Dhammacetiyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 89

Shrines to the Teaching · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Puna caparāhaṁ, bhante, passāmi idhekacce khattiyapaṇḍite nipuṇe kataparappavāde vālavedhirūpe. Te bhindantā maññe caranti paññāgatena diṭṭhigatāni.
Te suṇanti:
‘samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo amukaṁ nāma gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā osarissatī’ti.
Te pañhaṁ abhisaṅkharonti:
‘imaṁ mayaṁ pañhaṁ samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ upasaṅkamitvā pucchissāma.
Evañce no puṭṭho evaṁ byākarissati, evamassa mayaṁ vādaṁ āropessāma;
evañcepi no puṭṭho evaṁ byākarissati, evampissa mayaṁ vādaṁ āropessāmā’ti.
Te suṇanti:
‘samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo amukaṁ nāma gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā osaṭo’ti.
Te yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamanti.
Te bhagavā dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti.
Te bhagavatā dhammiyā kathāya sandassitā samādapitā samuttejitā sampahaṁsitā na ceva bhagavantaṁ pañhaṁ pucchanti, kuto vādaṁ āropessanti?

Furthermore, I’ve seen some astute aristocrats who are subtle, accomplished in the doctrines of others, hair-splitters. You’d think they live to demolish convictions with their intellect. They hear: ‘So, gentlemen, that ascetic Gotama will come down to such-and-such village or town.’ They formulate a question, thinking: ‘We’ll approach the ascetic Gotama and ask him this question. If he answers like this, we’ll refute him like that; and if he answers like that, we’ll refute him like this.’ When they hear that he has come down they approach him. The Buddha educates, encourages, fires up, and inspires them with a Dhamma talk. They don’t even get around to asking their question to the Buddha, so how could they refute his answer?

Aññadatthu bhagavato sāvakā sampajjanti.
Ayampi kho me, bhante, bhagavati dhammanvayo hoti:
‘sammāsambuddho bhagavā, svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho’ti.

Invariably, they become his disciples. So I infer this about the Buddha from the teaching: ‘The Blessed One is a fully awakened Buddha. The teaching is well explained. The Saṅgha is practicing well.’

Puna caparāhaṁ, bhante, passāmi idhekacce brāhmaṇapaṇḍite …pe…

Furthermore, I see some astute brahmins …

gahapatipaṇḍite …pe…

some astute householders …

samaṇapaṇḍite nipuṇe kataparappavāde vālavedhirūpe. Te bhindantā maññe caranti paññāgatena diṭṭhigatāni.
Te suṇanti:
‘samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo amukaṁ nāma gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā osarissatī’ti.
Te pañhaṁ abhisaṅkharonti:
‘imaṁ mayaṁ pañhaṁ samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ upasaṅkamitvā pucchissāma.
Evañce no puṭṭho evaṁ byākarissati, evamassa mayaṁ vādaṁ āropessāma;
evañcepi no puṭṭho evaṁ byākarissati, evampissa mayaṁ vādaṁ āropessāmā’ti.
Te suṇanti:
‘samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo amukaṁ nāma gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā osaṭo’ti.
Te yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamanti.
Te bhagavā dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti.
Te bhagavatā dhammiyā kathāya sandassitā samādapitā samuttejitā sampahaṁsitā na ceva bhagavantaṁ pañhaṁ pucchanti, kuto vādaṁ āropessanti?
Aññadatthu bhagavantaṁyeva okāsaṁ yācanti agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajjāya.

some astute ascetics who are subtle, accomplished in the doctrines of others, hair-splitters. … They don’t even get around to asking their question to the Buddha, so how could they refute his answer? Invariably, they ask the Buddha for the chance to go forth.

Te bhagavā pabbājeti.
Te tathāpabbajitā samānā ekā vūpakaṭṭhā appamattā ātāpino pahitattā viharantā nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.
Te evamāhaṁsu:
‘manaṁ vata, bho, anassāma; manaṁ vata, bho, panassāma’.
Mayañhi pubbe assamaṇāva samānā samaṇāmhāti paṭijānimhā, abrāhmaṇāva samānā brāhmaṇāmhāti paṭijānimhā, anarahantova samānā arahantāmhāti paṭijānimhā.
‘Idāni khomha samaṇā, idāni khomha brāhmaṇā, idāni khomha arahanto’ti.
Ayampi kho me, bhante, bhagavati dhammanvayo hoti:
‘sammāsambuddho bhagavā, svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho’ti.

