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B0102041007(2)yamakavaggo (comparison chapter)

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completes craving for existence. Thus, this craving for existence has its nutriment, and thus its completion. Just as, monks, when a heavy rain falls on a mountain top, that water, flowing down the slopes, fills the mountain crevices, fissures, and gullies. The mountain crevices, fissures, and gullies, when full, fill the small ponds. The small ponds, when full, fill the large ponds. The large ponds, when full, fill the small rivers. The small rivers, when full, fill the great rivers. The great rivers, when full, fill the great ocean, the sea. Thus, that great ocean, the sea, has its nutriment, and thus its completion. Even so, monks, association with bad people, when complete, completes not hearing the True Dhamma. Not hearing the True Dhamma... The forest, when full, fills lack of faith. Lack of faith, when full, fills unwise attention. Unwise attention, when full, fills lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension. Lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension, when full, fills non-restraint of the senses. Non-restraint of the senses, when full, fills the three bad conducts. The three bad conducts, when full, fill the five hindrances. The five hindrances, when full, fill ignorance. Ignorance, when full, fills craving for existence. Thus, this is the food for craving for existence, and thus is its fulfillment. Knowledge and liberation, monks, I declare to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for knowledge and liberation? It should be said: ‘The seven factors of awakening.’ The seven factors of awakening, monks, I declare to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for the seven factors of awakening? It should be said: ‘The four establishments of mindfulness.’ The four establishments of mindfulness, monks, I declare to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for the four establishments of mindfulness? It should be said: ‘The three good conducts.’ The three good conducts, monks, I declare to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for the three good conducts? It should be said: ‘Restraint of the senses.’ Restraint of the senses, monks, I declare to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for restraint of the senses? It should be said: ‘Mindfulness and clear comprehension.’ Mindfulness and clear comprehension, monks, I declare to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for mindfulness and clear comprehension? It should be said: ‘Wise attention.’ Wise attention, monks, I declare to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for wise attention? It should be said: ‘Faith.’ Faith, monks, I declare to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for faith? It should be said: ‘Listening to the true Dhamma.’ Listening to the true Dhamma, monks, I declare to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for listening to the true Dhamma? It should be said: ‘Associating with good people.’ Thus, indeed, mon Bhikkhus, Association with good people, when complete, completes listening to the True Dhamma. Listening to the True Dhamma, when complete, completes faith. Faith, when complete, completes wise attention. Wise attention, when complete, completes mindfulness and clear comprehension. Mindfulness and clear comprehension, when complete, completes restraint of the senses. Restraint of the senses, when complete, completes the three good conducts. The three good conducts, when complete, complete the four foundations of mindfulness. The four foundations of mindfulness, when complete, complete the seven factors of awakening. The seven factors of awakening, when complete, complete knowledge and liberation. Thus, this is the nourishment for knowledge and liberation, and thus is its completion. Just as, bhikkhus, when a heavy rain falls on a mountain top, that water, flowing down according to the slope, ... thus it is the nourishment for the great ocean, the sea, and thus is its completion. Even so, bhikkhus, association with good people, when complete, completes listening to the True Dhamma, ... thus it is the nourishment for knowledge and liberation, and thus is its completion. Whatever ones, bhikkhus, have reached a conclusion in me, all of them are endowed with right view. For those endowed with right view, five have their conclusion here, five have their conclusion having left here. Which five have their conclusion here? The one bound for seven more births at most, the family-to-family one, the one-seeded one, the once-returner, and the Arahant in this very life – these five have their conclusion here. Which five have their conclusion having left here? The one attaining Nibbāna in the interim, the one attaining Nibbāna upon impact, the one attaining Nibbāna without exertion, the one attaining Nibbāna with exertion, the one going upstream to the Akaniṭṭha realm – these five have their conclusion