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B040202Majjhimanikāya (pu vi)(middle collection q and a)

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English

and when teaching the Dhamma, and in all postures, what kind of pleasing manner did the young man Uttara see and observe, and report to his own teacher, the brahmin Brahmāyu? Answer – And further, venerable sir, when the Blessed One was wearing the robe, and when going to the monastery, and in all postures, having seen and observed his pleasing manner, without excessive raising, etc., the young man Uttara reported to his own teacher, the brahmin Brahmāyu. Question – And how, friend, did the brahmin Brahmāyu, the Blessed One... asked the Blessed One, and how did the Blessed One explain it to him? The answer: "How is one a brahmin? How does one become a master of the Vedas? How, sirs, is one threefold knowledge? How is one called a Sottiya? How, sirs, is one an Arahant? How does one become complete? How, sirs, is one a sage? How is one called a Buddha?" Thus, venerable sir, did the brahmin Brahmāyu ask the Blessed One a question. The Blessed One, venerable sir— "He who knows his past lives, And sees heaven and the states of woe; And has attained the destruction of birth, A sage perfected in supernormal knowledge; He knows his mind is purified, Freed from all defilements; One who has abandoned birth and death, Complete in the holy life; One who has gone to the far shore of all phenomena, Such a one is called a Buddha." Thus, venerable sir, did the Blessed One explain it in detail to the brahmin Brahmāyu. The question: And, friend, having heard this explanation from the Blessed One, what kind of profound reverence did the brahmin Brahmāyu show to the Blessed One, and how did the Blessed One again teach him the Dhamma in gradual discourse? The answer: And, venerable sir, having heard this explanation from the Blessed One, the brahmin Brahmāyu rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, prostrated his head at the Blessed One's feet, kissed the Blessed One's feet with his mouth, massaged them with his hands, and announced his name, saying, "I am the brahmin Brahmāyu, good Gotama, I am the brahmin Brahmāyu, good Gotama." Thus he showed the utmost reverence. And the Blessed One, venerable sir, expounded a discourse on giving, a discourse on morality, a discourse on heaven, the danger, degradation, and defilement of sensual pleasures, and the benefit of renunciation. Thus, venerable sir, did the Blessed One give a gradual discourse to the brahmin Brahmāyu. The question: And, friend, having heard this teaching, what kind of penetration of the Dhamma occurred to the brahmin Brahmāyu? The answer: And, venerable sir, having heard this teaching, to the brahmin Brahmāyu, right there on that very seat, arose the dustless, stainless vision of the Dhamma: "Whatever is subject to arising all that is of the nature to cease. Sela Sutta Question – Where, friends, concerning whom, on what occasion was the Sela Sutta spoken by the Blessed One? Answer – In Anguttarāpa, venerable sir, at a market town named Āpaṇa, concerning the brahmin Sela of Anguttarāpa, it was spoken. The brahmin Sela, venerable sir, with his retinue, approached the Blessed One and praised the Blessed One directly with fitting verses. On that occasion, venerable sir, it was spoken. Full-bodied, delightful, well-born, charming to behold; Of golden hue, O Blessed One, with very white fangs, energetic; Indeed, the marks that are for a well-born man; All those great marks of a great man are on your body. Assalāyana Sutta Question – Where, friends, concerning whom, on what occasion was the Assalāyana Sutta spoken by the Blessed One? Answer – In Sāvatthī, venerable sir, concerning the brahmin youth Assalāyana, it was spoken. The brahmin youth Assalāyana, venerable sir, with a large group of brahmins, approached the Blessed One and said this: "Brahmins, good Gotama, say this: 'Brahmins alone are the highest caste, other castes are low. Brahmins alone are the white caste, other castes are black. Brahmins alone are purified, not non-brahmins. Brahmins alone are the legitimate sons of Brahmā, born from his mouth, born of Brahmā, created by Brahmā, heirs of Brahmā.' What does Master Gotama say about this?" On that occasion, venerable sir, it was spoken. Ghoṭamukha Sutta Question – Where, friends, concerning whom, on what occasion, by whom was the Ghoṭamukha Sutta spoken? Answer – In Bārāṇasī, venerable sir, at the Khemiyamba Grove, concerning the brahmin Ghoṭamukha, it was spoken by Venerable Udāna. The brahmin Ghoṭamukha, venerable sir, following Venerable Udāna as he was walking, said this: "Indeed, recluse, there is no righteous wandering life. This is what I think about it, and that is because I do not see such venerable ones, or what the Dhamma is in this." On that occasion, venerable sir, it was spoken. Caṅkī Sutta Question – By that venerable Blessed One, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, where, concerning whom, and on what occasion was the Caṅkī Sutta spoken? Answer – In Kosala, venerable sir, at a Kosalan village called