English
"Monks, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, claiming to teach the full understanding of all clingings, rightly declares the full understanding of all clingings— he declares the full understanding of sensual clinging, he declares the full understanding of clinging to views, he declares the full understanding of clinging to rites and rituals, he declares the full understanding of clinging to doctrines of self. In such a Dhamma and Discipline, monks, the faith in the Teacher is considered to be rightly placed; the faith in the Dhamma is considered to be rightly placed... declines. That which is full accomplishment in virtues, that is called the right course. That which is pleasant and agreeable among fellow Dhamma-farers, that is called the right course. For what reason is that? Thus it is, monks, as it is in the well-expounded Dhamma and Discipline, well-proclaimed, leading to liberation, conducive to peace, proclaimed by the Perfectly Self-Awakened One. 145. And these, monks, are the four clingings. What are their source, their origin, their birth, their cause? These four clingings have craving as their source, craving as their origin, craving as their birth, craving as their cause. And this craving, monks, what is its source, its origin, its birth, its cause? Craving has feeling as its source, feeling as its origin, feeling as its birth, feeling as its cause. And this feeling, monks, what is its source, its origin, its birth, its cause? Feeling has contact as its source, contact as its origin, contact as its birth, contact as its cause. And this contact, monks, what is its source, its origin, its birth, its cause? Contact has the six sense bases as its source, the six sense bases as its origin, the six sense bases as its birth, the six sense bases as its cause. And these six sense bases, monks, what are their source, their origin, their birth, their cause? The six sense bases have name-and-form as their source, name-and-form as their origin, name-and-form as their birth, name-and-form as their cause. And this name-and-form, monks, what is its source, its origin, its birth, its cause? Name-and-form has consciousness as its source, consciousness as its origin, consciousness as its birth, consciousness as its cause. And this consciousness, monks, what is its source, its origin, its birth, its cause? Consciousness has formations as its source, formations as its origin, formations as its birth, formations as its cause. And these formations, monks, what are their source, their origin, their birth, their cause? Formations have ignorance as their source, ignorance as their origin, ignorance as their birth, ignorance as their cause. But when, monks, a monk's ignorance is abandoned, and knowledge has arisen, with the fading away of ignorance, and the arising of knowledge, he does not cling to sensual pleasures, nor does he cling to views, nor does he cling to rites and rituals. he does not grasp the clinging to a doctrine of self. Not grasping, he is not agitated. Not agitated, he attains Nibbāna within himself. ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being’ he understands.” This the Blessed One said. Delighted, those bhikkhus rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words. The Shorter Discourse on the Lion’s Roar, the first, is finished. 2. The Greater Discourse on the Lion’s Roar 146. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Vesālī, in the forest grove to the west of the city. Now at that time Sunakkhatta, the Licchavi’s son, had recently departed from this Dhamma and Discipline. He was speaking this statement in the assembly in Vesālī: ‘‘There is no superhuman state, no distinction in knowledge and vision befitting the noble ones, for the ascetic Gotama. The ascetic Gotama teaches a Dhamma hammered out by reasoning, followed by investigation, self-devised. And for whomever the Dhamma is taught, it leads him, when he practices it, to the complete destruction of suffering.” Then, in the forenoon, Venerable Sāriputta dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, entered Vesālī for alms. Venerable Sāriputta heard Sunakkhatta, the Licchavi’s son, speaking this statement in the assembly in Vesālī: ‘‘There is no superhuman state, no distinction in knowledge and vision befitting the noble ones, for the ascetic Gotama. The ascetic Gotama teaches a Dhamma hammered out by reasoning, followed by investigation, self-devised. And for whomever the Dhamma is taught, it leads him, when he practices it, to the complete destruction of suffering.” Then, after wandering for alms in Vesālī and returning from his alms round after his meal, Venerable Sāriputta approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Venerable Sāriputta said to the Blessed One: ‘‘Sunakkhatta, venerable sir, the Licchavi’s son, has recently departed from this Dhamma and Discipline that. In the assembly of Vesālī, he spoke this speech: ‘There is no superhuman state, no distinction of noble knowledge and vision for the recluse Gotama. The recluse Gotama teaches a doctrine hammered out by reasoning, followed by investigation, self-devised. And for the sake of which the Dhamma is taught, that leads the doer to the complete destruction of suffering.’ 