And he gives them the going-forth. Soon after going forth, living withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, they realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. They live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness. They say: ‘We were almost lost! We almost perished! For we used to claim that we were ascetics, brahmins, and perfected ones, but we were none of these things. But now we really are ascetics, brahmins, and perfected ones!’ So I infer this about the Buddha from the teaching: ‘The Blessed One is a fully awakened Buddha. The teaching is well explained. The Saṅgha is practicing well.’

Puna caparāhaṁ, bhante, ime isidattapurāṇā thapatayo mamabhattā mamayānā, ahaṁ nesaṁ jīvikāya dātā, yasassa āhattā;
atha ca pana no tathā mayi nipaccakāraṁ karonti yathā bhagavati.
Bhūtapubbāhaṁ, bhante, senaṁ abbhuyyāto samāno ime ca isidattapurāṇā thapatayo vīmaṁsamāno aññatarasmiṁ sambādhe āvasathe vāsaṁ upagacchiṁ.
Atha kho, bhante, ime isidattapurāṇā thapatayo bahudeva rattiṁ dhammiyā kathāya vītināmetvā, yato ahosi bhagavā tato sīsaṁ katvā maṁ pādato karitvā nipajjiṁsu.
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:
‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho.
Ime isidattapurāṇā thapatayo mamabhattā mamayānā, ahaṁ nesaṁ jīvikāya dātā, yasassa āhattā;
atha ca pana no tathā mayi nipaccakāraṁ karonti yathā bhagavati.

Furthermore, these chamberlains Isidatta and Purāṇa share my meals and my carriages. I give them a livelihood and bring them renown. And yet they don’t show me the same level of deference that they show to the Buddha. Once it so happened that while I was leading a military campaign and testing Isidatta and Purāṇa I took up residence in a cramped house. They spent much of the night discussing the teaching, then they lay down with their heads toward where the Buddha was and their feet toward me. It occurred to me: ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! These chamberlains Isidatta and Purāṇa share my meals and my carriages. I give them a livelihood and bring them renown. And yet they don’t show me the same level of deference that they show to the Buddha.

Addhā ime āyasmanto tassa bhagavato sāsane uḷāraṁ pubbenāparaṁ visesaṁ jānantī’ti.
Ayampi kho me, bhante, bhagavati dhammanvayo hoti:
‘sammāsambuddho bhagavā, svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho’ti.

Clearly these venerables have realized a higher distinction in the Buddha’s instructions than they had before.’ So I infer this about the Buddha from the teaching: ‘The Blessed One is a fully awakened Buddha. The teaching is well explained. The Saṅgha is practicing well.’

Puna caparaṁ, bhante, bhagavāpi khattiyo, ahampi khattiyo;
bhagavāpi kosalo, ahampi kosalo;
bhagavāpi āsītiko, ahampi āsītiko.
Yampi, bhante, bhagavāpi khattiyo ahampi khattiyo, bhagavāpi kosalo ahampi kosalo, bhagavāpi āsītiko ahampi āsītiko;
imināvārahāmevāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavati paramanipaccakāraṁ kātuṁ, mittūpahāraṁ upadaṁsetuṁ.

Furthermore, the Buddha is an aristocrat, and so am I. The Buddha is Kosalan, and so am I. The Buddha is eighty years old, and so am I. Since this is so, it’s proper for me to act with such utmost deference for the Buddha and convey my manifest love.

Handa ca dāni mayaṁ, bhante, gacchāma;
bahukiccā mayaṁ bahukaraṇīyā”ti.
“Yassadāni tvaṁ, mahārāja, kālaṁ maññasī”ti.
Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.

Well, now, sir, I must go. I have many duties, and much to do.” “Please, Great King, go at your convenience.” Then King Pasenadi rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

Atha kho bhagavā acirapakkantassa rañño pasenadissa kosalassa bhikkhū āmantesi:
“eso, bhikkhave, rājā pasenadi kosalo dhammacetiyāni bhāsitvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkanto.
Uggaṇhatha, bhikkhave, dhammacetiyāni;
pariyāpuṇātha, bhikkhave, dhammacetiyāni;
dhāretha, bhikkhave, dhammacetiyāni.
Atthasaṁhitāni, bhikkhave, dhammacetiyāni ādibrahmacariyakānī”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.
Dhammacetiyasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ navamaṁ.

Soon after the king had left, the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, before he got up and left, King Pasenadi spoke shrines to the teaching. Learn these shrines to the teaching! Memorize these shrines to the teaching! Remember these shrines to the teaching! These shrines to the teaching are beneficial and relate to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

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