English
Whose range is right intention; With right view held foremost, Having known rise and fall; A bhikkhu, overcoming sloth and torpor, Should abandon all bad destinations. Second. 3. The Discourse on the Cowherd 33. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was wandering in Kosala with a large community of bhikkhus. Then indeed the Blessed One, having left the road, approached a certain tree root; having approached, he sat down on the seat prepared. Then indeed a certain cowherd approached the Blessed One; having approached, he saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. The Blessed One then, to that cowherd sitting to one side, instructed, urged, roused, and gladdened with a Dhamma talk. Then indeed that cowherd, having been instructed, urged, roused, and gladdened by the Blessed One with a Dhamma talk, said this to the Blessed One: ‘‘May the Blessed One, venerable sir, consent to my offering of a meal for tomorrow, together with the community of bhikkhus.’’ The Blessed One consented by silence. Then indeed that cowherd, knowing the Blessed One’s consent, rose from his seat, and having saluted the Blessed One... having saluted him and circumambulated him, departed. Then, after the passing of that night, that cowherd, having prepared an abundance of thin milk-rice and fresh ghee at his own dwelling, announced the time to the Blessed One: “It is time, Venerable Sir, the meal is ready.” Then the Blessed One, in the forenoon, having dressed and taken his bowl and robe, went with the Sangha of bhikkhus to the dwelling of that cowherd; having approached, he sat down on the seat prepared. Then that cowherd, with his own hands, satisfied and served the Sangha of bhikkhus headed by the Buddha with thin milk-rice and fresh ghee. Then that cowherd, when the Blessed One had finished eating and had put away his bowl and hand, took a certain low seat and sat down to one side. To that cowherd, sitting to one side, the Blessed One, having instructed, inspired, encouraged, and gladdened him with a Dhamma talk, rose from his seat and departed. Then, not long after the Blessed One had departed, a certain man deprived that cowherd of life at the border. Then many bhikkhus approached the Blessed One; having approached, they saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, those bhikkhus said to the Blessed One: “Venerable Sir, that cowherd by whom the Sangha of bhikkhus headed by the Buddha was today satisfied and served with thin milk-rice and fresh ghee, that cowherd, Venerable Sir, has reportedly been deprived of life at the border by a certain man.” Then the Blessed One, knowing this matter, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: “Whatever an enemy may do to an enemy, or a hater to a hater; A wrongly directed mind will do him greater harm than that.” The Third. 4. The Discourse on the Yaksha’s Blow 34. Thus have I heard – At one time the Blessed One was staying in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. Now at that time Once, the venerable Sāriputta and the venerable Mahāmoggallāna were dwelling in the Pigeon's Cave. Now at that time, the venerable Sāriputta, on a moonlit night, with newly shaven hair, was sitting in the open air, having entered a certain meditative absorption. Now at that time, two yakkhas, companions, were going from the northern direction to the southern direction for some reason or other. Those yakkhas saw the venerable Sāriputta sitting in the open air on a moonlit night with newly shaven hair. Having seen him, one yakkha said to the other yakkha: "It occurs to me, friend, to strike this ascetic on the head." When this was said, that yakkha said to the other yakkha: "Enough, friend, do not harm the ascetic. That ascetic, friend, is mighty, greatly powerful, greatly glorious." A second time, that yakkha said to the other yakkha: "It occurs to me, friend, to strike this ascetic on the head." A second time, that yakkha said to the other yakkha: "Enough, friend, do not harm the ascetic. That ascetic, friend, is mighty, greatly powerful, greatly glorious." A third time, that yakkha said to the other yakkha: "It occurs to me, friend, to strike this ascetic on the head." A third time, that yakkha said to the other yakkha: "Enough, friend, do not harm the ascetic. That ascetic, friend, is mighty, greatly powerful, greatly glorious." Then that yakkha, disregarding the other yakkha, struck the venerable Elder Sāriputta on the head. So great was that blow, that with that blow one could fell an elephant seven or seven and a half cubits tall, or split a great mountain peak. And then that yakkha, saying 'I burn, I burn!', fell right there into the great hell. The venerable Mahāmoggallāna saw, with his divine eye, purified and surpassing human sight, that yakkha (striking) the venerable Sāriputta... seeing a blow being struck on the Elder's head. Having