English
The Minor Battle 1. The Practice of the Inquirer 365. A bhikkhu in the assembly, when approaching the Sangha, should approach the Sangha with a humble mind, with a mind like a dust-remover; he should be skilled in seating, skilled in sitting; not pushing aside elder bhikkhus, not refusing seats to new bhikkhus, he should sit in an appropriate seat; he should not engage in various talks, not in worldly talks; he himself should speak the Dhamma, or invite another to speak, or not despise noble silence. A person authorized by the Sangha, an inquirer wishing to inquire, should not question the preceptor, should not question the teacher, should not question the co-resident, should not question the pupil, should not question one with the same preceptor, should not question one with the same teacher, should not question about birth, should not question about name, should not question about clan, should not question about origin, should not question about family region, should not question about birthplace. For what reason? Lest there be affection or aversion. If there is affection or aversion, he might act out of desire, he might act out of aversion, he might act out of delusion, he might act out of fear. A person authorized by the Sangha, an inquirer wishing to inquire, should be respectful of the Sangha, not respectful of individuals, should be respectful of the True Dhamma, not respectful of material gain, should be intent on the meaning, not a planner for the assembly, should inquire at the right time, not at the wrong time, should inquire truthfully, not untruthfully, should inquire gently, not harshly, should inquire meaningfully, not meaninglessly, should inquire with a mind of loving-kindness, not with inner aversion, should not whisper in the ear, should not look askance, should not knit the brow, should not raise the eyebrows, should not raise the head, should not make hand gestures, should not show hand signals. He should be skilled in seating, skilled in sitting, looking a yoke's length... One who seeks the meaning, one who follows the meaning, should sit in one's own seat. One should not rise from the seat. One should not move about. A wrong path should not be followed. No arm-waving speech should be uttered. One should be unhurried, not rash. One should be not fierce, patient in speech. One should be with a mind of loving-kindness, compassionate for welfare. One should be compassionate, seeking welfare. One should be not babbling, speaking to the point. One should be without enmity, not arrogant. Oneself should be understood. Others should be understood. The accuser should be understood. The accused should be understood. The accuser of what is not Dhamma should be understood. The accused of what is not Dhamma should be understood. The accuser of Dhamma should be understood. The accused of Dhamma should be understood. Not discarding what has been said, not revealing what has not been said, having properly grasped the words and phrases that have come up, having questioned the other, one should act according to the agreement. The dull one should be made to smile. The fearful one should be reassured. The fierce one should be restrained. The impure should be clarified. With upright gentleness, one should not go by the path of desire. One should not go by the path of hatred. One should not go by the path of delusion. One should not go by the path of fear. One should be impartial regarding both doctrines and persons. And thus, the investigator, while investigating, becomes one who carries out the Teacher's instruction, and becomes dear, pleasing, respected, and esteemed by wise fellow practitioners. 366. A Sutta is for comparison. An analogy is for illustration. The meaning is for understanding. Counter-questioning is for establishing. Granting leave is for accusation. Accusation is for reminding. Reminding is for being spoken to. Being spoken to is for obstruction. Obstruction is for decision. Decision is for deliberation. Deliberation is for going to the right and wrong places. Going to the right and wrong places is for restraining unruly individuals. For supporting virtuous bhikkhus. The Sangha is for encompassing and accepting. For the purpose [of this], persons approved by the Saṅgha stand individually, stand without disagreement. Discipline is for restraint. Restraint is for freedom from remorse. Freedom from remorse is for joy. Joy is for rapture. Rapture is for tranquility. Tranquility is for happiness. Happiness is for concentration. Concentration is for knowledge and vision of things as they are. Knowledge and vision of things as they are is for disenchantment. Disenchantment is for dispassion. Dispassion is for liberation. Liberation is for knowledge and vision of liberation. Knowledge and vision of liberation is for unattached final Nibbāna. For this purpose is talk, for this purpose is counsel, for this purpose is instruction, for this purpose is listening attentively – that is, the liberation of the mind without clinging. 367. Listen to the practice of inquiry, made by the skillful and wise; well-spoken, in accordance with the training rules, not destroying one's future destination. The basis, the failure, the offense, the origin, the circumstances – he is unskilled; he does not know the before and after, nor what is done and not done, properly. Actions and legal issues, and in settlements, he is unskilled; attached, malicious, and deluded, he acts from fear and delusion. Nor is he skilled in declarations, and in admonition, he is unskilled; having taken sides, shameless, performing dark deeds, disrespectful; Such a bhikkhu, indeed, is called "unreceptive." The basis, the failure, the offense, the origin, the circumstances – he is skilled; he knows the before and after, and what is done and not done, properly. Actions and legal issues, and in settlements, he is skilled; unattached, not malicious, not deluded, he does not act from fear or delusion. And he is skilled in declarations, and in admonition, he is skilled; having taken sides, conscientious, performing bright deeds, respectful; Such a bhikkhu, indeed, is called "receptive." The Minor Assembly is finished. Its Summary – One should ask with a humble mind, respecting the Saṅgha, not individuals; for the purpose of comparing with the Sutta, and for the support of the Vinaya; The summary in the Minor Assembly, this one recitation has been made.