{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn88/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn88","id":"suttacentral_mn88","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn88/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near S\u0101vatth\u012b in Jeta\u2019s Grove, An\u0101thapi\u1e47\u1e0dika\u2019s monastery. Then Venerable \u0100nanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered S\u0101vatth\u012b for alms. He wandered for alms in S\u0101vatth\u012b. After the meal, on his return from almsround, he went to the Eastern Monastery, the stilt longhouse of Mig\u0101ra\u2019s mother, for the day\u2019s meditation. Now at that time King Pasenadi of Kosala mounted the Single Lotus Elephant and drove out from S\u0101vatth\u012b in the middle of the day. He saw \u0100nanda coming off in the distance and said to the chief minister Siriva\u1e0d\u1e0dha, \u201cMy dear Siriva\u1e0d\u1e0dha, isn\u2019t that Venerable \u0100nanda?\u201d \u201cIndeed it is, Great King.\u201d Then King Pasenadi addressed a man, \u201cPlease, my man, go to Venerable \u0100nanda, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him, \u2018Sir, King Pasenadi of Kosala bows with his head at your feet.\u2019 And then say, \u2018Sir, if you have no urgent business, please wait a while out of sympathy.\u2019\u201d \u201cYes, Your Majesty,\u201d that man replied. He did as the king asked. \u0100nanda consented with silence. Then King Pasenadi rode on the elephant as far as the terrain allowed, then descended and approached \u0100nanda on foot. He bowed, stood to one side, and said to \u0100nanda, \u201cSir, if you have no urgent business, it would be nice of you to go to the bank of the Aciravat\u012b River out of sympathy.\u201d \u0100nanda consented with silence. He went to the river bank and sat at the root of a certain tree on a seat spread out. Then King Pasenadi rode on the elephant as far as the terrain allowed, then descended and approached \u0100nanda on foot. He bowed, stood to one side, and said to \u0100nanda, \u201cHere, Venerable \u0100nanda, sit on this elephant rug.\u201d \u201cEnough, Great King, you sit on it. I\u2019m sitting on my own seat.\u201d So the king sat down on the seat spread out, and said, \u201cHonorable \u0100nanda, would the Buddha engage in the sort of behavior\u2014by way of body, speech, or mind\u2014that is faulted by ascetics and brahmins?\u201d \u201cNo, Great King, the Buddha would not engage in the sort of behavior that is faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s incredible, sir, it\u2019s amazing! For I couldn\u2019t fully express the question, but Venerable \u0100nanda\u2019s answer completed it for me. I don\u2019t believe that praise or criticism of others spoken by incompetent fools, without examining or scrutinizing, is the most important thing. Rather, I believe that praise or criticism of others spoken by competent and intelligent people after examining and scrutinizing is the most important thing. But Honorable \u0100nanda, what kind of bodily behavior is faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins?\u201d \u201cUnskillful behavior.\u201d \u201cBut what kind of bodily behavior is unskillful?\u201d \u201cBlameworthy behavior.\u201d \u201cBut what kind of bodily behavior is blameworthy?\u201d \u201cHurtful behavior.\u201d \u201cBut what kind of bodily behavior is hurtful?\u201d \u201cBehavior that results in suffering.\u201d \u201cBut what kind of bodily behavior results in suffering?\u201d \u201cBodily behavior that leads to hurting yourself, hurting others, and hurting both, and which makes unskillful qualities grow while skillful qualities decline. That kind of bodily behavior is faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins.\u201d \u201cBut what kind of verbal behavior \u2026 mental behavior is faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins?\u201d \u2026 \u201cMental behavior that leads to hurting yourself, hurting others, and hurting both, and which makes unskillful qualities grow while skillful qualities decline. That kind of mental behavior is faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins.\u201d \u201cSir, does the Buddha praise giving up all these unskillful things?\u201d \u201cGreat king, the Realized One has given up all unskillful things and possesses skillful things.\u201d \u201cBut sir, what kind of bodily behavior is not faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins?\u201d \u201cSkillful behavior.\u201d \u201cBut what kind of bodily behavior is skillful?\u201d \u201cBlameless behavior.\u201d \u201cBut what kind of bodily behavior is blameless?\u201d \u201cPleasing behavior.\u201d \u201cBut what kind of bodily behavior is pleasing?\u201d \u201cBehavior that results in happiness.\u201d \u201cBut what kind of bodily behavior results in happiness?\u201d \u201cBodily behavior that leads to pleasing yourself, pleasing others, and pleasing both, and which makes unskillful qualities decline while skillful qualities grow. That kind of bodily behavior is not faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins.\u201d \u201cBut what kind of verbal behavior \u2026 mental behavior is not faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins?\u201d \u2026 \u201cMental behavior that leads to pleasing yourself, pleasing others, and pleasing both, and which makes unskillful qualities decline while skillful qualities grow. That kind of mental behavior is not faulted by sensible ascetics and brahmins.\u201d \u201cSir, does the Buddha praise embracing all these skillful things?\u201d \u201cGreat king, the Realized One has given up all unskillful things and possesses skillful things.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s incredible, sir, it\u2019s amazing! How well this was said by Venerable \u0100nanda! I\u2019m delighted and satisfied with what you\u2019ve expressed so well. So much so that if an elephant-treasure was suitable for you, I would give you one. If a horse-treasure was suitable for you, I would give you one. If a prize village was suitable for you, I would give you one. But, sir, I know that these things are not suitable for you. This foreign cloth was sent to me by King Aj\u0101tasattu of Magadha, son of the princess of Videha, packed in a parasol case. It\u2019s exactly sixteen measures long and eight wide. May Venerable \u0100nanda please accept it out of sympathy.\u201d \u201cEnough, Great King. My three robes are complete.\u201d \u201cSir, we have both seen this Aciravat\u012b River when it has rained heavily in the mountains, and the river overflows both its banks. In the same way, Venerable \u0100nanda can make a set of three robes for himself from this foreign cloth, and you can share your old robes with your fellow monks. In this way my religious donation will come to overflow, it seems to me. Please accept the foreign cloth.\u201d So \u0100nanda accepted it. Then King Pasenadi said to him, \u201cWell, now, sir, I must go. I have many duties, and much to do.\u201d \u201cPlease, Great King, go at your convenience.\u201d Then King Pasenadi approved and agreed with what \u0100nanda said. He rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled \u0100nanda, keeping him on his right, before leaving. Soon after he left, \u0100nanda went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. He presented the cloth to the Buddha. Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, \u201cMendicants, King Pasenadi is lucky, so very lucky, to get to see \u0100nanda and pay homage to him.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.","title":"The Foreign Cloth","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1104}