English
At one time the Blessed One was staying in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels' Feeding Ground. Then the wanderer Vacchagotta approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and amiable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the wanderer Vacchagotta said to the Blessed One: "For a long time I have conversed with Master Gotama. It would be good if Master Gotama would teach me skillful and unskillful things in brief." "I could teach you, Vaccha, skillful and unskillful things in brief, and I could teach you, Vaccha, skillful and unskillful things in detail; but I will teach you, Vaccha, skillful and unskillful things in brief. Listen to that, attend carefully, I will speak." "Yes, sir," replied the wanderer Vacchagotta to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: 194. "Greed, Vaccha, is unskillful; non-greed is skillful. Hatred, Vaccha, is unskillful; non-hatred is skillful. Delusion, Vaccha, is unskillful; non-delusion is skillful. Thus, Vaccha, these three qualities are unskillful; three qualities are skillful. "Killing living beings, Vaccha, is unskillful; abstaining from killing living beings is skillful. Taking what is not given, Vaccha, is unskillful; abstaining from taking what is not given is skillful. Sexual misconduct, Vaccha, is unskillful; abstaining from sexual misconduct is skillful. False speech, Vaccha, is unskillful; abstaining from false speech is skillful; and also Slanderous speech, Vaccha, is unwholesome; abstaining from slanderous speech is wholesome. Harsh speech, Vaccha, is unwholesome; abstaining from harsh speech is wholesome. Frivolous talk, Vaccha, is unwholesome; abstaining from frivolous talk is wholesome. Covetousness, Vaccha, is unwholesome; non-covetousness is wholesome. Ill-will, Vaccha, is unwholesome; non-ill-will is wholesome. Wrong view, Vaccha, is unwholesome; right view is wholesome. Thus, Vaccha, these ten things are unwholesome, and these ten things are wholesome. When, Vaccha, a bhikkhu's craving is abandoned, uprooted, made like a palm-stump, brought to non-existence, not liable to arise in the future, he is an arahant, one whose taints are destroyed, who has lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, attained his own goal, destroyed the fetters of existence, and is completely liberated through final knowledge. "Let Master Gotama stand aside. Does Master Gotama have even one disciple, a bhikkhu, who, with the destruction of the taints, has realized for himself with direct knowledge in this very life the taintless liberation of mind, the liberation through wisdom, and dwells therein?" "Not just one hundred, Vaccha, not two hundred, not three hundred, not four hundred, not five hundred, but many more bhikkhus who are my disciples, with the destruction of the taints, have realized for themselves with direct knowledge in this very life the taintless liberation of mind, the liberation through wisdom, and dwell therein." "Let Master Gotama stand aside, let the bhikkhus stand aside. Does Master Gotama have even one disciple, a bhikkhuni, who, with the destruction of the taints, has realized for herself with direct knowledge in this very life the taintless liberation of mind, the liberation through wisdom, and dwells therein?" "Not just one hundred, Vaccha, not two hundred, not three hundred, not four hundred, not five hundred, but many more bhikkhunis who are my disciples, with the destruction of the taints, the taintless liberation of mind, the liberation through wisdom..." in this very life, having directly known, realized, and attained, they dwell. “Let Master Gotama stand aside, let the monks stand aside, let the nuns stand aside. But does Master Gotama have even one male lay disciple, a householder, clad in white, a celibate, who, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, is reborn spontaneously, there to attain final Nibbāna, never to return from that world?” “Not just one hundred, Vaccha, not two hundred, not three hundred, not four hundred, not five hundred, but rather many more are those male lay disciples of mine, householders, clad in white, celibates, who, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, are reborn spontaneously, there to attain final Nibbāna, never to return from that world.” “Let Master Gotama stand aside, let the monks stand aside, let the nuns stand aside, let the male lay disciples, householders, clad in white, celibates, stand aside. But does Master Gotama have even one male lay disciple, a householder, clad in white, enjoying sensual pleasures, obedient to the teaching, responsive to advice, who has crossed over doubt, is free from perplexity, has attained confidence, and dwells independent of others in the Teacher's Dispensation?” “Not just one hundred, Vaccha, not two hundred, not three hundred, not four hundred, not five hundred, but rather many more are those male lay disciples of mine, householders, clad in