi vaṇṇaṁ vā mante vā jātiṁ vā”ti.
Tena kho pana samayena soṇadaṇḍassa brāhmaṇassa bhāgineyyo aṅgako nāma māṇavako tassaṁ parisāyaṁ nisinno hoti.
Atha kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo te brāhmaṇe etadavoca:
“passanti no bhonto imaṁ aṅgakaṁ māṇavakaṁ amhākaṁ bhāgineyyan”ti?
“Evaṁ, bho”.
“Aṅgako kho, bho, māṇavako abhirūpo dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato brahmavaṇṇī brahmavacchasī akhuddāvakāso dassanāya, nāssa imissaṁ parisāyaṁ samasamo atthi vaṇṇena ṭhapetvā samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ.
Aṅgako kho māṇavako ajjhāyako mantadharo, tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū sanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ sākkharappabhedānaṁ itihāsapañcamānaṁ padako veyyākaraṇo lokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu anavayo.
Ahamassa mante vācetā.
Aṅgako kho māṇavako ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena.
Ahamassa mātāpitaro jānāmi.
Aṅgako kho māṇavako pāṇampi haneyya, adinnampi ādiyeyya, paradārampi gaccheyya, musāvādampi bhaṇeyya, majjampi piveyya, ettha dāni, bho, kiṁ vaṇṇo karissati, kiṁ mantā, kiṁ jāti?
Yato kho, bho, brāhmaṇo sīlavā ca hoti vuddhasīlī vuddhasīlena samannāgato,
paṇḍito ca hoti medhāvī paṭhamo vā dutiyo vā sujaṁ paggaṇhantānaṁ.
Imehi kho, bho, dvīhaṅgehi samannāgataṁ brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ paññapenti;
‘brāhmaṇosmī’ti ca vadamāno sammā vadeyya, na ca pana musāvādaṁ āpajjeyyā”ti.
6. Sīlapaññākathā
“Imesaṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, dvinnaṁ aṅgānaṁ sakkā ekaṁ aṅgaṁ ṭhapayitvā ekena aṅgena samannāgataṁ brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇaṁ paññapetuṁ;
‘brāhmaṇosmī’ti ca vadamāno sammā vadeyya, na ca pana musāvādaṁ āpajjeyyā”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama.
Sīlaparidhotā hi, bho gotama, paññā; paññāparidhotaṁ sīlaṁ.
Yattha sīlaṁ tattha paññā, yattha paññā tattha sīlaṁ.
Sīlavato paññā, paññavato sīlaṁ.
Sīlapaññāṇañca pana lokasmiṁ aggamakkhāyati.
Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, hatthena vā hatthaṁ dhoveyya, pādena vā pādaṁ dhoveyya;
evameva kho, bho gotama, sīlaparidhotā paññā, paññāparidhotaṁ sīlaṁ.
Yattha sīlaṁ tattha paññā, yattha paññā tattha sīlaṁ.
Sīlavato paññā, paññavato sīlaṁ.
Sīlapaññāṇañca pana lokasmiṁ aggamakkhāyatī”ti.
“Evametaṁ, brāhmaṇa, evametaṁ, brāhmaṇa, sīlaparidhotā hi, brāhmaṇa, paññā, paññāparidhotaṁ sīlaṁ.
Yattha sīlaṁ tattha paññā, yattha paññā tattha sīlaṁ.
Sīlavato paññā, paññavato sīlaṁ.
Sīlapaññāṇañca pana lokasmiṁ aggamakkhāyati.
Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, hatthena vā hatthaṁ dhoveyya, pādena vā pādaṁ dhoveyya;
evameva kho, brāhmaṇa, sīlaparidhotā paññā, paññāparidhotaṁ sīlaṁ.
Yattha sīlaṁ tattha paññā, yattha paññā tattha sīlaṁ.
Sīlavato paññā, paññavato sīlaṁ.
Sīlapaññāṇañca pana lokasmiṁ aggamakkhāyati.
Katamaṁ pana taṁ, brāhmaṇa, sīlaṁ?
Katamā sā paññā”ti?
“Ettakaparamāva mayaṁ, bho gotama, etasmiṁ atthe.
Sādhu vata bhavantaṁyeva gotamaṁ paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho”ti.
“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, suṇohi, sādhukaṁ manasikarohi, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo bhagavato paccassosi.
Bhagavā etadavoca:
“idha, brāhmaṇa, tathāgato loke uppajjati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho …pe…
Evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, bhikkhu sīlasampanno hoti.
Idaṁ kho taṁ, brāhmaṇa, sīlaṁ …pe…
paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati …
dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ …
tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ …
catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati …pe…
ñāṇadassanāya cittaṁ abhinīharati, abhininnāmeti …pe…
Idampissa hoti paññāya …pe…
nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāti.
Idampissa hoti paññāya
ayaṁ kho sā, brāhmaṇa, paññā”ti.
7. Soṇadaṇḍaupāsakattapaṭivedanā
Evaṁ vutte, soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama.
Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.
Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi, dhammañca, bhikkhusaṅghañca.
Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gataṁ.
Adhivāsetu ca me bhavaṁ gotamo svātanāya bhattaṁ saddhiṁ bhikkhusaṅghenā”ti.
Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.
Atha kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo bhagavato adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.
Atha kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo tassā rattiyā accayena sake nivesane paṇītaṁ khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyaṁ paṭiyādāpetvā bhagavato kālaṁ ārocāpesi:
“kālo, bho gotama, niṭṭhitaṁ bhattan”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya saddhiṁ bhikkhusaṅghena yena soṇadaṇḍassa brāhmaṇassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.
Atha kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo buddhappamukhaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi.
Atha kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ bhuttāviṁ onītapattapāṇiṁ aññataraṁ nīcaṁ āsanaṁ gahetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho soṇadaṇḍo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“ahañceva kho pana, bho gotama, parisagato samāno āsanā vuṭṭhahitvā bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ abhivādeyyaṁ, tena maṁ sā parisā paribhaveyya.
Yaṁ kho pana sā parisā paribhaveyya, yasopi tassa hāyetha.
Yassa kho pana yaso hāyetha, bhogāpi tassa hāyeyyuṁ.
Yasoladdhā kho panamhākaṁ bhogā.
Ahañceva kho pana, bho gotama, parisagato samāno añjaliṁ paggaṇheyyaṁ, āsanā me taṁ bhavaṁ gotamo paccuṭṭhānaṁ dhāretu.
Ahañceva kho pana, bho gotama, parisagato samāno veṭhanaṁ omuñceyyaṁ, sirasā me taṁ bhavaṁ gotamo abhivādanaṁ dhāretu.
Ahañceva kho pana, bho gotama, yānagato samāno yānā paccorohitvā bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ abhivādeyyaṁ, tena maṁ sā parisā paribhaveyya.
Yaṁ kho pana sā parisā paribhaveyya, yasopi tassa hāyetha, yassa kho pana yaso hāyetha, bhogāpi tassa hāyeyyuṁ.
Yasoladdhā kho panamhākaṁ bhogā.
Ahañceva kho pana, bho gotama, yānagato samāno patodalaṭṭhiṁ abbhunnāmeyyaṁ, yānā me taṁ bhavaṁ gotamo paccorohanaṁ dhāretu.
Ahañceva kho pana, bho gotama, yānagato samāno chattaṁ apanāmeyyaṁ, sirasā me taṁ bhavaṁ gotamo abhivādanaṁ dhāretū”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā soṇadaṇḍaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassetvā samādapetvā samuttejetvā sampahaṁsetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmīti.
Soṇadaṇḍasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ catutthaṁ.
PTS cs 1 PTS vp Pali 1.111 PTS vp En 136 Thus have I heard. The Blessed One once, when going on a tour through the Anga country with a great multitude of the brethren, with about five hundred brethren, arrived at Campā. And there at Campā he lodged on the bank of the Gaggarā Lake.
