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3. Discourse on Celibacy 1. Discourse on Pure Celibacy 269. Is there no dwelling in celibacy among the devas? Yes. All devas are dull, mute, ignorant, communicating by gestures, unable to understand the meaning of well-spoken and ill-spoken words, all devas are not confident in the Buddha, not confident in the Dhamma, not confident in the Saṅgha, they do not attend upon the Blessed Buddha, they do not ask questions of the Blessed Buddha, they are not pleased when questions are answered by the Blessed Buddha, all devas are endowed with the hindrance of kamma, endowed with the hindrance of defilements, endowed with the hindrance of results, faithless, without desire, foolish, unable to enter the fixed path of rightness in wholesome states, all devas are matricides, parricides, slayers of Arahants, producers of blood, schismatics of the Saṅgha, all devas are destroyers of life, takers of what is not given, wrongdoers in sensual pleasures, liars, slanderers, harsh speakers, idle chatterers, covetous, with malevolent minds, with wrong views? It should not be said so... Are there not devas who are not dull, not mute, intelligent, not communicating by gestures, able to understand the meaning of well-spoken and ill-spoken words, are there not devas who are confident in the Buddha, confident in the Dhamma, confident in the Saṅgha, who attend upon the Blessed Buddha, who ask questions of the Blessed Buddha, who are pleased when questions are answered by the Blessed Buddha, are there not devas who are not endowed with the hindrance of kamma, not endowed with the hindrance of defilements, not endowed with the hindrance of results, faithful, with desire, wise, able to enter the fixed path of rightness in wholesome states, are there not devas who are not matricides, not parricides, not slayers of Arahants, not producers of blood, not schismatics of the Saṅgha, are there not devas who are not destroyers of life, not takers of what is not given, not wrongdoers in sensual pleasures, not liars, not slanderers, not harsh speakers, not idle chatterers, not covetous, with benevolent minds, with right views? Yes. If indeed there are devas who are not dull... Intelligent, not dumb or mute, wise, not communicating by hand signs, capable of understanding the meaning of well-spoken and ill-spoken words… There are gods devoted to the Buddha… with right view. It should certainly not be said: "There is no holy life among the gods." 270. Is there a holy life among the gods? Yes. Is there renunciation there, head-shaving, wearing of ochre robes, carrying of a bowl? Do Fully Enlightened Ones arise among the gods? Do Solitary Buddhas arise? Do pairs of disciples arise? It should not be said so… There is no renunciation among the gods, is there no holy life among the gods? Yes. Where there is renunciation, there is the holy life. Where there is no renunciation, is there no holy life there? It should not be said so… Where there is renunciation, there is the holy life. Where there is no renunciation, is there no holy life there? Yes. For one who renounces, there is the holy life. For one who does not renounce, is there no holy life for them? It should not be said so… There is no head-shaving among the gods, is there no holy life among the gods? Yes. Where there is head-shaving, there is the holy life. Where there is no head-shaving, is there no holy life there? It should not be said so… Where there is head-shaving, there is the holy life. Where there is no head-shaving, is there no holy life there? Yes. For one who is shaven, there is the holy life. For one who is not shaven, is there no holy life for them? It should not be said so… There is no wearing of ochre robes among the gods, is there no holy life among the gods? Yes. Where there is wearing of ochre robes, there is the holy life. Where there is no wearing of ochre robes, is there no holy life there? It should not be said so… Where there is wearing of ochre robes, there is the holy life. Where there is no wearing of ochre robes, is there no holy life there? Yes. One who… He who wears the saffron robe, his is the holy life. He who wears not the saffron robe, his is not the holy life? It should not be said thus… (and so on). Among the devas there is no bowl-holding, so among the devas there is no holy life? Yes. Where there is bowl-holding, there alone is the holy life. Where there is no bowl-holding, there is no holy life? It should not be said thus… (and so on). Where there is bowl-holding, there alone is the holy life. Where there is no bowl-holding, there is no holy life? Yes. He who holds a bowl, his is the holy life. He who holds not a bowl, his is not the holy life? It should not be said thus… (and so on). Among the devas no Fully Self-Awakened Ones arise, so among the devas there is no holy life? Yes. Where Fully Self-Awakened Ones arise, there alone is the holy life. Where Fully Self-Awakened Ones do not arise, there is no holy