{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn95/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn95","id":"suttacentral_mn95","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn95/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Sa\u1e45gha of mendicants when he arrived at a village of the Kosalan brahmins named Op\u0101s\u0101da. He stayed in the Godswood of sal trees to the north of Op\u0101s\u0101da. Now at that time the brahmin Ca\u1e45k\u012b was living in Op\u0101s\u0101da. It was a crown property given by King Pasenadi of Kosala, teeming with living creatures, full of hay, wood, water, and grain, a royal park endowed to a brahmin. The brahmins and householders of Op\u0101s\u0101da heard: \u201cIt seems the ascetic Gotama\u2014a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family\u2014has arrived at Op\u0101s\u0101da together with a large Sa\u1e45gha of mendicants. He is staying in the Godswood to the north. He has this good reputation: \u2018That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.\u2019 He has realized with his own insight this world\u2014with its gods, M\u0101ras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans\u2014and he makes it known to others. He teaches Dhamma that\u2019s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And he reveals a spiritual practice that\u2019s entirely full and pure. It\u2019s good to see such perfected ones.\u201d Then, exiting Op\u0101s\u0101da, they formed into companies and headed north to the Godswood. Now at that time the brahmin Ca\u1e45k\u012b had retired to the upper floor of his stilt longhouse for his midday nap. He saw the brahmins and householders heading for the Godswood, and addressed his butler, \u201cMy butler, why are the brahmins and householders heading north for the Godswood?\u201d \u201cThe ascetic Gotama has arrived at Op\u0101s\u0101da together with a large Sa\u1e45gha of mendicants. He is staying in the Godswood to the north. He has this good reputation: \u2018That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.\u2019 They\u2019re going to see that worthy Gotama.\u201d \u201cWell then, go to the brahmins and householders and say to them: \u2018Sirs, the brahmin Ca\u1e45k\u012b asks you to wait, as he will also go to see the ascetic Gotama.\u2019\u201d \u201cYes, worthy sir,\u201d replied the butler, and did as he was asked. Now at that time around five hundred brahmins from abroad were residing in Op\u0101s\u0101da on some business. They heard that the brahmin Ca\u1e45k\u012b was going to see the ascetic Gotama. They approached Ca\u1e45k\u012b and said to him, \u201cIs it really true that you are going to see the ascetic Gotama?\u201d \u201cYes, gentlemen, it is true.\u201d \u201cPlease don\u2019t! It\u2019s not appropriate for you to go to see the ascetic Gotama; it\u2019s appropriate that he comes to see you. You are well born on both your mother\u2019s and father\u2019s side, stemming from a clean vessel, with irrefutable and impeccable genealogy back to the seventh paternal generation. For this reason it\u2019s not appropriate for you to go to see the ascetic Gotama; it\u2019s appropriate that he comes to see you. You\u2019re rich, affluent, and wealthy. \u2026 You recite and remember the hymns, and have mastered the three Vedas, together with their vocabularies and ritual performance, their phonology and word classification, and the testaments as fifth. You know them word-by-word, and their grammar. You are well versed in cosmology and the marks of a great man. \u2026 You are attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty. You have divine looks and lustre, remarkable to behold. \u2026 You are ethical, mature in ethical conduct. \u2026 You\u2019re a good speaker who enunciates well, with a polished, clear, and articulate voice that expresses the meaning. \u2026 You\u2019re the tutor of tutors for many, and teach three hundred young students to recite the hymns. \u2026 You\u2019re honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed by King Pasenadi of Kosala and the brahmin Pokkharas\u0101ti. \u2026 You live in Op\u0101s\u0101da, a crown property given by King Pasenadi of Kosala, teeming with living creatures, full of hay, wood, water, and grain, a royal park endowed to a brahmin. For all these reasons it\u2019s not appropriate for you to go to see the ascetic Gotama; it\u2019s appropriate that he comes to see you.