Now at that time the Brahman Soṇadaṇḍa was dwelling at Campā, a place teeming with life, with much grassland and woodland and water and corn, on a royal domain granted him by Seniya Bimbisāra, the king of Magadhā, as a royal fief, with power over it as if he were the king.
PTS cs 2 Now the Brahmans and householders of Campā heard the news: ‘They say that the Samaṇa Gotama of the Sākya clan, who went out from a Sākya family to adopt the religious life, has now arrived, with a great PTS vp En 145 company of the brethren at Campā, and is staying there on the shore of the Gaggarā Lake. Now regarding that venerable Gotama, such is the high reputation that has been noised abroad; That Blessed One is an Arahat, a fully awakened one, abounding in wisdom and goodness, happy, with knowledge of the worlds, unsurpassed as a guide to mortals willing to be led, a teacher for gods and men, a Blessed One, a Buddha. He, by himself, thoroughly knows and sees, as it were, face to face this universe—including the worlds above of the gods, the Brahmas, and the Māras, and the world below with its recluses and Brahmans, its princes and peoples—and having known it, he makes his knowledge known to others. The truth, lovely in its origin, lovely in its progress, lovely in its consummation, doth he proclaim, both in the spirit and in the letter, the higher life cloth he make known, in all its fullness and in all its purity.
‘And good is it to pay visits to Arahats like that.’
PTS vp Pali 1.112 And the Brahmans and householders of Campā began to leave Campā in companies and in bands from each district, so that they could be counted, to go to the Gaggarā Lake.
PTS cs 3 Now at that time Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman had gone apart to the upper terrace of his house for his siesta, and seeing the people thus go by, he said to his doorkeeper: ‘Why are the people of Campā going forth like this towards the Gaggarā Lake?’
Then the doorkeeper told him the news. And he said: ‘Then, good doorkeeper, go to the Brahmans and householders of Campā, and say to them: “Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman desires them to wait. He will himself come to see the Samaṇa Gotama.”’
‘Very well, Sir,’ said the doorkeeper, and he did so.
PTS cs 4 PTS vp Pali 1.113 Now at that time there were about five hundred Brahmans from different kingdoms lodging at Campā for some business or other. And when they heard that Soṇadaṇḍa was intending to visit the PTS vp En 146 Samaṇa Gotama, they went to Soṇadaṇḍa, and asked whether that was so.
‘That is my intention, Sirs. I propose to call on the Samaṇa Gotama.’
‘Let not the venerable Soṇadaṇḍa do that. It is not fitting for him to do so. If it were the venerable Soṇadaṇḍa who went to call upon him, then the venerable Soṇadaṇḍa’s reputation would decrease and the Samaṇa Gotama’s would increase. This is the first reason why you, Sir, should not call upon him, but he upon you.’
PTS cs 5 And they laid before Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman in like manner also other considerations, to wit:
That he was well born on both sides, of pure descent through the mother and through the father back through seven generations, with no slur put upon him, and no reproach, in respect of birth.—
That he was prosperous, well to do, and rich—
PTS vp Pali 1.114 That he was a repeater (of the sacred words), knowing the mystic verses by heart, one who had mastered the Three Vedas, with the indices, the ritual, the phonology, and the exegesis (as a fourth), and the legends as a fifth, learned in the words and in the grammar, versed in Lokāyata (Nature-lore), and in the theory of the signs on the body of a great man—
That he was handsome, pleasant to look upon, inspiring trust, gifted with great beauty of complexion, fair in colour, fine in presence, stately to behold—
That he was virtuous, increased in virtue, gifted with virtue that had waxed great—
That he had a pleasant voice and pleasing delivery, and was gifted with polite address, distinct, not husky, suitable for making clear the matter in hand—
That he was the teacher of the teachers of many, PTS vp En 147 instructing three hundred Brahmans in the repetition of the mystic verses, and that many young Brahmans, from various directions and various counties, all craving for the verses, came to learn them by heart under him—
That he was aged, old, and well stricken in years, long-lived and full of days—
That he was honoured, held of weight, esteemed worthy, venerated and revered by Seniya Bimbisāra, the king of Magadhā—
That he was honoured, held of weight, esteemed worthy, venerated and revered by Pokkharasādi, the Brahman—
That he dwelt at Campā, a place teeming with life, with much grassland and woodland and corn, on a royal fief granted him by Seniya Bimbisāra, the king of Magadhā, as a royal gift, with power over it as if he were the king—
For each of these reasons it was not fitting that he, Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman, should call upon the Samaṇa Gotama, but rather that the Samaṇa Gotama should call upon him.
PTS cs 6 And when they had thus spoken, Soṇadaṇḍa said to them:
PTS vp Pali 1.115 ‘Then, Sirs, listen, and hear why it is fitting that I should call upon the venerable Gotama, and not he should call upon me—
‘Truly, Sirs, the venerable Gotama is well born on both sides, of pure descent through the mother and the father back through seven generations, with no slur put upon him, and no reproach in respect of birth—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama has gone forth (into the religious life), giving up the great clan of his relations—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama has gone forth (into the religious life), giving up much money and gold, treasure both buried and above the ground—
PTS vp En 148 ‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama, while he was still a young man, without a grey hair on his head, in the beauty of his early manhood, has gone forth from the household life into the homeless state—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama, though his father and mother were unwilling, and wept, their cheeks being wet with tears, nevertheless cut off his hair and beard, and donned the yellow robes, and went out from the household life into the homeless state—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama is handsome, pleasant to look upon, inspiring trust, gifted with great beauty of complexion, fair in colour, fine in presence, stately to behold—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama is virtuous with the virtue of the Arahats, good and virtuous, gifted with goodness and virtue—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama hath a pleasant voice, and a pleasing delivery, he is gifted with polite address, distinct, not husky, suitable for making clear the matter in hand—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama is the teacher of the teachers of many—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama has no passion of lust left in him, and has put away all fickleness of mind—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama believes in Karma, and in action, he is one who puts righteousness in the forefront (of his exhortations) to the Brahman race—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama went forth from a distinguished family primeval among the Kshatriya clans—
PTS vp En 149 ‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama went forth from a family prosperous, well to do, and rich—
PTS vp Pali 1.116 ‘Truly, Sirs, people come right across the country from distant lands to ask questions of the Samaṇa Gotama—
‘Truly, Sirs, multitudes of heavenly beings put their trust in the Samaṇa Gotama—
‘Truly, Sirs, such is the high reputation noised abroad concerning the Samaṇa Gotama, that he is said to be an Arahat, exalted, fully awakened, abounding in wisdom and righteousness, happy, with knowledge of the worlds, a Blessed One, a Buddha—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama has all the thirty-two bodily marks of a Great Being—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama bids all men welcome, is congenial, conciliatory, not supercilious, accessible to all, not backward in conversation—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama is honoured, held of weight, esteemed and venerated and revered by the four classes (of his followers—the brethren and sisters of the Order, laymen and lay women)—
‘Truly, Sirs, many gods and men believe in the Samaṇa Gotama—
“Truly, Sirs, in whatsoever village or town the Samaṇa Gotama stays, there the non-humans do the humans no harm—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama as the head of an Order, of a school, as the teacher of a school, is the acknowledged chief of all the founders of sects. Whereas some Samaṇas and Brahmans have gained a reputation by all sorts of insignificant matters, not PTS vp En 150 so the Samaṇa Gotama. His reputation comes from perfection in conduct and righteousness—
‘Truly, Sirs, the king of Magadhā, Seniya Bimbisāra, with his children and his wives, with his people and his courtiers, has put his trust in the Samaṇa Gotama—
‘Truly, Sirs, King Pasenadi of Kosala, with his children and his wives, with his people and his courtiers, has put his trust in the Samaṇa Gotama—
‘Truly, Sirs, Pokkharasādi the Brahman, with his children and his wives, with his people and his intimates, has put his trust in the Samaṇa Gotama—
‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama is honoured, held of weight, esteemed, and venerated and revered alike by Seniya Bimbisāra, the king of Magadhā, by Pasenadi the king of Kosala, and by Pokkharasādi the Brahman—
PTS vp Pali 1.117 ‘Truly, Sirs, the Samaṇa Gotama has now arrived at Campā and is staying on the shores of the Gaggarā Lake. But all Samaṇas and Brahmans who come into our village borders are our guests. And guests we ought to esteem and honour, to venerate and revere. And as he is now so come, he ought to be so treated, as a guest—
‘For each and all of these considerations it is not fitting that the Samaṇa Gotama should call upon us, but rather does it behove us to call upon him. And so far only do I know the excellences of the Samaṇa Gotama, but these are not all of them, for his excellence is beyond measure.’