having left here. Whatever ones, bhikkhus, have reached a conclusion in me, all of them are endowed with right view. For those endowed with right view, these five have their conclusion here, these five have their conclusion having left here. Whatever monks, have unwavering faith in me, all of them are stream-enterers. Of these stream-enterers, five have their completion here, five have their completion by leaving here. Which five have their completion here? The one bound for seven more births at most, the one going from family to family, the one with one more seed, the once-returner, and the one who is an Arahant in this very life – these five have their completion here. Which five have their completion by leaving here? The one attaining Nibbāna in the interval, the one attaining Nibbāna after reducing, the one attaining Nibbāna without exertion, the one attaining Nibbāna with exertion, the one going upstream to the Akaniṭṭha realm – these five have their completion by leaving here. Whatever monks, have unwavering faith in me, all of them are stream-enterers. Of these stream-enterers, these five have their completion here, and these five have their completion by leaving here. The Fourth. The First Discourse on Happiness At one time, Venerable Sāriputta was staying in the Magadhan village of Nālakagāma. Then the wandering ascetic Sāmaṇḍakāni approached Venerable Sāriputta. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with Venerable Sāriputta. After exchanging polite and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the wandering ascetic Sāmaṇḍakāni said this to Venerable Sāriputta: "What, friend Sāriputta, is happiness, what is suffering?" "Rebirth, friend, is suffering; non-rebirth is happiness. When there is rebirth, friend, this suffering is to be expected: cold, heat, hunger, thirst, excrement, urine, contact with fire, contact with a stick, contact with a weapon. Relatives and friends, meeting and gathering, also vex one. When there is rebirth, friend, this suffering is to be expected. When there is non-rebirth, friend, this happiness is to be expected: no cold, no heat, no hunger, no thirst, no excrement, no urine, no contact with fire, no contact with a stick, no contact with a weapon. Relatives and friends, meeting and gathering, do not vex one. Non-rebirth... When that is present, friend, this happiness is to be expected. The Fifth. 6. The Second Discourse on Happiness 66. At one time, the venerable Sāriputta was dwelling in Magadha, in the village of Nālakā. Then the wanderer Sāmaṇḍakāni approached the venerable Sāriputta; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the venerable Sāriputta. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the wanderer Sāmaṇḍakāni spoke to the venerable Sāriputta thus: “What, friend Sāriputta, is happiness in this Dhamma and Discipline, and what is suffering?” “Discontent, friend, in this Dhamma and Discipline is suffering; contentment is happiness. When discontent is present, friend, this suffering is to be expected – even walking, he finds no happiness, no ease, even standing… even sitting… even lying down… even gone to a village… even gone to a forest… even gone to the root of a tree… even gone to an empty dwelling… even gone to the open air… even gone among monks, he finds no happiness, no ease. When discontent is present, friend, this suffering is to be expected. “When contentment is present, friend, this happiness is to be expected – even walking, he finds happiness and ease, even standing… even sitting… even lying down… even gone to a village… even gone to a forest… even gone to the root of a tree… even gone to an empty dwelling… even gone to the open air… even gone among monks, he finds happiness and ease. When contentment is present, friend, this happiness is to be expected.” The Sixth. 7. The First Discourse at Naḷakapāna 67. At one time, the Blessed One, while wandering in Kosala, together with a large community of monks, arrived at a Kosalan town named Naḷakapāna. There, the Blessed One dwelt at Naḷakapāna in the Palāsa forest. Now at that time, on the Uposatha day, the Blessed One was seated, surrounded by the community of monks. Then the Blessed One, for much of the night, instructed, urged, roused, and gladdened the monks with a Dhamma talk, the silent, silent bh Having surveyed the community of bhikkhus, he addressed the venerable Sāriputta thus: "The community of bhikkhus, Sāriputta, is free from sloth and torpor. Let a discourse on the Dhamma occur to you, Sāriputta, for the bhikkhus. My back is aching; I shall stretch it." "Yes, venerable sir," the venerable Sāriputta replied to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, having folded his outer robe in four, lay down on his right side in the lion's posture, placing one foot on the other, mindful and clearly comprehending, having made a mental note of rising. Thereupon, the venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus – "Friends, bhikkhus!" "Friend," those bhikkhus replied to the venerable Sāriputta.