\u201d When they had spoken, Ca\u1e45k\u012b said to those brahmins: \u201cWell then, gentlemen, listen to why it\u2019s appropriate for me to go to see the ascetic Gotama, and it\u2019s not appropriate for him to come to see me. He is well born on both his mother\u2019s and father\u2019s side, stemming from a clean vessel, with irrefutable and impeccable genealogy back to the seventh paternal generation. For this reason it\u2019s not appropriate for the ascetic Gotama to come to see me; rather, it\u2019s appropriate for me to go to see him. When he went forth he abandoned abundant gold, both coined and uncoined, stored above and below ground. \u2026 He went forth from the lay life to homelessness while still a youth, young, with pristine black hair, blessed with youth, in the prime of life. \u2026 Though his mother and father wished otherwise, weeping with tearful faces, he shaved off his hair and beard, dressed in ocher robes, and went forth from the lay life to homelessness. \u2026 He is attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty. He has divine looks and lustre, remarkable to behold. \u2026 He is ethical, possessing ethical conduct that is noble and skillful. \u2026 He\u2019s a good speaker who enunciates well, with a polished, clear, and articulate voice that expresses the meaning. \u2026 He\u2019s a tutor of tutors. \u2026 He has ended sensual desire, and is rid of caprice. \u2026 He teaches the efficacy of deeds and action. He doesn\u2019t wish any harm upon the community of brahmins. \u2026 He went forth from an eminent family of unbroken aristocratic lineage. \u2026 He went forth from a rich, affluent, and wealthy family. \u2026 People come from distant lands and distant countries to question him. \u2026 Many thousands of deities have gone for refuge for life to him. \u2026 He has this good reputation: \u2018That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.\u2019 \u2026 He has the thirty-two marks of a great man. \u2026 King Seniya Bimbis\u0101ra of Magadha and his wives and children have gone for refuge for life to the ascetic Gotama. \u2026 King Pasenadi of Kosala and his wives and children have gone for refuge for life to the ascetic Gotama. \u2026 The brahmin Pokkharas\u0101ti and his wives and children have gone for refuge for life to the ascetic Gotama. \u2026 The ascetic Gotama has arrived to stay in the Godswood to the north of Op\u0101s\u0101da. Any ascetic or brahmin who comes to stay in our village district is our guest, and should be honored and respected as such. For this reason, too, it\u2019s not appropriate for the worthy Gotama to come to see me; rather, it\u2019s appropriate for me to go to see him. This is the extent of the worthy Gotama\u2019s praise that I have memorized. But his praises are not confined to this, for the praise of the worthy Gotama is limitless. The possession of even a single one of these factors makes it inappropriate for Worthy Gotama to come to see me; rather, it\u2019s appropriate for me to go to see him. Well then, gentlemen, let\u2019s all go to see the ascetic Gotama.\u201d Then Ca\u1e45k\u012b together with a large group of brahmins went to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side. Now at that time the Buddha was sitting engaged in some polite conversation together with some very senior brahmins. And the student K\u0101pa\u1e6dika was sitting in that assembly. He was young, tonsured, and sixteen years old. He had mastered the three Vedas, together with their vocabularies and ritual performance, their phonology and word classification, and the testaments as fifth. He knew them word-by-word, and their grammar. He was well versed in cosmology and the marks of a great man. While the senior brahmins were conversing together with the Buddha, he interrupted. Then the Buddha rebuked K\u0101pa\u1e6dika, \u201cVenerable Bh\u0101radv\u0101ja, don\u2019t interrupt the senior brahmins. Wait until they\u2019ve finished speaking.\u201d When he had spoken, Ca\u1e45k\u012b said to the Buddha, \u201cWorthy Gotama, don\u2019t rebuke the student K\u0101pa\u1e6dika. He\u2019s a gentleman, learned and astute, who enunciates well. He is capable of debating with the worthy Gotama about this.\u201d Then it occurred to the Buddha, \u201cClearly the student K\u0101pa\u1e6dika will talk about the scriptural heritage of the three Vedas. That\u2019s why the brahmins put him at the front.\u201d Then K\u0101pa\u1e6dika thought, \u201cWhen the ascetic Gotama looks at me, I\u2019ll ask him a question.\u201d Then the Buddha, knowing K\u0101pa\u1e6dika\u2019s train of thought, looked at him. Then K\u0101pa\u1e6dika thought, \u201cThe ascetic Gotama is engaging with me. Why don\u2019t I ask him a question?\u201d Then he said, \u201cWorthy Gotama, regarding that which by the lineage of testament and by canonical authority is the ancient hymnal of the brahmins, the brahmins come to the categorical conclusion: \u2018This is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u2019 What do you say about this?\u201d \u201cWell, Bh\u0101radv\u0101ja, is there even a single one of the brahmins who says this: \u2018I know this, I see this: this is the only truth, anything else is futile\u2019?\u201d \u201cNo, worthy Gotama.\u201d \u201cWell, is there even a single tutor of the brahmins, or a tutors\u2019 tutor, or anyone back to the seventh generation of tutors, who says this: \u2018I know this, I see this: this is the only truth, anything else is futile\u2019?\u201d \u201cNo, worthy Gotama.