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they saluted the Blessed One, and circumambulated him clockwise. Then they approached Venerable Sāriputta. Having approached, they exchanged greetings with Venerable Sāriputta. After exchanging courteous and memorable talk, they sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those bhikkhus said to Venerable Sāriputta: "Friend Sāriputta, we wish to go to the western region, to reside in the western region. The Teacher has given us leave." "Friends, there are those who will question a bhikkhu gone to various lands – wise khattiyas, wise brahmins, wise householders, wise ascetics. Friends, these wise people are investigators – 'What does your Teacher proclaim? What does he teach?' 'Are the teachings well-heard by you, well-grasped, well-attended to, well-pondered, well-penetrated by wisdom? So that when you explain, you would be speaking in accordance with the Blessed One's words, and not misrepresent the Blessed One with what is not true, and explain the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, and no fellow ascetic who follows the Dhamma would find cause for reproach in your explanation?'" "Friend, we would come even from afar to Venerable Sāriputta to understand the meaning of this statement. It would be good if Venerable Sāriputta himself would explain the meaning of this statement." "Then, friends, listen, pay careful attention; I shall speak." "Yes, friend," those bhikkhus replied to Venerable Sāriputta. Venerable Sāriputta then said this: "Friends, there are those who will question a bhikkhu gone to various lands – wise khattiyas, ...and so on... wise ascetics. Friends, these wise people are investigators – 'What does your Teacher proclaim? What does he teach?' When asked thus, friends, you should explain in this way: you should say: ‘Our Teacher, friends, teaches the removal of desire and lust.’ Even when you have explained it thus, friends, there will be further questions asked, by wise nobles, by wise brahmins, by wise householders, by wise ascetics. For, friends, people are wise, they are investigators. ‘In what, venerable sirs, does your Teacher teach the removal of desire and lust?’ When asked thus, friends, you should explain it thus: ‘In form, friends, our Teacher teaches the removal of desire and lust; in feeling, in perception, in volitional formations, in consciousness, our Teacher teaches the removal of desire and lust.’ Even when you have explained it thus, friends, there will be further questions asked, by wise nobles, by wise brahmins, by wise householders, by wise ascetics. For, friends, people are wise, they are investigators. ‘What danger, venerable sirs, did your Teacher see, that he teaches the removal of desire and lust in form? In feeling? In perception? In volitional formations? In consciousness?’ When asked thus, friends, you should explain it thus: ‘In form, friends, for one whose lust is not gone, whose desire is not gone, whose affection is not gone, whose thirst is not gone, whose fever is not gone, whose craving is not gone, from the alteration and change of that form, there arise sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. In feeling, in perception, in volitional formations, for one whose lust is not gone… whose craving is not gone, from the alteration and change of those volitional formations, there arise sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. In consciousness, for one whose lust is not gone, whose desire is not gone, whose affection is not gone, whose thirst is not gone, whose fever is not gone, whose craving is not gone, from the alteration and change of that consciousness, there arise sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. This, friends, is the danger our Teacher saw, that he teaches the removal of desire and lust in form; in feeling, in perception, in volitional formations, in consciousness.’ Even when you have explained it thus, friends, there will be further questions asked, by wise nobles, by wise brahmins, by wise householders, by wise ascetics. And also wise ascetics. Wise people, friends, are investigators – ‘Seeing what benefit, sirs, does the Teacher declare the removal of desire and lust for form, for feeling… for perception… for mental formations… for consciousness?’ When asked thus, friends, you should answer thus – ‘For one, friends, who is free from passion, free from desire, free from affection, free from thirst, free from feverishness, free from craving for form, with the alteration and change of that form, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair do not arise. For feeling… for perception… for mental formations, for one free from passion, free from desire, free from affection, free from thirst, free from feverishness, free from craving, with the alteration and change of those mental formations, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair do not arise. For consciousness, for one free from passion, free from desire, free from affection, free from thirst, free from feverishness, free from craving, with the alteration and change of that consciousness, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair do not arise. It is seeing this benefit, friends, that the Teacher declares the removal of desire and lust for form, for feeling… for perception… for mental formations… for consciousness.’" "If, friends, by engaging in unwholesome states, there were a pleasant abiding in this very life, without trouble, without distress, without feverishness, and after the body's dissolution, after death, a good destination could be expected, then the Blessed One would not praise the abandonment of unwholesome states. But because, friends, by engaging in unwholesome states, there is a painful abiding in this very life, with trouble, with distress, with feverishness, and after the body's dissolution, after death, a bad destination can be expected, therefore the Blessed One praises the abandonment of unwholesome states." "If, friends, by engaging in wholesome states, there were a painful abiding in this very life, with trouble, with distress, with feverishness, and after the body's dissolution, after death, a bad destination could be expected..." The Blessed One would not praise the attainment of wholesome states. But because, friend, for one who lives having attained wholesome states, in this very life, there is a pleasant dwelling, without trouble, without distress, without fever, and with the breaking up of the body, after death, a good destination is to be expected, therefore, the Blessed One praises the attainment of wholesome states. This is what Venerable Sāriputta said. Those bhikkhus were delighted and rejoiced in Venerable Sāriputta's words. The Second. 3. The Discourse to Hāliddikāni 3. Thus have I heard: At one time, Venerable Mahākaccāna was dwelling in Avanti, at Kuraraghara, on Precipice Mountain. Then Hāliddikāni the householder approached Venerable Mahākaccāna; having approached, he paid homage to Venerable Mahākaccāna and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Hāliddikāni the householder said to Venerable Mahākaccāna: "Venerable sir, this was said by the Blessed One in the Māgaṇḍiya Question of the Aṭṭhakavagga – "Having abandoned a home, homeless he wanders, The sage makes no intimacies in villages; Empty of sensual pleasures, not looking ahead, How would he quarrel with people?" "Venerable sir, how is the meaning of this brief statement by the Blessed One to be understood in detail?" "The form element, householder, is a home for consciousness. And consciousness bound by craving for the form element is called 'home-wandering'. The feeling element, householder, is a home for consciousness. And consciousness bound by craving for the feeling element is called 'home-wandering'. The perception element, householder, is a home for consciousness. And consciousness bound by craving for the perception element is called 'home-wandering'. The volitional formations element, householder, is a home for consciousness. And consciousness bound by craving for the volitional formations And consciousness that binds is called 'roaming in a dwelling'. Thus, indeed, householder, one is a roamer in a dwelling. And how, householder, is one not a roamer in a dwelling? Indeed, householder, as for the element of form, whatever desire, whatever lust, whatever delight, whatever craving, whatever attachments and clingings, mental determinations, adherences, and latent tendencies— these have been abandoned by the Tathāgata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, brought to non-existence, not liable to arise again in the future. Therefore, the Tathāgata is called 'not a roamer in a dwelling'. And similarly for the element of feeling, householder... the element of perception, householder... the element of mental formations, householder... the element of consciousness, householder, whatever desire, whatever lust, whatever delight, whatever craving, whatever attachments and clingings, mental determinations, adherences, and latent tendencies— these have been abandoned by the Tathāgata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, brought to non-existence, not liable to arise again in the future. Therefore, the Tathāgata is called 'not a roamer in a dwelling'. Thus, indeed, householder, one is not a roamer in a dwelling. And how, householder, is one a roamer in a nest? Indeed, householder, the ties, attachments, and bonds to the signs of form, which are like a nest, are called 'roaming in a nest'. And for the signs of sound... smell... taste... touch... mental phenomena, the ties, attachments, and bonds, which are like a nest, indeed, householder, are called 'roaming in a nest'. Thus, indeed, householder, one is a roamer in a nest. And how, householder, is one not a roamer in a nest? Indeed, householder, the ties, attachments, and bonds to the signs of form, which are like a nest— these have been abandoned by the Tathāgata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, brought to non-existence,