English
Subha Sutta The Story of the Young Man Subha Thus have I heard: At one time, the Venerable Ananda was dwelling at Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery, not long after the Blessed One had passed away into Nibbana. Now at that time, the young man Subha, Todeyya's son, was residing in Savatthi for some purpose or another. Then the young man Subha, Todeyya's son, addressed a certain young man: "Come, young man, go to the recluse Ananda; having gone, ask the recluse Ananda in my name about his freedom from illness, freedom from affliction, lightness of rising, strength, and comfortable abiding, saying: 'The young man Subha, Todeyya's son, asks the Venerable Ananda about his freedom from illness, freedom from affliction, lightness of rising, strength, and comfortable abiding.' And also say this: 'It would be good if the Venerable Ananda would come to the dwelling of the young man Subha, Todeyya's son, out of compassion.'" "Yes, sir," that young man replied to the young man Subha, Todeyya's son, and went to where the Venerable Ananda was; having gone, he exchanged greetings with the Venerable Ananda. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, that young man said to the Venerable Ananda: "The young man Subha, Todeyya's son, asks the Venerable Ananda about his freedom from illness, freedom from affliction, lightness of rising, strength, and comfortable abiding; and he also says this: 'It would be good if the Venerable Ananda would come to the dwelling of the young man Subha, Todeyya's son, out of compassion.'" When this was said, the Venerable Ananda said to that young man: "It is not the right time, young man. I have taken a dose of medicine today. Perhaps we might go tomorrow, depending on the time and occasion." "Yes, sir," that young man replied to the Venerable Ananda, rose from his seat, and went to where the young man Subha, Todeyya's son, was; having gone, he... said this to Todeyyaputta: ‘‘Indeed, we spoke to the venerable Ānanda on your behalf – ‘The young man Subha, Todeyyaputta’s son, asks the venerable Ānanda about his freedom from illness, freedom from affliction, ease of movement, strength, and comfortable living, and he says this: ‘‘It would be good if the venerable Ānanda would approach the dwelling of the young man Subha, Todeyyaputta’s son, out of compassion.’’ ’ When this was said, sir, the recluse Ānanda said to me: ‘It is not the right time, young man. I have taken a dose of medicine today. Perhaps we might go tomorrow, depending on the time and occasion.’ Even so, sir, this is something, since the venerable Ānanda made an appointment to come even tomorrow.’’ 448. Then, when that night had passed, in the forenoon, having dressed and taken his bowl and robe, with the monk Cetaka as his attendant, the venerable Ānanda went to the dwelling of the young man Subha, Todeyyaputta’s son; having gone there, he sat down on the seat prepared. Then the young man Subha, Todeyyaputta’s son, went to where the venerable Ānanda was; having gone there, he exchanged greetings with the venerable Ānanda. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the young man Subha, Todeyyaputta’s son, said to the venerable Ānanda: ‘‘Indeed, venerable Ānanda, you were for a long time the attendant of the venerable Gotama, close to him, moving near him. The venerable Ānanda would know of which teachings the venerable Gotama was an advocate, and in which he encouraged, established, and settled this populace. Of which teachings, venerable Ānanda, was the venerable Gotama an advocate? And in what did he encourage, establish, and settle this populace?’’ 449. ‘‘Young man, the Blessed One was an advocate of three aggregates; and in these he encouraged, established, and settled this populace. Which three? The noble aggregate of moral conduct... of the Dhamma, of the noble aggregate of concentration, of the noble aggregate of wisdom. Of these three aggregates, young man, that Blessed One was a praiser; and in them he exhorted, established, and grounded this populace.” The Aggregate of Virtue “And what, good Ananda, is that noble aggregate of virtue, of which that good Gotama was a praiser, and in which he exhorted, established, and grounded this populace?” “Here, young man, a Tathagata arises in the world, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One, endowed with knowledge and conduct, a Fortunate One, a Knower of the world, an unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, a Teacher of gods and humans, a Buddha, a Blessed One. He, having directly known and realized this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmas, with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans, proclaims it. He teaches the Dhamma beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle, beautiful in the end, with meaning and with letter, he proclaims the utterly complete and purified holy life. A householder hears that Dhamma, or a householder’s son, or one born in some other family. Having heard that Dhamma, he acquires faith in the Tathagata. Endowed with that acquired faith, he reflects thus: ‘Confining is the household life, a path of dust; open is the going forth. It is not easy for one living in a home to lead the utterly complete, utterly purified, polished like a conch shell, holy life. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on saffron robes, and go forth from the home life into homelessness?’ So, at a later time, having abandoned a small aggregate of wealth, or having abandoned a large aggregate of wealth, having abandoned a small circle of relatives, or having abandoned a large circle of relatives, he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on saffron robes, and goes forth from the home life into homelessness. Having thus gone forth, he lives restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, endowed with good conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, he undertakes and trains in the training rules. In the world, endowed with wholesome bodily and verbal action, pure in livelihood, accomplished in virtue, with guarded doors of the senses, endowed with mindfulness and clear comprehension, content. 451. "And how, young man, is a monk accomplished in virtue? Here, young man, a monk, having abandoned the taking of life, abstains from the taking of life, having laid aside rod and weapon, conscientious and compassionate, he dwells with sympathy for the welfare of all living beings. That too, young man, that a monk, having abandoned the taking of life, abstains from the taking of life, having laid aside rod and weapon, conscientious and compassionate, dwells with sympathy for the welfare of all living beings; this is part of his virtue. "Or again, whereas some respected recluses and brahmins, having eaten food given in faith, maintain a livelihood by such base arts, by wrong livelihood, namely: performing peace-offerings, making vows, ghost-exorcism, earth-magic, rain-making, warding off rain, site-magic, site-preparations, rinsing, bathing, offering sacrifices, emetics, purgatives, upward purgatives, downward purgatives, head purgatives, ear-oil, eye-treatment, nose-medicine, eye-ointment, counter-ointment, eye-surgery, general surgery, child-medicine, giving root-medicines, administering medicines, and so on; from such base arts, from wrong livelihood, he abstains. That too, young man, that a monk, whereas some respected recluses and brahmins, having eaten food given in faith, maintain a livelihood by such base arts, by wrong livelihood, namely: performing peace-offerings, making vows... administering medicines, and so on; from such base arts, from wrong livelihood, he abstains. This is part of his virtue. 452. "That monk, young man, thus accomplished in virtue, sees no danger from anywhere, as regards his restraint in virtue. Just as, young man, a royal khattiya..." He who is consecrated, with enemies vanquished, sees no fear from anywhere, that is, from adversaries. Even so, young man, a monk thus endowed with virtue sees no fear from anywhere, that is, from the restraint of virtue. Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, he experiences blameless happiness within. Thus, young man, a monk is endowed with virtue. 453. “This, indeed, young man, is the noble aggregate of virtue of which the Blessed One was a speaker of praise, and in which he encouraged, established, and settled this populace. And there is still more to be done here.” “Wonderful, Venerable Ānanda, amazing, Venerable Ānanda! And this noble aggregate of virtue, Venerable Ānanda, is complete, not incomplete. Such a complete noble aggregate of virtue, Venerable Ānanda, I do not find outside of this among other recluses and brahmins. And if other recluses and brahmins outside of this were to find such a complete noble aggregate of virtue in themselves, they would be content with just that – ‘Enough with this, done with this, our goal of recluseship has been attained, there is nothing further for us to do.’ Yet Venerable Ānanda says this – ‘And there is still more to be done here.’” The Aggregate of Concentration 454. “But what, Venerable Ānanda, is that noble aggregate of concentration, of which the Venerable Gotama was a speaker of praise, and in which he encouraged, established, and settled this populace?” “And how, young man, is a monk a guardian of the sense doors? Here, young man, a monk, having seen a form with the eye, does not grasp at its general appearance or its detailed features; because, if he were to dwell with the eye faculty unrestrained, covetousness and distress, evil unwholesome states, would flow in upon him, he practices for its restraint, he guards the eye faculty, in the eye faculty, he… He enters into restraint.