\u201d \u201cWell, what of the ancient seers of the brahmins, namely A\u1e6d\u1e6dhaka, V\u0101maka, V\u0101madeva, Vess\u0101mitta, Yamadaggi, A\u1e45g\u012brasa, Bh\u0101radv\u0101ja, V\u0101se\u1e6d\u1e6dha, Kassapa, and Bhagu? They were the authors and propagators of the hymns. Their hymnal was sung and propagated and compiled in ancient times; and these days, brahmins continue to sing and chant it, chanting what was chanted and teaching what was taught. Did even they say: \u2018We know this, we see this: this is the only truth, anything else is futile\u2019?\u201d \u201cNo, worthy Gotama.\u201d \u201cSo, Bh\u0101radv\u0101ja, it seems that there is not a single one of the brahmins, not even anyone back to the seventh generation of tutors, nor even the ancient seers of the brahmins who say: \u2018We know this, we see this: this is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u2019 Suppose there was a queue of blind men, each holding the one in front: the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, and the last one does not see. In the same way, it seems to me that the brahmins\u2019 statement turns out to be like a queue of blind men: the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, and the last one does not see. What do you think, Bh\u0101radv\u0101ja? This being so, doesn\u2019t the brahmins\u2019 faith turn out to be baseless?\u201d \u201cThe brahmins don\u2019t just honor this because of faith, but also because of oral transmission.\u201d \u201cFirst you relied on faith, now you speak of oral transmission. These five things can be seen to turn out in two different ways in this very life. What five? Faith, endorsement, oral transmission, reasoned train of thought, and acceptance of a view after deliberation. Even though you have full faith in something, it may be vacuous, hollow, and false. And even if you don\u2019t have full faith in something, it may be true and real, not otherwise. Even though you fully endorse something \u2026 something may be well transmitted \u2026 something may be well thought out \u2026 something may be well deliberated, it may be vacuous, hollow, and false. And even if something is not well deliberated, it may be true and real, not otherwise. For a sensible person who is preserving truth this is not sufficient to come to the categorical conclusion: \u2018This is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u2019\u201d \u201cBut worthy Gotama, how do you define the preservation of truth?\u201d \u201cIf a person has faith, they preserve truth by saying, \u2018Such is my faith.\u2019 But they don\u2019t yet come to the categorical conclusion: \u2018This is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u2019 If a person endorses something \u2026 or has received an oral transmission \u2026 or has a reasoned train of thought about something \u2026 or has accepted a view after deliberation, they preserve truth by saying, \u2018Such is the view I have accepted after deliberation.\u2019 But they don\u2019t yet come to the categorical conclusion: \u2018This is the only truth, anything else is futile.\u2019 That\u2019s how the preservation of truth is defined, Bh\u0101radv\u0101ja. I describe the preservation of truth as defined in this way. But this is not yet the awakening to the truth.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s how the preservation of truth is defined, worthy Gotama. We regard the preservation of truth as defined in this way. But worthy Gotama, how do you define awakening to the truth?\u201d \u201cBh\u0101radv\u0101ja, take the case of a mendicant living supported by a town or village. A householder or their child approaches and scrutinizes them for three qualities: qualities that arouse greed, things that provoke hate, and things that promote delusion. \u2018Does this venerable have any qualities that arouse greed? Such qualities that, were their mind to be overwhelmed by them, they might say that they know, even though they don\u2019t know, or that they see, even though they don\u2019t see; or that they might encourage others to do what is for their lasting harm and suffering?\u2019 Scrutinizing them they find: \u2018This venerable has no such qualities that arouse greed. Rather, that venerable has bodily and verbal behavior like that of someone without greed. And the principle that they teach is deep, hard to see, hard to understand, peaceful, sublime, beyond the scope of logic, subtle, comprehensible to the astute. It\u2019s not easy for someone with greed to teach this.\u2019 Scrutinizing them in this way they see that they are purified of qualities that arouse greed. Next, they scrutinize them for qualities that provoke hate. \u2018Does this venerable have any qualities that provoke hate? Such qualities that, were their mind to be overwhelmed by them, they might say that they know, even though they don\u2019t know, or that they see, even though they don\u2019t see; or that they might encourage others to do what is for their lasting harm and suffering?