Dhammacetiyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 89

Shrines to the Teaching · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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“Sir, I infer about the Buddha from the teaching: ‘The Blessed One is a fully awakened Buddha. The teaching is well explained. The Saṅgha is practicing well.’ It happens, sir, that I see some ascetics and brahmins leading the spiritual life only for a limited period: ten, twenty, thirty, or forty years. Some time later—nicely bathed and anointed, with hair and beard dressed—they amuse themselves, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation. But here I see the mendicants leading the spiritual life entirely full and pure as long as they live, to their last breath. I don’t see any other spiritual life elsewhere so full and pure. That’s why 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.’

furthermorePuna andcaparaṁ, sirbhante, kings toorājānopi with kingsrājūhi they fightvivadanti, aristocrats tookhattiyāpi with aristocratskhattiyehi they fightvivadanti, brahmins toobrāhmaṇāpi with brahminsbrāhmaṇehi they fightvivadanti, householders toogahapatayopi with householdersgahapatīhi they fightvivadanti, mother toomātāpi with childputtena she fightsvivadati, child tooputtopi with mothermātarā he fightsvivadati, father toopitāpi with childputtena he fightsvivadati, child tooputtopi with fatherpitarā he fightsvivadati, brother toobhātāpi with sisterbhaginiyā he fightsvivadati, sister toobhaginīpi with brotherbhātarā she fightsvivadati, friend toosahāyopi with friendsahāyena he fightsvivadati.
hereIdha but Ipanāhaṁ, sirbhante, mendicantsbhikkhū I seepassāmi in harmonysamagge appreciating each othersammodamāne without disputeavivadamāne blending like milk and waterkhīrodakībhūte each otheraññamaññaṁ with kindly eyespiyacakkhūhi regardingsampassante livingviharante.
notNa indeedkho but Ipanāhaṁ, sirbhante, from hereito outsidebahiddhā otheraññaṁ soevaṁ harmonioussamaggaṁ assemblyparisaṁ I seesamanupassāmi.
this tooAyampi indeedkho to meme, sirbhante, in the Blessed Onebhagavati inference from the teachingdhammanvayo there ishoti:
fully awakened‘sammāsambuddho the Blessed Onebhagavā, well explainedsvākkhāto by the Blessed Onebhagavatā teachingdhammo, practicing wellsuppaṭipanno of the Blessed Onebhagavato community of disciplessāvakasaṅgho’ti.

Furthermore, kings fight with kings, aristocrats fight with aristocrats, brahmins fight with brahmins, householders fight with householders. A mother fights with her child, child with mother, father with child, and child with father. Brother fights with brother, brother with sister, sister with brother, and friend fights with friend. But here I see the mendicants living in harmony, appreciating each other, without dispute, blending like milk and water, and regarding each other with kindly eyes. I don’t see any other assembly elsewhere so harmonious. 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.’

furthermorePuna and moreover Icaparāhaṁ, venerable sirbhante, by monasteryārāmena to monasteryārāmaṁ, by parkuyyānena to parkuyyānaṁ I walk alonganucaṅkamāmi I wander alonganuvicarāmi.
that ISohaṁ theretattha I seepassāmi someeke ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇe thinkise haggardlūkhe paledubbaṇṇe yellowishuppaṇḍuppaṇḍukajāte with veins protrudingdhamanisanthatagatte, notna likeviya I thinkmaññe eyecakkhuṁ captivatingbandhante for peoplejanassa for seeingdassanāya.
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, venerable sirbhante, this occurredetadahosi:
clearly‘addhā theseime venerablesāyasmanto dissatisfiedanabhiratā orvā spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ they leadcaranti, there isatthi orvā of themtesaṁ somekiñci badpāpaṁ deedkammaṁ donekataṁ hiddenpaṭicchannaṁ;
thustathā indeedhi theseime venerablesāyasmanto thinkisā haggardlūkhā paledubbaṇṇā yellowishuppaṇḍuppaṇḍukajātā with veins protrudingdhamanisanthatagattā, notna likeviya I thinkmaññe eyecakkhuṁ they captivatebandhanti for peoplejanassa for seeingdassanāyā’ti.
those ITyāhaṁ having approachedupasaṅkamitvā thusevaṁ I sayvadāmi:
why‘kiṁ nownu indeedkho youtumhe venerablesāyasmanto thinkisā haggardlūkhā paledubbaṇṇā yellowishuppaṇḍuppaṇḍukajātā with veins protrudingdhamanisanthatagattā, notna likeviya I thinkmaññe eyecakkhuṁ you captivatebandhatha for peoplejanassa for seeingdassanāyā’ti?
theyTe thus saidevamāhaṁsu:
jaundice‘bandhukarogo to usno, Great Kingmahārājā’ti.

