{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn103/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn103","id":"suttacentral_mn103","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn103/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Kusin\u0101r\u0101 in the Forest of Offerings. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, \u201cMendicants!\u201d \u201cVenerable sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cMendicants, is this what you think of me? \u2018The ascetic Gotama teaches the Dhamma for the sake of robes, almsfood, lodgings, or rebirth in this or that state.\u2019\u201d \u201cNo sir, we don\u2019t think of you that way.\u201d \u201cIf you don\u2019t think of me that way, what then do you think of me?\u201d \u201cWe think of you this way: \u2018The Buddha is sympathetic and wants what\u2019s best for us. He teaches out of sympathy.\u2019\u201d \u201cSo it seems you think that I teach out of sympathy. In that case, each and every one of you should train in the things I have taught from my direct knowledge, that is: the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path. You should train in these things in harmony, appreciating each other, without dispute. As you do so, it may happen that two mendicants disagree about the teaching. Now, you might think, \u2018These two venerables disagree on both the meaning and the phrasing.\u2019 So you should approach whichever mendicant you think is most amenable and say to them: \u2018The venerables disagree on the meaning and the phrasing. But the venerables should know that this is how such disagreement on the meaning and the phrasing comes to be. Please don\u2019t get into a dispute about this.\u2019 Then you should approach whichever mendicant they think is most amenable among those who side with the other party and say to them: \u2018The venerables disagree on the meaning and the phrasing. But the venerables should know that this is how such disagreement on the meaning and the phrasing comes to be. Please don\u2019t get into a dispute about this.\u2019 So you should remember what has been incorrectly memorized as incorrectly memorized and what has been correctly memorized as correctly memorized. Remembering this, you should speak on the teaching and the training. Now, you might think, \u2018These two venerables disagree on the meaning but agree on the phrasing.\u2019 So you should approach whichever mendicant you think is most amenable and say to them: \u2018The venerables disagree on the meaning but agree on the phrasing. But the venerables should know that this is how such disagreement on the meaning and agreement on the phrasing comes to be. Please don\u2019t get into a dispute about this.\u2019 Then you should approach whichever mendicant they think is most amenable among those who side with the other party and say to them: \u2018The venerables disagree on the meaning but agree on the phrasing. But the venerables should know that this is how such disagreement on the meaning and agreement on the phrasing comes to be. Please don\u2019t get into a dispute about this.\u2019 So you should remember what has been incorrectly memorized as incorrectly memorized and what has been correctly memorized as correctly memorized. Remembering this, you should speak on the teaching and the training. Now, you might think, \u2018These two venerables agree on the meaning but disagree on the phrasing.\u2019 So you should approach whichever mendicant you think is most amenable and say to them: \u2018The venerables agree on the meaning but disagree on the phrasing. But the venerables should know that this is how such agreement on the meaning and disagreement on the phrasing comes to be. But the phrasing is a minor matter. Please don\u2019t get into a dispute about something so minor.\u2019 Then you should approach whichever mendicant they think is most amenable among those who side with the other party and say to them: \u2018The venerables agree on the meaning but disagree on the phrasing. But the venerables should know that this is how such agreement on the meaning and disagreement on the phrasing comes to be. But the phrasing is a minor matter. Please don\u2019t get into a dispute about something so minor.\u2019 So you should remember what has been correctly memorized as correctly memorized and what has been incorrectly memorized as incorrectly memorized. Remembering this, you should speak on the teaching and the training. Now, you might think, \u2018These two venerables agree on both the meaning and the phrasing.\u2019 So you should approach whichever mendicant you think is most amenable and say to them: \u2018The venerables agree on both the meaning and the phrasing. But the venerables should know that this is how they come to agree on the meaning and the phrasing. Please don\u2019t get into a dispute about this.