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B0102050308pāṭaligāmiyavaggo (white stone village chapter)

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English

8. The Chapter on Pāṭaligāma 1. The First Discourse Connected with Nibbāna 71. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Sāvatthī, at Jetavana, in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Now on that occasion the Blessed One was instructing, urging, rousing, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk connected with Nibbāna. And those bhikkhus, having given attention, having paid mind, having brought their whole mind to bear, were listening to the Dhamma with eager ears. Then, having understood this matter, the Blessed One on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: “There is, bhikkhus, that dimension where there is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor air; nor the dimension of the infinitude of space, nor the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, nor the dimension of nothingness, nor the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; neither this world, nor the other world, nor both moon and sun. There, bhikkhus, I say there is no coming, no going, no standing, no falling, no arising; it is unestablished, unmoving, without support. This, indeed, is the end of suffering.” The First. 2. The Second Discourse Connected with Nibbāna 72. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Sāvatthī, at Jetavana, in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Now on that occasion the Blessed One was instructing, urging, rousing, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk connected with Nibbāna. And those bhikkhus, having given attention, having paid mind, having brought their whole mind to bear, were listening to the Dhamma with eager ears. Then, having understood this matter, the Blessed One on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: “Hard to see is the unconditioned, for the truth is not easily seen. Craving is pierced for one who knows, for one who sees, there is nothing.” The Second. 3. The Third Discourse Connected with Nibbāna 73. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Sāvatthī He was dwelling at Jetavana, in Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Now at that time, the Blessed One instructed the bhikkhus, exhorted them, inspired them, and gladdened them with a talk connected with Nibbāna. And those bhikkhus, paying attention, applying their minds, gathering all their thoughts, listened to the Dhamma with eager ears. Then the Blessed One, understanding this matter, on that occasion, uttered this inspired utterance: ‘‘There is, bhikkhus, the unborn, unbecome, unmade, unconditioned. If, bhikkhus, there were not this unborn, unbecome, unmade, unconditioned, there would be no escape from the born, become, made, conditioned. But because, bhikkhus, there is this unborn, unbecome, unmade, unconditioned, therefore there is an escape from the born, become, made, conditioned.’’ The Third. 4. The Fourth Discourse Connected with Nibbāna 74. Thus have I heard: At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time, the Blessed One instructed the bhikkhus, exhorted them, inspired them, and gladdened them with a talk connected with Nibbāna. And those bhikkhus, paying attention, applying their minds, gathering all their thoughts, listened to the Dhamma with eager ears. Then the Blessed One, understanding this matter, on that occasion, uttered this inspired utterance: ‘‘For one who relies, there is wavering. For one who relies not, there is no wavering. When there is no wavering, there is tranquility. When there is tranquility, there is no inclination. When there is no inclination, there is no coming and going. When there is no coming and going, there is no passing away and reappearing. When there is no passing away and reappearing, there is neither here, nor beyond, nor in between the two. This, indeed, is the end of suffering.’’ The Fourth. 5. The Discourse to Cunda 75. Thus have I heard: At one time, the Blessed One, while wandering among the Mallans, together with a large community of bhikkhus, arrived at Pāvā. There, indeed, the Blessed One at Pāvā He was staying in the mango grove of Cunda the smith's son. Now Cunda the smith's son heard: "Indeed, the Blessed One, wandering among the Mallas, has arrived at Pāvā with a large community of monks, and is staying in Pāvā, in my mango grove." Then Cunda the smith's son approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. To Cunda the smith's son, sitting to one side, the Blessed One instructed, inspired, encouraged, and gladdened with a talk on the Dhamma. Then Cunda the smith's son, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and gladdened by the Blessed One's talk on the Dhamma, said to the Blessed One: "May the Blessed One, sir, accept my invitation for tomorrow's meal with the community of monks." The Blessed One accepted by remaining silent. Then Cunda the smith's son, knowing the Blessed One's acceptance, rose from his seat, paid homage to the Blessed One, circumambulated him respectfully, and departed. Then Cunda the smith's son, when that night had passed, had choice hard and soft food prepared in his own dwelling, and abundant pork; he then had the time announced to the Blessed One: "It is time, sir, the meal is ready." Then the Blessed One, in the morning, having dressed, and taking his bowl and robe, approached the dwelling of Cunda the smith's son with the community of monks; having approached, he sat down on the seat prepared. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed Cunda the smith's son: "Cunda, serve me with the pork you have prepared; and serve the community of monks with the other hard and soft food you have prepared." "Yes, sir," Cunda the smith's son replied to the Blessed One, and served the Blessed One with the pork he had prepared; and served the community of monks with the other hard and soft food he had prepared. Then the Blessed One, Cunda the smith's son He addressed the son of the smith: "Whatever remains, Cunda, of the boar's soft food, bury it in a pit. I do not see, Cunda, in this world with its devas, its Māras, its Brahmās, with its recluses and brahmins, its devas and humans, anyone for whom that food, if eaten, would be properly digested, except for the Tathāgata." "Yes, venerable sir," Cunda, the son of the smith, replied to the Blessed One. And having buried whatever remained of the boar's soft food in a pit, he approached the Blessed One. Having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. The Blessed One, having instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened Cunda, the son of the smith, with a Dhamma talk, rose from his seat and departed. Then, after the Blessed One had eaten the meal of Cunda, the son of the smith, a severe illness arose. A bloody dysentery, severe and deadly, set in. There, the Blessed One, mindful and clearly comprehending, endured it without complaint. Then the Blessed One addressed Venerable Ānanda: "Come, Ānanda, let us go to Kusinārā." "Yes, venerable sir," Venerable Ānanda replied to the Blessed One. Having eaten Cunda's meal, the smith's, so I heard; the Sage was afflicted by an illness, severe and deadly. And having eaten the boar's soft food, a severe illness arose for the Teacher; purging, the Blessed One said, "I shall go to the city of Kusinārā." Then the Blessed One turned aside from the road and approached a certain tree root. Having approached, he addressed Venerable Ānanda: "Come, Ānanda, spread out my outer robe, folded in four; I am weary, Ānanda, I will sit down." "Yes, venerable sir," Venerable Ānanda replied to the Blessed One, and spread out the outer robe, folded in four. He spread it. The Blessed One sat down on the seat prepared. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed Venerable Ānanda: "Come, Ānanda, bring me some water; I am thirsty, Ānanda, I will drink." When this was said, Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: "Just now, sir, more than five hundred carts have passed by. That water, cut by wheels, is little, stirred up, and turbid. Sir, this Kukuṭṭhā River is not far away, with clear water, pleasant water, cool water, white water, with good fords, delightful. There the Blessed One can drink water and cool his limbs." A second time... and a third time, the Blessed One addressed Venerable Ānanda: "Come, Ānanda, bring me some water; I am thirsty, Ānanda, I will drink." "Yes, sir," Venerable Ānanda replied to the Blessed One, and taking the bowl, he went to that river. Then that river, cut by wheels, little, stirred up, and turbid, as Venerable Ānanda approached, flowed clear, serene, and unturbid. Then it occurred to Venerable Ānanda: "How wonderful, sirs! How amazing, sirs! The great power and great might of the Tathāgata! For this very river, cut by wheels, little, stirred up, and turbid, as I approached, flows clear, serene, and unturbid!" Taking water in the bowl, he went to the Blessed One; having approached, he said to the Blessed One: "Wonderful, sir! Amazing, sir! The great power and great might of the Tathāgata! For this very river, sir, cut by wheels, little, stirred up, and turbid, as I approached, flows clear, serene, and unturbid! Let the Blessed One drink water, let the Fortunate One drink water." Then the Blessed One drank the water. Then the Blessed One, together with a large community of bhikkhus, approached the Kukuṭṭhā River. Having approached it, having plunged into the Kukuṭṭhā River, having bathed and drunk, and having come out, he approached the mango grove. Having approached it, he addressed the venerable Cundaka: “Come now, Cundaka, spread out my robe folded fourfold; I am weary, Cundaka, I will lie down.” “Yes, venerable sir,” replied the venerable Cundaka to the Blessed One, and he spread out the robe folded fourfold. Then the Blessed One lay down on his right side in the lion's posture, placing one foot on the other, mindful and clearly comprehending, having fixed his mind on the thought of rising. And the venerable Cundaka sat there

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