English
I drink unturbid water, and when I emerge from the bathing place, the she-elephants do not rub their bodies against mine. Uncrowded, I live happily, at ease.” Then, the Blessed One, knowing his own solitude and understanding the thought of that bull elephant with his mind, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: “This mind of the elephant, the tusker, the mighty elephant, meets with the mind when one mind delights in solitude.” The fifth. 6. The Piṇḍola Sutta 36. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying in Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapi in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. Now at that time, Venerable Piṇḍolabhāradvāja was seated not far from the Blessed One, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him. He was a forest-dweller, an alms-gatherer, a rag-robe wearer, a three-robe wearer, of few wishes, content, secluded, unentangled, with aroused energy, a speaker on ascetic practices, devoted to higher consciousness. The Blessed One saw Venerable Piṇḍolabhāradvāja seated not far from him, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him. He was a forest-dweller, an alms-gatherer, a rag-robe wearer, a three-robe wearer, of few wishes, content, secluded, unentangled, with aroused energy, a speaker on ascetic practices, devoted to higher consciousness. Then, having understood this matter, the Blessed One uttered this inspired utterance on that occasion: “No reviling, no harming, restraint in the Pātimokkha; Moderation in food, and a secluded dwelling; Devotion to higher consciousness— this is the teaching of the Buddhas.” The sixth. 7. Sāriputta Sutta 37. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying in Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. Now at that time, Venerable Sāriputta was seated not far from the Blessed One, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him. He was of few wishes, content, secluded, unentangled, with aroused energy, devoted to higher consciousness. The Blessed One saw Venerable Sāriputta seated not far from him, having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him. He was of few wishes, content, secluded, unentangled, with aroused energy, devoted to higher consciousness. Then, having understood this matter, the Blessed One uttered this inspired utterance on that occasion: “For one with higher consciousness, who is diligent, A sage training in the paths of silence; Sorrows do not arise for such a one, Who is ever peaceful and mindful.” The seventh. 8. Sundarī Sutta 38. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying in Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery. in the monastery. At that time, the Blessed One was honored, respected, esteemed, revered, and venerated. He was a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, medicine, and supplies. The Sangha of bhikkhus also was honored, respected, esteemed, revered, and venerated. They were recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, medicine, and supplies. But the wanderers of other sects were unhonored, unrespected, unesteemed, unrevered, and unvenerated. They were not recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, medicine, and supplies. Then those wanderers of other sects, unable to endure the honor shown to the Blessed One and to the Sangha of bhikkhus, approached Sundarī the wanderer. Having approached Sundarī the wanderer, they said to her: "Are you willing, sister, to do something for the benefit of your relatives?" "What shall I do, sirs? What can I not do? My life is even sacrificed for the benefit of my relatives." "Then, sister, go to Jetavana frequently." "Yes, sirs," Sundarī the wanderer replied to those wanderers of other sects, and she went to Jetavana frequently. When those wanderers of other sects knew: "Sundarī the wanderer is seen by many people going to Jetavana frequently," then they killed her, and having thrown her into a ditch by the moat of Jetavana itself, they approached King Pasenadi of Kosala. Having approached King Pasenadi of Kosala, they said to him: "That Sundarī the wanderer, great king, she is not seen by us." "Where do you suspect she is?" "In Jetavana, great king." "Then search Jetavana." Then those wanderers of other sects, having searched Jetavana, and having pulled her out of the ditch where she was thrown, placed her on a litter and entered Sāvatthī. Having gone from street to street, from crossroads to crossroads, they made people complain: "See, sirs, the deed of the Sakyan recluses! These Sakyan recluses are shameless! Immoral! Of evil ways! Liars! Unchaste! And yet they claim to be Dhamma-practitioners! Righteous in conduct! Chaste! Truthful! Virtuous! Of good ways! No recluseship for them! No holy life for them! Lost