English
13. The Discourse on the Threefold Knowledge 518. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was touring through Kosala with a large community of monks, with five hundred monks, and arrived at a brahmin village of the Kosalans named Manasākaṭa. There, indeed, the Blessed One dwelt in Manasākaṭa, to the north of Manasākaṭa, on the bank of the Aciravatī River, in a mango grove. 519. Now at that time many well-known, well-known brahmin magnates were residing in Manasākaṭa, namely: the brahmin Caṅkī, the brahmin Tārukkha, the brahmin Pokkharasāti, the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi, the brahmin Todeyya, and other well-known, well-known brahmin magnates. 520. Then, as the young brahmins Vāseṭṭha and Bhāradvāja were walking for exercise, strolling about, a discussion arose about the path and the non-path. Then the young brahmin Vāseṭṭha spoke thus: “This is the straight path, this is the direct way, leading to deliverance, leading to companionship with Brahmā, which has been declared by the brahmin Pokkharasāti.” And the young brahmin Bhāradvāja also spoke thus: “This is the straight path, this is the direct way, leading to deliverance, leading to companionship with Brahmā, which has been declared by the brahmin Tārukkha.” Indeed, the young brahmin Vāseṭṭha could not convince the young brahmin Bhāradvāja, nor could the young brahmin Bhāradvāja convince the young brahmin Vāseṭṭha. 521. Then the young brahmin Vāseṭṭha addressed the young brahmin Bhāradvāja: “This recluse Gotama, Bhāradvāja, a Sakyan, gone forth from the Sakyan clan, is dwelling in Manasākaṭa, to the north of Manasākaṭa, on the bank of the Aciravatī River, in a mango grove. Indeed, this good report has spread concerning the Venerable Gotama: ‘He is indeed the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, endowed with knowledge and conduct, the Fortunate One, knower of the worlds, the unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the Awakened One, the Blessed One.’ Come, good Bhāradvāja, let us go to the recluse Gotama.” we will approach the ascetic Gotama and ask him about this matter. As the ascetic Gotama explains it to us, so will we remember it.’’ ‘‘Yes, sir,’’ Bhāradvāja the student replied to Vāseṭṭha the student. Discourse on the Path and the Not-Path 522. Then Vāseṭṭha and Bhāradvāja, the students, 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. Sitting to one side, Vāseṭṭha the student said to the Blessed One: ‘‘Here, good Gotama, as we were walking about, strolling around, a discussion arose about the path and the not-path. I say this: ‘This is the straight path, this is the direct way, leading out, leading to the companionship of Brahmā for one who practices it, that which has been declared by the brahmin Pokkharasāti.’ Bhāradvāja the student says this: ‘This is the straight path, this is the direct way, leading out, leading to the companionship of Brahmā for one who practices it, that which has been declared by the brahmin Tārukkha.’ Here, good Gotama, there is indeed a dispute, there is a quarrel, there is a difference of opinion.’’ 523. ‘‘So then, Vāseṭṭha, you say this: ‘This is the straight path, this is the direct way, leading out, leading to the companionship of Brahmā for one who practices it, that which has been declared by the brahmin Pokkharasāti.’ Bhāradvāja the student says this: ‘This is the straight path, this is the direct way, leading out, leading to the companionship of Brahmā for one who practices it, that which has been declared by the brahmin Tārukkha.’ But what then, Vāseṭṭha, is your dispute about, what is your quarrel about, what is your difference of opinion about?’’ 524. ‘‘About the path and the not-path, good Gotama. Although, good Gotama, brahmins declare various paths— the Addhariyā brahmins, the Tittiriyā brahmins, the Chandokā brahmins, the Bavhārijjhā brahmins— yet all of them are leading out, leading to the companionship of Brahmā for one who practices it. ‘‘Just as, good Gotama, a village or a town Near a village, or not far, even if there are many different paths, all of them converge on the village. Just so, good Gotama, even if the brahmins declare different paths— the Adhariya brahmins, the Tittiriya brahmins, the Chandoka brahmins, the Bavhārijjha brahmins— all of them lead out, they lead out to the companionship of Brahma for one who acts accordingly. "Do they lead out, Vāseṭṭha, you say?" "They lead out, good Gotama, I say." "Do they lead out, Vāseṭṭha, you say?" "They lead out, good Gotama, I say." "Do they lead out, Vāseṭṭha, you say?" "They lead out, good Gotama, I say." "But, Vāseṭṭha, is there even one brahmin among the three-Veda brahmins by whom Brahma has been seen face to face?" "No, good Gotama." "But, Vāseṭṭha, is there even one teacher among the three-Veda brahmins by whom Brahma has been seen face to face?" "No, good Gotama." "But, Vāseṭṭha, is there even one teacher of teachers among