English
declare that they have attained assurance, the fundamental holy life?' That, Nigrodha, is a state higher and more sublime, by which I train my disciples, by which my disciples, trained by me, declare that they have attained assurance, the fundamental holy life." When this was said, those wanderers became noisy, making a loud and great clamor – "Here we are lost, together with our teachers, we are not from this..." yesterday we understood it better.’’ Nigrodha's brooding 75. When Sandhāna the householder knew: "Indeed, these other sect ascetics are listening to the Blessed One's words, they are lending ear, they are establishing a different mind," then he said to Nigrodha the ascetic: "So it is, Venerable Nigrodha, what you said to me: 'Pray, householder, know with whom the ascetic Gotama converses, with whom he engages in discussion, with whom he engages in an exchange of wisdom. The ascetic Gotama's wisdom is fit for empty dwellings, the ascetic Gotama is not accustomed to assemblies, he is not fit for conversation; he frequents only the fringes; just as a lame cow grazing at the fringes frequents only the fringes. Even so, the ascetic Gotama's wisdom is fit for empty dwellings, the ascetic Gotama is not accustomed to assemblies, he is not fit for conversation; he frequents only the fringes. Come, householder, should the ascetic Gotama come to this assembly, we would confound him with a single question, we would, I think, hem him in like an empty pot.' This, Venerable Sir, is the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, who has arrived here. Now make him unaccustomed to assemblies, make him a lame cow grazing at the fringes, confound him with a single question, hem him in like an empty pot!" When this was said, Nigrodha the ascetic remained silent, abashed, with slumped shoulders, downcast, brooding, speechless. 76. Then the Blessed One, knowing Nigrodha the ascetic to be silent, abashed, with slumped shoulders, downcast, brooding, speechless, said to Nigrodha the ascetic: "Is it true, Nigrodha, that this speech was spoken by you?" "It is true, Venerable Sir, this speech was spoken by me, like a fool, like a deluded one, like an unskillful one." "What do you think, Nigrodha? What have you heard from the elder, senior ascetics, your teachers and teachers' teachers, speaking thus: 'What Those who were in the past Arahants, Perfectly Self-Awakened Ones, did those Blessed Ones, gathering together, coming together, live making noise, with loud, great sounds, engaged in various kinds of animal talk? Such as – talk of kings, talk of robbers… …talk of existence and non-existence, and so on. Just as you are now, with your teachers. Or did those Blessed Ones frequent remote forest and jungle dwellings, quiet, with little noise, free from human crowds, suitable for seclusion, conducive to meditation? Just as I am now? "I have heard this, venerable sir, from wandering ascetics, elderly, aged, teachers and grand-teachers, speaking thus: ‘Those who were in the past Arahants, Perfectly Self-Awakened Ones, did not, gathering together, coming together, live making noise, with loud, great sounds, engaged in various kinds of animal talk. Such as – talk of kings, talk of robbers… …talk of existence and non-existence, and so on, just as I am now, with my teachers. Those Blessed Ones did frequent remote forest and jungle dwellings, quiet, with little noise, free from human crowds, suitable for seclusion, conducive to meditation. Just as the Blessed One is now.’" "To you, Nigrodha, being discerning, being aged, did this not occur: ‘That Blessed One is awakened; he teaches the Dhamma for awakening. That Blessed One is tamed; he teaches the Dhamma for taming. That Blessed One is peaceful; he teaches the Dhamma for peace. That Blessed One has crossed over; he teaches the Dhamma for crossing over. That Blessed One is fully unburdened; he teaches the Dhamma for full unburdening’?" The Realization of the Consummation of the Holy Life 77. When this was said, the wandering ascetic Nigrodha said to the Blessed One: "An offense has overcome me, venerable sir, as a fool, as one deluded, as one unskillful, in that I spoke thus to the Blessed One. May the Blessed One, venerable sir, accept my offense as an offense, for the sake of future..." for future restraint.” “Indeed, you, Nigrodha, a transgression has come upon you, like a fool, like one deluded, like one unskillful, who spoke to me in such a way. But since you, Nigrodha, seeing your transgression as a transgression, rectify it according to the Dhamma, we accept that from you. This is growth, Nigrodha, in the Noble Discipline, that one, seeing a transgression as a