English
undertakers of actions based on right view. They, with the breaking up of the body, after death, reappeared in a good destination, in the heavenly world.’ Thus, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans, I saw beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, well-faring and ill-faring, and I understood beings according to their deeds. “This, indeed, O brahmin, in the middle watch of the night, was the second knowledge attained by me; ignorance was dispelled, knowledge arose; darkness was dispelled, light arose, as is natural for one who dwells diligent, ardent, and resolute. This, indeed, O brahmin, was my second breakthrough, like a chick breaking out of its eggshell. “So, with my mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilements, malleable, workable, steadfast, unshakable, I directed my mind to the knowledge of the destruction of the taints. I directly knew ‘this is suffering’ as it really is; I directly knew ‘this is the origin of suffering’ as it really is; I directly knew ‘this is the cessation of suffering’ as it really is; I directly knew ‘this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering’ as it really is. I directly knew ‘these are the taints’ as it really is; I directly knew ‘this is the origin of the taints’ as it really is; I directly knew ‘this is the cessation of the taints’ as it really is; I directly knew ‘this is the path leading to the cessation of the taints’ as it really is. As I thus knew, thus saw, my mind was liberated from the taint of sensual desire, my mind was liberated from the taint of existence, my mind was liberated from the taint of ignorance. When liberated, the knowledge ‘it is liberated’ arose. I directly knew: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’ “This, indeed, O brahmin, in the last watch of the night, was the third knowledge attained by me; ignorance was dispelled, knowledge arose; darkness was dispelled, light arose, as is natural for one who dwells diligent, ardent, and resolute. that, brahmin, was my third breakthrough, just like a chick from its eggshell.” When this was said, the brahmin Verañja said to the Blessed One: “Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent, Master Gotama! Just as, Master Gotama, one might set upright what was overturned, or reveal what was hidden, or point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the darkness so that those with eyes might see forms— even so has Master Gotama made the Dhamma clear in many ways. I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. May Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has taken refuge from this day forth as long as life lasts.” The First. 2. The Sīha Sutta 12. At one time the Blessed One was staying in Vesālī, in the Great Wood, at the Gabled Hall. Now at that time, many well-known Licchavīs were sitting together, assembled in the assembly hall, speaking in many ways in praise of the Buddha, speaking in praise of the Dhamma, speaking in praise of the Sangha. Now at that time, Sīha the general, a disciple of the Nigaṇṭhas, was sitting in that assembly. Then it occurred to Sīha the general: “Surely that Blessed One must be an Arahant, a Fully Self-Enlightened One, since these many well-known Licchavīs are sitting together, assembled in the assembly hall, speaking in many ways in praise of the Buddha, speaking in praise of the Dhamma, speaking in praise of the Sangha. What if I were to go to see that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Enlightened One?” Then Sīha the general went to the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta; having gone, he said to the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta: “I wish, venerable sir, to go to see the ascetic Gotama.” to go." "But why, Siha, you who are an advocate of action, will you go to see the ascetic Gotama, who is an advocate of non-action? For the ascetic Gotama, Siha, is an advocate of non-action; he teaches the Dhamma for non-action, and by that he trains his disciples." Then indeed, Siha the general's intention to go to see the Blessed One subsided. A second time, indeed, many well-known Licchavis, seated and gathered in the assembly hall, spoke in many ways in praise of the Buddha, in praise of the Dhamma, in praise of the Sangha. A second time, indeed, this thought occurred to Siha the general: "Surely that Blessed One must be an Arahant, a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, for these many well-known Licchavis, seated and gathered in the assembly hall, speak in many ways in praise of the Buddha, in praise of the Dhamma, in praise of the Sangha. What if I were to go to see that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One?" Then indeed, Siha the general approached Nigantha Nataputta; having approached, he said to Nigantha Nataputta: "I wish, venerable sir, to go to see the ascetic Gotama." "But why, Siha, you who are an advocate of action, will you go to see the ascetic Gotama, who is an advocate of non-action? For the ascetic Gotama, Siha, is