\u2019 Then you should approach whichever mendicant they think is most amenable among those who side with the other party and say to them: \u2018The venerables agree on both the meaning and the phrasing. But the venerables should know that this is how they come to agree on the meaning and the phrasing. Please don\u2019t get into a dispute about this.\u2019 So you should remember what has been correctly memorized as correctly memorized. Remembering this, you should speak on the teaching and the training. As you train in harmony, appreciating each other, without dispute, one of the mendicants might commit an offense or transgression. In such a case, you should not be in a hurry to accuse them. The individual should be examined like this: \u2018I won\u2019t be troubled and the other individual won\u2019t be hurt, for they\u2019re not irritable and acrimonious. They don\u2019t hold fast to their views, but let them go easily. I can draw them away from the unskillful and establish them in the skillful.\u2019 If that\u2019s what you think, then it\u2019s appropriate to speak to them. But suppose you think this: \u2018I will be troubled and the other individual will be hurt, for they\u2019re irritable and acrimonious. However, they don\u2019t hold fast to their views, but let them go easily. I can draw them away from the unskillful and establish them in the skillful. But for the other individual to get hurt is a minor matter. It\u2019s more important that I can draw them away from the unskillful and establish them in the skillful.\u2019 If that\u2019s what you think, then it\u2019s appropriate to speak to them. But suppose you think this: \u2018I will be troubled but the other individual won\u2019t be hurt, for they\u2019re not irritable and acrimonious. However, they hold fast to their views, refusing to let go. Nevertheless, I can draw them away from the unskillful and establish them in the skillful. But for me to be troubled is a minor matter. It\u2019s more important that I can draw them away from the unskillful and establish them in the skillful.\u2019 If that\u2019s what you think, then it\u2019s appropriate to speak to them. But suppose you think this: \u2018I will be troubled and the other individual will be hurt, for they\u2019re irritable and acrimonious. And they hold fast to their views, refusing to let go. Nevertheless, I can draw them away from the unskillful and establish them in the skillful. But for me to be troubled and the other individual to get hurt is a minor matter. It\u2019s more important that I can draw them away from the unskillful and establish them in the skillful.\u2019 If that\u2019s what you think, then it\u2019s appropriate to speak to them. But suppose you think this: \u2018I will be troubled and the other individual will be hurt, for they\u2019re irritable and acrimonious. And they hold fast to their views, refusing to let go. I cannot draw them away from the unskillful and establish them in the skillful.\u2019 Don\u2019t underestimate the value of equanimity regarding such an individual. As you train in harmony, appreciating each other, without quarreling, the sides might continue to bring up settled issues with each other, with contempt for each other\u2019s views, resentful, bitter, and exasperated. In this case you should approach whichever mendicant you think is most amenable among those who side with one party and say to them: \u2018Reverend, as we were training, the sides continued to bring up settled issues with each other. If the Ascetic knew about this, would he criticize it?\u2019 Answering rightly, the mendicant should say: \u2018Yes, reverend, he would.\u2019 \u2018But without giving that up, reverend, can one realize extinguishment?\u2019 Answering rightly, the mendicant should say: \u2018No, reverend, one cannot.\u2019 Then you should approach whichever mendicant they think is most amenable among those who side with the other party and say to them: \u2018Reverend, as we were training, the sides continued to bring up settled issues with each other. If the Ascetic knew about this, would he criticize it?\u2019 Answering rightly, the mendicant should say: \u2018Yes, reverend, he would.\u2019 \u2018But without giving that up, reverend, can one realize extinguishment?\u2019 Answering rightly, the mendicant should say: \u2018No, reverend, one cannot.\u2019 If others should ask that mendicant: \u2018Were you the venerable who drew those mendicants away from the unskillful and established them in the skillful?\u2019 Answering rightly, the mendicant should say: \u2018Well, reverends, I approached the Buddha. He taught me the Dhamma. After hearing that teaching I explained it to those mendicants. When those mendicants heard that teaching they were drawn away from the unskillful and established in the skillful.\u2019 Answering in this way, that mendicant doesn\u2019t glorify themselves or put others down. They answer in line with the teaching, with no legitimate grounds for rebuttal and criticism.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.","title":"Is This What You Think Of Me?","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1587}