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8. The Vaṅgīsa Collection 1. The Gone Forth Discourse 209. Thus have I heard: On one occasion, the Venerable Vaṅgīsa was staying in Āḷavī, at the Aggāḷava Shrine, together with his preceptor, the Venerable Nigrodhakappa. At that time, the Venerable Vaṅgīsa was a novice, recently ordained, a laggard, a keeper of the monastery. Then, a number of women, having adorned themselves, approached the Aggāḷava pleasure grove, wishing to see the monastery. Then, seeing those women, discontent arose in the Venerable Vaṅgīsa; lust assailed his mind. Then it occurred to the Venerable Vaṅgīsa: "Alas for me, no gain for me; ill-gotten for me, not well-gotten for me; that discontent has arisen in me, that lust assails my mind. How can it be that another would dispel my discontent and arouse contentment in me? What if I myself were to dispel my own discontent and arouse contentment in myself?" Then, the Venerable Vaṅgīsa, having dispelled his own discontent and aroused contentment in himself, on that occasion uttered these verses: Having gone forth, from home to homelessness, thoughts assail me, bold, from the dark side. Mighty archers, sons of chieftains, trained, with strong bows, would surround a thousand, unfleeing. Even if more women than these were to come, they would not disturb me, established as I am in the Dhamma. For this I have heard as a witness, from the Buddha, kinsman of the sun, the path leading to Nibbāna; therein my mind delights. If, while I dwell thus, Evil One, you approach me, I will deal with death in such a way that you will not even see my path. 2. The Discontent Discourse 210. On one occasion… the Venerable Vaṅgīsa was staying in Āḷavī, at the Aggāḷava Shrine, together with his preceptor, the Venerable Nigrodhakappa. At that time, the Venerable Nigrodhakappa, after his meal, having returned from his alms round, enters the monastery, or goes out in the evening, or early the next day. At that time, discontent arose in Venerable Vaṅgīsa, lust defiled his mind. Then it occurred to Venerable Vaṅgīsa: “Alas for me, no gain for me; badly obtained for me, not well obtained for me; that discontent has arisen in me, lust defiles my mind. How can it be, that another might remove my discontent and produce contentment in me? What if I myself were to remove my own discontent and produce contentment in myself?” Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa, having himself removed his own discontent and produced contentment in himself, at that time, uttered these verses: Having abandoned discontent and contentment, and all thoughts connected with home, one should not create craving anywhere; without craving, without discontent, he is truly a monk. Whatever here, on earth and in the sky, in the form-world and in the world of beings, whatever perishes, all is impermanent; understanding thus, the liberated ones wander. People are attached to attachments, to what is seen, heard, to resistance, and to what is thought; here, one should remove desire, unagitated; who here does not cling, him they call a sage. Then, dependent on the sixty, with thoughts, the various people are established in unrighteousness; but he is not of a faction anywhere, nor is that monk one who speaks harshly. Skillful, long-composed, not deceitful, discerning, not covetous; the sage attained the peaceful state, dependent on it, fully extinguished, he awaits his time. 3. The Pesala Sutta At one time, Venerable Vaṅgīsa was dwelling in Āḷavī, at the Aggāḷava shrine, together with his preceptor, Venerable Nigrodhakappa. At that time, Venerable Vaṅgīsa, by his own quick wit, disparaged other virtuous monks. Then it occurred to Venerable Vaṅgīsa: “Alas for me, no gain for me; badly obtained for me, Alas for me, alas for me, not well gained; that I, by my own cleverness, despise other gentle monks. Then, indeed, Venerable Vaṅgīsa, having aroused self-reproach in himself, at that time, spoke these verses: Abandon conceit, Gotama, and abandon the path of conceit; Completely rooted in the path of conceit, you will long regret it. People, stained by malice, struck by conceit, fall to hell; People grieve for a long time, struck by conceit, having gone to hell. A monk never grieves, one who has conquered the path, rightly practiced; He experiences fame and happiness, they call him 'one who sees the Dhamma,' with a dedicated mind. Therefore, without obstruction, diligent, having abandoned hindrances, purified; And having completely abandoned conceit, one who has made an end to knowledge, peaceful. 