the three-Veda brahmins by whom Brahma has been seen face to face?" "No, good Gotama." "But, Vāseṭṭha, is there even one among the three-Veda brahmins, up to the seventh generation of teachers, by whom Brahma has been seen face to face?" "No, good Gotama." "But, Vāseṭṭha, even those ancient sages among the three-Veda brahmins, the makers of the mantras, the propounders of the mantras, whose ancient mantra-path is now sung, spoken, and compiled by the three-Veda brahmins, they chant after it, they speak after it, they speak what has been spoken, they recite what has been recited— namely, Aṭṭhaka, Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vessāmitta, Yamataggi, Aṅgīrasa, Bhāradvāja, Vāseṭṭha, Kassapa, Bhagu. Did even they say this: 'We know this, we see this, where Brahma is, by what path Brahma is, to what direction Brahma...'" Brahmā?” “No, indeed, good Gotama.” 527. “So then, Vāseṭṭha, there is not a single one of the three-Veda brahmins, not even one brahmin, by whom Brahmā has been seen face to face. There is not a single one of the three-Veda brahmins, not even one teacher, by whom Brahmā has been seen face to face. There is not a single one of the three-Veda brahmins, not even one teacher of teachers, by whom Brahmā has been seen face to face. There is not a single one of the three-Veda brahmins, even up to the seventh generation of teachers, by whom Brahmā has been seen face to face. And those ancient sages of the three-Veda brahmins, the makers of the mantras, the propagators of the mantras, whose ancient mantra-verses these three-Veda brahmins now chant, recite, and compile, and whose words they follow, whose words they repeat, whose spoken words they repeat, whose recited words they recite, namely—Aṭṭhaka, Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vessāmitta, Yamataggi, Aṅgīrasa, Bhāradvāja, Vāseṭṭha, Kassapa, Bhagu—even they did not say: ‘We know this, we see this, where Brahmā is, by what path Brahmā is, in what direction Brahmā is.’ Yet these three-Veda brahmins say: ‘We teach the path to companionship with that which we do not know, which we do not see. This is the straight path, this is the direct path, leading to liberation, leading the doer to companionship with Brahmā.’” 528. “What do you think, Vāseṭṭha, is it not so that in this case the speech of the three-Veda brahmins turns out to be without foundation?” “Indeed, good Gotama, in this case the speech of the three-Veda brahmins turns out to be without foundation.” “Good, Vāseṭṭha. That these three-Veda brahmins, Vāseṭṭha, should teach the path to companionship with that which they do not know, which they do not see, saying: ‘This is the straight path, this is the direct path, leading to liberation, leading the doer to companionship with Brahmā’—this is not possible. 529. “Just as, Vāseṭṭha, a line of blind men, linked one to another, the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, the last one does not he does not see. Just so, Vāseṭṭha, I consider the speech of the three-knowledge brahmins to be like a line of blind men: the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, the last one does not see. This speech of those three-knowledge brahmins becomes mere laughter, becomes mere words, becomes empty, becomes hollow. 530. "What do you think, Vāseṭṭha, do the three-knowledge brahmins see the sun and moon, and also many other people, from where the sun and moon rise, and where they set, imploring, praising, with joined hands, bowing, following them around?" "Yes, Venerable Gotama, the three-knowledge brahmins see the sun and moon, and also many other people, from where the sun and moon rise, and where they set, imploring, praising, with joined hands, bowing, following them around." 531. "What do you think, Vāseṭṭha, that which the three-knowledge brahmins see, the sun and moon, and also many other people, from where the sun and moon rise, and where they set, imploring, praising, with joined hands, bowing, following them around – are the three-knowledge brahmins able to point out the path to companionship with the sun and moon – ‘This is the straight path, this is the direct way, leading to liberation, leading the one who practices it to companionship with the sun and moon’?" "No, Venerable Gotama." "So then, Vāseṭṭha, that which the three-knowledge brahmins see, the sun and moon, and also many other people, from where the sun and moon rise, and where they set, imploring, praising, with joined hands, bowing, following them around – even they are not able to point out the path to companionship with the sun and moon – ‘This is the straight path, this is the direct way, leading to liberation, leading the one who practices it to companionship with the sun and moon’." 532. "So then, it is not the case that Brahmā has been seen face-to-face by the three-knowledge brahmins. Nor indeed do they" By the teachers of the three-Veda Brahmins, Brahmā has been seen face-to-face.