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The Sakyan recluses have renounced gems and gold, they are free from gold and silver.” Maṇicūḷaka the headman was able to convince that assembly. Then Maṇicūḷaka the headman approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One, and sat down to one side. sat down. Sitting to one side, Manicūḷaka the headman said to the Blessed One: "Here, venerable sir, in the royal inner palace, among the royal assembly, gathered and met together, this conversation arose: 'It is allowable for the Sakyan recluses to have gold and silver. The Sakyan recluses accept gold and silver. The Sakyan recluses receive gold and silver.' When this was said, venerable sir, I said to that assembly: 'Sirs, do not speak thus. It is not allowable for the Sakyan recluses to have gold and silver. The Sakyan recluses do not accept gold and silver. The Sakyan recluses do not receive gold and silver. The Sakyan recluses have renounced jewels and gold; they are free from gold and silver.' I was able, venerable sir, to convince that assembly. Do I, venerable sir, by speaking thus, speak in accordance with the Blessed One's words, and not misrepresent the Blessed One with what is untrue, and explain the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, and does no co-dharmic dispute come to a blameworthy point?" "Indeed, headman, by speaking thus, you speak in accordance with my words, and do not misrepresent me with what is untrue, and explain the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, and no co-dharmic dispute comes to a blameworthy point. For, headman, it is not allowable for the Sakyan recluses to have gold and silver. The Sakyan recluses do not accept gold and silver. The Sakyan recluses do not receive gold and silver. The Sakyan recluses have renounced jewels and gold; they are free from gold and silver. For whom, headman, gold and silver are allowable, for him the five sense pleasures are also allowable. For whom the five sense pleasures are allowable, (for him gold and silver are also allowable), this, headman, you should hold as a matter of course: 'This is not the recluse's practice, this is not the Sakyan's practice.' Moreover, headman, I say this: 'Grass should be sought by one who seeks grass.'" A child should be sought by one who desires a child. Wood should be sought by one who desires wood. A cart should be sought by one who desires a cart. A man should be sought by one who desires a man. But I, headman, do not say by any means, 'Gold and silver should be desired, should be sought.' " The Tenth. 11. The Bhadraka Sutta 363. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling among the Mallans, at a Mallan town named Uruvelakappa. Then Bhadraka the headman approached the Blessed One; having approached and saluted the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Bhadraka the headman said to the Blessed One: "It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would teach me the origin and the cessation of suffering." "If I, headman, were to teach you the origin and cessation of suffering with reference to the past—'It was thus in the past'—you might have doubt, you might have perplexity concerning that. If I, headman, were to teach you the origin and cessation of suffering with reference to the future—'It will be thus in the future'—you might also have doubt, you might have perplexity concerning that. But I, headman, sitting right here, will teach you, sitting right here, the origin and cessation of suffering. Listen to that, pay careful attention; I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," Bhadraka the headman replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "What do you think, headman, are there people in Uruvelakappa whose killing or binding or loss or censure would give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair for you?" "There are, venerable sir, people in Uruvelakappa whose killing or binding or loss or censure would give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair for me." "Are there, headman, people in Uruvelakappa whose killing or binding or loss or censure or by insult, would not sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair arise?" "There are for me, Venerable Sir, people in Uruvelakappa. For them, by killing or by binding, by loss or by insult, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair would not arise." "What then, headman, is the cause? What is the reason by which for you, for some people of Uruvelakappa, by killing or by binding, by loss or by insult, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair would arise?" "For those people of Uruvelakappa, Venerable Sir, for whom, by killing or by binding, by loss or by insult, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair would arise, there is for me desire-passion for them. But for those people of Uruvelakappa, Venerable Sir, for whom, by killing or by binding, by loss or by insult, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair would not arise, there