English
Anathapindika's monastery. Then a number of bhikkhus, having dressed in the morning, and taking their bowls and robes, entered Savatthi for alms. Then it occurred to those bhikkhus: "It is too early to wander for alms in Savatthi; what if we were to approach the park of the wanderers of other sects?" Then those bhikkhus approached the park of the wanderers of other sects; having approached, they exchanged greetings with those wanderers of other sects. Having exchanged courteous and memorable talk, they sat down to one side. As they were sitting to one side, And those bhikkhus, those wandering ascetics of other sects, said this: "Friends, the recluse Gotama teaches his disciples this Dhamma: ‘Come, monks, fully know all things, having fully known all things, dwell.’ But we too, friends, teach our disciples this Dhamma: ‘Come, friends, fully know all things, having fully known all things, dwell.’ So what, friends, is the distinction, what is the purpose, what is the difference between the recluse Gotama and us, regarding this teaching of Dhamma or instruction of Dhamma?" Then those bhikkhus neither approved nor disapproved of the words of those wandering ascetics of other sects. Without approving or disapproving, they rose from their seats and departed – ‘We shall learn the meaning of these words in the presence of the Blessed One.’ Then those bhikkhus, having wandered for alms in Sāvatthī, and returned from their alms-round after the meal, approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, those bhikkhus said this to the Blessed One: "Here, venerable sir, in the forenoon, having dressed and taken our bowls and robes, we entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then, venerable sir, it occurred to us: ‘It is too early yet to wander for alms in Sāvatthī; what if we were to approach the park of the wandering ascetics of other sects?’ Then, venerable sir, we approached the park of the wandering ascetics of other sects; having approached, we exchanged greetings with those wandering ascetics of other sects. Having exchanged courteous and memorable talk, we sat down to one side. When we were sitting to one side, venerable sir, the wandering ascetics of other sects said this to us: ‘Friends, the recluse Gotama teaches his disciples this Dhamma: ‘Come, monks, fully know all things...’ "Master, having fully known all phenomena, dwell." "But we too, friends, teach the Dhamma to our disciples thus –" "Come, you, friends, fully know all phenomena," "having fully known all phenomena, dwell." "Here for us, friends, what is the distinction, what is the difference, what is the dissimilarity" "between the recluse Gotama and us," "regarding this teaching of Dhamma or instruction of instruction?" "Then we, venerable sir, neither approved nor disapproved the statement of those other sect wanderers." "Neither approving nor disapproving," "we rose from our seats and departed –" "‘We shall understand the meaning of this statement in the presence of the Blessed One.’" "Monks, other sect wanderers who speak thus should be addressed thus –" "‘Friends, one question, one topic, one explanation," "two questions, two topics, two explanations," "three questions, three topics, three explanations," "four questions, four topics, four explanations," "five questions, five topics, five explanations," "six questions, six topics, six explanations," "seven questions, seven topics, seven explanations," "eight questions, eight topics, eight explanations," "nine questions, nine topics, nine explanations," "ten questions, ten topics, ten explanations.’" "When thus questioned, monks, those other sect wanderers will neither succeed," "nor will they further fall into distress." "Why is that?" "Because, monks, it is beyond their scope." "I do not see, monks, in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās," "among the generation of recluses and brahmins, with its devas and humans," "anyone who could satisfy the mind with an explanation of these questions," "apart from a Tathāgata," "or a Tathāgata’s disciple," "or one who has heard it from them." "‘One question, one topic, one explanation’ – this was said." "Concerning what was this said?" "Monks, a monk, rightly disenchanted with one phenomenon..." rightly dispassionated, rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the goal, in this very life makes an end of suffering. In which one thing? ‘All beings subsist on food’ – in this one thing, mendicants, a monk, rightly disenchanted, rightly dispassionated, rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the goal, in this very life makes an end of suffering. ‘One question, one exposition, one explanation’ – that which was said, was said with reference to this. ‘Two questions, two expositions, two explanations’ – this, too, was said. With reference to what was this said? In two things, mendicants, a monk, rightly disenchanted, rightly dispassionated, rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the goal, in this very life makes an end of suffering. In which two? In name and form – in these two things, mendicants, a monk, rightly disenchanted, rightly dispassionated, rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the goal, in this very life makes an end of suffering. ‘Two questions, two expositions, two explanations’ – that which was said, was said with reference to this. ‘Three questions, three expositions, three explanations’ – this, too, was said. With reference to what was this said? In three things, mendicants, a monk, rightly disenchanted, rightly dispassionated, rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the goal, in this very life makes an end of suffering. In which three? In three feelings – in these three things, mendicants, a monk, rightly disenchanted, rightly dispassionated, rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the goal, in this very life makes an end of suffering. ‘Three questions, three expositions, three explanations’ – that which was said, was said with reference to this. spoken in reference to. "Four questions, four topics, four explanations"— this was said. In reference to what was this said? In four things, monks, a bhikkhu rightly disenchanted, rightly dispassionate, rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly understanding the meaning, makes an end of suffering in this very life. Which four? The four nutriments. In these four things, monks, a bhikkhu rightly disenchanted, rightly dispassionate, rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly understanding the meaning, makes an end of suffering in this very life. "Four questions, four topics, four explanations"— what was said, was said in reference to this. "Five questions, five topics, five explanations"— this was said. In reference to what was this said? In five things, monks, a bhikkhu rightly disenchanted, rightly dispassionate, rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly understanding the meaning, makes an end of suffering in this very life. Which five? The five aggregates of clinging. In these five things, monks, a bhikkhu rightly disenchanted, rightly dispassionate, rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly understanding the meaning, makes an end of suffering in this very life. "Five questions, five topics, five explanations"— what was said, was said in reference to this. "Six questions, six topics, six explanations"— this was said. In reference to what was this said? In six things, monks, a bhikkhu rightly disenchanted, rightly dispassionate, rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly understanding the meaning, makes an end of suffering in this very life. Which six? The six internal sense bases. In these six things, monks, a bhikkhu becoming thoroughly disenchanted, becoming rightly dispassionate, becoming rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the meaning, becomes an ender of suffering in this very life. "Six questions, six topics, six explanations"— that which was said, was said with reference to this. "Seven questions, seven topics, seven explanations"— this too was said. With reference to what was this said? In seven things, bhikkhus, a monk, becoming rightly disenchanted, becoming rightly dispassionate, becoming rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the meaning, becomes an ender of suffering in this very life. In which seven? In the seven stations of consciousness— in these seven things, bhikkhus, a monk, becoming rightly disenchanted, becoming rightly dispassionate, becoming rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the meaning, becomes an ender of suffering in this very life. "Seven questions, seven topics, seven explanations"— that which was said, was said with reference to this. "Eight questions, eight topics, eight explanations"— this too was said. With reference to what was this said? In eight things, bhikkhus, a monk, becoming rightly disenchanted, becoming rightly dispassionate, becoming rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the meaning, becomes an ender of suffering in this very life. In which eight? In the eight worldly conditions— in these eight things, bhikkhus, a monk, becoming rightly disenchanted, becoming rightly dispassionate, becoming rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the meaning, becomes an ender of suffering in this very life. "Eight questions, eight topics, eight explanations"— that which was said, was said with reference to this. "Nine questions, nine topics, nine explanations"— this too was said. With reference to what was this said? In nine things, bhikkhus, a monk, becoming rightly disenchanted, becoming rightly dispassionate, becoming rightly liberated, rightly seeing the end, rightly comprehending the meaning, becomes an ender of suffering in this very life.