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3. The Uruvela Chapter 1. The First Uruvela Discourse 21. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Sāvatthī, at Jetavana, in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, "Bhikkhus!" "Venerable sir!" those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "Once, bhikkhus, I was dwelling in Uruvelā, on the bank of the Nerañjarā River, at the Ajapāla Banyan Tree, having just attained full awakening. While I was alone, bhikkhus, in seclusion, this thought arose in my mind: 'It is painful to live without respect, without deference. Now, whom might I honor and respect, and dwell in dependence upon, whether a recluse or a brahmin?'" "Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to me: 'If I were to dwell in dependence upon another recluse or brahmin, honoring and respecting them, it would be for the completion of a moral aggregate that was incomplete in me. But I do not see, in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among the generation of recluses and brahmins, with its devas and humans, any other recluse or brahmin more accomplished in morality than myself, whom I might honor and respect and dwell in dependence upon.' "'If I were to dwell in dependence upon another recluse or brahmin, honoring and respecting them, it would be for the completion of a concentration aggregate that was incomplete in me. But I do not see, in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among the generation of recluses and brahmins, with its devas and humans, any other recluse or brahmin more accomplished in concentration than myself, whom I might honor and respect and dwell in dependence upon.' "'If I were to dwell in dependence upon another recluse or brahmin, honoring and respecting them, it would be for the completion of a wisdom aggregate that was incomplete in me. But I do not see, in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among the generation of recluses and brahmins, with its devas and humans, any other recluse or brahmin or one more accomplished than myself, whom I might honor, respect, and dwell in reliance upon. “For the full perfection of my unperfected liberation, I might honor, respect, and dwell in reliance upon another ascetic or brahmin. But I do not see in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among the generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its devas and humans, any other ascetic or brahmin more accomplished in liberation than myself, whom I might honor, respect, and dwell in reliance upon.” “Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to me: ‘What if I were to honor, respect, and dwell in reliance upon this Dhamma that I have fully awakened to?’” “Then, bhikkhus, Brahmā Sahampati, having understood my thought with his own mind— just as a strong man might extend his flexed arm, or flex his extended arm— vanished from the Brahmā world and appeared before me. Then, bhikkhus, Brahmā Sahampati, arranging his upper robe over one shoulder, kneeling with his right knee on the ground, raised his hands in anjali towards me and said to me: ‘So it is, Blessed One! So it is, Fortunate One! Those Blessed Ones, venerable sir, who were Arahants, Perfectly Self-Awakened Ones in the past, they too, Blessed Ones, dwelt honoring, respecting, and relying upon the Dhamma itself. And those Blessed Ones, venerable sir, who will be Arahants, Perfectly Self-Awakened Ones in the future, they too, Blessed Ones, will dwell honoring, respecting, and relying upon the Dhamma itself. May the Blessed One, venerable sir, who is now an Arahant, a Perfectly Self-Awakened One, also dwell honoring, respecting, and relying upon the Dhamma itself!’” This is what Brahmā Sahampati said. Having said this, he further spoke: “Those Buddhas of the past, and those Buddhas of the future; And he who is now the Sam The Buddha, the dispeller of sorrow for many. “All who revere the True Dhamma, have lived and do live; and will also live in the future, this is the nature of Buddhas. “Therefore, one who desires their own welfare, who longs for greatness; should revere the True Dhamma, remembering the Buddhas’ teaching.” “This, monks, is what Brahmā Sahampati said. Having said this, he saluted me, circumambulated me, and vanished right there. Then, monks, knowing Brahmā’s request and what was suitable for myself, I lived revering, honoring, and depending on that very Dhamma which I had fully awakened to. And when, monks, the Saṅgha also became endowed with greatness, then I had reverence for the Saṅgha as well.” The First. 2. The Second Uruvelā Sutta 22. “Once, monks, I was living in Uruvelā, on the bank of the Nerañjarā River, at the Ajapāla Banyan tree, having just attained full awakening. Then, monks, many brahmins, old, aged, venerable, advanced in years, having reached the end of their life, approached me. Having approached, they exchanged greetings with me. