English
Thus have I heard – At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Vesālī, in the Great Wood, at the Gabled Hall. Now at that time, many Kosalan brahmin envoys and Magadhan brahmin envoys were residing in Vesālī for some business or other. They heard, those Kosalan brahmin envoys and Magadhan brahmin envoys – "Indeed, good sirs, the recluse Gotama, a son of the Sakyans, who went forth from the Sakyan clan, is dwelling in Vesālī, in the Great Wood, at the Gabled Hall. And concerning that Blessed Gotama, such a good report has spread abroad – 'He is indeed the Blessed One, Arahant, Perfectly Enlightened, Endowed with knowledge and conduct, Fortunate, Knower of the worlds, Unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, Teacher of gods and humans, The Buddha, the Blessed One.' He proclaims this world with its devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, with its recluses and brahmins, with its gods and humans, having realized it for himself through direct knowledge. He teaches the Dhamma beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle, beautiful in the end, with its meaning and its letter, and he proclaims the perfectly complete and purified holy life. It is good indeed to see such Arahants." Then those Kosalan brahmin envoys and Magadhan brahmin envoys went to the Great Wood, to the Gabled Hall. Now at that time, Venerable Nāgita was the Blessed One's attendant. Then those Kosalan brahmin envoys and Magadhan brahmin envoys went to Venerable Nāgita. Having approached, they said to Venerable Nāgita – "Where, good Nāgita, does that Blessed Gotama now reside? We wish to see that Blessed Gotama." "It is not the time, friends, to see the Blessed One. The Blessed One is in retreat." Then those Kosalan brahmin envoys and Magadhan brahmin envoys sat down right there, to one side – "We will go only after seeing that Blessed Gotama." The Story of Oṭṭhaddha the Licchavi 361. Oṭṭhaddha the Licchavi, together with a large assembly of Licchavis, went to where the Lord Nāgita was, in the Peaked-roof Hall in the Great Wood. Having approached, and having saluted the Lord Nāgita, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, Oṭṭhaddha the Licchavi said this to the Lord Nāgita: "Where, indeed, Venerable Nāgita, does that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, now reside? For we wish to see that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One." "It is not the time, Mahāli, to see the Blessed One; the Blessed One is in seclusion." Oṭṭhaddha the Licchavi sat down right there to one side, saying: "Only after seeing that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, will I depart." 362. Then indeed, Siha the novice went to where the Lord Nāgita was. Having approached, and having saluted the Lord Nāgita, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, Siha the novice said this to the Lord Nāgita: "Venerable Kassapa, these many Kosalan brahmin messengers and Magadhan brahmin messengers have come here to see the Blessed One. Oṭṭhaddha the Licchavi, together with a large assembly of Licchavis, has also come here to see the Blessed One. It would be good, Venerable Kassapa, if this multitude could see the Blessed One." "Then, Siha, you yourself inform the Blessed One." "Yes, Venerable Sir," Siha the novice replied to the Lord Nāgita, and went to where the Blessed One was. Having approached, and having saluted the Blessed One, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, Siha the novice said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable Sir, these many Kosalan brahmin messengers and Magadhan brahmin messengers have come here to see the Blessed One. Oṭṭhaddha the Licchavi, together with a large assembly of Licchavis, has also come here to see the Blessed One. It would be good, Venerable Sir, if this multitude could see the Blessed One." that people want to see the Blessed One.” “Then, Siha, prepare a seat in the shade of the monastery.” “Yes, venerable sir,” Siha the novice replied to the Blessed One, and prepared a seat in the shade of the monastery. 363. Then the Blessed One came out of the monastery and sat down on the prepared seat in the shade of the monastery. Then those Kosalan brahmin envoys and Magadhan brahmin envoys approached the Blessed One; having approached, they exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, they sat down to one side. Oṭṭhaddha the Licchavi, with a large assembly of Licchavis, also approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. 364. Seated to one side, Oṭṭhaddha the Licchavi said to the Blessed One: “Some days ago, venerable sir, even earlier, Sunakkhatta the Licchavi’s son approached me; having approached, he said to me: ‘Since I, Mahāli, have been living relying on the Blessed One, not long, three years, I see divine forms, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enchanting, but I do not hear divine sounds, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enchanting.’ Were divine sounds, venerable sir, non-existent when Sunakkhatta the Licchavi’s son did not hear them, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enchanting, or were they existent?” One-sidedly developed concentration 365. “Divine sounds, Mahāli, were indeed existent when Sunakkhatta the Licchavi’s son did not hear them, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enchanting, not non-existent.” “What then, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause, why, though divine sounds were existent, Sunakkhatta the Licchavi’s son did not hear them, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enchanting, not non-existent?” 366. “Here, Mahāli, a bhikkhu has developed concentration one-sidedly in the eastern direction for the seeing of divine forms, lovely, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring, but not for hearing divine sounds, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring. He, in concentration developed in one aspect in the eastern direction, is for seeing divine forms, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring, but not for hearing divine sounds, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring. In the eastern direction he sees divine forms, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring, but he does not hear divine sounds, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring. For what reason is that? Thus it is, Mahāli, for a monk whose concentration developed in one aspect in the eastern direction is for seeing divine forms, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring, but not for hearing divine sounds, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring. 367. Furthermore, Mahāli, for a monk, in the southern direction... in the western direction... in the northern direction... upwards, downwards, across, concentration developed in one aspect is for seeing divine forms, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring, but not for hearing divine sounds, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring. He, in concentration developed in one aspect upwards, downwards, across, is for seeing divine forms, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring, but not for hearing divine sounds, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring. Upwards, downwards, across, he sees divine forms, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring, but he does not hear divine sounds, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring. For what reason is that? Thus it is, Mahāli, for a monk whose concentration developed in one aspect upwards, downwards, across is for seeing divine forms, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring, but not for hearing divine sounds, pleasant, associated with sensual pleasure, alluring. 368. Here, Mahāli, for a monk, in the eastern direction, concentration is developed exclusively for the hearing of divine sounds, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing, but not for the seeing of divine forms, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing. When his concentration is thus exclusively developed in the eastern direction for the hearing of divine sounds, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing, but not for the seeing of divine forms, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing, in the eastern direction he hears divine sounds, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing, but he does not see divine forms, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing. What is the reason for that? It is thus, Mahāli, for a monk, when his concentration is exclusively developed in the eastern direction for the hearing of divine sounds, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing, but not for the seeing of divine forms, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing. Again, Mahāli, for a monk, in the southern direction, in the western direction, in the northern direction, above, below, across, concentration is developed exclusively for the hearing of divine sounds, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing, but not for the seeing of divine forms, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing. When his concentration is thus exclusively developed above, below, across, for the hearing of divine sounds, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing, but not for the seeing of divine forms, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing, above, below, across, he hears divine sounds, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing, but he does not see divine forms, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing. What is the reason for that? It is thus, Mahāli, for a monk, when his concentration is exclusively developed above, below, across, for the hearing of divine sounds, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing, but not for the seeing of divine forms,