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Having approached, he sat down on the seat prepared. Then Abhaya the prince personally satisfied and served the Blessed One with exquisite hard and soft food. Then Abhaya the prince, when the Blessed One had finished eating and had removed his hand from the bowl, took a certain low seat and sat down to one side. 85. As Abhaya the prince was sitting to one side, he said to the Blessed One: ‘‘Would the Tathāgata, venerable sir, speak that speech which is unpleasing and disagreeable to others?’’ ‘‘Not in all cases, prince.’’ ‘‘In this, venerable sir, the Nigaṇṭhas are mistaken.’’ Why, Prince, do you say this: ‘Here, Venerable Sir, the Nigaṇṭhas were defeated’? “Here, Venerable Sir, I approached the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta. Having approached, and having greeted the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, I sat down to one side. To me, Venerable Sir, sitting to one side, the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta said this: ‘Come, Prince, accuse the ascetic Gotama. Thus, a good reputation will arise for you: “By Prince Abhaya, the ascetic Gotama, so mighty, so powerful, was accused.”’ When this was said, Venerable Sir, I said to the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta: ‘How, Venerable Sir, shall I accuse the ascetic Gotama, so mighty, so powerful?’ ‘Come, Prince, approach the ascetic Gotama. Having approached, say this to the ascetic Gotama: “Would the Tathāgata, Venerable Sir, speak that speech which is unpleasant and disagreeable to others?” If the ascetic Gotama, being asked this, answers thus: “The Tathāgata, Prince, would speak that speech which is unpleasant and disagreeable to others,” then you should say to him: “Then what, Venerable Sir, is your distinction from an ordinary person? An ordinary person, too, would speak that speech which is unpleasant and disagreeable to others.” But if the ascetic Gotama, being asked this, answers thus: “The Tathāgata, Prince, would not speak that speech which is unpleasant and disagreeable to others,” then you should say to him: “Then why, Venerable Sir, was Devadatta declared by you to be destined for a woeful state, destined for hell, to remain for an eon, incurable? And by that speech of yours, Devadatta became angry and displeased.” This two-edged question, Prince, when asked of the ascetic Gotama, he will not be able to spit out, nor will he be able to swallow. Just as As if a man's iron spike were stuck in his throat, he could neither spit it out nor swallow it; just so, prince, when the recluse Gotama is asked this two-edged question, he will neither be able to spit it out nor swallow it." 86. Now at that time, a young, tender, infant boy was sitting on Prince Abhaya's lap. Then the Blessed One said to Prince Abhaya: "What do you think, prince? If this boy, through your negligence or through the nurse's negligence, were to put a stick or a pebble in his mouth, what would you do to him?" "I would take it out, venerable sir. If, venerable sir, I could not take it out easily, I would hold his head with my left hand, and making my right finger crooked, I would take it out, even if it meant drawing blood. Why is that? Because I have compassion for the boy, venerable sir." "Just so, prince, a statement that the Tathagata knows to be untrue, incorrect, unbeneficial, and which is unloved and disagreeable to others, that statement the Tathagata does not utter. And a statement that the Tathagata knows to be true, correct, but unbeneficial, and which is unloved and disagreeable to others, that statement the Tathagata also does not utter. But a statement that the Tathagata knows to be true, correct, beneficial, and which is unloved and disagreeable to others, there the Tathagata is one who knows the proper time for explaining that statement. A statement that the Tathagata knows to be untrue, incorrect, unbeneficial, and which is loved and agreeable to others, that statement the Tathagata does not utter. And a statement that the Tathagata knows to be true, correct, but unbeneficial, and which is loved and agreeable to others, that statement the Tathagata also does not utter. But a statement that the Tathagata knows to be true, correct, beneficial, and which is loved and agreeable to others, there the Tathagata is one who knows the proper time... He comes to explain that speech. For what reason? There is, prince, compassion for beings in the Tathāgata. "Those, venerable sir, who are Khattiya scholars, Brāhmaṇa scholars, householder scholars, or ascetic scholars, having formulated a question, approach the Tathāgata and ask: Is it, venerable sir, that this is previously thought over in the mind of the Blessed One: 'Those who approach me and ask thus, when asked thus, I will answer thus'? Or does it occur to the Tathāgata on the spot?" "In that case, prince, I will ask you in return about this. As it seems fit to you, so should you answer it. What do you think, prince, are you skilled