English
(6) 1. The Chapter of Brahmins 1. The First Discourse to Two Brahmins 52. Then two brahmins, old, aged, venerable, having come to the end of their journey, having reached old age, one hundred and twenty years old by birth, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, they exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, they sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those brahmins said to the Blessed One: "We are, good Gotama, brahmins, old, aged, venerable, having come to the end of our journey, having reached old age, one hundred and twenty years old by birth. And we have not done good, we have not done skillful deeds, we have not made a refuge from fear. Let the good Gotama instruct us, let the good Gotama admonish us, for our long-term welfare and happiness." "Indeed, brahmins, you are old, aged, venerable, having come to the end of your journey, having reached old age, one hundred and twenty years old by birth. And you have not done good, you have not done skillful deeds, you have not made a refuge from fear. This world, brahmins, is led on by old age, by sickness, by death. When the world, brahmins, is thus led on by old age, by sickness, by death, whatever restraint there is here in body, restraint in speech, restraint in mind, that is a refuge, a shelter, an island, a haven, a final resort for one who has passed away." "Life is led on, short is life, For one led on by old age, there are no refuges. Seeing this danger in death, One should do deeds of merit that bring happiness. "Whatever restraint there is here in body, or in speech, or in mind, That is for the happiness of one who has passed away, Whatever merit one does while living." [Saṃyutta Nikāya 1.100] The First; 2. The Second Discourse to Two Brahmins 53. Then two brahmins, old, aged, venerable, having come to the end of their journey, having reached old age, one hundred and twenty years old by birth, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, they bowed to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those brahmins said to the Blessed One: "We are, good Gotama, brahmins, old, aged, venerable, having come to the end of our journey, They are old, advanced in years, a hundred and twenty years old by birth; and we have done no good, done no wholesome deeds, made no refuge from fear. Let Master Gotama advise us, let Master Gotama instruct us, for our long-term welfare and happiness.” “Indeed, brahmins, you are old, advanced in years, far gone on the path, a hundred and twenty years old by birth; and you have done no good, done no wholesome deeds, made no refuge from fear. This world, brahmins, is ablaze with old age, sickness, and death. When the world is thus ablaze, brahmins, with old age, sickness, and death, whatever restraint there is here in body, restraint in speech, restraint in mind, that is a shelter, a refuge, an island, a haven, a final resort for the departed one.” “When a house is ablaze, whatever vessel is carried out, that is for its owner’s benefit, not what is burnt within. “So too, this world is ablaze with old age and death; one should carry out with giving, what is given is well carried out. “Whatever restraint there is here in body, in speech, or in mind, that is for the happiness of the departed one, what one does as merit while living.” The second. 3. A Certain Brahmin Sutta 54. Then a certain brahmin approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One… (as in the previous sutta)… Seated to one side, that brahmin said to the Blessed One: “‘The Dhamma is visible here and now, the Dhamma is visible here and now,’ it is said, Master Gotama. To what extent, Master Gotama, is the Dhamma visible here and now, timeless, inviting one to come and see, leading inwards, to be personally experienced by the wise?” “When, brahmin, one is inflamed by lust, overwhelmed, with mind engrossed, one intends for one’s own harm, one intends for others’ harm, one intends for the harm of both, and one experiences mental suffering and distress. When lust When abandoned, he does not intend for his own affliction, nor for the affliction of others, nor for the affliction of both, nor does he experience mental suffering and displeasure. Thus, indeed, brahmin, the Dhamma is directly visible… Indeed, brahmin, one who is hateful, overcome by hatred, with mind overwhelmed, intends for his own affliction, intends for the affliction of others, intends for the affliction of both, and experiences mental suffering and displeasure. When hatred is abandoned, he does not intend for his own affliction, nor for the affliction of others, nor for the affliction of both, nor does he experience mental suffering and displeasure. Thus, indeed, brahmin, the Dhamma is directly visible… Indeed, brahmin, one who is deluded, overcome by delusion, with mind overwhelmed, intends for his own affliction, intends for the affliction of others, intends for the affliction of both, and