English
'with birth as condition, there is old age and death'." "Apart from faith, O friend Narada, apart from inclination, apart from hearsay, apart from reasoned speculation, apart from the acceptance of a view, does Venerable Narada have personal knowledge that 'with becoming as condition, there is birth... ...and so on... ...with ignorance as condition, there are volitional formations'?" "Apart from faith, O friend Pavittha, apart from inclination, apart from hearsay, apart from reasoned speculation, apart from the acceptance of a view, I know this, I see this: 'with ignorance as condition, there are volitional formations'." "Apart from faith, O friend Narada, apart from inclination, apart from hearsay, apart from reasoned speculation, Is it apart from speculation, apart from the acceptance of a view, that Venerable Narada has personal knowledge: ‘From the cessation of birth, the cessation of old age and death’? “Indeed, friend Paviṭṭha, apart from faith, apart from inclination, apart from oral tradition, apart from reasoned cogitation, apart from the acceptance of a view, I know this, I see this: ‘From the cessation of birth, the cessation of old age and death’.” “Is it apart from faith, apart from inclination, apart from oral tradition, apart from reasoned cogitation, apart from the acceptance of a view, that Venerable Narada has personal knowledge: ‘From the cessation of becoming, the cessation of birth… from the cessation of ignorance, the cessation of fabrications’?” “Indeed, friend Paviṭṭha, apart from faith, apart from inclination, apart from oral tradition, apart from reasoned cogitation, apart from the acceptance of a view, I know this, I see this: ‘From the cessation of ignorance, the cessation of fabrications’.” “Is it apart from faith, apart from inclination, apart from oral tradition, apart from reasoned cogitation, apart from the acceptance of a view, that Venerable Narada has personal knowledge: ‘The cessation of becoming is Nibbana’?” “Indeed, friend Paviṭṭha, apart from faith, apart from inclination, apart from oral tradition, apart from reasoned cogitation, apart from the acceptance of a view, I know this, I see this: ‘The cessation of becoming is Nibbana’.” “Then Venerable Narada is an Arahant, one whose defilements are destroyed?” “‘The cessation of becoming is Nibbana’ is indeed well-seen by me, friend, as it truly is, with right wisdom, but I am not an Arahant, one whose defilements are destroyed. Just as, friend, there is a well on a desert road. There is neither a rope nor a bucket there. Then a man would come, overcome by heat, oppressed by heat, weary, thirsty, parched, and he would look at that well. He would indeed have the knowledge ‘water,’ but he would not dwell having touched it with his body. Even so, friend, ‘The cessation of becoming is Nibbana’ as it truly is…” well seen by right wisdom, and I am not an Arahant, one whose defilements are destroyed.” When this was said, Venerable Ānanda said to Venerable Paviṭṭha – “Speaking thus, friend Paviṭṭha, what do you say to Venerable Nārada?” “Speaking thus, friend Ānanda, I say nothing to Venerable Nārada except what is good, except what is wholesome.” The Eighth. 9. The Discourse on Approaching 69. Thus have I heard – At one time the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There… “The great ocean, bhikkhus, approaching, causes the great rivers to approach. The great rivers approaching, cause the small rivers to approach. The small rivers approaching, cause the great puddles to approach. The great puddles approaching, cause the small puddles to approach. Even so, bhikkhus, ignorance approaching, causes volitional formations to approach. Volitional formations approaching, cause consciousness to approach. Consciousness approaching, causes name-and-form to approach. Name-and-form approaching, causes the six sense bases to approach. The six sense bases approaching, causes contact to approach. Contact approaching, causes feeling to approach. Feeling approaching, causes craving to approach. Craving approaching, causes clinging to approach. Clinging approaching, causes existence to approach. Existence approaching, causes birth to approach. Birth approaching, causes old age and death to approach. “The great ocean, bhikkhus, receding, causes the great rivers to recede. The great rivers receding, cause the small rivers to recede. The small rivers receding, cause the great puddles to recede. The great puddles receding, cause the small puddles to recede. Even so, bhikkhus, ignorance receding, causes volitional formations to recede. Volitional formations receding, cause consciousness to recede. Consciousness receding, causes name-and-form to recede. Name-and-form receding, causes the six sense bases to recede. The six sense bases receding, causes contact to recede. Contact receding, causes feeling to recede. Feeling receding, causes craving to recede. Craving receding, causes clinging to recede. Clinging receding, causes existence to he makes existence cease, existence ceasing makes birth cease, birth ceasing makes old age and death cease.” The Ninth. 