{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn55.7/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn55.7","id":"suttacentral_sn55.7","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn55.7/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta 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 Bamboo Gate. The brahmins and householders of Bamboo Gate heard: \u201cIt seems the ascetic Gotama\u2014a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family\u2014has arrived at Bamboo Gate, together with a large Sa\u1e45gha of mendicants. 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 the brahmins and householders of Bamboo Gate went up to the Buddha. Before sitting down to one side, some bowed, some exchanged greetings and polite conversation, some held up their cupped palms toward the Buddha, some announced their name and clan, while some kept silent. Seated to one side they said to the Buddha: \u201cWorthy Gotama, these are our wishes, desires, and hopes. We wish to live at home with our children; to use sandalwood imported from K\u0101si; to wear garlands, fragrance, and makeup; and to accept gold and currency. And when our body breaks up, after death, we wish to be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. Given that we have such wishes, may the Buddha teach us the Dhamma so that we may achieve them.\u201d \u201cHouseholders, I will teach you an explanation of the Dhamma that is relevant for oneself. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, worthy sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cAnd what is the explanation of the Dhamma that applies to oneself? It\u2019s when a noble disciple reflects: \u2018I want to live and don\u2019t want to die; I want to be happy and recoil from pain. Since this is so, if someone were to take my life, I wouldn\u2019t like that. But others also want to live and don\u2019t want to die; they want to be happy and recoil from pain. So if I were to take the life of someone else, they wouldn\u2019t like that either. The thing that is disliked by me is also disliked by others. Since I dislike this thing, how can I inflict it on someone else?\u2019 Reflecting in this way, they give up killing living creatures themselves. And they encourage others to give up killing living creatures, praising the giving up of killing living creatures. So their bodily behavior is purified in three points. Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: \u2018If someone were to steal from me, I wouldn\u2019t like that. But if I were to steal from someone else, they wouldn\u2019t like that either. The thing that is disliked by me is also disliked by others. Since I dislike this thing, how can I inflict it on someone else?\u2019 Reflecting in this way, they give up stealing themselves. And they encourage others to give up stealing, praising the giving up of stealing. So their bodily behavior is purified in three points. Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: \u2018If someone were to have relations with my wives, I wouldn\u2019t like it. But if I were to have relations with someone else\u2019s wives, he wouldn\u2019t like that either. The thing that is disliked by me is also disliked by others. Since I dislike this thing, how can I inflict it on others?\u2019 Reflecting in this way, they give up sexual misconduct themselves. And they encourage others to give up sexual misconduct, praising the giving up of sexual misconduct. So their bodily behavior is purified in three points. Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: \u2018If someone were to distort my meaning by lying, I wouldn\u2019t like it. But if I were to distort someone else\u2019s meaning by lying, they wouldn\u2019t like it either. The thing that is disliked by me is also disliked by someone else. Since I dislike this thing, how can I inflict it on others?\u2019 Reflecting in this way, they give up lying themselves. And they encourage others to give up lying, praising the giving up of lying. So their verbal behavior is purified in three points. Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: \u2018If someone were to break me up from my friends by backbiting, I wouldn\u2019t like it. But if I were to break someone else from their friends by backbiting, they wouldn\u2019t like it either. \u2026\u2019 So their verbal behavior is purified in three points. Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: \u2018If someone were to attack me with harsh speech, I wouldn\u2019t like it. But if I were to attack someone else with harsh speech, they wouldn\u2019t like it either. \u2026\u2019 So their verbal behavior is purified in three points. Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: \u2018If someone were to annoy me by talking silliness and nonsense, I wouldn\u2019t like it. But if I were to annoy someone else by talking silliness and nonsense, they wouldn\u2019t like it either.\u2019 The thing that is disliked by me is also disliked by another. Since I dislike this thing, how can I inflict it on another?\u2019 Reflecting in this way, they give up talking nonsense themselves. And they encourage others to give up talking nonsense, praising the giving up of talking nonsense. So their verbal behavior is purified in three points. And they have experiential confidence in the Buddha \u2026 the teaching \u2026 the Sa\u1e45gha \u2026 And they have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones \u2026 leading to immersion. When a noble disciple possesses these seven good qualities and these four desirable states they may, if they wish, declare of themselves: \u2018I\u2019ve finished with rebirth in hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. I\u2019ve finished with all places of loss, bad places, the underworld. I am a stream-enterer! I\u2019m not liable to be reborn in the underworld, and am assured, destined for awakening.\u2019\u201d When he had spoken, the brahmins and householders of Bamboo Gate said to the Buddha, \u201cExcellent, worthy Gotama! \u2026 We go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Sa\u1e45gha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember us as lay followers who have gone for refuge for life.\u201d","title":"The People of Bamboo Gate","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1098}