life? It should not be said thus… (and so on). Where Fully Self-Awakened Ones arise, there alone is the holy life. Where Fully Self-Awakened Ones do not arise, there is no holy life? Yes. In Lumbinī the Blessed One was born. At the root of the Bodhi tree he was fully awakened. In Bārāṇasī the wheel of Dhamma was set in motion by the Blessed One. There alone is the holy life. Nowhere else is the holy life? It should not be said thus… (and so on). Among the devas no Solitary Buddhas arise, so among the devas there is no holy life? Yes. Where Solitary Buddhas arise, there alone is the holy life. Where Solitary Buddhas do not arise, there is no holy life? It should not be said thus… (and so on). Where Solitary Buddhas arise, there alone is the holy life. Where Solitary Buddhas do not arise, there is no holy life? Yes. In the Middle Countries Solitary Buddhas arise. There alone is the holy life. Nowhere else is the holy life. Is there a dwelling? It should not be said thus...etc. Do pairs of disciples not arise among the devas, is there no holy life among the devas? Yes. Where pairs of disciples arise, there is the holy life; where pairs of disciples do not arise, there is no holy life? It should not be said thus...etc. Where pairs of disciples arise, there is the holy life; where pairs of disciples do not arise, there is no holy life? Yes. In Magadha, pairs of disciples have arisen, there is the holy life there, is there no holy life elsewhere? It should not be said thus...etc. 271. Is there a holy life among the devas? Yes. Is there a holy life among all devas? It should not be said thus...etc. Is there a holy life among humans? Yes. Is there a holy life among all humans? It should not be said thus...etc. Is there a holy life among the devas? Yes. Is there a holy life among the non-percipient devas? It should not be said thus...etc. Is there a holy life among humans? Yes. Is there a holy life in the border regions, among barbarians, among the unknown, where there is no going for monks, nuns, male lay followers, female lay followers? It should not be said thus. Is there a holy life among the devas? There is where there is, there is where there is not. Among the non-percipient devas, is there where there is, is there where there is not a holy life; among the percipient devas, is there where there is, is there where there is not a holy life? It should not be said thus. Among the devas, is there where there is, is there where there is not a holy life? Yes. Where is there, where is there not? Among the non-percipient devas, there is no holy life; among the percipient devas, there is a holy life. Among the non-percipient devas, is there no holy life? Yes. Q: Among the sentient beings, among the devas, is there no holy life? No, it should not be said so. Among the sentient beings, among the devas, is there a holy life? Yes. Among the non-sentient beings, among the devas, is there a holy life? No, it should not be said so. Is there a holy life among humans? There is where there is, there is where there is not. In the border regions, is there where there is, is there where there is not a holy life, among the barbarians, the unintelligent, where there is no going for monks, for nuns, for male lay followers, for female lay followers? In the central regions, is there where there is, is there where there is not a holy life? No, it should not be said so. Among humans, is there where there is, is there where there is not a holy life? Yes. Where is there, where is there not? In the border regions, there is no holy life among the barbarians, the unintelligent, where there is no going for monks, for nuns, for male lay followers, for female lay followers. In the central regions, there is a holy life. In the border regions, is there no holy life among the barbarians, the unintelligent, where there is no going for monks, for nuns, for male lay followers, for female lay followers? Yes. In the central regions, is there no holy life? No, it should not be said so. In the central regions, is there a holy life? Yes. In the border regions, is there a holy life among the barbarians, the unintelligent, where there is no going for monks, for nuns, for male lay followers, for female lay followers? No, it should not be said so. Is there a holy life among devas? Yes. But was it not said by the Blessed One – "By three things, monks, the humans of Jambudīpa excel the humans of Uttarakuru and the devas of Tāvatiṃsa! Which three? They are brave, they are mindful, here is the holy life." Is there indeed such a Suttanta? Yes. Then there is no holy life among devas. In Sāvatthī, it was said by the Blessed One – "Here is the holy life."? Yes. Is the holy life only in Sāvatthī, and not elsewhere? It should not be said thus. For the non-returner person, the five lower fetters are abandoned, the five higher fetters are not abandoned. Having passed away from here, having arisen there, where is the attainment of fruit? Right there. If for the non-returner person,