147. “This Sunakkhatta, Sāriputta, is an angry, foolish man. And out of anger, this speech was spoken by him. ‘I will speak dispraise,’ so, Sāriputta, this foolish man Sunakkhatta speaks only praise of the Tathāgata. For this is praise, Sāriputta, of the Tathāgata, whoever would say this: ‘And for the sake of which the Dhamma is taught, that leads the doer to the complete destruction of suffering.’ “And this too, Sāriputta, will not be a Dhamma-connection for this foolish man Sunakkhatta regarding me: ‘Indeed, that Blessed One is Arahant, Perfectly Self-Enlightened, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, well-gone, knower of the worlds, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, Buddha, Blessed One.’ “And this too, Sāriputta, will not be a Dhamma-connection for this foolish man Sunakkhatta regarding me: ‘Indeed, that Blessed One experiences various kinds of psychic power: being one, he becomes many; being many, he becomes one; appearing and vanishing; going unhindered through walls, through ramparts, through mountains, as if through space; he dives into and emerges from the earth, as if in water; he walks on water without sinking, as if on earth; he travels through the air cross-legged, like a winged bird; he touches and strokes these moon and sun, so mighty, so powerful, with his hand; he exercises mastery with his body even up to the Brahma-world.’ “And this too, Sāriputta, will not be a Dhamma-connection for this foolish man Sunakkhatta regarding me: ‘Indeed, that Blessed One, with the divine ear-element, purified, surpassing With the divine ear element he hears both sounds—divine and human—those far and those near. “Even this, Sāriputta, will not be a doctrine for that foolish Sunakkhatta concerning me: ‘Thus the Blessed One knows the minds of other beings, other persons, by encompassing them with his own mind— He knows a mind with lust as a mind with lust; He knows a mind without lust as a mind without lust; He knows a mind with hate as a mind with hate; He knows a mind without hate as a mind without hate; He knows a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion; He knows a mind without delusion as a mind without delusion; He knows a contracted mind as a contracted mind; He knows a distracted mind as a distracted mind; He knows a developed mind as a developed mind; He knows an undeveloped mind as an undeveloped mind; He knows a mind with something higher as a mind with something higher; He knows a mind with nothing higher as a mind with nothing higher; He knows a concentrated mind as a concentrated mind; He knows an unconcentrated mind as an unconcentrated mind; He knows a freed mind as a freed mind; He knows an unfreed mind as an unfreed mind.’ 148. “These are the ten powers of the Tathāgata, Sāriputta, endowed with which powers the Tathāgata claims the foremost place, roars his lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets rolling the supreme Wheel. Which are the ten? “Here, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata knows what is possible as possible, and what is impossible as impossible, as it really is. And that, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata knows what is possible as possible, and what is impossible as impossible, as it really is—this too, Sāriputta, is a power of the Tathāgata, relying on which power the Tathāgata claims the foremost place, roars his lion’s roar in assemblies, and sets rolling the supreme Wheel. “Furthermore, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata past He understands, as it really is, the results of past, future, and present actions, according to their conditions and causes. And that, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata understands, as it really is, the results of past, future, and present actions, according to their conditions and causes— this, Sāriputta, is a power of the Tathāgata, relying on which power the Tathāgata claims the foremost place, roars his lion's roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the Wheel of Brahma. Furthermore, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata understands, as it really is, the path leading everywhere. And that, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata understands, as it really is, the path leading everywhere— this, Sāriputta, is a power of the Tathāgata, relying on which power the Tathāgata claims the foremost place, roars his lion's roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the Wheel of Brahma. Furthermore, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata understands, as it really is, the world with its many and various elements. And that, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata understands, as it really is, the world with its many and various elements— this, Sāriputta, is a power of the Tathāgata, relying on which power