PTS cs 7 And when he had thus spoken, those Brahmans said to him: ‘The venerable Soṇadaṇḍa declares the praises of the Samaṇa Gotama on such wise, that were he to be dwelling even a hundred leagues from here, it would be enough to make a believing man go thither to call upon him, even had he to carry a bag (for the provisions for the journey) on his back. Let us then all go to call on the Samaṇa Gotama together!’
PTS vp En 151 So Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman went out to the Gaggarā Lake with a great company of Brahmans.
PTS cs 8 Now the following hesitation arose in Soṇadaṇḍa’s mind as he passed through the wood: ‘Were I to ask the Samaṇa Gotama a question, if he were to say: “The question ought not to be asked so, thus ought the question to be framed;” the company might thereupon speak of me with disrespect, saying: “Foolish is this Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman, and inexpert. PTS vp Pali 1.118 He is not even able to ask a question rightly.” But if they did so my reputation would decrease; and with my reputation my incomings would grow less, for what we have to enjoy, that depends on our reputation. But if the Samaṇa Gotama were to put a question to me, I might not be able to gain his approval by my explanation of the problem. And if they were then to say to me: “The question ought not to be answered so; thus ought the problem to be explained;” the company might thereupon speak of me with disrespect, saying: “Foolish is this Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman, and inexpert. He is not even able to satisfy the Samaṇa Gotama by his explanation of the problem put.” But if they did so, my reputation would decrease; and with my reputation my incomings would grow less, for what we have to enjoy, that depends upon our reputation. But on the other hand if, having come so far, I should turn back without calling upon the Samaṇa Gotama, then might the company speak disrespectfully of me, saying: “Foolish is this Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman, and inexpert, though obstinate with pride, he is so afraid that he dare not call on the Samaṇa Gotama. How can he turn back after having come so far?” But if they did so, my reputation would decrease; and with my reputation my incomings would grow less. For what we have to enjoy, that depends upon our reputation.
PTS cs 9 So Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman went up to where the PTS vp En 152 Blessed One was. And when he had come there he exchanged with the Blessed One the greetings and compliments of politeness and courtesy, and took his seat on one side. And as to the Brahmans and householders of Campā, some of them bowed to the Blessed One and took their seats on one side; some of them exchanged with him the greetings and compliments of politeness and courtesy, and then took their seats on one side; some of them called out their name and family, and then took their seats on one side; and some of them took their seats on one side in silence.
PTS cs 10 PTS vp Pali 1.119 Now as Soṇadaṇḍa was seated there he was still filled with hesitation, thinking as before set out; and he added to himself: ‘Oh! Would that the Samaṇa Gotama would but ask me some question on my own subject, on the threefold Vedic lore. Verily, I should then be able to gain his approval by my exposition of the problem put!’
PTS cs 11 Now the Blessed One became aware in his own mind of the hesitation in the mind of Soṇadaṇḍa, and he thought: ‘This Soṇadaṇḍa is afflicted in his heart. I had better question him on his own doctrine.’ And he said to him: ‘What are the things, Brahman, which the Brahmans say a man ought to have in order to be a Brahman, so that if he says: “I am a Brahman,” he speaks accurately and does not become guilty of falsehood?’
PTS cs 12 Then Soṇadaṇḍa thought: PTS vp Pali 1.120 ‘What I wished and desired and had in my mind and hoped for—that the Samaṇa Gotama should put to me some question on my own subject, on the threefold Vedic lore—that he now does. Oh! that I may be able to satisfy his heart with my exposition thereof!’
PTS cs 13 And drawing his body up erect, and looking round on the assembly, he said to the Blessed One: ‘The Brahmans, Gotama, declare him to be a Brahman who can accurately say “I am a Brahman” without being guilty of falsehood, who has five things. And what are the five? In the first place, Sir, a Brahman is well born on both sides, on the mother’s side and on PTS vp En 153 the father’s side, of pure descent back through seven generations, with no slur put upon him, and no reproach, in respect of birth—
‘Then he is a repeater (of the sacred words), knowing the mystic verses by heart, one who has mastered the Three Vedas, with the indices, the ritual, the phonology, and the exegesis (as a fourth), and the legends as a fifth, learned in the phrases and in the grammar, versed in Lokāyata sophistry, and in the theory of the signs on the body of a great man—
‘Then he is handsome, pleasant to look upon, inspiring trust, gifted with great beauty of complexion, fair in colour, fine in presence, stately to behold—
‘Then he is virtuous, increased in virtue, gifted with virtue that has grown great—
‘Then he is learned and wise, the first, or it may be the second, among those who hold out the ladle.’
PTS cs 14 ‘But of these five things, oh Brahman, is it possible to leave one out, and to declare the man who has the other four to be a Brahman, to be one who can accurately, and without falling into falsehood, claim to be a Brahman?’
‘Yes, Gotama, that can be done. We could leave out colour. For what does colour matter? PTS vp Pali 1.121 If he have the other four—good birth, technical training, virtue, and wisdom, as just set forth-Brahmans would still declare him to be a Brahman; and he could rightly, without danger of falsehood, claim to be one.’
PTS cs 15 ‘But of these four things, oh Brahman, is it possible to leave one out, and to declare the man who has the other three to be a Brahman, to be one who can rightly, and without falling into falsehood, claim to be a Brahman?’
‘Yes, Gotama, that could be done. We could leave out the verses. For what do the verses matter? If PTS vp En 154 he have the other three—good birth, virtue, and wisdom—Brahmans would still declare him to be a Brahman; and he could rightly, without danger of falsehood, claim to be one.’
PTS cs 16 ‘But of these three things, Brahman, is it possible to leave one out, and to declare the man who has the other two to be a Brahman, to be one who can accurately, and without falling into falsehood, claim to be a Brahman?’
‘Yes, Gotama, that could be done. We could leave out birth. For what does birth matter? If he have the other two—virtue and wisdom—Brahmans would still declare him to be a Brahman; and he could rightly, without danger of falsehood, claim to be one.’
PTS cs 17 PTS vp Pali 1.122 And when he had thus spoken the other Brahmans said to Soṇadaṇḍa: ‘Say not so, venerable Soṇadaṇḍa, say not so! He depreciates not only our colour, but he depreciates our verses and our birth. Verily the venerable Soṇadaṇḍa is going over to the doctrine of the Samaṇa Gotama.’
PTS cs 18 Then the Blessed One said to those Brahmans: ‘If you, oh Brahmans, think that Soṇadaṇḍa is unlearned, that he speaks unfittingly, that he is unwise, that he is unable to hold his own with me in this matter, let him keep silence, and do you discuss with me. But if you think him learned, able in speech, wise, able to hold his own, then do you keep silence, and let him discuss with me.’
PTS cs 19 And when he had thus spoken, Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman said to those Brahmans: ‘Let not the venerable ones say so. Say not so, Sirs. PTS vp Pali 1.123 I do not depreciate either our colour, nor our verses, nor our birth.’