4. Ānanda Sutta 212. At one time, Venerable Ānanda was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Then, indeed, Venerable Ānanda, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms, with Venerable Vaṅgīsa as his attendant monk. At that time, indeed, discontent had arisen in Venerable Vaṅgīsa, lust was assailing his mind. Then, indeed, Venerable Vaṅgīsa addressed Venerable Ānanda with a verse: I am burning with sensual lust, my mind is burning; Please tell me how to extinguish it, out of compassion, Gotama. Due to perversion of perception, your mind is burning; Avoid the sign, the beautiful, associated with lust. See formations as alien, as suffering, and not as self; Extinguish the great lust, do not burn again and again. Cultivate the mind on the unbeautiful, one-pointed and well-concentrated; Let mindfulness of the body be yours, be abundant in dispassion. And cultivate the signless, abandon the latent tendency of conceit; Then, by the full understanding of conceit, you will wander in peace. 5. Subhāsita Sutta 213. Occasion at Sāvatthī. There, indeed, the Blessed One addressed the monks: "Monks!" "Venerable sir!" "Yes, Lord," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "Bhikkhus, a speech endowed with four qualities is well-spoken, not ill-spoken; blameless and not to be blamed by the wise. Which four? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu speaks only what is well-spoken, not ill-spoken; speaks only Dhamma, not non-Dhamma; speaks only what is pleasing, not unpleasing; speaks only what is true, not false. Bhikkhus, a speech endowed with these four qualities is well-spoken, not ill-spoken; blameless and not to be blamed by the wise." This the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this: The good say well-spoken words are supreme, Speak Dhamma, not non-Dhamma, that is the second; Speak what is pleasing, not unpleasing, that is the third; Speak truth, not falsehood, that is the fourth. Then, the venerable Vaṅgīsa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, having saluted the Blessed One with clasped hands, said this to the Blessed One: "It occurs to me, Blessed One! It occurs to me, Fortunate One!" "Let it occur to you, Vaṅgīsa," the Blessed One said. Then, the venerable Vaṅgīsa extolled the Blessed One face to face with fitting verses: One should speak only that word by which one does not torment oneself; nor harm others; that indeed is well-spoken speech. One should speak a pleasing word, a word that is welcomed; which, without taking up evils, speaks what is pleasing to others. Truth indeed is the immortal word, this is an ancient Dhamma; in truth, in meaning, and in Dhamma, the good are said to be established. That word which the Buddha speaks, for safety, for the attainment of Nibbāna; for the ending of suffering, that indeed is the supreme word. 6. The Sāriputta Sutta 214. At one time, the venerable Sāriputta was staying in Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. At that time, the venerable Sāriputta was instructing, urging, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk, with a refined speech, with a clear... for the sake of the meaning, without harshness, for the sake of making the meaning known. And those monks, paying attention, mindful, with all their hearts, concentrating, with attentive ears, listen to the Dhamma. Then it occurred to Venerable Vaṅgīsa: “This Venerable Sāriputta instructs the monks with a Dhamma talk, encourages them, inspires them, delights them, with a refined speech, without harshness, for the sake of making the meaning known. And those monks, paying attention, mindful, with all their hearts, concentrating, with attentive ears, listen to the Dhamma. What if I were to praise Venerable Sāriputta face to face with suitable verses?” Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa, rising from his seat, arranging his upper robe over one shoulder, and raising his hands in Añjali towards Venerable Sāriputta, said to Venerable Sāriputta: “It occurs to me, friend Sāriputta, it occurs to me, friend Sāriputta!” “Let it occur to you, friend Vaṅgīsa!” Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa praised Venerable Sāriputta face to face with suitable verses: “Deep in wisdom, intelligent, skilled in the path and not-path; Sāriputta, the greatly wise, teaches the Dhamma to the monks. “He teaches concisely, he speaks expansively; Like the cry of a mynah bird, he utters his spontaneous verses. “As he teaches that, they listen to his sweet voice; With a captivating voice, a pleasing, beautiful voice; With uplifted hearts, delighted, the monks lend their ears.” 7. The Pavāraṇā Sutta At one time the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in the Eastern Park, at Migāra’s Mother’s Palace, together with a great community of monks, about five hundred monks, all of them Arahants. Now at that time, on the Uposatha day, the fifteenth day, the Blessed One, surrounded by the community of monks, was seated in the open air for the Pavāraṇā ceremony. Then the Blessed One, silent, Having surveyed the community of bhikkhus, he addressed the bhikkhus: "Come now, bhikkhus, I invite you to declare. Do not blame me for anything bodily or verbally." When this was said, the Venerable Sāriputta rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, having saluted the Blessed One with joined hands,