English
who can know everything at once, see everything at once; that is not possible.'" "There are these four classes, Venerable Sir: nobles, brahmins, merchants, and workers. Among these four classes, Venerable Sir, is there any distinction, any difference?" "There are these four classes, great king: nobles, brahmins, merchants, and workers. Among these four classes, great king, two classes are declared foremost: nobles and brahmins— that is, in terms of salutations, rising to greet, the gesture of respect, and proper conduct." "Venerable Sir, I am not asking the Blessed One about what is seen in this world; I am asking about the next world..." Venerable sir, I wish to question the Blessed One. There are these four castes, venerable sir: Khattiyas, Brahmins, Vessas, Suddas. Is there, venerable sir, any distinction, any difference among these four castes? 379. “There are these five factors of exertion, great king. Which five? Here, great king, a monk is endowed with faith, he believes in the Tathagata’s enlightenment: ‘Indeed, that Blessed One is an Arahant, perfectly enlightened, endowed with knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One’; he is of few ailments, of few afflictions, endowed with a digestive faculty that is evenly balanced, neither too cold nor too hot, moderate and fit for exertion; he is not deceitful, not fraudulent, one who reveals himself as he truly is to the Teacher or to discerning fellow practitioners; he dwells with aroused energy for the abandoning of unwholesome states, for the acquiring of wholesome states, steadfast, firm in effort, not abandoning the burden in wholesome states; he is discerning, endowed with discernment that sees rise and fall, noble, penetrative, leading to the right destruction of suffering— these, great king, are the five factors of exertion. There are these four castes, great king: Khattiyas, Brahmins, Vessas, Suddas. And they might be endowed with these five factors of exertion; in that case, it would be for their long-term welfare and happiness.” “There are these four castes, venerable sir: Khattiyas, Brahmins, Vessas, Suddas. And they might be endowed with these five factors of exertion; in that case, venerable sir, would there be any distinction, any difference among them?” “In that case, great king, I declare no difference in their exertion. Just as, great king, two elephants to be tamed, or two horses to be tamed, or two oxen to be tamed, are well-tamed, well-disciplined; and two elephants to be tamed, or two horses to be tamed, or two oxen to be tamed, are untamed, undisciplined. What do you think, great king? Those two elephants to be tamed, or two horses to be tamed, or two oxen to be tamed, who are well-tamed, well-disciplined— are they not tamed, tamed ones, would go to the training ground, would they reach the stage of being tamed, being tamed?" "Yes, venerable sir." "But those two elephants to be tamed, or horses to be tamed, or oxen to be tamed, untamed, untrained, would they, untamed, go to the taming process, would they, untamed, reach the stage of being tamed, just as those two elephants to be tamed, or horses to be tamed, or oxen to be tamed, well-tamed, well-trained?" "No, venerable sir." "Just so, great king, that which is to be attained by one who is faithful, healthy, honest, without deceit, energetic, and wise, that, indeed, will be attained by one who is faithless, very sick, dishonest, deceitful, lazy, and unwise – this is not possible." 380. "A reason, venerable sir, the Blessed One states; a reasoned cause, venerable sir, the Blessed One states. There are these four castes, venerable sir – Khattiyas, Brahmins, Vessas, Suddas. If they are endowed with these five factors of exertion, and they exert themselves rightly; would there then be, venerable sir, any distinction or difference among them?" "Here, great king, I declare no distinction at all – that is, in liberation from liberation. Just as, great king, a man might take dry wood and produce fire, make a flame appear; then another man might take dry sāla wood and produce fire, make a flame appear; then another man might take dry mango wood and produce fire, make a flame appear; then another man might take dry fig wood and produce fire, make a flame appear. What do you think, great king, would there be any distinction among those fires, produced from different woods, in terms of flame from flame, or color from color, or radiance from radiance?" "No, venerable sir." "Just so, great king, that energy which is rubbed forth by effort, produced by exertion, no I say there is no difference in this, which is, liberation by liberation. A causal form, venerable sir, the Blessed One speaks; a conditioned form, venerable sir, the Blessed One speaks. But are there, venerable sir, devas? Why, great king, do you say this: ‘But are there, venerable sir, devas?’ Are those devas, venerable sir, coming to this state of being, or not coming to this state of being? Those devas, great king, who are afflicted, those devas are coming to this state of being. Those devas who are un-afflicted, those devas are not coming to this state of being. 381. When this was said, General Viṭṭhūbha said to the Blessed One: Those devas, venerable sir, who are afflicted, coming to this state of being— will they displace or banish those devas who are un-afflicted, not coming to this state of being, from that state? Then it occurred to Venerable Ānanda: This General Viṭaṭūbha is the son of King Pasenadi of Kosala; I am the son of the Blessed One. Now is the time for son to converse with son. Then Venerable Ānanda addressed General Viṭaṭūbha: Well then, general, I will question you on this; as it seems fit to you, so you should explain it. What do you think, general? As far as the dominion of King Pasenadi of Kosala extends, where King Pasenadi of Kosala exercises sovereignty and rule, is King Pasenadi of Kosala able to displace or banish from that state a recluse or a brahmin, one with merit or without merit, one living the holy life or not living the holy life? As far as, good sir, the dominion of King Pasenadi of Kosala extends, where King Pasenadi of Kosala exercises sovereignty and rule, King Pasenadi of Kosala is able to displace or banish from that state a recluse or a brahmin, one with merit or without merit, one living the holy life or not living the holy life. What "What do you think, general, as far as the unconquered territory of King Pasenadi of Kosala extends, where King Pasenadi of Kosala does not exercise sovereign rule, is King Pasenadi of Kosala able to remove or banish from that place a recluse or a brahmin, whether meritorious or unmeritorious, whether leading the holy life or not leading the holy life?" "As far as, sir, the unconquered territory of King Pasenadi of Kosala extends, where King Pasenadi of Kosala does not exercise sovereign rule, King Pasenadi of Kosala is not able to remove or banish from that place a recluse or a brahmin, whether meritorious or unmeritorious, whether leading the holy life or not leading the holy life." "What do you think, general, have you heard of the Tāvatiṃsa gods?" "Yes, sir. I have heard of the Tāvatiṃsa gods. Here too, sir, King Pasenadi of Kosala has heard of the Tāvatiṃsa gods." "What do you think, general, is King Pasenadi of Kosala able to remove or banish the Tāvatiṃsa gods from that place?" "Sir, King Pasenadi of Kosala is not even able to see the Tāvatiṃsa gods, how then could he remove or banish them from that place?" "Just so, general, those gods who are afflicted and come to this state, those gods, and those gods who are unafflicted and do not come to this state, they are not even able to see them; how then could they remove or banish them from that place?" 382. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: "What is the name of this monk, Venerable Sir?" "His name is Ānanda, Great King." "Ānanda indeed, sir! Truly of a joyful form, sir! Venerable Ānanda spoke with reason, Venerable Sir; Venerable Ānanda spoke with good reason, Venerable Sir. But, Venerable Sir, does Brahmā exist?" "But why, Great King, do you say this: 'But, Venerable Sir, does Brahmā exist?'" "If, Venerable Sir, that Bra Brahmā comes to this state, or does not come to this state?” “That Brahmā, great king, who is afflicted, that Brahmā comes to this state. That Brahmā who is unafflicted, that Brahmā does not come to this state.” Then a certain man said to King Pasenadi of Kosala, “Sanjaya, great king, the brahmin Akasagotta has arrived.” Then King Pasenadi of Kosala said to Sanjaya, the brahmin Akasagotta, “Who, brahmin, uttered this topic of discussion in the royal inner chamber?” “Vitātūbha, great king, the general.” General Vitātūbha said thus, “Sanjaya, great king, the brahmin Akasagotta.” Then a certain man said to King Pasenadi of Kosala, “It is time for the carriage, great king.” Then King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One, “We asked the Blessed One, venerable sir, about omniscience, the Blessed One explained omniscience; and that pleases us and satisfies us, and by that we are delighted. We asked the Blessed One, venerable sir, about the purity of the four castes, the Blessed One explained the purity of the four castes; and that pleases us and satisfies us, and by that we are delighted. We asked the Blessed One, venerable sir, about the higher devas, the Blessed One explained the higher devas; and that pleases us and satisfies us, and by that we are delighted. We asked the Blessed One, venerable sir, about the higher Brahmās, the Blessed One explained the higher Brahmās; and that pleases us and satisfies us, and by that we are delighted. Whatever we asked the Blessed One, that the Blessed One explained; and that pleases us and satisfies us, and by that we are delighted. Now, venerable sir, we depart; we have many duties, many tasks to do.”