PTS cs 20 Now at that time a young Brahman named Angaka, sister’s son to Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman, was seated in that company. And Soṇadaṇḍa said to those PTS vp En 155 Brahmans: ‘Do the venerable ones see this Angaka, our nephew?’
‘Yes, Sir, we see him.’
‘Well! Angaka, Sirs, is handsome, pleasant to look upon, inspiring trust, gifted with great beauty of complexion, fair in colour, fine in presence, stately to behold—none in this assembly is like unto him in colour, save only the Samaṇa Gotama.
‘And Angaka, Sirs, is a repeater (of the sacred words), knowing the mystic verses by heart, one who has mastered the Three Vedas, with the indices, the ritual, the phonology, and the exegesis (as a fourth), and the legends as a fifth, learned in the phrases and the grammar, versed in Lokāyata (Nature-lore), and in the theory of the signs on the body of a great man—I myself have taught him the verses.
‘And Angaka, Sirs, is well born on both sides, on the mother’s side and on the father’s side, of pure descent back through seven generations, with no slur put upon him, and no reproach in respect of birth—I myself know his forebears, on the mother’s side and on the father’s.
‘If Angaka, Sirs, should kill living things, and take what has not been given, and go the way of the adulterer, and speak lies, and drink strong drink, what then, Sirs, would his colour avail him? What the verses? What his birth?
‘It is in so far, Sirs, as a Brahman is virtuous, increased in virtue, gifted with virtue that has grown great; in so far as he is learned and wise, the first, or it may be the second, among those who hold out the ladle, that Brahmans would declare him, as endowed with these two qualities, to be a Brahman, to be one who could rightly say “I am a Brahman” without falling into falsehood.’
PTS cs 21 ‘But of these two things, oh Brahman, is it possible to leave one out, and to declare the man who has the other to be a Brahman, to be one who can rightly, and without falling into falsehood, claim to be a Brahman?’
PTS vp En 156 PTS vp Pali 1.124 ‘Not that, Gotama! For wisdom, oh Gotama, is purified by uprightness, and uprightness is purified by wisdom. Where there is uprightness, wisdom is there, and where there is wisdom, uprightness is there. To the upright there is wisdom, to the wise there is uprightness, and wisdom and goodness are declared to be the best thing in the world. Just, oh Gotama, as one might wash hand with hand, or foot with foot, just even so, oh Gotama, is wisdom purified by uprightness, and uprightness is purified by wisdom. Where there is uprightness, wisdom is there, and where there is wisdom, uprightness is there. To the upright, there is wisdom, to the wise there is uprightness, and wisdom and goodness are declared to be the best thing in the world.’
PTS cs 22 ‘That is just so, oh Brahman. And I, too, say the same. But what, then, is that uprightness and what that wisdom?, ‘We only know, oh Gotama, the general statement in this matter. May the venerable Gotama be pleased to explain the meaning of the phrase.’
‘Well then, oh Brahman, give ear, and pay earnest attention, and I will speak.’
PTS cs 23 ‘Very well, Sir,’ said Soṇadaṇḍa in assent to the Blessed One. And the Blessed One said:
The next section in the Pali text is greatly abbreviated. The following is a fully expanded version, based on the text of DN 2, Sāmaññaphala Sutta as translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi. Note that it is not always possible to determine exactly how the expansion should be done.
BPS 41“Herein, Brahman, a Tathāgata arises in the world, a worthy one, perfectly enlightened, endowed with clear knowledge and conduct, accomplished, a knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of men to be tamed, teacher of gods and men, enlightened and exalted. Having realized by his own direct knowledge this world with its gods, its Māras, and its Brahmās, this generation with its recluses and brahmins, its rulers and people, he makes it known to others. He teaches the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, possessing meaning and phrasing; he reveals the holy life that is fully complete and purified.
BPS 42“A householder, or a householder’s son, or one born into some other family, hears the Dhamma. Having heard the Dhamma, he gains faith in the Tathāgata. Endowed with such faith, he reflects: ‘The household life is crowded, a path of dust. Going forth is like the open air. It is not easy for one dwelling at home to lead the perfectly complete, perfectly purified holy life, bright as a polished conch. Let me then shave off my hair and beard, put on saffron robes, and go forth from home to homelessness.’
BPS 43“After some time he abandons his accumulation of wealth, be it large or small; he abandons his circle of relatives, be it large or small; he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on saffron robes, and goes forth from home to homelessness.
BPS 44“When he has thus gone forth, he lives restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, possessed of proper behaviour and resort. Having taken up the rules of training, he trains himself in them, seeing danger in the slightest faults. He comes to be endowed with wholesome bodily and verbal action, his livelihood is purified, and he is possessed of conduct. He guards the doors of his sense faculties, is endowed with mindfulness and clear comprehension, and is content.
The Small Section on Moral Discipline
BPS 45“And how, Brahman, is the bhikkhu possessed of moral discipline? Herein, Brahman, having abandoned the destruction of life, the bhikkhu abstains from the destruction of life. He has laid down the rod and weapon and dwells conscientious, full of kindness, sympathetic for the welfare of all living beings. This pertains to his moral discipline.
“Having abandoned taking what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given. Accepting and expecting only what is given, he lives in honesty with a pure mind. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
“Having abandoned incelibacy, he leads the holy life of celibacy. He dwells aloof and abstains from the vulgar practice of sexual intercourse. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
“Having abandoned false speech, he abstains from falsehood. He speaks only the truth, he lives devoted to truth; trustworthy and reliable, he does not deceive anyone in the world. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
“Having abandoned slander, he abstains from slander. He does not repeat elsewhere what he has heard here in order to divide others from the people here, nor does he repeat here what he has heard elsewhere in order to divide these from the people there. Thus he is a reconciler of those who are divided and a promoter of friendships. Rejoicing, delighting, and exulting in concord, he speaks only words that are conducive to concord. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
“Having abandoned harsh speech, he abstains from harsh speech. He speaks only such words as are gentle, pleasing to the ear, endearing, going to the heart, polite, amiable and agreeable to the manyfolk. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
“Having abandoned idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter. He speaks at the right time, speaks what is factual and beneficial, speaks on the Dhamma and the Discipline. His words are worth treasuring; they are timely, backed by reasons, measured, and connected with the good. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
“He abstains from damaging seed and plant life.
“He eats only in one part of the day, refraining from food at night and from eating at improper times.
“He abstains from dancing, singing, instrumental music, and from witnessing unsuitable shows.
“He abstains from wearing garlands, embellishing himself with scents, and beautifying himself with unguents.
“He abstains from high and luxurious beds and seats.
“He abstains from accepting gold and silver.
“He abstains from accepting uncooked grain, raw meat, women and girls, male and female slaves, goats and sheep, fowl and swine, elephants, cattle, horses and mares.
“He abstains from accepting fields and lands.
“He abstains from running messages and errands.
“He abstains from buying and selling.
“He abstains from dealing with false weights, false metals, and false measures.
“He abstains from the crooked ways of bribery, deception, and fraud.
“He abstains from mutilating, executing, imprisoning, robbery, plunder, and violence.
“This too pertains to his moral discipline.
