English
Then the Blessed One, together with Venerable Ānanda, went to the Eastern Gatehouse, to bathe his limbs. Having bathed his limbs at the Eastern Gatehouse, and having come out, he stood wearing a single robe, drying his limbs. Then Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, the hermitage of Rammaka the brahmin is not far from here. Venerable sir, the hermitage of Rammaka the brahmin is delightful; Venerable sir, the hermitage of Rammaka the brahmin is charming. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would go to the hermitage of Rammaka the brahmin, out of compassion." The Blessed One consented by his silence. Then the Blessed One went to the hermitage of Rammaka the brahmin. Now at that time, many bhikkhus were seated together in the hermitage of Rammaka the brahmin, engaged in a Dhamma talk. Then the Blessed One stood outside the gatehouse, waiting for the talk to end. Then the Blessed One, knowing the end of the talk, coughed and knocked on the bolt. Those bhikkhus opened the door for the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, entering the hermitage of Rammaka the brahmin, sat down on the seat prepared. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "With what talk, bhikkhus, are you now gathered? And what was your unfinished talk?" "Our talk, venerable sir, was about the Blessed One, a talk on Dhamma, and then the Blessed One arrived." "Good, bhikkhus! It is fitting for you, bhikkhus, sons of good families, who have gone forth from home to homelessness out of faith, that you should be gathered for a talk on Dhamma. When you are gathered, bhikkhus, there are two things to be done: either a talk on Dhamma, or noble silence." 274. "There are two kinds of seeking, bhikkhus: noble seeking, and ignoble seeking. And what, bhikkhus, is ignoble seeking? Here, bhikkhus, someone, himself subject to birth, seeks what is subject to birth. Himself subject to aging, he seeks what is subject to aging. Himself subject to sickness, he seeks what is subject to sickness. Himself subject to death, he seeks what is subject to death. Himself subject to sorrow, he seeks what is subject to sorrow. Himself subject to defilement, he seeks what is subject to defilement. And what, bhikkhus, do you call subject to birth? Sons and wives, bhikkhus, are subject to birth. Male and female slaves are subject to birth. Goats and sheep are subject to birth. Chickens and pigs are subject to birth. Elephants, cattle, horses, and mares are subject to birth. Gold and silver are subject to birth. These, bhikkhus, are acquisitions subject to birth. Here, one is entangled, infatuated, and absorbed, himself subject to birth, he seeks what is subject to birth. And what, bhikkhus, do you call subject to aging? Sons and wives, bhikkhus, are subject to aging. Slaves and servants are subject to aging, goats and sheep are subject to aging, chickens and pigs are subject to aging, elephants, cattle, horses, and mares are subject to aging, gold and silver are subject to aging. These, monks, are attachments subject to aging. Herein, one who is himself subject to aging, bound, infatuated, and engrossed, seeks only that which is subject to aging. "And what, monks, do you call subject to illness? Sons and wives, monks, are subject to illness, slaves and servants are subject to illness, goats and sheep are subject to illness, chickens and pigs are subject to illness, elephants, cattle, horses, and mares are subject to illness. These, monks, are attachments subject to illness. Herein, one who is himself subject to illness, bound, infatuated, and engrossed, seeks only that which is subject to illness. "And what, monks, do you call subject to death? Sons and wives, monks, are subject to death, slaves and servants are subject to death, goats and sheep are subject to death, chickens and pigs are subject to death, elephants, cattle, horses, and mares are subject to death. These, monks, are attachments subject to death. Herein, one who is himself subject to death, bound, infatuated, and engrossed, seeks only that which is subject to death. "And what, monks, do you call subject to sorrow? Sons and wives, monks, are subject to sorrow, slaves and servants are subject to sorrow, goats and sheep are subject to sorrow, chickens and pigs are subject to sorrow, elephants, cattle, horses, and mares are subject to sorrow. These, monks, are attachments subject to sorrow. Herein, one who is himself subject to sorrow, bound, infatuated, and engrossed, seeks only that which is subject to sorrow. "And what, monks, do you call subject to defilement? Sons and wives, monks, are subject to defilement, slaves and servants are subject to defilement, goats and sheep are subject to defilement, chickens and pigs are subject to defilement, elephants, cattle, horses, and mares are subject to defilement, gold and silver are subject to defilement. These, monks, are attachments subject to defilement. Herein, one who is himself subject to defilement, bound, infatuated, and engrossed, seeks only that which is subject to defilement. being unwholesome, he seeks only things prone to defilement. This, monks, is ignoble search. 