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to the removal of mental hindrances, leading entirely to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna. Such as talk on fewness of wishes… This the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Sugata rose from his seat and entered the monastery. This brief summary has been given by me, not elaborated in detail. The bhikkhus who receive the Dhamma, having learned it, will approach Ānanda or Kaccāna and question them. They will explain it, comparing it with my knowledge. Then the bhikkhus who receive the Dhamma will question me again. To them I will say: "Well-spoken, bhikkhus, by Ānanda! Well-spoken by Kaccāna! Even if you were to me—" If one were to ask a single thing, I too would explain it in just the same way. The Shorter Discourse on Gosinga Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was staying in Nātika, at the Brick Hall. And on that occasion, the venerable Anuruddha, the venerable Nandiya, and the venerable Kimbila were staying in the Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood. Then the Blessed One, having emerged from his seclusion in the evening, went to the Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood. The park-keeper saw the Blessed One coming from afar. Having seen him, he said to the Blessed One: "Great ascetic, do not enter this park. There are three noble sons staying here, delighting in their own practice. Do not disturb them." I will praise these noble sons, exalt them, and having exchanged greetings, I will teach them the Dhamma. The venerable Anuruddha heard the park-keeper speaking with the Blessed One. Having heard him, he said to the park-keeper: "Friend park-keeper, do not obstruct the Blessed One. Our Teacher, the Blessed One, has arrived." We three people live here. There are no other renunciants. And this park-keeper is speaking as if with a renunciant. Who could it be? This park-keeper, like one who stretches out his hand to grasp a hooded snake by the neck, does not know that he is speaking with the foremost person in the world. He speaks as if with some ordinary monk. We three people live in harmony. If I were to go forth alone to meet him, that would not be harmonious living. So I will go forth to meet him together with my dear friends. Just as the Blessed One is dear to me, so too is he dear to my companions. Desiring to go forth to meet him with them, he went to them without doing so himself first. It occurred to me, venerable sir, "What if I were to set aside my own will and act in accordance with the will of these venerable ones?" So, venerable sir, I set aside my own will and act in accordance with the will of these venerable ones. Our bodies, venerable sir, are many, but I think the mind is one. Good, good, Anuruddha. Do you, Anuruddha, dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute? Indeed, venerable sir, we dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute. But how, Anuruddha, do you dwell heedful, ardent, and resolute? While dwelling thus, Anuruddha, heedful, ardent, and resolute, have you attained any superhuman states, any distinction in noble knowledge and vision, any comfortable dwelling? What would we have, venerable sir? Here, venerable sir, whenever we wish, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, we enter and dwell in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by initial application and sustained application, born of seclusion, and filled with rapture and pleasure. This, venerable sir, is our attainment of a superhuman state, a distinction in noble knowledge and vision, a comfortable dwelling, while dwelling heedful, ardent, and resolute. Connected Discourses with Verses, Commentary Yakkha-Saṃyutta Āḷavaka Sutta Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Āḷavī, in the abode of the yakkha Āḷavaka. He was unable to catch the deer, and to remove the blame, as he was coming carrying the deer on his shoulder, not far from the city, he saw a great banyan tree with thick leaves and branches. To relieve his fatigue, he went to its root. Whoever are criminals, referring to them, he says, "Whoever desires life, let him go out." The king seizes thieves and gives them to the yakkha. Thus, people refrained from thievery. Then, after some time, due to the absence of new thieves and the exhaustion of old thieves, the prisons became empty. The people will be agitated, thinking, "The king sends our father, our grandfather." He restrained them, saying, "May this not please you." There is no child in the city, O king, except your son, Prince Āḷavaka, in the inner palace. Then the yakkha Āḷavaka approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he said to the Blessed One, "Go out!" Go out, ascetic! Very well, friend, so the Blessed One went out. Come in, ascetic! Very well, friend, so the Blessed One came in. A second time, the Alavaka yakkha said to the Blessed One: Go