experiences mental suffering and displeasure. When delusion is abandoned, he does not intend for his own affliction, nor for the affliction of others, nor for the affliction of both, nor does he experience mental suffering and displeasure. Thus, indeed, brahmin, the Dhamma is directly visible, timeless, inviting inspection, leading onwards, to be experienced by the wise for themselves. Excellent, good Gotama, excellent! Indeed, good Gotama! Just as, good Gotama, one might set upright what was overturned, uncover what was hidden, point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the darkness – 'those with eyes will see forms'; even so has the Dhamma been made clear by the good Gotama in many ways. I go for refuge to the good Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. May the good Gotama remember me as a lay follower, who has gone for refuge from this day forth as long as life lasts. The third. 4. The Discourse to the Wanderer 55. Then a certain Brahmin wanderer approached the Blessed One; having approached... sat down to one side, and the Brahmin wanderer said to the Blessed One: "''The Dhamma is visible here and now, the Dhamma is visible here and now,' good Gotama, it is said. To what extent, good Gotama, is the Dhamma visible here and now, timeless, inviting inspection, leading inwards, to be understood by the wise each for themselves?" "Indeed, Brahmin, one who is dyed with lust, overcome, with mind consumed, intends for his own harm, intends for the harm of others, intends for the harm of both, and experiences mental suffering and distress. When lust is abandoned, he does not intend for his own harm, nor for the harm of others, nor for the harm of both, nor does he experience mental suffering and distress. "Indeed, Brahmin, one who is dyed with lust, overcome, with mind consumed, performs bad conduct by body, performs bad conduct by speech, performs bad conduct by mind. When lust is abandoned, he does not perform bad conduct by body, nor by speech, nor by mind. "Indeed, Brahmin, one who is dyed with lust, overcome, with mind consumed, does not understand his own welfare as it really is, does not understand the welfare of others as it really is, does not understand the welfare of both as it really is. When lust is abandoned, he understands his own welfare as it really is, understands the welfare of others as it really is, understands the welfare of both as it really is. Then he knows as it is. Thus, indeed, brahmin, the Dhamma is immediately visible... “Indeed, brahmin, one corrupted by hatred... ...one deluded by delusion, overcome, with mind seized, intends for his own affliction, intends for the affliction of others, intends for the affliction of both, and experiences mental suffering and distress. When delusion is abandoned, he does not intend for his own affliction, nor for the affliction of others, nor for the affliction of both, nor does he experience mental suffering and distress. “Indeed, brahmin, one deluded by delusion, overcome, with mind seized, performs bad conduct by body, performs bad conduct by speech, performs bad conduct by mind. When delusion is abandoned, he does not perform bad conduct by body, nor by speech, nor by mind. “Indeed, brahmin, one deluded by delusion, overcome, with mind seized, does not know his own welfare as it is, does not know the welfare of others as it is, does not know the welfare of both as it is. When delusion is abandoned, he knows his own welfare as it is, knows the welfare of others as it is, knows the welfare of both as it is. Thus, indeed, brahmin, the Dhamma is immediately visible, timeless, inviting one to come and see, leading inwards, to be experienced individually by the wise.” “Excellent, Venerable Gotama... ...May Venerable Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has taken refuge from this day forth, for as long as life lasts.” The Fourth. 5. The Discourse on Extinguishment. Then the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi approached the Blessed One; having approached and greeted the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi said to the Blessed One: “‘Nibbāna is immediately visible, Nibbāna is immediately visible,’ it is said, Venerable Gotama. To what extent, Venerable Gotama, is Nibbāna immediately visible, timeless, inviting one to come and see, leading inwards, to be experienced individually by the wise?” “Indeed, brahmin, one who is impassioned, Overwhelmed by lust, with mind seized, he intends for his own harm, he intends for the harm of others, he intends for the harm of both, he experiences mental suffering and dejection. When lust is abandoned, he does not intend for his own harm, he does not intend for the harm of others, he does not intend for the harm of both, he does not experience mental suffering and dejection. Thus, indeed, brahmin, is Nibbāna visible here and now. Brahmin, when angry... Brahmin, when deluded, overwhelmed by delusion,