The Intermediate Section on Moral Discipline
BPS 46“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on food offered by the faithful, continually cause damage to seed and plant life—to plants propagated from roots, stems, joints, buds, and seeds—he abstains from damaging seed and plant life. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 47“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on food offered by the faithful, enjoy the use of stored-up goods, such as stored-up food, drinks, garments, vehicles, bedding, scents, and comestibles—he abstains from the use of stored-up goods. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 48“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on food offered by the faithful, attend unsuitable shows, such as:
- shows featuring dancing, singing, or instrumental music;
- theatrical performances;
- narrations of legends
- music played by hand-clapping, cymbals, and drums;
- picture houses;
- acrobatic performances;
- combats of elephants, horses, buffaloes, bulls, goats, rams, cocks and quails;
- stick-fights, boxing, and wrestling;
- sham-fights, roll-calls, battle-arrays, and regimental reviews—
he abstains from attending such unsuitable shows. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 49“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on food offered by the faithful, indulge in the following games and recreations:
- aṭṭhapada (a game played on an eight-row chessboard);
- dasapada (a game played on a ten-row chessboard);
- ākāsa (played by imagining a board in the air);
- parihārapatha (“hopscotch,” a diagram is drawn on the ground and one has to jump in the allowable spaces avoiding the lines);
- santika (“spillikins,” assembling the pieces in a pile, removing and returning them without disturbing the pile);
- khalika (dice games);
- ghaṭika (hitting a short stick with a long stick);
- salākahattha (a game played by dipping the hand in paint or dye, striking the ground or a wall, and requiring the participants to show the figure of an elephant, a horse etc.);
- akkha (ball games);
- paṅgacīra (blowing through toy pipes made of leaves);
- vaṅkaka (ploughing with miniature ploughs);
- mokkhacika (turning somersaults);
- ciṅgulika (playing with paper windmills);
- pattāḷaka (playing with toy measures);
- rathaka (playing with toy chariots);
- dhanuka (playing with toy bows);
- akkharika (guessing at letters written in the air or on one’s back);
- manesika (guessing others’ thoughts);
- yathāvajja (games involving mimicry of deformities)—
he abstains from such games that are a basis for negligence. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 50“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on food offered by the faithful, enjoy the use of high and luxurious beds and seats, such as:
- spacious couches;
- thrones with animal figures carved on the supports;
- long-haired coverlets;
- multi-colored patchwork coverlets;
- white woollen coverlets
- woollen coverlets embroidered with flowers;
- quilts stuffed with cotton;
- woollen coverlets embroidered with animal figures;
- woollen coverlets with hair on both sides or on one side;
- bedspreads embroidered with gems;
- silk coverlets;
- dance-hall carpets;
- elephant, horse, or chariot rugs;
- rugs of antelope-skins;
- choice spreads made of kadali-deer hides;
- spreads with red awnings overhead;
- couches with red cushions for head and feet—
he abstains from the use of such high and luxurious beds and seats. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 51“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on food offered by the faithful, enjoy the use of such devices for embellishing and beautifying themselves as the following:
- rubbing scented powders into the body
- massaging with oils
- bathing in perfumed water
- kneading the limbs
- mirrors
- ointments
- garlands
- scents
- unguents
- face-powders
- make-up
- bracelets
- head-bands
- decorated walking sticks
- ornamented medicine-tubes
- rapiers
- sunshades
- embroidered sandals
- turbans
- diadems
- yaktail whisks
- and long-fringed white robes—
he abstains from the use of such devices for embellishment and beautification. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 52“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on the food offered by the faithful, engage in frivolous chatter, such as:
- talk about kings, thieves, and ministers of state
- talk about armies, dangers, and wars
- talk about food, drink, garments, and lodgings;
- talk about garlands and scents;
- talk about relations, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries;
- talk about women and talk about heroes;
- street talk and talk by the well;
- talk about those departed in days gone by;
- rambling chit-chat;
- speculations about the world and about the sea;
- talk about gain and loss—
he abstains from such frivolous chatter. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 53“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on the food offered by the faithful, engage in wrangling argumentation, (saying to one another):
‘You don’t understand this doctrine and discipline. It is I who understand this doctrine and discipline.’
‘How can you understand this doctrine and discipline?’
‘You’re practising the wrong way. I’m practicing the right way.’
‘I’m being consistent. You’re inconsistent.’
‘What should have been said first you said last, what should have been said last you said first.’
‘What you took so long to think out has been confuted.’
‘Your doctrine has been refuted. You’re defeated. Go, try to save your doctrine, or disentangle yourself now if you can’—
he abstains from such wrangling argumentation. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 54“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on the food offered by the faithful, engage in running messages and errands for kings, ministers of state, khattiyas, brahmins, householders, or youths, (who command them): ‘Go here, go there, take this, bring that from there’—he abstains from running such messages and errands. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 55“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on the food offered by the faithful, engage in scheming, talking, hinting, belittling others, and pursuing gain with gain, he abstains from such kinds of scheming and talking. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
The Large Section on Moral Discipline
BPS 56“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on the food offered by the faithful, earn their living by a wrong means of livelihood, by such debased arts as:
- prophesying long life, prosperity etc., or the reverse, from the marks on a person’s limbs, hands, feet, etc.;
- divining by means of omens and signs;
- making auguries on the basis of thunderbolts and celestial portents;
- interpreting ominous dreams;
- telling fortunes from marks on the body;
- making auguries from the marks on cloth gnawed by mice;
- offering fire oblations;
- offering oblations from a ladle;
- offering oblations of husks, rice powder, rice grains, ghee and oil to the gods;
- offering oblations from the mouth;
- offering blood-sacrifices to the gods;
- making predictions based on the fingertips;
- determining whether the site for a proposed house or garden is propitious or not;
- making predictions for officers of state;
- laying demons in a cemetery;
- laying ghosts;
- knowledge of charms to be pronounced by one living in an earthen house;
- snake charming;
- the poison craft, scorpion craft, rat craft, bird craft, crow craft;
- foretelling the number of years that a man has to live;
- reciting charms to give protection from arrows;
- reciting charms to understand the language of animals—
he abstains from such wrong means of livelihood, from such debased arts. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 57“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on the food offered by the faithful, earn their living by a wrong means of livelihood, by such debased arts as interpreting the significance of the colour, shape, and other features of the following items to determine whether they portend fortune or misfortune for their owners: gems, garments, staffs, swords, spears, arrows, bows, other weapons, women, men, boys, girls, slaves, slave-women, elephants, horses, buffaloes, bulls, cows, goats, rams, fowl, quails, lizards, earrings (or house-gables), tortoises, and other animals—
he abstains from such wrong means of livelihood, from such debased arts. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 58“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on the food offered by the faithful, earn their living by a wrong means of livelihood, by such debased arts as making predictions to the effect that:
- the king will march forth;
- the king will return;
- our king will attack and the enemy king will retreat;
- the enemy king will attack and our king will retreat;
- our king will triumph and the enemy king will be defeated;
- the enemy king will triumph and our king will be defeated;
- thus there will be victory for one and defeat for the other—
he abstains from such wrong means of livelihood, from such debased arts. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 59“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on the food offered by the faithful, earn their living by a wrong means of livelihood, by such debased arts as predicting:
- there will be an eclipse of the moon, an eclipse of the sun, an eclipse of a constellation
- the sun and the moon will go on their proper courses
- there will be an aberration of the sun and moon
- the constellations will go on their proper courses
- there will be an aberration of a constellation
- there will be a fall of meteors
- there will be a skyblaze
- there will be an earthquake
- there will be an earth-roar
- there will be a rising and setting, a darkening and brightening of the moon, sun, and constellations
- such will be the result of the moon’s eclipse, such the result of the sun’s eclipse, (and so on down to) such will be the result of the rising and setting, darkening and brightening of the moon, sun, and constellations—
he abstains from such wrong means of livelihood, from such debased arts. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 60“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on the food offered by the faithful, earn their living by a wrong means of livelihood, by such debased arts as predicting:
- there will be abundant rain
- there will be a drought
- there will be a good harvest
- there will be a famine
- there will be security
- there will be danger
- there will be sickness
- there will be health
- or they earn their living by accounting, computation, calculation, the composing of poetry, and speculations about the world—
he abstains from such wrong means of livelihood, from such debased arts. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 61“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on the food offered by the faithful, earn their living by a wrong means of livelihood, by such debased arts as:
- arranging auspicious dates for marriages, both those in which the bride is brought home and those in which she is sent out
- arranging auspicious dates for betrothals and divorces
- arranging auspicious dates for the accumulation or expenditure of money
- reciting charms to make people lucky or unlucky
- rejuvenating the foetuses of abortive women
- reciting spells to bind a man’s tongue, to paralyze his jaws, to make him lose control over his hands, or to bring on deafness
- obtaining oracular answers to questions by means of a mirror, a girl, or a god
- worshipping the sun
- worshipping Mahābrahmā
- bringing forth flames from the mouth
- invoking the goddess of luck—
he abstains from such wrong means of livelihood, from such debased arts. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 62“Whereas some recluses and brahmins, while living on the food offered by the faithful, earn their living by a wrong means of livelihood, by such debased arts as:
- promising gifts to deities in return for favours
- fulfilling such promises
- demonology
- reciting spells after entering an earthen house
- inducing virility and impotence
- preparing and consecrating sites for a house
- giving ceremonial mouthwashes and ceremonial bathing
- offering sacrificial fires
- administering emetics, purgatives, expectorants, and phlegmagogues
- administering medicines through the ear and through the nose, administering ointments and counter-ointments, practising fine surgery on the eyes and ears, practising general surgery on the body, practising as a children’s doctor—
he abstains from such wrong means of livelihood, from such debased arts. This too pertains to his moral discipline.