out, ascetic! Very well, friend, so the Blessed One went out. Come in, ascetic! Very well, friend, so the Blessed One came in. A third time, the Alavaka yakkha said to the Blessed One: Go out, ascetic! Very well, friend, so the Blessed One went out. Come in, ascetic! Very well, friend, so the Blessed One came in. A fourth time, the Alavaka yakkha said to the Blessed One: I will not go out, friend. Do what you must do. I will ask you a question, ascetic. If you do not answer me, I will either scatter your mind, or burst your heart, or take you by the feet and throw you across the Ganges! I do not see, friend, in the world with its devas, with its Maras, with its Brahmas, among the generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its devas and humans, anyone who could scatter my mind, or burst my heart, or take me by the feet and throw me across the Ganges. But you, friend, ask what you wish. Who is this called the Blessed One, who has entered my dwelling? he said. You do not know, friend, the Blessed One, our Teacher, who, standing in the Tusita heaven, having observed the five great observations, and so on, in this manner, up to the turning of the Dhamma-wheel, speaking of the thirty-two pre-omens in rebirths and so on, they reproached him, saying: You, friend, did not even see these wonders! Now see whether your Teacher is mighty, or I am! Saying this, he stepped with his right foot on the peak of Mount Kelasa, sixty yojanas high. What if I were to release an invincible, evil weapon? This matter is about an ascetic abiding in loving-kindness. Come, let me anger him and separate him from loving-kindness. It was said in this connection: Then the Alavaka yakkha, to where the Blessed One was... ...go out, ascetic! Indeed, this ascetic is well-behaved, he went out at a single word. So it is that He thought again, having become soft-hearted: "To send out the monk happily, without reason, I will fight all night." "This monk is obedient. Told to 'go out', he goes out. Told to 'come in', he comes in. What if I, after tiring this monk out like this all night, take him by the feet and throw him across the Ganges?" — having produced such an evil thought, for the fourth time he said, "Go out, monk!" What here is the best wealth for a person? What well-practiced brings happiness? What indeed is sweeter than tastes? How lived, do they say, is the best life? Faith here is the best wealth for a person, Dharma well-practiced brings happiness; Truth indeed is sweeter than tastes, A life lived with wisdom, they say, is the best life. Faithful, endowed with virtue, Fame and wealth bestowed; Whatever region he visits, There, in that very place, he is honored. By truth, water even flows, Poison even, by truth, the wise overcome; By truth, the god thunders and rains, Those established in truth aspire to Nibbana. Whatever tastes there are on earth, Truth is the sweetest of those tastes; Monks and brahmins established in truth, Cross to the other shore of birth and death. How indeed does one cross the flood? How indeed does one cross the ocean? How indeed does one overcome suffering? How indeed does one become purified? By faith one crosses the flood, by diligence the ocean; By energy one overcomes suffering, by wisdom one becomes purified. How indeed does one gain wisdom? How indeed does one find wealth? How indeed does one attain fame? How does one gather friends? From this world to the next world, how does one not grieve after death? Believing in the Arahants, Dharma for Nibbana's attainment; Attentive, one gains wisdom, Diligent, discerning. Performing suitable work, diligent, Energetic, one finds wealth; By truth one attains fame, by giving one gathers friends. From this world to the next world, thus after death one does not grieve. For whom these four qualities, Of a faithful householder... Truth, self-control, steadfastness, generosity, He, indeed, grieves not after death; Go now, ask others too, Many ascetics and brahmins; If by truth, by Dhamma, by generosity, One is found to be greater here by patience. How now can I ask, many ascetics and brahmins; Since I today understand, what is beneficial for the future. Truly for my benefit, the Buddha came to Āḷavī for residence; Since I today understand, where a gift yields great fruit. So I shall wander, from village to village, from town to town; Revering the Fully Awakened One, and the well-taught nature of the Dhamma. This boy, marked with a hundred merits, Endowed with all limbs, with perfect characteristics; With uplifted heart, well-pleased, I give him to you, Accept him, O Seer, for the welfare of the world. May this boy be long-lived, And you, O Yakkha, be happy; May you remain free from affliction for the welfare of the world; This boy takes refuge in the Buddha, (He takes refuge in the) Dhamma, (He takes refuge in the) Saṅgha. Commentary on the Mahāvagga Saṃyutta At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery.