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accept that greasy, dirty rag, and having accepted it, wear it, and having worn it, be delighted, and utter words of delight: ‘Indeed, sirs, a fine white cloth, beautiful, spotless, clean!’ Or would it be by faith in the sighted man?” “Not knowing, good Gotama, not seeing, that man born blind would accept that greasy, dirty rag, and having accepted it, wear it, and having worn it, be delighted, and utter words of delight: ‘Indeed, sirs, a fine white cloth, beautiful, spotless, clean!’ It would be by faith in the sighted man.” “Even so, Māgaṇḍiya, other ascetics and brahmins…” Those wanderers, blind, without eyes, not knowing health, not seeing Nibbāna, and yet they recite this verse: 'Health is the highest gain, Nibbāna is the highest bliss.' This verse, Māgaṇḍiya, was spoken by the former Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones – 'Health is the highest gain, Nibbāna is the highest bliss; The Eightfold Path is of paths, leading to safety, to the deathless.' 218. Now, in due course, it has become a verse of ordinary people. This body, Māgaṇḍiya, is a disease, a boil, a dart, a misery, an affliction. And you call this body, which is a disease, a boil, a dart, a misery, an affliction – 'This, Venerable Gotama, is health, this is Nibbāna.' Indeed, Māgaṇḍiya, you do not have the noble eye by which you would know health, by which you would see Nibbāna. "Thus I am confident in Venerable Gotama! May Venerable Gotama be able to teach me the Dhamma in such a way that I may know health, that I may see Nibbāna." 219. Just as, Māgaṇḍiya, a man born blind; he would not see black and white forms, he would not see blue forms, he would not see yellow forms, he would not see red forms, he would not see crimson forms, he would not see even and uneven, he would not see star forms, he would not see the moon and sun. His friends, companions, relatives, and kinsmen would bring a physician, a surgeon. That physician, that surgeon, would administer medicine to him. Relying on that medicine, he would not produce eyes, he would not purify eyes. What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya, wouldn't that doctor merely be a partaker of weariness and vexation? "Yes, Venerable Gotama." "Even so, Māgaṇḍiya, if I were to teach you the Dhamma – 'This is health, this is Nibbāna' – you would not know health, you would not see Nibbāna. S that is my weariness, that is my vexation.” “Thus am I pleased with Master Gotama. Master Gotama is capable of teaching me the Dhamma in such a way that I may know health, that I may see Nibbāna.” 220. “Just as, Māgaṇḍiya, a man born blind; he would not see black and white forms, he would not see blue forms, he would not see yellow forms, he would not see red forms, he would not see crimson forms, he would not see even and uneven, he would not see star forms, he would not see the moon and sun. He would hear a sighted person speaking: ‘Indeed, sirs, a clever, indeed, white cloth, beautiful, spotless, pure!’ He would seek for a white cloth. Then another man would deceive him with a piece of cloth smeared with oil and dirt: ‘This, good sir, is your white cloth, beautiful, spotless, pure.’ He would accept it, and having accepted it, he would wear it. His friends, ministers, relatives, and kinsmen would bring a physician and surgeon to him. That physician and surgeon would treat him with medicine – upward purgation, downward purgation, eye-salve, counter-salve, nasal treatment. Through that medicine, he would develop his eyes, he would purify his eyes. With the arising of his sight, the desire and lust he had for that oil-smeared, dirty cloth would be abandoned. And he would consider that man as an enemy, as an adversary, and he would even think him worthy of being deprived of life: ‘Indeed, sirs, for a long time I was deceived, cheated, and deluded by this man with an oil-smeared, dirty cloth – “This, good sir, is your white cloth, beautiful, spotless, pure.”’ Just so, Māgaṇḍiya, if I were to teach you the Dhamma – ‘This is health, this is Nibbāna.’ Then you would know health, you would see Nibbāna. With the arising of your sight, the desire and lust you have for the five aggregates of clinging would be abandoned; and you would think thus – ‘For a long time, indeed, sir, I have been deceived, cheated, deluded by this mind. For I, grasping form, grasped it. Grasping feeling, grasped it. Grasping perception, grasped it. Grasping volitional formations, grasped them. Grasping consciousness, grasped it. From that grasping of mine, comes becoming. From becoming, comes birth. From birth, come old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Thus arises this entire mass of suffering.’ ‘So delighted am I with Master Gotama! Master Gotama is capable of teaching me the Dhamma in such a way that I may rise from this seat with clear sight.’ 