English
5. The Soṇa Chapter [The Great Chapter (according to the commentary)] 1. Discourse on What is Dearest Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Now at that time, King Pasenadi of Kosala was on the top floor of the palace with Queen Mallikā. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala said to Queen Mallikā: "Is there anyone, Mallikā, dearer to you than yourself?" "There is no one, great king, dearer to me than myself. But for you, great king, is there anyone dearer to you than yourself?" "For me too, Mallikā, there is no one dearer to me than myself." Then King Pasenadi of Kosala, descending from the palace, went to where the Blessed One was. Having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: "Here, venerable sir, I was on the top floor of the palace with Queen Mallikā, and I said to Queen Mallikā: 'Is there anyone, Mallikā, dearer to you than yourself?' When this was said, Queen Mallikā said to me: 'There is no one, great king, dearer to me than myself. But for you, great king, is there anyone dearer to you than yourself?' When this was said, venerable sir, I said to Queen Mallikā: 'For me too, Mallikā, there is no one dearer to me than myself.'" Then the Blessed One, understanding this matter, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: Having traversed all directions with the mind, one nowhere found anyone dearer than oneself. So too is the self dear to others. Therefore, one who loves oneself should not harm another. First. 2. Discourse on Short Life Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Then, in the evening, the venerable Ānanda, having risen from seclusion, went to where the Blessed One was; having approached... having approached, having paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: “It is wonderful, sir, it is amazing, sir! How short-lived, sir, was the mother of the Blessed One! When the Blessed One was seven days old, the mother of the Blessed One passed away, and was reborn in the Tusita realm.” “So it is, Ānanda, so it is, Ānanda, so it is, Ānanda. Short-lived, Ānanda, are the mothers of Bodhisattas. When Bodhisattas are seven days old, the mothers of Bodhisattas pass away, and are reborn in the Tusita realm.” Then, the Blessed One, having understood this matter, on that occasion, uttered this inspired utterance: “Whatever beings have been, or will be, or are now, all will depart, abandoning the body. Knowing this, the skilled one, ardent, should lead the holy life.” The second. 3. The Discourse on Suppabuddha the Leper 43. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. Now on that occasion, there was in Rājagaha a leper named Suppabuddha— a wretched man, a miserable man, a pitiable man. Now on that occasion, the Blessed One was sitting, surrounded by a large assembly, teaching the Dhamma. Suppabuddha the leper saw that great crowd of people gathered from afar. Having seen them, it occurred to him: “Without a doubt, something to eat or something to drink is being distributed here. What if I were to approach that great crowd of people? Perhaps I might obtain something to eat or something to drink there.” Then Suppabuddha the leper approached that great crowd of people. Suppabuddha the leper saw the Blessed One sitting, surrounded by a large assembly, teaching the Dhamma. Having seen him, it occurred to him: “No, nothing to eat or something to drink is being distributed here. This ascetic Gotama is teaching the Dhamma to the assembly. What if I were to…” I too will listen to the Dhamma.” Right there, he sat down to one side, thinking, “I too will listen to the Dhamma.” Then the Blessed One, encompassing the entire assembly with his mind, considered, “Who here is capable of understanding the Dhamma?” The Blessed One saw Suppabuddha the leper sitting in that assembly. Seeing him, it occurred to him, “This one here is capable of understanding the Dhamma.” Addressing Suppabuddha the leper, he gave a gradual discourse, that is, a talk on giving, a talk on morality, a talk on heaven; he explained the danger, the degradation, the defilement of sensual pleasures; and the benefit of renunciation. When the Blessed One knew that Suppabuddha the leper had a ready mind, a soft mind, a mind free from hindrances, an uplifted mind, a confident mind, then he expounded the teaching that is the unique discourse of the Buddhas— suffering, its origin, its cessation, the path. Just as a clean cloth, free from stains, would perfectly absorb dye, even so, in Suppabuddha the leper, right on that very seat, the dust-free, stain-free Dhamma-eye arose: “Whatever is of an origin nature, all that is of a cessation nature.” Then Suppabuddha the leper, having seen the Dhamma, having attained the Dhamma, having known the Dhamma, having penetrated the Dhamma, having crossed over doubt, having abandoned perplexity, having attained confidence, being independent of others in the Teacher’s Dispensation, rose from his seat, approached the Blessed One, and having approached, he bowed to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Suppabuddha the leper said to the Blessed One: “Excellent, venerable sir, excellent, venerable sir! Just as, venerable sir, 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 the Blessed One, in many ways, by whom the Dhamma was revealed. I go for refuge, Venerable Sir, to the Blessed One, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of monks. May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower, who has gone for refuge from this day forth, as long as life lasts.” Then, Suppabuddha the leper, having been instructed, encouraged, uplifted, and gladdened by the Blessed One with a Dhamma talk, rejoiced in and approved of the Blessed One’s words. He rose from his seat, saluted the Blessed One, circumambulated him clockwise, and departed. Not long after Suppabuddha the leper had departed, a cow with a young calf charged him and deprived him of life. Then, a number of 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: “Venerable Sir, Suppabuddha the leper, who was instructed, encouraged, uplifted, and gladdened by the Blessed One with a Dhamma talk, has passed away. What is his destination? What is his future state?” “Suppabuddha the leper, monks, was wise; he practiced in accordance with the Dhamma; and he did not trouble me concerning the Dhamma. Suppabuddha the leper, monks, with the destruction of the three fetters, is a stream-enterer, no longer subject to downfall, certain of liberation, with enlightenment as his destination.” When this was said, a certain monk said to the Blessed One: “What, Venerable Sir, was the reason, what was the cause, that Suppabuddha the leper was a leper—a poor man, a wretched man, a miserable man?” “Formerly, monks, in this very Rājagaha, Suppabuddha the leper was a rich man’s son. As he was going out to the pleasure garden, he saw the Paccekabuddha Tagarasikhī entering the city for alms. Seeing him, he thought: ‘Why is this leper wandering about in a leper’s robe?’ He spat and, turning his back on him, departed. As a result of the ripening of that action, for many hundreds of years, many Many thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years, he burned in hell. By the remaining result of that very kamma, in this very Rājagaha, he became a leper, a poor man, a wretched man, a miserable man. He, having come to the Dhamma and Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata, undertook faith, undertook virtue, undertook learning, undertook generosity, undertook wisdom. He, having come to the Dhamma and Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata, having undertaken faith, having undertaken virtue, having undertaken learning, having undertaken generosity, having undertaken wisdom, with the breaking up of the body, after death, reappeared in a good destination, in the heavenly world, in companionship with the Tāvatiṃsa devas. There he outshone other devas in both complexion and glory. Then the Blessed One, having understood this matter, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: "As one with eyes avoids uneven ground, When effort is present, So the wise one in this living world Should avoid evil deeds." The third. 4. The Discourse on the Young Boys 44. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Now at that time, a number of young boys were tormenting fish between Sāvatthī and Jeta's Grove. Then the Blessed One, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. The Blessed One saw those numerous young boys tormenting fish between Sāvatthī and Jeta's Grove. Having seen them, he approached those young boys; having approached them, he said to those young boys: "Do you, young boys, fear suffering? Is suffering disagreeable to you?" "Yes, venerable sir, we fear suffering, venerable sir; suffering is disagreeable to us." Then the Blessed One, having understood this matter, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: "If you fear suffering, If suffering is disagreeable to you; Do not do evil deeds, Whether openly or in secret. If you do evil deeds, Or have done them; There is no escape for you from suffering, even if you run away, having approached it. The fourth. 5. The Uposatha Sutta 45. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying in Sāvatthī, in the Eastern Park,