10. The Susima Sutta 70. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. Now at that time the Blessed One was honored, respected, esteemed, revered, and venerated, and was a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick. The Sangha of bhikkhus was also honored, respected, esteemed, revered, and venerated, and was a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick. But the wanderers of other sects were unhonored, unrespected, unesteemed, unrevered, and unvenerated, and were not recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick. Now at that time Susima the wanderer was living in Rājagaha with a large assembly of wanderers. Then the assembly of wanderers said to Susima the wanderer: “Come, friend Susima, lead the holy life under the ascetic Gotama. You can learn the Dhamma and teach it to us. We will learn that Dhamma and speak it to householders. Then we too will be honored, respected, esteemed, revered, and venerated, and will be recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick.” “Yes, friends,” Susima the wanderer replied to his assembly. Then he approached the Venerable Ānanda; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Venerable Ānanda. When they had exchanged courteous and amiable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Susima the wanderer said to the Venerable Ānanda: “I wish, friend Ānanda, to lead the holy life in this Dhamma and Discipline.” Then the Venerable Ānanda, taking Susima the wanderer, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he told the Blessed One having bowed, sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: "Here, venerable sir, Susima the wanderer says: 'I wish, friend Ānanda, to lead the holy life in this Dhamma and Discipline.'" "Then, Ānanda, ordain Susima." Susima the wanderer obtained the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One, he obtained the full ordination. Now at that time, many bhikkhus declared final knowledge in the presence of the Blessed One: "Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, we know there is no more of this state of being." Venerable Susima heard: "Indeed, many bhikkhus have declared final knowledge in the presence of the Blessed One: 'Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, we know there is no more of this state of being.'" Then Venerable Susima approached those bhikkhus; having approached, he exchanged greetings with those bhikkhus. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Venerable Susima said to those bhikkhus: "Is it true, venerable sirs, that you have declared final knowledge in the presence of the Blessed One: 'Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, we know there is no more of this state of being'?" "Yes, friend." "But do you, venerable sirs, knowing thus, seeing thus, experience various kinds of supernormal power— being one, you become many; being many, you become one; you appear and vanish; you go unimpeded through walls, through ramparts, through mountains, as if through space; you dive into and emerge from the earth as if in water; you walk on water without sinking as if on land; you travel through the air, sitting cross-legged, as if a winged bird; you touch and stroke these moon and sun, so mighty, so powerful, with your hand— up to" "Even over the Brahma-world would you exercise mastery with the body?" "No, friend." "But do you, venerable sirs, thus knowing, thus seeing, with the divine ear-element, purified and surpassing human, hear both sounds, divine and human, those far and near?" "No, friend." "But do you, venerable sirs, thus knowing, thus seeing, comprehend with your mind the minds of other beings, other persons – a mind with lust as a mind with lust, you comprehend; or a mind without lust as a mind without lust, you comprehend; a mind with hate as a mind with hate, you comprehend; or a mind without hate as a mind without hate, you comprehend; a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, you comprehend; or a mind without delusion as a mind without delusion, you comprehend; a contracted mind as a contracted mind, you comprehend; or a distracted mind as a distracted mind, you comprehend; an exalted mind as an exalted mind, you comprehend; or an unexalted mind as an unexalted mind, you comprehend; a surpassable mind as a surpassable mind, you comprehend; or an unsurpassable mind as an unsurpassable mind, you comprehend; a concentrated mind as a concentrated mind, you comprehend;