BANNER OF THE ARAHANTS
APPENDIX I - DISCOURSES TO OR ABOUT BHIKKHUS
DISCOURSE
ON SETTING IN MOTION THE WHEEL OF DHAMMA
Thus
have I heard. At one time the Exalted One was staying at Benares in the Deer
Park at Isipatana (the Resort of Seers). There he addressed the Bhikkhus of the
group of five: -
Bhikkhus,
these two extremes ought not to be cultivated by one gone forth to homelessness.
What are the two? There is devotion to indulgence of pleasure in the objects of
sensual desire, which is inferior, low, vulgar, ignoble, and leads to no good;
and there is devotion to self-torment, which is painful, ignoble, and leads to
no good.
The
middle way discovered by a Perfect One avoids both these extremes: it gives
vision, it gives knowledge, and it leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to
discovery, to Nibbána. And what is that middle way? It is simply the noble
eightfold path, that is to say, right view, right intention, right speech, right
action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
That is the middle way discovered by a Perfect One, which gives vision, which
gives knowledge, and which leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery,
to Nibbána.
Suffering,[1]
as a noble truth, is this: Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is
suffering, death is suffering, sorrow and lamentation, pain, grief and despair
are suffering, association with the loathed is suffering, dissociation from the
loved is suffering, not to get what one wants is suffering - in short, suffering
is the five grasped-at groups.
The
origin of suffering, as a noble truth, is this: It is the craving that produces
renewal of being, accompanied by enjoyment and lust, and enjoying this and that;
in other words, craving for sensual desire, craving for being, craving for
non-being.
Cessation
of suffering, as a noble truth, is this: It is remainder less fading and
ceasing, giving up, relinquishing, letting go and rejecting, of that same
craving.
The way
leading to cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, is this: It is simply the
noble Eightfold path, that is to hay, right view, right intention, right speech,
right action, right livelihood, right effort right mindfulness, right
concentration.
‘Suffering,
as a noble truth, is this’: such was the vision, the knowledge, the
understanding, the finding, the light, that arose in regard to dhammas not heard
by me before. ‘This suffering, as a noble truth, can be diagnosed’: such was
the vision, the knowledge, the understanding, the finding, the light, that arose
in regard to dhammas not heard by me before. ‘This suffering, as a noble
truth, has been diagnosed’: such was the vision, the knowledge, the
understanding, the finding, the light, that arose in regard to dhammas not heard
by me before.
‘The
origin of sufferings, as a noble truth, is this:’ such was the vision …
‘This origin of suffering, as a noble truth, can be abandoned’: such was the
vision … ‘This origin of suffering as a noble truth, has been abandoned’:
such was the vision … ‘This cessation of suffering as a noble truth, can be
verified’: such was the vision … ‘This cessation of suffering, as a noble
truth, has been verified’: such was the vision … in regard to dhammas not
heard by me before.
‘The
way leading to cessation of suffering as a noble truth, is this’: such was the
vision … ‘This way leading to cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, can
be developed’: such was the vision … ‘This way leading to cessation of
suffering as a noble truth, has been developed’: such was the vision, the
knowledge, the understanding, the finding, the light, that arose in regard to
dhammas not heard by me before.
As long,
Bhikkhus, as my knowledge and insight according to reality was not quite
purified in these twelve aspects - in these three phases of each of the four
noble truths - I did not claim to have discovered the full awakening that is
supreme in the world with its gods, its angels of death and high divinity, in
this generation with its monks and divines, with its princes and men. But as
soon as my knowledge and insight according to reality was quite purified in
these twelve aspects - in these three phases of each of the four noble truths -
then I claimed to have discovered the full awakening that is supreme in the
world with its gods, its angels of death and high divinity, in this generation
with its monks and divines, with its princes and men. Knowing and seeing arose
in me thus: My heart’s deliverance is unassailable. This is the last birth.
Now there is no renewal of being.
Thus
spoke the Lord. Delighted, the Bhikkhus of the group of five rejoiced in the
Exalted One’s words.
Now
during this utterance, there arose in the venerable Kondaññá the spotless,
immaculate vision of the Dhamma: Whatever is subject to arising, all that is
subject to cessation.
When the
Wheel of Dhamma had thus been set rolling by the Exalted One the earth-gods
raised the cry: ‘At Benares, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, the incomparable
wheel of Dhamma has been set rolling by the Exalted One, not to be stopped by
monk or divine or god or death-angel or high divinity or anyone in the world’.