BPS 63“Brahman, the bhikkhu who is thus possessed of moral discipline sees no danger anywhere in regard to his restraint by moral discipline. Just as a head-anointed noble warrior who has defeated his enemies sees no danger anywhere from his enemies, so the bhikkhu who is thus possessed of moral discipline sees no danger anywhere in regard to his restraint by moral discipline. Endowed with this noble aggregate of moral discipline, he experiences within himself a blameless happiness. In this way, Brahman, the bhikkhu is possessed of moral discipline. This, Brahman, is that moral discipline.
Restraint of the Sense Faculties
BPS 64“And how, Brahman, does the bhikkhu guard the doors of his sense faculties? Herein, Brahman, having seen a form with the eye, the bhikkhu does not grasp at the sign or the details. Since, if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the eye, evil unwholesome states such as covetousness and grief might assail him, he practises restraint, guards the faculty of the eye, and achieves restraint over the faculty of the eye.
Having heard a sound with the ear the bhikkhu does not grasp at the sign or the details. Since, if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the ear, evil unwholesome states such as covetousness and grief might assail him, he practises restraint, guards the faculty of the ear, and achieves restraint over the faculty of the ear.
Having smelled an odour with the nose the bhikkhu does not grasp at the sign or the details. Since, if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the nose, evil unwholesome states such as covetousness and grief might assail him, he practises restraint, guards the faculty of the nose, and achieves restraint over the faculty of the nose.
Having tasted a flavour with the tongue the bhikkhu does not grasp at the sign or the details. Since, if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the tongue, evil unwholesome states such as covetousness and grief might assail him, he practises restraint, guards the faculty of the tongue, and achieves restraint over the faculty of the tongue.
Having touched a tangible object with the body the bhikkhu does not grasp at the sign or the details. Since, if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the body, evil unwholesome states such as covetousness and grief might assail him, he practises restraint, guards the faculty of the body, and achieves restraint over the faculty of the body.
Having cognized a mind-object with the mind, the bhikkhu does not grasp at the sign or the details. Since, if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the mind, evil unwholesome states such as covetousness and grief might assail him, he practises restraint, guards the faculty of the mind, and achieves restraint over the faculty of the mind. Endowed with this noble restraint of the sense faculties, he experiences within himself an unblemished happiness. In this way, Brahman, the bhikkhu guards the doors of the sense faculties.
Mindfulness and Clear Comprehension
BPS 65“And how, Brahman, is the bhikkhu endowed with mindfulness and clear comprehension? Herein, Brahman, in going forward and returning, the bhikkhu acts with clear comprehension. In looking ahead and looking aside, he acts with clear comprehension. In bending and stretching the limbs, he acts with clear comprehension. In wearing his robes and cloak and using his alms-bowl, he acts with clear comprehension. In eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting, he acts with clear comprehension. In defecating and urinating, he acts with clear comprehension. In going, standing, sitting, lying down, waking up, speaking, and remaining silent, he acts with clear comprehension. In this way, Brahman, the bhikkhu is endowed with mindfulness and clear comprehension.
Contentment
BPS 66“And how, Brahman, is the bhikkhu content? Herein, Brahman, a bhikkhu is content with robes to protect his body and almsfood to sustain his belly; wherever he goes he sets out taking only (his requisites) along with him. Just as a bird, wherever it goes, flies with its wings as its only burden, in the same way a bhikkhu is content with robes to protect his body and almsfood to sustain his belly; wherever he goes he sets out taking only (his requisites) along with him. In this way, Brahman, the bhikkhu is content.
The Abandoning of the Hindrances
BPS 67“Endowed with this noble aggregate of moral discipline, this noble restraint over the sense faculties, this noble mindfulness and clear comprehension, and this noble contentment, he resorts to a secluded dwelling—a forest, the foot of a tree, a mountain, a glen, a hillside cave, a cremation ground, a jungle grove, the open air, a heap of straw. After returning from his alms-round, following his meals, he sits down, crosses his legs, holds his body erect, and sets up mindfulness before him.
BPS 68“Having abandoned covetousness for the world, he dwells with a mind free from covetousness; he purifies his mind from covetousness. Having abandoned ill will and hatred, he dwells with a benevolent mind, sympathetic for the welfare of all living beings; he purifies his mind from ill will and hatred. Having abandoned dullness and drowsiness, he dwells perceiving light, mindful and clearly comprehending; he purifies his mind from dullness and drowsiness. Having abandoned restlessness and worry, he dwells at ease within himself, with a peaceful mind; he purifies his mind from restlessness and worry. Having abandoned doubt, he dwells as one who has passed beyond doubt, unperplexed about wholesome states; he purifies his mind from doubt.
BPS 69“Brahman, suppose a man were to take a loan and apply it to his business, and his business were to succeed, so that he could pay back his old debts and would have enough money left over to maintain a wife. He would reflect on this, and as a result he would become glad and experience joy.
BPS 70“Again, Brahman, suppose a man were to become sick, afflicted, gravely ill, so that he could not enjoy his food and his strength would decline. After some time he would recover from that illness and would enjoy his food and regain his bodily strength. He would reflect on this, and as a result he would become glad and experience joy.
BPS 71“Again, Brahman, suppose a man were locked up in a prison. After some time he would be released from prison, safe and secure, with no loss of his possessions. He would reflect on this, and as a result he would become glad and experience joy.
BPS 72“Again, Brahman, suppose a man were a slave, without independence, subservient to others, unable to go where he wants. After some time he would be released from slavery and gain his independence; he would no longer be subservient to others but a free man able to go where he wants. He would reflect on this, and as a result he would become glad and experience joy.
BPS 73“Again, Brahman, suppose a man with wealth and possessions were travelling along a desert road where food was scarce and dangers were many. After some time he would cross over the desert and arrive safely at a village which is safe and free from danger. He would reflect on this, and as a result he would become glad and experience joy.
BPS 74“In the same way, Brahman, when a bhikkhu sees that these five hindrances are unabandoned within himself, he regards that as a debt, as a sickness, as confinement in prison, as slavery, as a desert road.
BPS 75“But when he sees that these five hindrances have been abandoned within himself, he regards that as freedom from debt, as good health, as release from prison, as freedom from slavery, as a place of safety.
BPS 76“When he sees that these five hindrances have been abandoned within himself, gladness arises. When he is gladdened, rapture arises. When his mind is filled with rapture, his body becomes tranquil; tranquil in body, he experiences happiness; being happy, his mind becomes concentrated.