is their recluseship! Lost is their holy life! Whence their recluseship? Whence their holy life? Gone are they from recluseship! Gone are they from the holy life! How indeed can a man, having done a man's deed, deprive a woman of life!" Now at that time, in Sāvatthī, people, seeing the bhikkhus, insulted them, abused them, angered them, harassed them with unseemly and harsh words: "These Sakyan recluses are shameless! Immoral! Of evil ways! Liars! Unchaste! And yet they claim to be Dhamma-practitioners! Righteous in conduct! Chaste! Truthful! Virtuous! Of good ways! No recluseship for them! No holy life for them! Lost is their recluseship! Lost is their holy life! Whence their recluseship? Whence their holy life? Gone are they from recluseship! Gone are they from the holy life! How indeed can a man, having done a man's deed, deprive a woman of life!" Then, in the forenoon, a number of bhikkhus, having dressed, and taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Having wandered for alms in Sāvatthī, and having returned from their alms-round after the meal, they approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side. As they sat to one side, those bhikkhus said to the Blessed One: "Just now, venerable sir, in Sāvatthī, people, seeing the bhikkhus, insult them, abuse them, anger them, harass them with unseemly and harsh words: 'Shameless are these..." These Sakyan ascetics are immoral, of evil ways, liars, not celibate. Yet they claim to be righteous, of even conduct, celibate, truthful, virtuous, of good character. There is no asceticism for them, there is no holy life for them. Lost is their asceticism, lost is their holy life. Whence their asceticism? Whence their holy life? Gone is their asceticism, gone is their holy life. How can a man, having performed a man's deed, deprive a woman of life? This sound, monks, will not last long; it will last only seven days. After seven days, it will disappear. Therefore, monks, when people see monks and abuse, revile, anger, and harass them with unseemly, harsh words, you should retort to them with this verse – The speaker of untruth goes to hell, and he who, having done, says 'I did not'. Both of them, after death, become equal, men of base deeds in the other world. Then those monks, having learned this verse in the presence of the Blessed One, when people saw monks and abused, reviled, angered, and harassed them with unseemly, harsh words, they retorted to them with this verse – The speaker of untruth goes to hell, and he who, having done, says 'I did not'. Both of them, after death, become equal, men of base deeds in the other world. It occurred to the people – ‘These Sakyan ascetics are not doers. It was not done by them. These Sakyan ascetics are swearing an oath.’ That sound did not last long. It lasted only seven days. After seven days, it disappeared. Then many monks approached the Blessed One; having approached, they saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those monks said to the Blessed One – ‘Wonderful, Venerable Sir! Amazing, Venerable Sir! How well spoken, Venerable Sir, by the Blessed One – ‘This sound, monks, will not last long. It will last for only seven days. After seven days, it will disappear.’ That sound, venerable sir, has disappeared.” Then the Blessed One, understanding this matter, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: “People, unrestrained, pierce with words, Like an elephant in battle with arrows; Having heard a harsh word spoken, A monk should endure it with an uncorrupted mind.” The eighth. 9. Upasena Sutta 39. Thus have I heard – At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. Then, while Venerable Upasena, son of Vaṅganta, was in solitary retreat, this thought arose in his mind: “Indeed, I am fortunate, indeed, I am well-gained, my Teacher is the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One; I have gone forth from home to homelessness in the well-proclaimed Dhamma and Discipline; my fellow practitioners are virtuous and of good conduct; I am complete in virtues; I am well-concentrated, with a one-pointed mind; I am an Arahant, with defilements destroyed; I am of great psychic power, of great majesty. My life is good, my death is good.” Then the Blessed One, knowing with His mind the mental thought of Venerable Upasena, son of Vaṅganta, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: “Whose life does not torment, who does not grieve at death; He, indeed, is a wise one who has seen the path, he does not grieve amidst sorrow. “For the monk whose craving for existence is cut off, whose mind is tranquil; The cycle of birth is destroyed, there is no re-becoming for him.” The ninth. 10. Sāriputta’s Tranquility Sutta 40. Thus have I heard – At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.