On
hearing the earth-gods’ cry, all the gods in turn in the six paradises of the
sensual sphere took up the cry till it reached beyond the Retinue of High
Divinity in the sphere of pure form. And so indeed in that hour, at the moment,
the cry soared up to the World Of High Divinity, and this ten-thousand-fold
world-element shook and rocked and quaked, and a great, measureless radiance
surpassing the very nature of the gods was displayed in the world.
Then the
Exalted On uttered the exclamation: „Truly Kondaññá knows! Indeed Kondaññá
knows!“ and that is how that venerable one acquired the name, Añña-Kondaññá
- Kondaññá who knows.
(Related Collection, LV1, II. Based on the translation by
Ñánamoli Thera. See Wheel 17, B.P.S.)
DISCOURSE
ON THE NOBLE LINEAGES
Thus
have I heard. At one time the Exalted One was staying near Sávatthi at the Jeta
Grove, Anáthapindika’s monastery. Then the Exalted One addressed the
Bhikkhus, saying: „O Bhikkhus“. “Lord“, they replied. The Exalted One
spoke thus:
Here
(in-this Teaching), Bhikkhus, are these four lineages of the Noble Ones, known
as highest, known as oldest, known as the (true) lineage, pure from ancient
times, unstained of old, neither suspect now nor will they be suspect in future,
and not despised by samanas, brahmins and (other) wise men. What are the four?
1.
Here, a Bhikkhu is content with this or that robe and he speaks in praise
of contentment with any sort of robe. For the sake of a robe he does not go
about seeking it wrongly, in an unbecoming way. If he does not obtain a robe he
is not worried while if he gets it he is not attached, not infatuated, not in
bondage to it but seeing this danger he knows how to use it as a support (for
his life). Yet he does not exalt himself because of contentment with any sort of
robe, nor does he disparage others. Whoever is skilful in this matter, not lazy
but clearly understanding and mindful, he is called a Bhikkhu who stands firm in
this ancient and highest lineage of the Noble Ones.
2.
Then again, a Bhikkhu is content with this or that alms food and he
speaks in praise of contentment with any sort of alms food. For the sake of alms
food he does not go about seeking it wrongly, in an unbecoming way. If he does
not obtain alms food, he is not worried while if he gets it he is not attached,
not infatuated, not in bondage to it, but seeing this danger he knows how to use
it as a support. Yet he does not exalt himself because of contentment with any
sort of alms food, nor does he disparage others. Whoever is skilful in this
matter, not lazy but clearly understanding and mindful, he is called a Bhikkhu
who stands firm in this ancient and highest lineage of the Noble Ones.
3.
Then again, a Bhikkhu is content with this or that lodging and he speaks
in praise of contentment with any sort of lodging. For the sake of a lodging he
does not go about seeking it wrongly, in an unbecoming way. If he does not
obtain a lodging he is not worried while if he gets it he is not attached, not
infatuated, not in bondage to it but seeing this danger he knows how to use it
as a support. Yet he does not exalt himself because of contentment with any sort
of lodging, nor does he disparage others. Whoever is skilful in this matter, not
lazy but clearly understanding and mindful, he is called a Bhikkhu who stands
firm in this ancient and highest lineage of the Noble Ones.
4.
Then again, a Bhikkhu enjoys development (of good mental states[2]*)
and delights in it; he enjoys abandonment (of evil mental states) and delights
in it. Yet because of his enjoyment and delight in development and because of
his enjoyment and delight in abandonment he does not exalt himself, nor does he
disparage others. Whoever is skilful in this matter, not lazy but clearly
understanding and mindful, he is called a Bhikkhu who stands firm in this
ancient and highest lineage of the Noble Ones.
These,
Bhikkhus, are the four lineages of the Noble Ones, known as highest, known as
oldest, known as the (true) lineage, pure from ancient times, unstained of old,
neither suspect now nor will they be suspect in future, and not despised by
samanas, brahmins and other wise men.
A
Bhikkhu having these four lineages of the Noble Ones may dwell in the East or in
the West, in the North or in the South and wherever he dwells, aversion (to
wholesome mental states, boredom with helpful environments) does not overpower
him but he overcomes aversion. For what reason? The steadfast sage, O Bhikkhus,
has overcome both aversion and delight.
Thus
spoke the Exalted One. the Wellfarer, the Teacher then further said:
-
Not by aversion is the steadfast sage overcome,
-
not by aversion, for the sage is steadfast, firm.
-
The steadfast sage aversion overcomes,
-
indeed is the sage aversion’s conqueror.
-
What obstructions can there be,
-
for him, all kamma rejected, given up?
-
Who could blame him as worthy as
-
an ornament of Jambu gold -
-
even the devas praise him,
-
even by brahmas he is praised!
