English
"Faith is the seed, austerity the rain, wisdom is my yoke and plough; Conscience is the pole, mind the yoke-strap, mindfulness is my ploughshare and goad. Guarded in body, guarded in speech, restrained in food and belly; I make truth the cutting, gentleness my release. Effort is my draught-animal, bearing me to security from bondage; It goes on, not turning back, where having gone, one does not grieve. Thus is this farming tilled, it bears the fruit of the deathless; Having tilled this farming, one is freed from all suffering." Thus, venerable sir, was it spoken by the Blessed One. You claim to be a farmer, but I see no farming of yours; Asked, O farmer, tell us, how are we to know your farming? Faith is the seed, austerity the rain, wisdom is my yoke and plough; Conscience is the pole, mind the yoke-strap, mindfulness is my ploughshare and goad. Question – And friend, having heard this Dhamma discourse, what kind of expression of faith did that brahmin Kasibhāradvāja make in this Dhamma and Discipline? Answer – Venerable sir, having heard this Dhamma discourse, the brahmin Kasibhāradvāja made an expression of faith in this Dhamma and Discipline, saying, "Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent, Master Gotama!" and so on. Just as O Gotama, as one might right what was overturned. The Discourse on Udaya Question – Now, friends, the Udaya Discourse, by the Blessed One, where, concerning whom, on what occasion, and how was it spoken? Answer – In Sāvatthī, venerable sir, it was spoken concerning the brahmin Udaya. The brahmin Udaya, venerable sir, said this to the Blessed One: "This ascetic Gotama is a persistent one, he comes again and again." On that occasion, venerable sir, (the Blessed One spoke this): Again and again they sow the seed, again and again the king of gods rains; Again and again farmers plow the field, again and again the country gets grain. In this way, venerable sir, the Blessed One spoke. Again and again they sow the seed, again and again the king of gods rains; Again and again farmers plow the field, again and again the country gets grain. Again and again beggars beg, again and again donors give; Again and again donors having given, again and again reach a heavenly state. Again and again milkers milk, again and again the calf goes to its mother; Again and again it suffers and struggles, again and again the fool enters a womb. Again and again he is born and dies, again and again they carry him to the charnel ground; But having found the path to no more becoming, the wise one is not born again. The Discourse on the Mother-Supporter Question – Now, friends, the Mātuposaka Discourse, by the Blessed One, where, concerning whom, on what occasion, and how was it spoken? Answer – In Sāvatthī, venerable sir, it was spoken concerning the brahmin Mātuposaka. The brahmin Mātuposaka, venerable sir, said this to the Blessed One: "Indeed, O Gotama, I seek alms righteously, having sought alms righteously, I support my mother and father. Am I, O Gotama, doing what is to be done, performing my duty?" On that occasion, venerable sir, (the Blessed One said): "Indeed, brahmin, you are doing what is to be done, performing your duty. For whoever, brahmin, seeks alms righteously, having sought alms righteously, supports his mother and father, he generates much merit." Thus, venerable sir, it was spoken by the Blessed One. The mortal who Supports mother or father Righteously; By that service To mother and father, the wise Praise him here, And after death, he rejoices in heaven. Khomadussa Sutta Question – Friend, where, concerning whom, in what context, and how was the Khomadussa Sutta in the Brāhmaṇa Saṃyutta spoken by the Blessed One… the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One? Answer – Venerable sir, it was spoken in Khomadussa, a Sakyan village among the Sakyans, concerning the householder brahmins of Khomadussa. Venerable sir, the householder brahmins of Khomadussa said to the Blessed One, “Who are these shaven-headed ascetics, and who will know the true Dhamma?” Venerable sir, in that context: “That is no assembly where there are no good people; They are not good people who do not speak the Dhamma; Having abandoned lust, hatred, and delusion, Those who speak the Dhamma are indeed good people.” Thus, venerable sir, it was spoken by the Blessed One. That is no assembly where there are no good people; They are not good people who do not speak the Dhamma; Having abandoned lust, hatred, and delusion, Those who speak the Dhamma are indeed good people. Vaṅgīsa Saṃyutta Ānanda Sutta Question – Friend, in the Vaṅgīsa Saṃyutta, the fourth recited Ānanda Sutta, where, concerning whom, in what context, by whom, and how was it spoken? Answer – Venerable sir, it was spoken in Sāvatthī, concerning the venerable Elder Vaṅgīsa, by the venerable Elder Ānanda, the Treasurer of the Dhamma. Venerable sir, the venerable Vaṅgīsa addressed the venerable Ānanda with a verse: “I am burning with sensual lust, My mind is burning; Please tell me how to extinguish it, Out of compassion, Gotama.” Venerable sir, in that context: “Your mind is burning Due to the perversion of perception; Avoid the sign Associated with lust for the beautiful; See formations as alien, As suffering, and not as self; Extinguish the great lust, Do not burn again and again; Cultivate the mind on the unattractive, One-pointed…” well-composed. Let mindfulness of the body be yours, be full of dispassion; Cultivate the signless, abandon the conceit-tendency; Then, by the full understanding of conceit, you will wander in peace.” Thus, venerable sir, was it spoken by the Elder Ānanda, the Treasurer of the Dhamma. I am burning with sensual passion, my mind is burning; Please tell me how to extinguish it, out of compassion, Gotama— By the perversion of perception, your mind is burning; Avoid the sign, the beautiful, associated with passion. See formations as alien, as suffering, and not as self; Extinguish the great passion, do not burn again and again. Cultivate your mind on the unattractive, one-pointed and well-composed; Let mindfulness of the body be yours, be full of dispassion. Cultivate the signless, abandon the conceit-tendency; Then, by the full understanding of conceit, you will wander in peace. Vaṅgīsa Sutta Question – There, friends, where, by whom, and how was the twelfth Vaṅgīsa Sutta spoken? Answer – In Sāvatthī, venerable sir, by the Elder Vaṅgīsa, who had recently attained arahantship and was experiencing the bliss of liberation— “Intoxicated with poetry, we wandered before, from village to village, from town to town, Then we saw the Fully Awakened One, faith arose in us; He taught me the Dhamma, the aggregates, sense-bases, and elements; Having heard his Dhamma, I went forth into homelessness; For the welfare of many, indeed, the Sage attained awakening; For monks and nuns, who saw the path to liberation; Welcome indeed it was for me, in the presence of the Buddha; The three knowledges have been attained, the Buddha’s teaching has been done; I know my past lives, the divine eye has been purified; I am threefold-knowledgeable, endowed with psychic powers, skilled in knowing others’ minds. Thus, venerable sir, was it spoken in the nature of an inspired utterance. Intoxicated with poetry, we wandered before; from village to village, from town to town, Then we saw the Fully Awakened One, faith arose in us. He taught me the Dhamma, the aggregates, sense-bases, and elements; Having heard his Dhamma, I went forth into homelessness. For the welfare of many, indeed, The sage attained awakening; For monks and nuns, who have seen the path. Welcome indeed it was for me, in the presence of my Buddha; That knowledge was attained, the Buddha's teaching was done. I know past abodes; The divine eye is purified; I am three-fold knowledge endowed, skilled in knowing others' minds. Connected Discourses on the Forest Discourse on Ānanda Question – Now, friends, when, where, concerning whom, on what occasion, by whom, and how was the fifth discourse in the Connected Discourses on the Forest, the Ānanda Sutta, recited? Answer – Sir, in a certain forest grove in Kosala, shortly after the Blessed One had attained final Nibbāna, it was spoken by a deity dwelling in that forest grove, concerning Venerable Ānanda. Sir, Venerable Ānanda, shortly after the Blessed One had attained final Nibbāna, was dwelling excessively engaged in instructing laypeople. On that occasion, sir— “Having entered the dense root of a tree, Having placed Nibbāna in your heart; Meditate, Gotama, do not be heedless, What will your chattering do?” Thus, sir, was it spoken by the deity dwelling in the forest grove, out of compassion and wishing for the welfare of Venerable Ānanda Thera. Having entered the dense root of a tree, having placed Nibbāna in your heart; Meditate, Gotama, do not be heedless, what will your chattering do? Connected Discourses on Yakkhās Discourse on Indaka Question – Now, friends, where, concerning whom, on what occasion, and how was the first discourse in the Connected Discourses on Yakkhās, the Indaka Sutta, spoken by the Blessed One? Answer – Sir, in Rājagaha, on Indakūṭa Mountain, in the dwelling of the yakkha Indaka, it was spoken concerning the yakkha Indaka. Sir, the yakkha Indaka, holding a self-theory, approached the Blessed One and addressed him with a verse— “Buddhas say that form is not a living soul, How then does this body obtain this self? From where does it get this heap of bones, How then does it cling in the womb?” On that occasion, sir— “First there is a jelly, from the jelly there is a tumor, From the tumor arises Flesh, flesh develops into a lump; From the lump, branches arise, hair, body-hair, and nails too; Whatever his mother eats, food, drink, and sustenance; By that he sustains himself there, the man gone into his mother's womb. Thus, indeed, Venerable Sir, was it spoken by the Blessed One.