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declare that they have attained assurance in the fundamental holy life." When this was said, those wanderers became noisy, making a great clamor and loud shouts: "Here we are, together with our teachers, we are lost, we are not from this..." yesterday we understood it better.'' Nigrodha's brooding 75. When Sandhāna the householder knew: "Indeed, these other sect ascetics listen to the Blessed One's teaching, they lend an ear, they set up a different mind," then he said to Nigrodha the ascetic: "Thus, venerable Nigrodha, what you said to me: 'Come, householder, know with whom the ascetic Gotama converses, with whom he engages in discussion, with whom he engages in a display of wisdom; the ascetic Gotama's wisdom is like a deserted house, 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 edge frequents only the fringes. Even so, the ascetic Gotama's wisdom is like a deserted house, the ascetic Gotama is not accustomed to assemblies, he is not fit for conversation; he frequents only the fringes; come, householder, if the ascetic Gotama were to come to this assembly, we would confound him with a single question, we would, as it were, enclose him like an empty pot.' This, venerable sir, is that Blessed One, Arahant, Perfectly Self-Enlightened, who has arrived here. Now make him unaccustomed to assemblies, make him like a lame cow grazing at the edge, confound him with a single question, enclose him like an empty pot." When this was said, Nigrodha the ascetic became 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 statement was uttered by you?" "It is true, venerable sir, this statement was uttered by me, like a fool, like a deluded one, like an unskillful one." "What do you think, Nigrodha? How have you heard it from the elder, aged ascetics, your teachers and teachers' teachers, speaking—'what Those who were in the past Arahants, Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones, did those Blessed Ones, gathering together, meeting together, live making noise, with loud, great sounds, engaged in various kinds of animal talk? Such as — talk of kings, talk of robbers... and so on... or talk of this existence and other existences. Just as you are now, with your teachers. Or did those Blessed Ones frequent remote forest and wilderness dwellings, quiet, with little noise, free from human bustle, suitable for seclusion, conducive to meditation? Just as I am now? "I have heard this, Venerable Sir, from wandering ascetics, old and venerable, teachers and grand-teachers, speaking thus: 'Those who were in the past Arahants, Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones, did not, those Blessed Ones, gathering together, meeting together, live making noise, with loud, great sounds, engaged in various kinds of animal talk. Such as — talk of kings, talk of robbers... and so on... or talk of this existence and other existences, just as I am now, with my teachers. Rather, those Blessed Ones frequented remote forest and wilderness dwellings, quiet, with little noise, free from human bustle, suitable for seclusion, conducive to meditation, just as the Blessed One is now.'" "To you, Nigrodha, being discerning, being venerable, did this not occur: 'That Blessed One is enlightened, he teaches the Dhamma for enlightenment. 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 if foolish, as if deluded, as if unskillful, in that I spoke thus to the Blessed One. May the Blessed One, Venerable Sir, accept this offense from me as an offense, for my future for future restraint.” “Indeed, you, Nigrodha, committed an offense, like a fool, like one deluded, like one unskillful, who spoke to me in such a way. But since you, Nigrodha, seeing your offense as an offense, make amends according to the Dhamma, we accept it from you. This is growth, Nigrodha, in the Noble Discipline, that one, seeing an offense as an offense, makes amends 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 Indeed. Let a wise man come, not deceitful, not fraudulent, of upright nature. I will instruct, 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 directly known and realized for himself in this very life, he will abide in it for seven days. The wanderers' murmuring. 78. It might be, Nigrodha, that you think thus: ‘The recluse Gotama speaks thus out of a desire for disciples.’ But, Nigrodha, this should not be seen thus. Let your teacher be your teacher. It might be, Nigrodha, that you think thus: ‘The recluse Gotama speaks thus desiring to divert us from our doctrine.’ But, Nigrodha, this should not be seen thus. Let your doctrine be your doctrine. It might be, Nigrodha, that you think thus: ‘The recluse Gotama speaks thus desiring to divert us from our livelihood.’ But, Nigrodha, this should not be seen thus. Let your livelihood be your livelihood. It might be, Nigrodha, that you think thus: ‘The recluse Gotama speaks thus desiring to establish us in those teachings which are unwholesome, considered unwholesome by our teachers.’ But, Nigrodha, this should not be seen thus. Let those teachings of yours be unwholesome, and considered unwholesome by your teachers. It might be, Nigrodha, that you think thus: ‘The recluse Gotama speaks thus desiring to separate us from those teachings which are wholesome, considered wholesome by our 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 disciples, nor do I speak thus desiring to divert you from your doctrine, nor do I speak thus 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 abandoning 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 realized and attained the fullness and abundance of wisdom by your own direct knowledge in this very life.” 79. When this was said, those wanderers became silent, dismayed, slumped-shouldered, 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. For not even one of them will think thus: ‘Come, let us practice the holy life under the recluse Gotama, even for the sake of knowledge. What will a week accomplish?’” 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.