{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn22.2/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn22.2","id":"suttacentral_sn22.2","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn22.2/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, where they have a town named Devadaha. Then several mendicants who were heading for the west went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, \u201cSir, we wish to go to a western land to take up residence there.\u201d \u201cBut mendicants, have you taken leave of S\u0101riputta?\u201d \u201cNo, sir, we haven\u2019t.\u201d \u201cYou should take leave of S\u0101riputta. He\u2019s astute, and supports his spiritual companions, the mendicants.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d they replied. Now at that time Venerable S\u0101riputta was sitting not far from the Buddha in a clump of golden shower trees. And then those mendicants approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. They got up from their seat, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on their right. Then they went up to Venerable S\u0101riputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side and said to him, \u201cReverend S\u0101riputta, we wish to go to a western land to take up residence there. We have taken leave of the Teacher.\u201d \u201cReverends, there are those who question a mendicant who has gone abroad\u2014 astute aristocrats, brahmins, householders, and ascetics\u2014 for astute people are inquisitive: \u2018But what does the venerables\u2019 Teacher teach? What does he explain?\u2019 I trust the venerables have properly heard, learned, applied the mind, and remembered the teachings, and penetrated them with wisdom. That way, when answering you will repeat what the Buddha has said and not misrepresent him with an untruth. You will explain in line with the teaching, with no legitimate grounds for rebuttal and criticism.\u201d \u201cReverend, we would travel a long way to learn the meaning of this statement in the presence of Venerable S\u0101riputta. May Venerable S\u0101riputta himself please clarify the meaning of this.\u201d \u201cWell then, reverends, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, reverend,\u201d they replied. S\u0101riputta said this: \u201cReverends, there are those who question a mendicant who has gone abroad\u2014 astute aristocrats, brahmins, householders, and ascetics\u2014 for astute people are inquisitive: \u2018But what does the venerables\u2019 Teacher teach? What does he explain?\u2019 When questioned like this, reverends, you should answer: \u2018Reverend, our Teacher explained the removal of desire and lust.\u2019 When you answer like this, such astute people may inquire further: \u2018But regarding what does the venerables\u2019 teacher explain the removal of desire and lust?\u2019 When questioned like this, reverends, you should answer: \u2018Our teacher explains the removal of desire and lust for form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.\u2019 When you answer like this, such astute people may inquire further: \u2018But what drawback has he seen that he teaches the removal of desire and lust for form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness?\u2019 When questioned like this, reverends, you should answer: \u2018If you\u2019re not free of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for form, when that form decays and perishes it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. If you\u2019re not free of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for feeling \u2026 perception \u2026 choices \u2026 consciousness, when that consciousness decays and perishes it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. This is the drawback our Teacher has seen that he teaches the removal of desire and lust for form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.\u2019 When you answer like this, such astute people may inquire further: \u2018But what benefit has he seen that he teaches the removal of desire and lust for form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness?\u2019 When questioned like this, reverends, you should answer: \u2018If you are rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for form, when that form decays and perishes it doesn\u2019t give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. If you are rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for feeling \u2026 perception \u2026 choices \u2026 consciousness, when that consciousness decays and perishes it doesn\u2019t give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. This is the benefit our Teacher has seen that he teaches the removal of desire and lust for form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.\u2019 If those who acquired and kept unskillful qualities were to live happily in the present life, free of distress, anguish, and fever; and if, when their body breaks up, after death, they could expect to go to a good place, the Buddha would not praise giving up unskillful qualities. But since those who acquire and keep unskillful qualities live unhappily in the present life, full of distress, anguish, and fever; and since, when their body breaks up, after death, they can expect to go to a bad place, the Buddha praises giving up unskillful qualities. If those who embraced and kept skillful qualities were to live unhappily in the present life, full of distress, anguish, and fever; and if, when their body breaks up, after death, they could expect to go to a bad place, the Buddha would not praise embracing skillful qualities. But since those who embrace and keep skillful qualities live happily in the present life, free of distress, anguish, and fever; and since, when their body breaks up, after death, they can expect to go to a good place, the Buddha praises embracing skillful qualities.\u201d That is what Venerable S\u0101riputta said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what S\u0101riputta said.","title":"At Devadaha","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":898}