in the parts and components of a chariot?" "Yes, venerable sir, I am skilled in the parts and components of a chariot." "What do you think, prince, if someone were to approach you and ask thus: 'What is this part of the chariot?' Would it be that this was previously thought over in your mind: 'Those who approach me and ask thus, when asked thus, I will answer thus'? Or would it occur to you on the spot?" "Indeed, venerable sir, I am known as a charioteer, skilled in the parts and components of a chariot. All the parts and components of a chariot are well known to me. It would occur to me on the spot." "Just so, prince, those who are Khattiya scholars, Brāhmaṇa scholars, householder scholars, or ascetic scholars, having formulated a question, approach the Tathāgata and ask, it occurs to the Tathāgata on the spot. For what reason? For, prince, the Tathāgata's element of Dhamma is well penetrated, and because of the penetration of that element of Dhamma, it occurs to the Tathāgata on the spot." When this was said, Prince Abhaya spoke to the Blessed One thus: "Excellent, venerable sir! Excellent, venerable sir! ... From today onwards, I go for refuge for as long as life lasts." The Abhayarājakumāra Sutta, the eighth, is ended. 9. The Bahuvedanīya Sutta 88. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Then the carpenter Pañcakaṅga approached the venerable Udāyī. Having approached and greeted the venerable Udāyī, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the carpenter Pañcakaṅga said to the venerable Udāyī: "How many feelings, venerable Udāyī, have been declared by the Blessed One?" "Three feelings, carpenter, have been declared by the Blessed One: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. These, carpenter, are the three feelings declared by the Blessed One." When this was said, the carpenter Pañcakaṅga said to the venerable Udāyī: "Not three feelings, venerable Udāyī, have been declared by the Blessed One; two feelings have been declared by the Blessed One: pleasant feeling, painful feeling. As for this neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, venerable sir, that has been declared by the Blessed One as peaceful, as refined pleasantness." A second time the venerable Udāyī said to the carpenter Pañcakaṅga: "Not two feelings, householder, have been declared by the Blessed One; three feelings have been declared by the Blessed One: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. These, carpenter, are the three feelings declared by the Blessed One." A second time the carpenter Pañcakaṅga said to the venerable Udāyī: "Not three feelings, venerable Udāyī, have been declared by the Blessed One; two feelings have been declared by the Blessed One: pleasant feeling, painful feeling. As for this neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, venerable sir, that has been declared by the Blessed One as peaceful, as refined pleasantness." A third time the venerable Udāyī said to the carpenter Pañcakaṅga: "Not two feelings, carpenter, have been declared by the Blessed One; three feelings have been declared by the Blessed One: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. These, carpenter, are the three feelings declared by the Blessed One." A third time But then Pañcakaṅga the carpenter said to Venerable Udāyī: "Indeed, Venerable Udāyī, three feelings were not taught by the Blessed One. Two feelings were taught by the Blessed One: pleasant feeling, painful feeling. That which, Venerable, is neither painful nor pleasant feeling, that, in the peaceful, was taught by the Blessed One as refined pleasure." Venerable Udāyī could not convince Pañcakaṅga the carpenter, nor could Pañcakaṅga the carpenter convince Venerable Udāyī. 89. Venerable Ānanda heard this conversation between Venerable Udāyī and Pañcakaṅga the carpenter. Then Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached, he bowed to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Venerable Ānanda reported to the Blessed One all that had been the conversation between Venerable Udāyī and Pañcakaṅga the carpenter. When this was said, the Blessed One said to Venerable Ānanda: "Indeed, Ānanda, Pañcakaṅga the carpenter did not approve of Udāyī's way, and Udāyī did not approve of Pañcakaṅga the carpenter's way. Two feelings, Ānanda, were taught by me in a way, three feelings were taught by me in a way, five feelings were taught by me in a way, six feelings were taught by me in a way, eighteen feelings were taught by me in a way, thirty-six feelings were taught by me in a way, one hundred and eight feelings were taught by me in a way. Thus, Ānanda, the Dhamma was taught by me in various ways. When the Dhamma is taught by me in various ways, Ānanda, those who do not acknowledge, do not approve, do not rejoice in each other's well-spoken, well-uttered words, for them this is to be expected: they will dwell having become quarrelsome, having become contentious, having fallen into dispute, stabbing each other with verbal daggers. Thus, Ānanda,