Opāsāda, it was spoken concerning the young brahmin Kāpaṭika. Kāpaṭika, venerable sir, the young brahmin, said this to the Blessed One: "As to this ancient brahminical mantra-text, which has come down through successive generations by oral tradition, by the transmission of the Pitaka, concerning which the brahmins are absolutely certain, 'This alone is true, anything else is false' – what does Master Gotama say about this?" It was spoken, venerable sir, on that occasion. Esukārī Sutta Question – And where, concerning whom, and on what occasion, venerable sir, was the Esukārī Sutta spoken by the Blessed One? Answer – In Sāvatthī, venerable sir, it was spoken concerning the brahmin Esukārī. The brahmin Esukārī, venerable sir, approached the Blessed One and said this: "Brahmins, Master Gotama, declare four kinds of service. They declare service for a brahmin, they declare service for a khattiya, they declare service for a vessa, they declare service for a sudda." It was spoken, venerable sir, on that occasion. Dhanañjāni Sutta Question – And where, concerning whom, on what occasion, and by whom, venerable sir, was the Dhanañjāni Sutta spoken? Answer – In Rājagaha, venerable sir, it was spoken concerning the brahmin Dhanañjāni, by the venerable Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma. The brahmin Dhanañjāni, venerable sir, lived heedlessly. It was spoken, venerable sir, on that occasion. Question – Then, venerable sir, how did the venerable Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma, question the brahmin Dhanañjāni, and how did he report it to the venerable Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma? Answer – "Are you heedful, Dhanañjāni?" Thus, venerable sir, did the venerable Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma, question the brahmin Dhanañjāni. And the brahmin Dhanañjāni, venerable sir, [replied] "How, Master Sāripu..." This is our diligence, for whom our parents are to be supported. Thus he reported to the Venerable Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma. Question: When this was said, friend, what kind of Dhamma talk did the Venerable Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma, give to the brahmin Dhanañjāni? Answer: When this was said, venerable sir, the Venerable Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma, gave a Dhamma talk to the brahmin Dhanañjāni, saying: "What do you think, Dhanañjāni? Here, someone, for the sake of their parents, might act unrighteously, unevenly. Would the guardians of hell drag him to hell because of that unrighteous, uneven conduct?" Thus, he gave a Dhamma talk to the brahmin Dhanañjāni. Question: Again, friend, how did the Venerable Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma, give instruction to the brahmin Dhanañjāni in another way? Answer: Again, venerable sir, the Venerable Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma, gave advice to the brahmin Dhanañjāni in another way, saying: "What do you think, Dhanañjāni? He who, for the sake of his parents, acts unrighteously, unevenly, or he who, for the sake of his parents, acts righteously, evenly, which is better?" Thus, he gave advice to the brahmin Dhanañjāni in another way. Question: Later on, friend, how did the Venerable Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma, give a Dhamma talk to the brahmin Dhanañjāni at the time of his death? And what was his destiny in the next world? Answer: Later on, venerable sir, the Venerable Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma, even at the time of the brahmin Dhanañjāni's death, taught the four Brahma-vihāras. And Dhanañjāni, venerable sir, the brahmin, after the breaking up of the body, after death, became one bound for the Brahma-world. The Vāseṭṭha Sutta Question: And the Vāseṭṭha Sutta, friend, by the Blessed One, where, concerning whom, on what occasion was it spoken? Answer: In Icchānaṅgala, venerable sir, it was spoken concerning the young man Vāseṭṭha. Vāseṭṭha, venerable sir, the young man, addressed the Blessed One with verses – "Acknowledged and agreed upon, the three-fold..." Indeed, we both are. I am Pokkharasāti's, This pupil is Tārukkha's. What is declared by the three-Veda-knowers, In that we are perfect; In word-analysis we are grammarians, In chanting, like our teachers. For us, concerning the doctrine of birth, There is a dispute, Gotama. "By birth one is a brahmin," So speaks Bhāradvāja. And I say, "by action," Thus know, O Seer. Therefore we both are able To make known to each other. We have come to ask the venerable one, The Fully Awakened One, thus renowned. Just as people, with clasped hands, Approach the moon beyond decay, Revering, they pay homage; Thus in the world, to Gotama. The Eye arisen in the world, We ask Gotama: "By birth is one a brahmin, Or rather does one become by action?" To us who do not know, please tell, So that we may know what a brahmin is. In that context, venerable sir, it was spoken. Subha Sutta Question – Now, friend, where, concerning whom, In what context was the Subha Sutta spoken by the Blessed One?

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