The First Jhāna
BPS 77“Quite secluded from sense pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought and filled with the rapture and happiness born of seclusion. He drenches, steeps, saturates, and suffuses his body with this rapture and happiness born of seclusion, so that there is no part of his entire body which is not suffused by this rapture and happiness.
BPS 78“Brahman, suppose a skilled bath attendant or his apprentice were to pour soap-powder into a metal basin, sprinkle it with water, and knead it into a ball, so that the ball of soap-powder be pervaded by moisture, encompassed by moisture, suffused with moisture inside and out, yet would not trickle. In the same way, Brahman, the bhikkhu drenches, steeps, saturates, and suffuses his body with the rapture and happiness born of seclusion, so that there is no part of his entire body which is not suffused by this rapture and happiness. This, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom.
The Second Jhāna
BPS 79“Further, Brahman, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, the bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which is accompanied by internal confidence and unification of mind, is without applied and sustained thought, and is filled with the rapture and happiness born of concentration. He drenches, steeps, saturates, and suffuses his body with this rapture and happiness born of concentration, so that there is no part of his entire body which is not suffused by this rapture and happiness.
BPS 80“Brahman, suppose there were a deep lake whose waters welled up from below. It would have no inlet for water from the east, west, north, or south, nor would it be refilled from time to time with showers of rain; yet a current of cool water, welling up from within the lake, would drench, steep, saturate and suffuse the whole lake, so that there would be no part of that entire lake which is not suffused with the cool water. In the same way, Brahman, the bhikkhu drenches, steeps, saturates, and suffuses his body with the rapture and happiness born of concentration, so that there is no part of his entire body which is not suffused by this rapture and happiness. This too, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom.
The Third Jhāna
BPS 81“Further, Brahman, with the fading away of rapture, the bhikkhu dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending, and experiences happiness with the body. Thus he enters and dwells in the third jhāna, of which the noble ones declare: ‘He dwells happily with equanimity and mindfulness.’ He drenches, steeps, saturates, and suffuses his body with this happiness free from rapture, so that there is no part of his entire body which is not suffused by this happiness.
BPS 82“Brahman, suppose in a lotus pond there were blue, white, or red lotuses that have been born in the water, grow in the water, and never rise up above the water, but flourish immersed in the water. From their tips to their roots they would be drenched, steeped, saturated, and suffused with cool water, so that there would be no part of those lotuses not suffused with cool water. In the same way, Brahman, the bhikkhu drenches, steeps, saturates and suffuses his body with the happiness free from rapture, so that there is no part of his entire body which is not suffused by this happiness. This too, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom.
The Fourth Jhāna
BPS 83“Further, Brahman, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and grief, the bhikkhu enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is neither pleasant nor painful and contains mindfulness fully purified by equanimity. He sits suffusing his body with a pure bright mind, so that there is no part of his entire body not suffused by a pure bright mind.
BPS 84“Brahman, suppose a man were to be sitting covered from the head down by a white cloth, so that there would be no part of his entire body not suffused by the white cloth. In the same way, Brahman, the bhikkhu sits suffusing his body with a pure bright mind, so that there is no part of his entire body not suffused by a pure bright mind. This too, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom.
Insight Knowledge
BPS 85“When his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to knowledge and vision. He understands thus: ‘This is my body, having material form, composed of the four primary elements, originating from father and mother, built up out of rice and gruel, impermanent, subject to rubbing and pressing, to dissolution and dispersion. And this is my consciousness, supported by it and bound up with it.’
BPS 86“Brahman, suppose there were a beautiful beryl gem of purest water, eight-faceted, well cut, clear, limpid, flawless, endowed with all excellent qualities. And through it there would run a blue, yellow, red, white, or brown thread. A man with keen sight, taking it in his hand, would reflect upon it thus: ‘This is a beautiful beryl gem of purest water, eight faceted, well cut, clear, limpid, flawless, endowed with all excellent qualities. And running through it there is this blue, yellow, red, white, or brown thread.’ In the same way, Brahman, when his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady and attained to imperturbability the bhikkhu directs and inclines it to knowledge and vision and understands thus: ‘This is my body, having material form, composed of the four primary elements, originating from father and mother, built up out of rice and gruel, impermanent, subject to rubbing and pressing, to dissolution and dispersion. And this is my consciousness, supported by it and bound up with it.’ This, too, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom.
The Knowledge of the Mind-made Body
BPS 87“When his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to creating a mind-made body. From this body he creates another body having material form, mind-made, complete in all its parts, not lacking any faculties.
BPS 88“Brahman, suppose a man were to draw out a reed from its sheath. He would think: ‘This is the reed; this is the sheath. The reed is one thing, the sheath another, but the reed has been drawn out from the sheath.’ Or suppose a man were to draw a sword out from its scabbard. He would think: ‘This is the sword; this is the scabbard. The sword is one thing, the scabbard another, but the sword has been drawn out from the scabbard.’ Or suppose a man were to pull a snake out from its slough. He would think: ‘This is the snake; this is the slough. The snake is one thing, the slough another, but the snake has been pulled out from the slough.’ In the same way, Brahman, his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to creating a mind-made body. From this body he creates another body having material form, mind-made, complete in all its parts, not lacking any faculties. This too, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom.
The Knowledge of the Modes of Supernormal Power
BPS 89“When his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the modes of supernormal power. He exercises the various modes of supernormal power: having been one, he becomes many and having been many, he becomes one; he appears and vanishes; he goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space; he dives in and out of the earth as if it were water; he walks on water without sinking as if it were earth; sitting cross-legged he travels through space like a winged bird; with his hand he touches and strokes the sun and the moon, so mighty and powerful; he exercises mastery over the body as far as the Brahma-world.
BPS 90“Brahman, suppose a skilled potter or his apprentice were to make and fashion out of well-prepared clay whatever kind of vessel he might desire. Or suppose a skilled ivory-worker or his apprentice were to make and fashion out of well-prepared ivory whatever kind of ivory work he might desire. Or suppose a skilled goldsmith or his apprentice were to make and fashion out of well-prepared gold whatever kind of gold work he might desire. In the same way, Brahman, when his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the modes of supernormal power. He exercises the various modes of supernormal power: having been one, he becomes many and having been many, he becomes one; he appears and vanishes; he goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space; he dives in and out of the earth as if it were water; he walks on water without sinking as if it were earth; sitting cross-legged he travels through space like a winged bird; with his hand he touches and strokes the sun and the moon, so mighty and powerful; he exercises mastery over the body as far as the Brahma-world. This too, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom.
The Knowledge of the Divine Ear
BPS 91“When his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the divine ear-element. With the divine ear-element, which is purified and surpasses the human, he hears both kinds of sound, the divine and the human, those which are distant and those which are near.
BPS 92“Brahman, suppose a man travelling along a highway were to hear the sounds of kettledrums, tambours, horns, cymbals and tom-toms, and would think: ‘This is the sound of kettledrums, this is the sound of tambours, this the sound of horns, cymbals and tom-toms.’ In the same way, Brahman, when his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the divine ear-element. With the divine ear-element, which is purified and surpasses the human, he hears both kinds of sound, the divine and the human, those which are distant and those which are near. This too, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom.
The Knowledge Encompassing the Minds of Others
BPS 93“When his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the knowledge of encompassing the minds (of others). He understands the minds of other beings and persons, having encompassed them with his own mind. He understands a mind with lust as a mind with lust and a mind without lust as a mind without lust; he understands a mind with hatred as a mind with hatred and a mind without hatred as a mind without hatred; he understands a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion and a mind without delusion as a mind without delusion; he understands a contracted mind as a contracted mind and a distracted mind as a distracted mind; he understands an exalted mind as an exalted mind and an unexalted mind as an unexalted mind; he understands a surpassable mind as a surpassable mind and an unsurpassable mind as an unsurpassable mind; he understands a concentrated mind as a concentrated mind and an unconcentrated mind as an unconcentrated mind; he understands a liberated mind as a liberated mind and an unliberated mind as an unliberated mind.