221. ‘Then, Māgaṇḍiya, you should associate with good people. When you, Māgaṇḍiya, associate with good people, then you, Māgaṇḍiya, will hear the true Dhamma. When you, Māgaṇḍiya, hear the true Dhamma, then you, Māgaṇḍiya, will practice in accordance with the Dhamma. When you, Māgaṇḍiya, practice in accordance with the Dhamma, then you, Māgaṇḍiya, will know for yourself, you will see for yourself – These are diseases, boils, darts. Here, diseases, boils, darts cease without remainder. From the cessation of my grasping, comes the cessation of becoming. From the cessation of becoming, comes the cessation of birth. From the cessation of birth, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease. Thus comes the cessation of this entire mass of suffering.’ 222. When this was said, the wanderer Māgaṇḍiya said to the Blessed One: ‘Excellent, Master Gotama, excellent, Master Gotama! Just as, Master Gotama, one might set upright what was overturned, or reveal what was hidden, or point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the darkness – so that those with eyes might see forms; even so has the Dhamma been made clear by Master Gotama in many ways. I go for refuge to Master Gotama, and to the Dhamma, and to the...’ and the community of monks. May I obtain, venerable sir, at the presence of Gotama, the going forth, may I obtain the full ordination.” “Whoever, Māgaṇḍiya, was formerly of another sect, and desires in this Dhamma and Discipline the going forth, desires the full ordination, he must reside for four months; after the lapse of four months, the monks, if pleased, give him the going forth, and ordain him for monkhood. But here, individual differences are known.” “If, venerable sir, those formerly of another sect, desiring in this Dhamma and Discipline the going forth, desiring the full ordination, reside for four months, and after the lapse of four months, the monks, if pleased, give them the going forth, and ordain them for monkhood; I will reside for four years, after the lapse of four years, let the monks, if pleased, give me the going forth, and ordain me for monkhood.” Then Māgaṇḍiya the wanderer obtained at the presence of the Blessed One the going forth, he obtained the full ordination. Not long after his full ordination, Venerable Māgaṇḍiya, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, resolute, not long thereafter, for the sake of which sons of good families 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 entered upon it and dwelt therein. He knew: ‘Destroyed is birth, lived is the holy life, done is what was to be done, there is no more of this state.’ And Venerable Māgaṇḍiya became one of the Arahants. The Māgaṇḍiya Sutta, the fifth, is finished. 6. The Sandaka Sutta 223. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Kosambī, in Ghositārāma. Now at that time, Sandaka the wanderer was residing in Pilakkha Cave with a large assembly of wanderers, with five hundred wanderers. Then Venerable Ānanda, in the evening, having risen from his seclusion, addressed the monks: “Come, friends, let us go to the Devakata Sobbha, the cave-viewing place…” to Sanā. "Yes, friend," those monks replied to Venerable Ānanda. Then Venerable Ānanda, together with many monks, went to the Devakata pool. Now at that time, Sandaka the wanderer was seated with a large assembly of wanderers, noisy, loud, and boisterous, engaging in various kinds of worldly talk, such as: talk of kings, talk of robbers, talk of ministers, talk of armies, talk of danger, talk of war, talk of food, talk of drink, talk of clothes, talk of beds, talk of garlands, talk of perfumes, talk of relatives, talk of vehicles, talk of villages, talk of market towns, talk of cities, talk of countries, talk of women, talk of heroes, talk of streets, talk of watering places, talk of departed spirits, talk of diversity, talk of the world, talk of the ocean, talk of existence and non-existence. Sandaka the wanderer saw Venerable Ānanda approaching from afar. Seeing him, he quieted his assembly: "Be silent, sirs, do not make noise; this ascetic Ānanda, a disciple of the ascetic Gotama, is approaching. Among the disciples of the ascetic Gotama who reside in Kosambī, this ascetic Ānanda is one of them. These venerable ones love silence, are trained in silence, and praise silence; perhaps, knowing the assembly to be silent, he will deem it fit to approach." Then those wanderers became silent. 224. Then Venerable Ānanda approached Sandaka the wanderer. Then Sandaka the wanderer said to Venerable Ānanda: "Come, Venerable Ānanda, welcome, Venerable Ānanda. It has been a long time, Venerable Ānanda, since you made this journey, that is, coming here. Please be seated, Venerable Ānanda, this seat is prepared." Venerable Ānanda sat down on the prepared seat. Sandaka the wanderer also took a low seat. took it and sat down to one side. To Sandaka the wanderer, who was sitting to one side, Venerable Ānanda said this: "What kind of talk, Sandaka,