white, enjoying sensual pleasures, obedient to the teaching, responsive to advice, who have crossed over doubt, are free from perplexity, have attained confidence, and dwell independent of others in the Teacher's Dispensation.” “Let Master Gotama stand aside, let the monks stand aside, let the nuns stand aside, let the male lay disciples, householders, clad in white, celibates, stand aside, let the male lay disciples, householders, clad in white, enjoying sensual pleasures, stand aside. But does Master Gotama have even one female lay disciple, a householder, clad in white, a celibate, who, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, is reborn spontaneously, there to attain final Nibbāna, never to return from that world?” “Not just one hundred, Vaccha, not two not three hundred, not four hundred, not five hundred. But rather, even more, those female lay disciples of mine, householders, clad in white, leading the holy life, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, are spontaneously reborn there, attaining final Nibbāna, never to return from that world." "Let Master Gotama stand aside, let the monks stand aside, let the nuns stand aside, let the male lay disciples, householders, clad in white, leading the holy life, stand aside, let the male lay disciples, householders, clad in white, enjoying sensual pleasures, stand aside, let the female lay disciples, householders, clad in white, leading the holy life, stand aside. But does Master Gotama have even one female lay disciple, a householder, clad in white, enjoying sensual pleasures, who is obedient to the teaching, responsive to advice, who has crossed over doubt, is free from perplexity, has attained confidence, and dwells independent of others in the Teacher's Dispensation?" "Not just one hundred, Vaccha, not two hundred, not three hundred, not four hundred, not five hundred. But rather, even more, those female lay disciples of mine, householders, clad in white, enjoying sensual pleasures, who are obedient to the teaching, responsive to advice, who have crossed over doubt, are free from perplexity, have attained confidence, and dwell independent of others in the Teacher's Dispensation." 196. "If, Master Gotama, only Master Gotama himself were successful in this Dhamma, but the monks were not successful, then this holy life would be incomplete in that respect. But since, Master Gotama, Master Gotama himself is successful in this Dhamma, and the monks are successful, therefore this holy life is complete in that respect. "If, Master Gotama, Master Gotama himself were successful in this Dhamma, and the monks were successful, but the nuns were not successful, then this holy life would be incomplete in that respect. But since, Master Gotama, Master Gotama himself is successful in this Dhamma, and the monks are successful, and the nuns are successful, therefore this ho The holy life is complete in that respect. "If, indeed, good Gotama, concerning this Dhamma, Lord Gotama himself were successful, and the monks were successful, and the nuns were successful, but the laymen, householders in white, practicing the holy life, were not successful; then this holy life would be incomplete in that respect. But since, good Gotama, concerning this Dhamma, Lord Gotama himself is successful, and the monks are successful, and the nuns are successful, and the laymen, householders in white, practicing the holy life, are successful; therefore this holy life is complete in that respect. "If, indeed, good Gotama, concerning this Dhamma, Lord Gotama himself were successful, and the monks were successful, and the nuns were successful, and the laymen, householders in white, practicing the holy life, were successful, but the laymen, householders in white, enjoying sensual pleasures, were not successful; then this holy life would be incomplete in that respect. But since, good Gotama, concerning this Dhamma, Lord Gotama himself is successful, and the monks are successful, and the nuns are successful, and the laymen, householders in white, practicing the holy life, are successful, and the laymen, householders in white, enjoying sensual pleasures, are successful; therefore this holy life is complete in that respect. "If, indeed, good Gotama, concerning this Dhamma, Lord Gotama himself were successful, and the monks were successful, and the nuns were successful, and the laymen, householders in white, practicing the holy life, were successful, and the laymen, householders in white, enjoying sensual pleasures, were successful, but the laywomen, householders in white, practicing the holy life, were not successful; then this holy life would be incomplete in that respect. But since, good Gotama, concerning this Dhamma, Lord Gotama himself is successful, and the monks are successful, and nuns are successful, and laymen, householders in white, celibate, are successful, and laymen, householders in white, enjoyers of sensual pleasures, are successful,