an advocate of non-action; he teaches the Dhamma for non-action, and by that he trains his disciples." A second time, indeed, Siha the general's intention to go to see the Blessed One subsided. A third time, indeed, many well-known Licchavis, seated and gathered in the assembly hall, spoke in many ways in praise of the Buddha, in praise of the Dhamma, in praise of the Sangha. A third time, indeed, this thought occurred to Siha the general: "Surely that Blessed One must be an Arahant, a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, for thus Here, many well-known, well-known Licchavis, assembled, gathered in the assembly hall, in many ways speak praise of the Buddha, speak praise of the Dhamma, speak praise of the Sangha. What will these Nigaṇṭhas do, whether consulted or not consulted? What if I, without consulting the Nigaṇṭhas, were to approach that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, for an audience? Then General Sīha, with about five hundred chariots, set out from Vesālī in broad daylight to see the Blessed One. As far as the ground was suitable for a vehicle, he went by vehicle, then dismounted from the vehicle and continued on foot. Then General Sīha approached the Blessed One; having approached and greeted the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, General Sīha said this to the Blessed One: "I have heard, sir, that 'the recluse Gotama is an advocate of non-action, he teaches the Dhamma for non-action, and by it he trains his disciples.' Those who said this, sir, that 'the recluse Gotama is an advocate of non-action, he teaches the Dhamma for non-action, and by it he trains his disciples'— are they, sir, speaking in accordance with the Blessed One's words, and not misrepresenting the Blessed One with what is untrue, and are they explaining the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, and does no blameworthy point of a co-dharmic dispute arise? For we do not wish to misrepresent the Blessed One, sir." "There is, Sīha, a way in which one, rightly speaking, might say of me: 'The recluse Gotama is an advocate of non-action, he teaches the Dhamma for non-action, and by it he trains his disciples.'" "There is, Sīha, a way in which one, rightly speaking, might say of me: 'The recluse Gotama is an advocate of action, he teaches the Dhamma for action, and by it he trains his disciples.'" "There is, Sīha, a way in which one, rightly speaking, might say of me: 'The recluse Gotama is an advocate of cutting off..." The recluse Gotama is an annihilationist, he teaches Dhamma for annihilation, and by that he trains his disciples. There is, Sīha, a way, by which one speaking rightly of me would speak thus: ‘The recluse Gotama shuns evil, he teaches Dhamma for shunning evil, and by that he trains his disciples.’ There is, Sīha, a way, by which one speaking rightly of me would speak thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is a disciplinarian, he teaches Dhamma for discipline, and by that he trains his disciples.’ There is, Sīha, a way, by which one speaking rightly of me would speak thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is an ascetic, he teaches Dhamma for asceticism, and by that he trains his disciples.’ There is, Sīha, a way, by which one speaking rightly of me would speak thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is modest, he teaches Dhamma for modesty, and by that he trains his disciples.’ There is, Sīha, a way, by which one speaking rightly of me would speak thus: ‘The recluse Gotama gives assurance, he teaches Dhamma for assurance, and by that he trains his disciples.’ And what, Sīha, is the way by which one speaking rightly of me would speak thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is a non-actionist, he teaches Dhamma for non-action, and by that he trains his disciples’? For I, Sīha, declare non-action for bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct; I declare non-action for various evil, unwholesome states. This, Sīha, is the way, by which one speaking rightly of me would speak thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is a non-actionist, he teaches Dhamma for non-action, and by that he trains his disciples.’ And what, Sīha, is the way by which one speaking rightly of me would speak thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is an actionist, he teaches Dhamma for action, and by that he trains his disciples’? For I, Sīha, declare action for bodily good conduct, verbal good conduct, mental good conduct; I declare action for various wholesome states. This, Sīha, is the way, by which speaking of me rightly in a certain way, one would say: ‘Recluse Gotama is an advocate of action, he teaches the Dhamma for action, and thereby he trains his disciples.’ “And what, Sīha, is the way by which one, speaking rightly of me in a certain way, would say: ‘Recluse Gotama is an annihilationist, he teaches the Dhamma for annihilation, and thereby he trains his disciples’?” For I, Sīha, declare the annihilation of lust, of hatred, of delusion;