is no desire-passion for me for them." "By this Dhamma, headman, seen, known, timeless, attained, deeply penetrated, apply this principle to the past and future – 'Whatever suffering arose in the past, all that had desire as its root, desire as its source. For desire is the root of suffering. Whatever suffering will arise in the future, all that will have desire as its root, desire as its source. For desire is the root of suffering.'" "Wonderful, Venerable Sir! Amazing, Venerable Sir! How well spoken this is, Venerable Sir, by the Blessed One – 'Whatever suffering arises, all that has desire as its root, desire as its source. For desire is the root of suffering.'" the root of suffering. Whatever suffering arose in the past, all of it was rooted in desire, originated from desire, for desire is the root of suffering. Whatever suffering will arise in the future, all of it will be rooted in desire, originated from desire, for desire is the root of suffering. I have, venerable sir, a young man named Ciravāsī who lives outside the residence. So, venerable sir, I rise early and send a man, saying: 'Go, my good man, find out about young Ciravāsī.' And as long as, venerable sir, that man does not return, I become anxious, thinking: 'May nothing bad have happened to young Ciravāsī!' What do you think, headman, would sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair arise in you if young Ciravāsī were killed, or imprisoned, or lost, or blamed? If young Ciravāsī were killed, or imprisoned, or lost, or blamed, my very life might change, venerable sir. How could sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair not arise in me? By this method too, headman, it should be understood: Whatever suffering arises, all of it is rooted in desire, originated from desire. Desire is the root of suffering. What do you think, headman, when Ciravāsī's mother was unseen by you, unheard by you, was there desire, or lust, or affection for Ciravāsī's mother? No, venerable sir. Was it by seeing, headman, or by hearing, that it became so for you: 'There is desire, or lust, or affection for Ciravāsī's mother'? Yes, venerable sir. What do you think, headman, would sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair arise in you if Ciravāsī's mother were killed, or imprisoned, or lost, or blamed? If Ciravāsī's Venerable Sir, because of her, by killing or by binding, by loss or by blame, my very life might be altered. How then would sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair not arise for me? "By this method, too, headman, it should be understood: 'Whatever suffering arises, when it arises, all of it has desire as its root, desire as its source. For desire is the root of suffering.'" The Eleventh. 12. The Discourse to Rāsiya 364. Then Rāsiya the headman approached the Blessed One. Having approached, having paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Rāsiya the headman said this to the Blessed One: "I have heard this, Venerable Sir: 'The ascetic Gotama criticizes all asceticism, he utterly disparages and denounces all ascetics who live a harsh life.' Those, Venerable Sir, who said this: 'The ascetic Gotama criticizes all asceticism, he utterly disparages and denounces all ascetics who live a harsh life,' are they, Venerable Sir, speakers of what the Blessed One has said? And do they not misrepresent the Blessed One with what is not true? Do they explain the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma? And does any co-dharmic statement or counter-statement not lead to a blameworthy position?" "Those, headman, who said this: 'The ascetic Gotama criticizes all asceticism, he utterly disparages and denounces all ascetics who live a harsh life,' they are not speakers of what I have said. And they misrepresent me with what is false, empty, and untrue." "These two extremes, headman, should not be indulged in by one gone forth. That which is devotion to sensual pleasures, low, vulgar, worldly, ignoble, unbeneficial; and that which is devotion to self-mortification, painful, ignoble, unbeneficial. Avoiding these two extremes, headman, the Middle Way has been fully awakened to by the Tathāgata – it produces vision, it produces knowledge, it leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to Nibbāna. And what, headman, is that Middle Way? the path fully awakened by the Tathagata – making vision, making knowledge, leading to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbana? This very Noble Eightfold Path, namely – Right View…and so on…Right Concentration. This indeed, headman, is that middle path fully awakened by the Tathagata – making vision, making knowledge, leading to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbana. There are, headman, three kinds of sensual enjoyers existing in the world. Which three? Here, headman, some sensual enjoyer seeks wealth unrighteously, with violence. Having sought wealth unrighteously, with violence, he does not make himself happy, nor satisfied, nor does he share, nor does he do meritorious deeds.