English
(20) 5. The Great Section 1. The Sutta on Following What Is Heard 191. For teachings, monks, heard and followed, familiarized by speech, contemplated by mind, thoroughly penetrated by view, four benefits are to be expected. Which four? Here, monks, a monk learns the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'as it was said' discourses, birth stories, amazing phenomena, and question-and-answer discourses. For him, those teachings are heard and followed, familiarized by speech, contemplated by mind, thoroughly penetrated by view. He, dying with a lapse of mindfulness, is reborn into some company of devas. There, for him, the Dhamma-phrases float pleasantly. Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; yet that being quickly attains distinction. For teachings, monks, heard and followed, familiarized by speech, contemplated by mind, thoroughly penetrated by view, this is the first benefit to be expected. Furthermore, monks, a monk learns the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'as it was said' discourses, birth stories, amazing phenomena, and question-and-answer discourses. For him, those teachings are heard and followed, familiarized by speech, contemplated by mind, thoroughly penetrated by view. He, dying with a lapse of mindfulness, is reborn into some company of devas. There, for him, the Dhamma-phrases do not float pleasantly; but rather, the monk, being endowed with psychic power and mastery of mind, teaches the Dhamma to the company of devas. To him it occurs: ‘This is that Dhamma and Discipline in which I formerly led the holy life.’ Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; yet that being quickly attains distinction. Just as, monks, a man skilled in the sound of a drum. He, traveling on a road, might hear the sound of a drum. For him there would be no doubt or uncertainty – ‘Is that a drum sound, or is it not a drum sound?’ But rather, the drum sound it would quickly come to an end. Even so, monks, a monk learns the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, explanations, verses, inspired utterances, 'as it was said' discourses, birth stories, wonderful phenomena, questions and answers. For him, those teachings are followed by ear, familiar by word, contemplated by mind, well-penetrated by view. He, having forgotten, at the time of death, reappears in a certain company of devas. There, indeed, the words of Dhamma do not readily occur to him; but a monk, powerful and master of mind, teaches the Dhamma in the assembly of devas. Then he thinks: 'This is that Dhamma and discipline, in which I formerly led the holy life.' Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; but then that being quickly goes to distinction. For teachings followed by ear, monks, familiar by word, contemplated by mind, well-penetrated by view – this is the second benefit to be expected. Furthermore, monks, a monk learns the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, explanations, verses, inspired utterances, 'as it was said' discourses, birth stories, wonderful phenomena, questions and answers. For him, those teachings are followed by ear, familiar by word, contemplated by mind, well-penetrated by view. He, having forgotten, at the time of death, reappears in a certain company of devas. There, indeed, the words of Dhamma do not readily occur to him, nor does a monk, powerful and master of mind, teach the Dhamma in the assembly of devas; but a deva's son teaches the Dhamma in the assembly of devas. Then he thinks: 'This is that Dhamma and discipline, in which I formerly led the holy life.' Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; but then that being quickly goes to distinction. Just as, monks, a man skilled in the sound of a conch. He, traveling on a road, might hear the sound of a conch. For him, indeed, there would be no doubt or perplexity – 'Is that the sound of a conch, or is it not the sound of a conch?' But rather, the conch Just a sound would come to an end. Even so, monks, a monk learns the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'as it was said' discourses, birth stories, wonderful phenomena, and question-and-answer discourses. For him, those teachings are followed by ear, familiar by word, contemplated by mind, well-penetrated by view. He, dying with forgotten mindfulness, is reborn in some divine assembly. There, for him, the words of Dhamma do not flow easily, nor does a monk with psychic power and mastery of mind teach the Dhamma in the divine assembly; but rather, a divine being teaches the Dhamma in the divine assembly. He thinks thus: ‘This is that Dhamma and Discipline where I formerly lived the holy life.’ Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; but then that being quickly attains distinction. For teachings followed by ear, monks, familiar by word, contemplated by mind, well-penetrated by view, this is the third advantage to be expected. Furthermore, monks, a monk learns the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'as it was said' discourses, birth stories, wonderful phenomena, and question-and-answer discourses. For him, those teachings are followed by ear, familiar by word, contemplated by mind, well-penetrated by view. He, dying with forgotten mindfulness, is reborn in some divine assembly. There, for him, the words of Dhamma do not flow easily, nor does a monk with psychic power and mastery of mind teach the Dhamma in the divine assembly, nor does a divine being teach the Dhamma in the divine assembly; but rather, a spontaneously arisen being reminds another spontaneously arisen being: ‘Do you remember, friend? Do you remember, friend, where we formerly lived the holy life?’ He says thus: ‘I remember, friend, I remember, friend!’ Slow, monks, is the arising of mindfulness; but then that being quickly attains distinction. Just as, monks, two friends who played together in the dust They might meet each other sometimes, on occasion. And one friend might say to the other friend thus: 'This too, friend, you remember, this too, friend, you remember.' He would say thus: 'I remember, friend, I remember, friend.' Even so, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu learns the Dhamma: discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'thus-saids', birth stories, amazing phenomena, and question-and-answer texts. For him, these teachings are followed by ear, familiar by word, contemplated by mind, and well-penetrated by view. He, having lost mindfulness, at the time of death, is reborn into a certain divine realm. There, for him, the happy Dhamma-verses do not indeed float up. Nor does an accomplished bhikkhu, master of mind, teach the Dhamma in the divine assembly. Nor does a devaputta teach the Dhamma in the divine assembly. But rather, one spontaneously arisen being reminds another spontaneously arisen being: 'Do you remember, sir, do you remember, sir, where we formerly practiced the holy life?' He says thus: 'I remember, sir, I remember, sir.' Slow, bhikkhus, is the arising of mindfulness. But then that being quickly attains distinction. For those teachings, bhikkhus, followed by ear, familiar by word, contemplated by mind, and well-penetrated by view, this fourth benefit is to be expected. For those teachings, bhikkhus, followed by ear, familiar by word, contemplated by mind, and well-penetrated by view, these four benefits are to be expected. The First. 2. The Discourse on Occasions "These four things, bhikkhus, are to be known by four means. What are these four? By living together, bhikkhus, virtue is to be known, and that indeed over a long period, not a short one; by one who pays attention, not by one who doesn't; by one who is wise, not by one who is foolish. By dealings, bhikkhus, purity is to be known, and that indeed over a long period, not a short one; by one who pays attention... by one who attends, not by one who does not attend; by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise. In misfortunes, monks, strength is to be known, and that indeed by a long period, not by a short one; by one who attends, not by one who does not attend; by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise. In conversation, monks, wisdom is to be known, and that indeed by a long period, not by a short one; by one who attends, not by one who does not attend; by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise. “‘By living together, monks, virtue is to be known, and that indeed by a long period, not by a short one; by one who attends, not by one who does not attend; by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise.’ Thus indeed has this been said. What was this said in reference to? Here, monks, a person living together with another person thus knows: ‘For a long time indeed this venerable one is one who breaks, one who makes holes, one who makes spots, one who makes stains, not one who acts continuously, not one whose conduct is continuous; this venerable one is unvirtuous in his virtues, this venerable one is not virtuous.’” “‘Here again, monks, a person living together with another person thus knows: ‘For a long time indeed this venerable one is one who does not break, one who does not make holes, one who does not make spots, one who does not make stains, one who acts continuously, one whose conduct is continuous; this venerable one is virtuous in his virtues, this venerable one is not unvirtuous.’ ‘By living together, monks, virtue is to be known, and that indeed by a long period, not by a short one; by one who attends, not by one who does not attend; by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise.’ That which was said, this was said in reference to this. “‘By dealings, monks, purity is to be known, and that indeed by a long period, not by a short one; by one who attends, not by one who does not attend; by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise.’ Thus indeed has this been said. What was this said in reference to?