\u2019 Scrutinizing them they find: \u2018This venerable has no such qualities that provoke hate. Rather, that venerable has bodily and verbal behavior like that of someone without hate. And the principle that they teach is deep, hard to see, hard to understand, peaceful, sublime, beyond the scope of logic, subtle, comprehensible to the astute. It\u2019s not easy for someone with hate to teach this.\u2019 Scrutinizing them in this way they see that they are purified of qualities that provoke hate. Next, they scrutinize them for qualities that promote delusion. \u2018Does this venerable have any qualities that promote delusion? Such qualities that, were their mind to be overwhelmed by them, they might say that they know, even though they don\u2019t know, or that they see, even though they don\u2019t see; or that they might encourage others to do what is for their lasting harm and suffering?\u2019 Scrutinizing them they find: \u2018This venerable has no such qualities that promote delusion. Rather, that venerable has bodily and verbal behavior like that of someone without delusion. And the principle that they teach is deep, hard to see, hard to understand, peaceful, sublime, beyond the scope of logic, subtle, comprehensible to the astute. It\u2019s not easy for someone with delusion to teach this.\u2019 Scrutinizing them in this way they see that they are purified of qualities that promote delusion. Next, they place faith in them. When faith has arisen they approach the teacher. They pay homage, actively listen, hear the teachings, remember the teachings, examine their meaning, and accept them after deliberation. Then enthusiasm springs up; they make an attempt, weigh up, and strive. Striving, they directly realize the ultimate truth, and see it with penetrating wisdom. That\u2019s how the awakening to truth is defined, Bh\u0101radv\u0101ja. I describe the awakening to truth as defined in this way. But this is not yet the attainment of truth.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s how the awakening to truth is defined, worthy Gotama. I regard the awakening to truth as defined in this way. But worthy Gotama, how do you define the attainment of truth?\u201d \u201cBy the cultivation, development, and making much of these very same things there is the attainment of truth. That\u2019s how the attainment of truth is defined, Bh\u0101radv\u0101ja. I describe the attainment of truth as defined in this way.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s how the attainment of truth is defined, worthy Gotama. I regard the attainment of truth as defined in this way. But what quality is helpful for arriving at the truth?\u201d \u201cStriving is helpful for arriving at the truth. If you don\u2019t strive, you won\u2019t arrive at the truth. You arrive at the truth because you strive. That\u2019s why striving is helpful for arriving at the truth.\u201d \u201cBut what quality is helpful for striving?\u201d \u201cWeighing up the teachings is helpful for striving \u2026 Making an attempt is helpful for weighing up the teachings \u2026 Enthusiasm is helpful for making an attempt \u2026 Acceptance of the teachings after deliberation is helpful for enthusiasm \u2026 Examining the meaning of the teachings is helpful for accepting them after deliberation \u2026 Remembering the teachings is helpful for examining their meaning \u2026 Hearing the teachings is helpful for remembering the teachings \u2026 Active listening is helpful for hearing the teachings \u2026 Paying homage is helpful for active listening \u2026 Approaching is helpful for paying homage \u2026 Faith is helpful for approaching a teacher. If you don\u2019t give rise to faith, you won\u2019t approach a teacher. You approach a teacher because you have faith. That\u2019s why faith is helpful for approaching a teacher.\u201d \u201cI\u2019ve asked the worthy Gotama about the preservation of truth, and he has answered me. I endorse and accept this, and am satisfied with it. I\u2019ve asked the worthy Gotama about awakening to the truth, and he has answered me. I endorse and accept this, and am satisfied with it. I\u2019ve asked the worthy Gotama about the attainment of truth, and he has answered me. I endorse and accept this, and am satisfied with it. I\u2019ve asked the worthy Gotama about the things that are helpful for the attainment of truth, and he has answered me. I endorse and accept this, and am satisfied with it. Whatever point I have asked the worthy Gotama about he has answered me. I endorse and accept this, and am satisfied with it. Worthy Gotama, I used to think this: \u2018Who are these shavelings, fake ascetics, primitives, black spawn from the feet of our kinsman next to those who understand the teaching?\u2019 The Buddha has inspired me to have fondness, confidence, and respect for ascetics! Excellent, worthy Gotama! \u2026 From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.\u201d","title":"With Ca\u1e45k\u012b","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":3215}