transgression, rectifies it according to the Dhamma, and undertakes future restraint. But I, Nigrodha, say this: ‘Let a discerning person come, not deceitful, not fraudulent, of upright nature, I will instruct him, I will teach the Dhamma. Practicing as instructed, for the sake of which noble sons rightly go forth from home to homelessness, that unsurpassed culmination of the holy life, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life, he will dwell having attained it for seven years. Let seven years stand, Nigrodha. Let a discerning person come, not deceitful, not fraudulent, of upright nature, I will instruct him, I will teach the Dhamma. Practicing as instructed, for the sake of which noble sons rightly go forth from home to homelessness, that unsurpassed culmination of the holy life, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life, he will dwell having attained it for six years. Five years… four years… three years… two years… one year. Let one year stand, Nigrodha. Let a discerning person come, not deceitful, not fraudulent, of upright nature, I will instruct him, I will teach the Dhamma. Practicing as instructed, for the sake of which noble sons rightly go forth from home to homelessness, that unsurpassed culmination of the holy life, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life, he will dwell having attained it for seven months. Let seven months stand, Nigrodha… six months… five months… four months… three months… two months… one month… half a month. Let half a month stand, Nigrodha. Summary. Let a discerning man come, not deceitful, not fraudulent, of upright character. I shall instruct him, I shall teach the Dhamma. Practising as he is instructed, for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness, that unsurpassed culmination of the holy life he will, by his own direct knowledge, realise and abide in this very life within seven days. The Pondering of the Wanderers 78. ‘‘Perhaps, Nigrodha, you might think: ‘The ascetic Gotama speaks thus out of a desire for discipleship from us.’ But, Nigrodha, this should not be seen thus. Let your teacher be your teacher. Perhaps, Nigrodha, you might think: ‘The ascetic Gotama speaks thus desiring to divert us from our doctrine.’ But, Nigrodha, this should not be seen thus. Let your doctrine be your doctrine. Perhaps, Nigrodha, you might think: ‘The ascetic Gotama speaks thus desiring to divert us from our livelihood.’ But, Nigrodha, this should not be seen thus. Let your livelihood be your livelihood. Perhaps, Nigrodha, you might think: ‘The ascetic Gotama speaks thus desiring to establish us in those teachings that are unwholesome, considered unwholesome by your teachers.’ But, Nigrodha, this should not be seen thus. Let those teachings of yours be unwholesome, and considered unwholesome by your teachers. Perhaps, Nigrodha, you might think: ‘The ascetic Gotama speaks thus desiring to separate us from those teachings that are wholesome, considered wholesome by your teachers.’ But, Nigrodha, this should not be seen thus. Let those teachings of yours be wholesome, and considered wholesome by your teachers. Thus, Nigrodha, I do not speak thus out of a desire for discipleship, nor desiring to divert you from your doctrine, nor desiring to divert you from your livelihood, nor those teachings of yours the unwholesome states, counted as unwholesome by the ascetics, wishing to establish you in them, do I speak thus. Nor the wholesome states, counted as wholesome by the ascetics, wishing to separate you from them, do I speak thus. But there are, Nigrodha, unwholesome states not abandoned, defiling, leading to renewed existence, with suffering, with painful results, leading to birth, aging, and death in the future, for the abandonment of which I teach the Dhamma. As you practice, your defiling states will be abandoned, your purifying states will increase, and you will dwell, having directly known and realized for yourselves in this very life the perfection and fullness of wisdom.” 79. When this was said, those wanderers became silent, dismayed, with slumped shoulders, downcast, brooding, speechless, as if their minds were assailed by Māra. Then it occurred to the Blessed One: “All these foolish men are assailed by the Evil One. How is it that not even one of them thinks thus: ‘Come, let us practice the holy life under the recluse Gotama, even if only for the sake of knowledge. What will a week do?’” Then the Blessed One, having roared a lion’s roar in the Udumbarika wanderers’ park, rose into the air and reappeared on Vulture Peak mountain. And Sandhāna the householder entered Rājagaha at that very moment. The Udumbarika Sutta is finished, the second.