English
Let those with ears release their faith. Thinking of vexation, I did not speak Of the excellent Dhamma among humans, Brahmā. Then, monks, that Great Brahmā, thinking, ‘I have been given the opportunity by Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, for the teaching of the Dhamma,’ having paid homage to Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, and circumambulated him clockwise, vanished right there. The Pair of Chief Disciples 72. Then, monks, it occurred to Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One: ‘To whom should I teach the Dhamma first? Who will quickly understand this Dhamma?’ Then, monks, it occurred to Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One: ‘Here, Prince Khaṇḍa and Tissa, the son of the chief priest, dwell in the royal capital of Bandhumatī. They are wise, experienced, intelligent, and have been of little dust in their eyes for a long time. What if I were to teach the Dhamma first to Prince Khaṇḍa and Tissa, the son of the chief priest? They will quickly understand this Dhamma.’ 73. Then, monks, Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, even so, having vanished from the root of the Bodhi tree, he appeared in the Khemā Deer Park in the royal capital of Bandhumatī. Then, monks, Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, addressed the park-keeper: "Come, friend, park-keeper, enter the royal capital of Bandhumatī, and to Prince Khaṇḍa and the brahmin's son Tissa speak thus: 'Vipassī, Venerable Sir, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, has arrived at the royal capital of Bandhumatī, and dwells in the Khemaka Deer Park; he desires to see you.'" "Yes, Venerable Sir," the park-keeper, monks, having assented to Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, entered the royal capital of Bandhumatī, and to Prince Khaṇḍa and the brahmin's son Tissa he spoke thus: "Vipassī, Venerable Sir, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, has arrived at the royal capital of Bandhumatī, and dwells in the Khemaka Deer Park; he desires to see you." 74. Then, monks, Prince Khaṇḍa and the brahmin's son Tissa, having had fine, fine carriages harnessed, and having mounted a fine, fine carriage, departed from the royal capital of Bandhumatī with fine, fine carriages. They went in the direction of the Khemaka Deer Park. As far as the ground was suitable for a carriage, they went by carriage, then dismounting from the carriage, they went on foot to where Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, was. Having approached and paid homage to Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, they sat down to one side. 75. To them, Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, gave a gradual discourse, that is to say – a talk on giving, a talk on morality, a talk on heaven, the danger, the degradation, the defilement of sensual pleasures, and the benefit of renunciation he explained. When the Blessed One perceived them to have ready minds, soft minds, minds free from hindrances, uplifted minds, confident minds, then that teaching which is the exalted discourse of the Buddhas, he explained – suffering, its origin, its cessation, the path. Just as a clean cloth, free from stains, would perfectly absorb dye, even so, for Prince Khaṇḍa and the brahmin's son Tissa, right there... a stainless, immaculate Dhamma-eye arose: ‘Whatever is of the nature to arise, all that is of the nature to cease.’ 76. Then, having seen the Dhamma, having attained the Dhamma, having understood the Dhamma, having penetrated the Dhamma, having crossed over doubt, having put away perplexity, having attained confidence, being independent of others in the Teacher’s Dispensation, they said to the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One: “Excellent, venerable sir! Excellent, venerable sir! Just as, venerable sir, one might set upright what was overturned, or reveal what was hidden, or point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the darkness so that those with eyes might see forms— even so has the Dhamma been made clear by the Blessed One in many ways. We go for refuge, venerable sir, to the Blessed One and to the Dhamma. May we receive, venerable sir, the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One, may we receive the full ordination.” 77. And so, bhikkhus, Prince Khaṇḍa and the brahmin’s son Tissa received the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One; they received the full ordination. The Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, instructed, urged, inspired, and gladdened them with a Dhamma talk; he explained the danger, the degradation, the defilement of conditioned things, and the benefit of Nibbāna. As they were being instructed, urged, inspired, and gladdened by the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, with a Dhamma talk, their minds were soon liberated from the taints, without clinging. The Ordination of the Great Multitude 78. Then, bhikkhus, the great multitude of eighty-four thousand beings in the royal capital of Bandhumatī heard: “Indeed, the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, has arrived at the royal capital of Bandhumatī and is dwelling in the Khemaka Deer Park. And indeed, Prince Khaṇḍa and the brahmin’s son Tissa have shaved off their hair and beard having shaved off hair and beard, having put on saffron robes, they went forth from home to homelessness.’ Hearing this, it occurred to them: ‘Surely that is no inferior doctrine and discipline, that is no inferior going forth, where Prince Khaṇḍa and the Brahmin’s son Tissa have shaved off hair and beard, have put on saffron robes, and gone forth from home to homelessness. If Prince Khaṇḍa and the Brahmin’s son Tissa will shave off hair and beard, put on saffron robes, and go forth from home to homelessness, what then of us?’ Then, monks, that great multitude, eighty-four thousand beings, departed from the royal capital of Bandhumatī, and went to the Khemaka Deer Park, to where the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, was. Having approached, they paid homage to the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, and sat down to one side. 79. To them, the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, gave a gradual discourse. That is to say: he spoke of generosity, he spoke of morality, he spoke of heaven, he explained the danger, the degradation, the defilement of sensual pleasures, and the benefit of renunciation. When the Blessed One knew that their minds were ready, pliant, free from hindrances, uplifted, and confident, then he expounded the teaching peculiar to the Buddhas: suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. Just as a clean cloth, free from stains, would perfectly absorb the dye, even so, for those eighty-four thousand beings, right there on that very seat, the stainless, undefiled Eye of Dhamma arose: ‘Whatever is of the nature to arise, all that is of the nature to cease.’ 80. Having seen the Dhamma, attained the Dhamma, understood the Dhamma, penetrated the Dhamma, having crossed over doubt, having cast off perplexity, having gained confidence, being independent of others in the Teacher’s Dispensation, they said to the Blessed One Vipassī, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One: ‘Excellent, Venerable Sir! Excellent, Venerable Sir! Just as, Venerable Sir, one might set upright what was overturned, He would right what was overturned, or reveal what was hidden, or show the way to one who was lost, or hold up an oil lamp in the darkness, so that those with eyes might see forms. In the same way, the Dhamma has been made clear by the Blessed One in many ways. We, venerable sir, go for refuge to the Blessed One, to the Dhamma, and to the Bhikkhu Saṅgha. May we, venerable sir, obtain the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One, may we obtain the full ordination. 81. Indeed, bhikkhus, those eighty-four thousand beings obtained the going forth in the presence of Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One; they obtained the full ordination. Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened them with a Dhamma talk; he explained the danger, the degradation, the defilement of conditioned things, and the benefit of Nibbāna. As they were being instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened by Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, with a Dhamma talk, their minds were soon liberated from the taints, without clinging. The Realization of Dhamma by the Former Ascetics 82. Indeed, bhikkhus, those eighty-four thousand former ascetics heard: 'It is said that Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, has arrived at the royal capital of Bandhumatī, and is dwelling in the Khemaka deer park, and it is said that he is teaching the Dhamma.' Then, bhikkhus, those eighty-four thousand former ascetics approached the royal capital of Bandhumatī, the Khemaka deer park, where Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, was. Having approached, they paid homage to Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, and sat down to one side. 83. To them, Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, gave a gradual talk. That is: a talk on giving, a talk on morality, a talk on heaven, the danger, the degradation, the defilement of sensual pleasures, the benefit of renunciation. he revealed. When the Blessed One knew