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, they sat down to one side. Seated to one side, monks, those brahmins said to me: ‘We have heard, good Gotama, that the ascetic Gotama does not salute, nor rise for, nor invite with a seat, brahmins who are old, aged, venerable, advanced in years, having reached the end of their life. And this, good Gotama, is indeed so. For the good Gotama does not salute, nor rise for, nor invite with a seat, brahmins who are old, aged, venerable, advanced in years, having reached the end of their life. This, good Gotama, is not proper at all.’ “Then, monks, it occurred to me: ‘These do you, venerable sirs, know the qualities that make one an elder? Even if, monks, one is old, eighty or ninety or a hundred years old by birth, and he speaks out of time, speaks what is not true, speaks what is not beneficial, speaks against the Dhamma, speaks against the Vinaya, utters words without a store, out of time, without reference, without limit, unconnected with benefit; then he is reckoned as a 'foolish elder'. But if, monks, one is young, youthful, with jet-black hair, endowed with the beauty of youth, in the prime of life, and he speaks in time, speaks what is true, speaks what is beneficial, speaks according to the Dhamma, speaks according to the Vinaya, utters words with a store, in time, with reference, with limit, connected with benefit; then he is reckoned as a 'wise elder'. These, monks, are the four qualities that make one an elder. Which four? Here, monks, a monk is virtuous, he dwells restrained by the Pātimokkha restraint, perfect in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, he undertakes and trains in the training rules. He is learned, a preserver of what he has heard, a collector of what he has heard, those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with letter, fully complete and perfectly pure, proclaiming the holy life; such teachings are much heard by him, held by him, familiarized by him verbally, examined by him mentally, well-penetrated by him through right view. He is a gainer at will, without difficulty, without trouble, of the four jhānas, which are of the higher mind, dwellings of ease in this very life. With the destruction of the taints, he enters and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation through wisdom, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life. These, monks, are the four qualities that make one an elder. One whose mind is agitated, and speaks much idle chatter; whose thoughts are unfocused, a deluded one, not delighting in the good Dhamma; he is far from elderhood. evil-viewed, disrespectful. "But one who is endowed with virtue, learned, ready-witted; Self-controlled, wise in the Dhamma, who sees the meaning with wisdom. "Gone to the far shore of all dhammas, unflawed, ready-witted; One who has abandoned birth and death, perfect in the holy life. "Him I call an elder, one who has no defilements; By the destruction of defilements, a monk is called an elder." 3. Discourse on the World "The world, monks, has been fully awakened to by the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata is disjoined from the world. The origin of the world, monks, has been fully awakened to by the Tathāgata. The origin of the world has been abandoned by the Tathāgata. The cessation of the world, monks, has been fully awakened to by the Tathāgata. The cessation of the world has been realized by the Tathāgata. The path leading to the cessation of the world, monks, has been fully awakened to by the Tathāgata. The path leading to the cessation of the world has been developed by the Tathāgata. "Whatever, monks, in the world with its devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, among the generation of recluses and brahmins, with its devas and humans, is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought, pondered, and mentally pursued—all that has been fully awakened to by the Tathāgata. Therefore, he is called 'Tathāgata.' "And that night, monks, when the Tathāgata fully awakens to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, and that night when he passes away into the Nibbāna-element with no fuel remaining, whatever he speaks, says, and declares in between that period—all that is just so, not otherwise. Therefore, he is called 'Tathāgata.' "As he speaks, monks, so the Tathāgata acts; as he acts, so he speaks. Thus, as he speaks, so he acts; as he acts, so he speaks. Therefore, he is called 'Tathāgata.' "In the world, monks, with its devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, among the generation of recluses and brahmins, with its devas and humans, the Tathāgata is the conqueror, unconquered, seeing all, master. Therefore, he is called 'Tathāgata.'" Having conquered the entire world, with wisdom, all in the world as it truly is; Disconnected from all the world, unattached to all the world. "He is indeed the wise one, overcoming all, releasing all bonds; He has touched the supreme peace, Nibbāna, free from all fear. "This Arahant, the Buddha, is free from trouble, with doubts cut off;