BPS 94“Brahman, suppose a young man or woman, fond of ornaments, examining his or her own facial reflection in a pure bright mirror or in a bowl of clear water, would know, if there were a mole, ‘It has a mole,’ and if there were no mole, ‘It has no mole.’ In the same way, Brahman, when his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the knowledge of encompassing the minds (of others). He understands the minds of other beings and persons, having encompassed them with his own mind. He understands a mind with lust as a mind with lust and a mind without lust as a mind without lust; he understands a mind with hatred as a mind with hatred and a mind without hatred as a mind without hatred; he understands a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion and a mind without delusion as a mind without delusion; he understands a contracted mind as a contracted mind and a distracted mind as a distracted mind; he understands an exalted mind as an exalted mind and an unexalted mind as an unexalted mind; he understands a surpassable mind as a surpassable mind and an unsurpassable mind as an unsurpassable mind; he understands a concentrated mind as a concentrated mind and an unconcentrated mind as an unconcentrated mind; he understands a liberated mind as a liberated mind and an unliberated mind as an unliberated mind. This too, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom.
The Knowledge of Recollecting Past Lives
BPS 95“When his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the knowledge of recollecting past lives. He recollects his numerous past lives, that is, one birth, two births, three, four, or five births; ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty births; a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births; many aeons of world contraction, many aeons of world expansion, many aeons of world contraction and expansion, (recollecting): ‘There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance; such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my span of life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance; such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my span of life. Passing away from that state I re-arose here.’ Thus he recollects his numerous past lives in their modes and their details.
BPS 96“Brahman, suppose a man were to go from his own village to another village, then from that village to still another village, and then from that village he would return to his own village. He would think to himself: ‘I went from my own village to that village. There I stood in such a way, sat in such a way, spoke in such a way, and remained silent in such a way. From that village I went to still another village. There too I stood in such a way, sat in such a way, spoke in such a way, and remained silent in such a way. From that village I returned to my own village.’ In the same way, Brahman, when his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the knowledge of recollecting past lives. He recollects his numerous past lives, that is, one birth, two births, three, four, or five births; ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty births; a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births; many aeons of world contraction, many aeons of world expansion, many aeons of world contraction and expansion, (recollecting): ‘There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance; such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my span of life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance; such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my span of life. Passing away from that state I re-arose here.’ Thus he recollects his numerous past lives in their modes and their details. This too, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom.
The Knowledge of the Divine Eye
BPS 97“When his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. With the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate—and he understands how beings fare according to their kamma, thus: ‘These beings—who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views, and undertook actions governed by wrong views—with the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the lower realms, in hell. But these beings—who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, and mind, who did not revile the noble ones, held right views, and undertook actions governed by right views—with the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world.’ Thus with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate—and he understands how beings fare in accordance with their kamma.
BPS 98“Brahman, suppose in a central square there were a building with an upper terrace, and a man with keen sight standing there were to see people entering a house, leaving it, walking along the streets, and sitting in the central square. He would think to himself: ‘Those people are entering the house, those are leaving it, those are walking along the streets, and those are sitting in the central square.’ In the same way, Brahman, when his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. With the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate—and he understands how beings fare according to their kamma, thus: ‘These beings—who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views, and undertook actions governed by wrong views—with the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the lower realms, in hell. But these beings—who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, and mind, who did not revile the noble ones, held right views, and undertook actions governed by right views—with the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world.’ Thus with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate—and he understands how beings fare in accordance with their kamma. This too, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom.
The Knowledge of the Destruction of the Cankers
BPS 99“When his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the knowledge of the destruction of the cankers. He understands as it really is: ‘This is suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the origin of suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the cessation of suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘These are the cankers.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the origin of the cankers.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the cessation of the cankers.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of the cankers.’
“Knowing and seeing thus, his mind is liberated from the canker of sensual desire, from the canker of existence, and from the canker of ignorance. When it is liberated, the knowledge arises: ‘It is liberated.’ He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further beyond this.’
BPS 100“Brahman, suppose in a mountain glen there were a lake with clear water, limpid and unsullied. A man with keen sight, standing on the bank, would see oyster-shells, sand and pebbles, and shoals of fish moving about and keeping still. He would think to himself: ‘This is a lake with clear water, limpid and unsullied, and there within it are oyster-shells, sand and pebbles, and shoals of fish moving about and keeping still.’
“In the same way, Brahman, when his mind is thus concentrated, pure and bright, unblemished, free from defects, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the knowledge of the destruction of the cankers. He understands as it really is: ‘This is suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the origin of suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the cessation of suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’ He understands as it really is: ‘These are the cankers.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the origin of the cankers.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the cessation of the cankers.’ He understands as it really is: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of the cankers.’
“Knowing and seeing thus, his mind is liberated from the canker of sensual desire, from the canker of existence, and from the canker of ignorance. When it is liberated, the knowledge arises: ‘It is liberated.’ He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further beyond this.’
This too, Brahman, pertains to his wisdom. And this, Brahman, is that wisdom.”
PTS cs 24 When he had thus spoken, Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman said to the Blessed One:
PTS vp Pali 1.125 ‘Most excellent, oh Gotama (are the words of thy mouth), most excellent! Just as if a man were to set up that which has been thrown down, or were to reveal that which has been hidden away, or were to point out the right road to him who has gone astray, or were to bring a light into the darkness so that those who had eyes could see external forms—just even so has the truth been made known to me, in many a figure, by the venerable Gotama. I, even I, betake myself to the venerable Gotama as my guide, to the truth, and to the Order. And may the venerable Gotama accept me as a disciple, as one who, from this day forth, as long as life endures, has taken him as his guide. And may the venerable Gotama grant me the favour of taking his to-morrow’s meal with me, and also the members of the Order with him.’
Then the Blessed One signified, by silence, his consent. And Soṇadaṇḍa, on seeing that he had done so, arose from his seat and bowed down before the Blessed PTS vp En 158 One, and walking round him with his right hand towards him, departed thence. And at early dawn he made ready at his house sweet food, both hard and soft, and had the time announced to the Blessed One: ‘It is time, oh Gotama, and the meal is ready.’
PTS cs 25 Then the Blessed One, who had dressed in the early morning, put on his outer robe, and taking his bowl with him, went with the brethren to Soṇadaṇḍa’s house, and sat down on the seat prepared for him. And Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman satisfied the Blessed One, and the brethren, with his own hand, with sweet food, both hard and soft, until they refused any more.
And when the Blessed One had finished his meal, and cleansed the bowl and his hands, Soṇadaṇḍa took a low seat, and sat down beside him, and said:
PTS cs 26 ‘If, oh Gotama, after I have entered the assembly, I should rise from my seat to bow down before the venerable Gotama, then the assembly would find fault with me. Now he with whom the assembly should find fault, his reputation would grow less; and he who should lose his reputation, his income would grow less. For that which we have to enjoy, that depends upon our reputation. If then, when I am seated in the assembly, I stretch forth my joined palms in salutation, let the venerable Gotama accept that from me as arising up from my seat. PTS vp Pali 1.126 And if when I am seated in the assembly I take off my turban, let the venerable Gotama accept that from me as a salutation with my head. So if, when I am in my chariot, I were to get down from the chariot to salute the venerable Gotama, the surrounders would find fault with me. If, then, when mounted on my chariot, I bend down low the staff of my goad, let the venerable Gotama accept that from me as if I had got down. And if, when mounted on my chariot, I should wave PTS vp En 159 my hand, let the venerable Gotama accept that from me as if I had bowed low in salutation!’
PTS cs 27 Then the Blessed One instructed and roused and incited and gladdened Soṇadaṇḍa the Brahman with religious discourse, and then rose from his seat and departed thence.
Here ends the Soṇadaṇḍa Sutta.