Nagaravindeyyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 150

With the People of Nagaravinda · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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in ideas known by the mindmanoviññeyyesu in mental phenomenadhammesu free of passionvītarāgā free of ill willvītadosā free of delusion,vītamohā, internallyajjhattaṁ with minds settled internally,vūpasantacittā, good conductsamacariyaṁ they conductcaranti by bodykāyena by speechvācāya by mind,manasā, suchevarūpā ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā worthy of honorsakkātabbā worthy of respectgarukātabbā worthy of reverencemānetabbā worthy of veneration.pūjetabbā.
thatTaṁ whatkissa is the reason?hetu?
we tooMayampi indeedhi in ideas known by the mindmanoviññeyyesu in mental phenomenadhammesu not free of passionavītarāgā not free of ill willavītadosā not free of delusionavītamohā internallyajjhattaṁ with minds not settled internally,avūpasantacittā, good and bad conductsamavisamaṁ we conductcarāma by bodykāyena by speechvācāya by mind,manasā, of thesetesaṁ ourno even good conductsamacariyampi thishetaṁ higheruttari of those who see.passataṁ.
thereforeTasmā thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā worthy of honorsakkātabbā worthy of respectgarukātabbā worthy of reverencemānetabbā worthy of veneration.'pūjetabbā’ti.
thusEvaṁ when askedpuṭṭhā you,tumhe, householders,gahapatayo, of thosetesaṁ of other religionsaññatitthiyānaṁ of wanderersparibbājakānaṁ thusevaṁ you should answerbyākareyyātha.

ideas known by the mind, whose minds are settled internally, and who conduct themselves well by way of body, speech, and mind. They deserve honor, respect, reverence, and veneration. Why is that? Because we ourselves are not free of these things, but we see that they have a higher good conduct than us. That’s why they deserve honor, respect, reverence, and veneration.’ When questioned by wanderers of other religions, that’s how you should answer them.

ifSace thenpana to youvo, householdersgahapatayo, of other religionsaññatitthiyā wanderersparibbājakā thusevaṁ might askpuccheyyuṁ:
what‘ke but regarding those venerablespanāyasmantānaṁ reasonsākārā, whatke evidenceanvayā, by whichyena youtumhe venerablesāyasmanto thusevaṁ sayvadetha?
clearlyAddhā thosete venerablesāyasmanto free of greedvītarāgā orvā for the removal of greedrāgavinayāya orvā practicingpaṭipannā, free of hatevītadosā orvā for the removal of hatedosavinayāya orvā practicingpaṭipannā, free of delusionvītamohā orvā for the removal of delusionmohavinayāya orvā practicingpaṭipannā’ti?
thusEvaṁ askedpuṭṭhā youtumhe, householdersgahapatayo, to thosetesaṁ of other religionsaññatitthiyānaṁ wanderersparibbājakānaṁ thusevaṁ should answerbyākareyyātha:
because‘tathā indeedhi thosete venerablesāyasmanto wilderness and forestaraññavanapatthāni remotepantāni lodgingssenāsanāni frequentpaṭisevanti.

If wanderers of other religions were to ask you: ‘But what reasons and evidence do you have regarding those venerables that justifies saying, “Clearly those venerables are free of greed, hate, and delusion, or practicing to be free of them”?’ You should answer them: ‘It’s because those venerables frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.

there is notNatthi indeedkho furthermorepana theretattha suchtathārūpā cognizable by the eyecakkhuviññeyyā sightsrūpā thatye having seendisvā having seendisvā would delightabhirameyyuṁ, there is notnatthi indeedkho furthermorepana theretattha suchtathārūpā cognizable by the earsotaviññeyyā soundssaddā thatye having heardsutvā having heardsutvā would delightabhirameyyuṁ, there is notnatthi indeedkho furthermorepana theretattha suchtathārūpā cognizable by the noseghānaviññeyyā odorsgandhā thatye having smelledghāyitvā having smelledghāyitvā would delightabhirameyyuṁ, there is notnatthi indeedkho furthermorepana theretattha suchtathārūpā cognizable by the tonguejivhāviññeyyā flavorsrasā thatye having tastedsāyitvā having tastedsāyitvā would delightabhirameyyuṁ, there is notnatthi indeedkho furthermorepana theretattha suchtathārūpā cognizable by the bodykāyaviññeyyā touchesphoṭṭhabbā thatye having feltphusitvā having feltphusitvā would delightabhirameyyuṁ.
theseIme indeedkho for usno, friendsāvuso, reasonsākārā, theseime evidenceanvayā, by whichyena wemayaṁ thusevaṁ we sayvadema—
clearlyaddhā thosete venerablesāyasmanto free of greedvītarāgā orvā for the removal of greedrāgavinayāya orvā practicingpaṭipannā, free of hatevītadosā orvā for the removal of hatedosavinayāya orvā practicingpaṭipannā, free of delusionvītamohā orvā for the removal of delusionmohavinayāya orvā practicingpaṭipannā’ti.
thusEvaṁ askedpuṭṭhā youtumhe, householdersgahapatayo, of thosetesaṁ of other sectsaññatitthiyānaṁ wanderersparibbājakānaṁ thusevaṁ you should answerbyākareyyāthā”ti.

In such places there are no sights known by the eye to see and enjoy, there are no sounds known by the ear to hear and enjoy, no odors known by the nose to smell and enjoy, no flavors known by the tongue to taste and enjoy, and no touches known by the body to feel and enjoy. These are the reasons and evidence that you have regarding those venerables that justifies saying, “Clearly those venerables are free of greed, hate, and delusion, or practicing to be free of them”.’ When questioned by wanderers of other religions, that’s how you should answer them.”

thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, of Nagaravindanagaravindeyyakā brahmins and householdersbrāhmaṇagahapatikā to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ this they saidetadavocuṁ:
excellent“abhikkantaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama, excellentabhikkantaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama.
just asSeyyathāpi, worthybho Gotamagotama, overturnednikkujjitaṁ orvā might rightukkujjeyya, hiddenpaṭicchannaṁ orvā might revealvivareyya, to the lostmūḷhassa orvā the pathmaggaṁ might point outācikkheyya, in the darkandhakāre orvā an oil lamptelapajjotaṁ might holddhāreyya: those with eyes‘cakkhumanto formsrūpāni will seedakkhantī’ti; even soevamevaṁ by the worthybhotā Gotamagotamena in many waysanekapariyāyena the Dhammadhammo has been made clearpakāsito.
theseEte wemayaṁ to the worthybhavantaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ as refugesaraṇaṁ we gogacchāma and to the Dhammadhammañca and to the bhikkhu Saṅghabhikkhusaṅghañca.
as lay followersUpāsake usno the worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo may rememberdhāretu from this day forthajjatagge for lifepāṇupete as refugesaraṇaṁ gonegate”ti.
the Nagaravinda DiscourseNagaravindeyyasuttaṁ is finishedniṭṭhitaṁ the eighthaṭṭhamaṁ.

When he had spoken, the brahmins and householders of Nagaravinda said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the Teaching clear in many ways. We go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember us as lay followers who have gone for refuge for life.”

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