275. And what, monks, is noble search? Here, monks, someone, being himself subject to birth, having seen the danger in things subject to birth, seeks the unborn, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbana. Being himself subject to aging, having seen the danger in things subject to aging, he seeks the ageless, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbana. Being himself subject to sickness, having seen the danger in things subject to sickness, he seeks the sickness-free, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbana. Being himself subject to death, having seen the danger in things subject to death, he seeks the deathless, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbana. Being himself subject to sorrow, having seen the danger in things subject to sorrow, he seeks the sorrowless, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbana. Being himself subject to defilement, having seen the danger in things subject to defilement, he seeks the undefiled, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbana. This, monks, is noble search. 276. And I too, monks, before my full enlightenment, being an unenlightened Bodhisatta, being myself subject to birth, sought only things subject to birth. Being myself subject to aging, sought only things subject to aging. Being myself subject to sickness, sought only things subject to sickness. Being myself subject to death, sought only things subject to death. Being myself subject to sorrow, sought only things subject to sorrow. Being myself subject to defilement, sought only things subject to defilement. Then, monks, this thought occurred to me: ‘Why do I, being myself subject to birth, seek only things subject to birth? Being myself subject to aging, seek only things subject to aging? Being myself subject to sickness, seek only things subject to sickness? Being myself subject to death, seek only things subject to death? Being myself subject to sorrow, seek only things subject to sorrow? Being myself subject to defilement, seek only things subject to defilement? What if I, being myself subject to birth, having seen the danger in things subject to birth, were to seek the unborn, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbana? I should seek the security of Nibbana. Being subject to old age myself, having seen the danger in old age, I should seek the ageless, unsurpassed security of Nibbana. Being subject to illness myself, having seen the danger in illness, I should seek the unailing, unsurpassed security of Nibbana. Being subject to death myself, having seen the danger in death, I should seek the deathless, unsurpassed security of Nibbana. Being subject to sorrow myself, having seen the danger in sorrow, I should seek the sorrowless, unsurpassed security of Nibbana. Being subject to defilement myself, having seen the danger in defilement, I should seek the undefiled, unsurpassed security of Nibbana. 277. So, monks, at a later time, while still young, with jet-black hair, endowed with the blessings of youth, in the prime of life, against the wishes of my weeping, tearful parents, having shaved off my hair and beard, and put on saffron robes, I went forth from home into homelessness. Having thus gone forth, seeking what is wholesome, searching for the unsurpassed state of peace, I approached where Āḷāra Kālāma was. Having approached Āḷāra Kālāma, I said this: ‘I wish, friend Kālāma, to lead the holy life in this Dhamma and Vinaya.’ When this was said, monks, Āḷāra Kālāma said to me: ‘May the venerable one stay; such is this Dhamma that a discerning person, in no long time, having realized his own teacher's doctrine by his own direct knowledge, may enter upon and abide in it.’ So, monks, I, in no long time, quickly mastered that Dhamma. So, monks, I, by that much alone, merely by lip-service, by speaking and explaining, claimed to speak with knowledge and with the elders' view, and I declared ‘I know, I see,’ both I myself and others. Then, monks, it occurred to me: ‘Āḷāra Kālāma does not merely proclaim this Dhamma... He declares, "By myself, having directly known, realized, and attained, I dwell." Surely, Alara Kalama, knowing and seeing this Dhamma, dwells. Then, bhikkhus, I approached Alara Kalama; having approached, I said to Alara Kalama: ‘To what extent, friend Kalama, do you declare this Dhamma, having directly known, realized, and attained it, you dwell?’ When this was said, bhikkhus, Alara Kalama declared the dimension of nothingness. Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘It is not that Alara Kalama alone has faith, I too have faith; it is not that Alara Kalama alone has energy, I too have energy; it is not that Alara Kalama alone has mindfulness, I too have mindfulness; it is not that Alara Kalama alone has concentration, I too have concentration;