seen, he approached Venerable Sāriputta; having approached, he said to Venerable Sāriputta: "Is it tolerable for you, friend? Is it endurable for you? Is there no suffering at all?" "It is tolerable for me, friend Moggallāna, it is endurable for me, friend Moggallāna; but my head hurts a little." "Wonderful, friend Sāriputta, amazing, friend Sāriputta! How mighty in power is Venerable Sāriputta, how great in might! Here, friend Sāriputta, a certain yakkha struck a blow on your head. So great was the blow, that with that blow, it could have crushed an elephant seven or seven and a half cubits tall, or shattered a great mountain peak. And yet, Venerable Sāriputta says this: 'It is tolerable for me, friend Moggallāna, it is endurable for me, friend Moggallāna; but my head hurts a little.'" "Wonderful, friend Moggallāna, amazing, friend Moggallāna! How mighty in power is Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, how great in might, in that he can even see a yakkha! We, however, at present, cannot even see a dust-goblin." The Blessed One heard, with the divine ear-element, purified and surpassing human, this kind of conversation of those two great Nāgas. Then the Blessed One, knowing this matter, on that occasion, uttered this inspired utterance: "Whose mind is like a rock, standing firm, unmoving; dispassionate towards things that excite passion, unangered by things that provoke anger; whose mind is thus developed, from where will suffering come to him?" The fourth. 5. The Nāga Sutta 35. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Kosambī, in Ghositārāma. Now at that time, the Blessed One was dwelling crowded with monks, with nuns, with male lay followers, with female lay followers, with kings, with royal ministers, with sectarians, with sectarian disciples. Crowded, he did not suffer. He dwells at ease. Then it occurred to the Blessed One: "I am now dwelling crowded with monks, with nuns, with laymen, with laywomen, with kings, with royal ministers, with sectarians, with sectarian disciples. Crowded, I dwell not at ease, in suffering. What if I were to dwell alone, withdrawn from the crowd?" Then the Blessed One, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, entered Kosambi for alms. Having wandered for alms in Kosambi, after his meal, having put away his alms-food, he himself put his lodging in order, taking his bowl and robe, without informing his attendant, without taking leave of the Sangha of monks, alone, without a second, set out on a journey towards Pālileyyaka. Journeying by stages, he arrived at Pālileyyaka. There the Blessed One dwelt in Pālileyyaka, in the protected forest grove, at the foot of a beautiful sal tree. And a certain elephant lord was also dwelling crowded with elephants, with she-elephants, with elephant calves, with young elephants. They ate the grass with broken tips, they ate the broken branches he had broken, he drank turbid water, and when he emerged from the bathing place, the she-elephants rubbed their bodies against him as they passed. Crowded, he dwelt not at ease, in suffering. Then it occurred to that elephant lord: "I am now dwelling crowded with elephants, with she-elephants, with elephant calves, with young elephants. I eat the grass with broken tips, they eat the broken branches I have broken, I drink turbid water, and when I emerge from the bathing place, the she-elephants rub their bodies against me as they pass. Crowded, I dwell not at ease, in suffering. What if I were to dwell alone, withdrawn from the crowd?" Then that elephant lord, having left the herd, approached the place where the Blessed One was, in Pālileyyaka, in the protected forest grove, at the foot of a beautiful sal tree. There that elephant lord, in the place where the Blessed One was dwelling, that place... He makes the area free of grass, he makes it free of grass with his trunk, and with his trunk he provides drinking and bathing water for the Blessed One. Then, as the Blessed One was in seclusion, withdrawn, this thought arose in his mind: “Formerly, I lived crowded with bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and their disciples. Crowded, I lived uncomfortably, not at ease. But now I live uncrowded with bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and their disciples. Uncrowded, I live happily, at ease.” And this thought arose in the mind of that bull elephant: “Formerly, I lived crowded with elephants, she-elephants, elephant calves, and baby elephants. I ate grass with broken tips, and they ate my broken branches. I drank turbid water, and when I emerged from the bathing place, the she-elephants rubbed their bodies against mine. Crowded, I lived uncomfortably, not at ease. But now I live uncrowded with elephants, she-elephants, elephant calves, and baby elephants. I eat grass with unbroken tips, and they do not eat my broken branches.