Furthermore, I have walked and wandered from monastery to monastery and from park to park. There I’ve seen some ascetics and brahmins who are thin, haggard, pale, and veiny—hardly a captivating sight for people, you’d think. It occurred to me: ‘Clearly these venerables lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, or they’re hiding some bad deed they’ve done. That’s why they’re thin, haggard, pale, and veiny—hardly a captivating sight for people, you’d think.’ I went up to them and said: ‘Venerables, why are you so thin, haggard, pale, and veiny—hardly a captivating sight for people, you’d think?’ They say: ‘We have jaundice, Great King.’

hereIdha and now Ipanāhaṁ, sirbhante, mendicantsbhikkhū I seepassāmi always smilinghaṭṭhapahaṭṭhe joyfuludaggudagge obviously happyabhiratarūpe with cheerful facespīṇindriye living relaxedappossukke unruffledpannalome surviving on charityparadattavutte hearts free as a wild deermigabhūtena with heartcetasā dwellingviharante.
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, sirbhante, it occurredetadahosi:
clearly‘addhā theseime venerablesāyasmanto of thattassa of the Blessed Onebhagavato in the instructionsāsane higheruḷāraṁ than beforepubbenāparaṁ a distinctionvisesaṁ they knowjānanti;
sotathā indeedhi theseime venerablesāyasmanto always smilinghaṭṭhapahaṭṭhā joyfuludaggudaggā obviously happyabhiratarūpā with cheerful facespīṇindriyā living relaxedappossukkā unruffledpannalomā surviving on charityparadattavuttā hearts free as a wild deermigabhūtena with heartcetasā dwellingviharantī’ti.
this tooAyampi indeedkho to meme, sirbhante, in the Blessed Onebhagavati inference from the teachingdhammanvayo ishoti:
a fully awakened Buddha‘sammāsambuddho the Blessed Onebhagavā, well explainedsvākkhāto by the Blessed Onebhagavatā the teachingdhammo, practicing wellsuppaṭipanno of the Blessed Onebhagavato the Saṅgha of disciplessāvakasaṅgho’ti.

But here I see mendicants always smiling and joyful, obviously happy, with cheerful faces, living relaxed, unruffled, surviving on charity, their hearts free as a wild deer. It occurred to me: ‘Clearly these venerables have realized a higher distinction in the Buddha’s instructions than they had before. That’s why these venerables are always smiling and joyful, obviously happy, with cheerful faces, living relaxed, unruffled, surviving on charity, their hearts free as a wild deer.’ 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.’

moreoverPuna and furthermore Icaparāhaṁ, sirbhante, kingrājā noblekhattiyo anointedmuddhāvasitto;
I am ablepahomi whoever should be executedghātetāyaṁ orvā to executeghātetuṁ, whoever should be finedjāpetāyaṁ orvā to finejāpetuṁ, whoever should be banishedpabbājetāyaṁ orvā to banishpabbājetuṁ.
of thatTassa of memayhaṁ, sirbhante, in the courtaḍḍakaraṇe sittingnisinnassa repeatedlyantarantarā talkkathaṁ they interruptopātenti.
ISohaṁ notna I am ablelabhāmi:
do not‘mā meme sirsbhonto in the courtaḍḍakaraṇe sittingnisinnassa repeatedlyantarantarā talkkathaṁ you interruptopātetha, the end of the talkkathāpariyosānaṁ myme sirsbhonto let them waitāgamentū’ti.
of thatTassa of memayhaṁ, sirbhante, repeatedlyantarantarā talkkathaṁ they interruptopātenti.
hereIdha butpanāhaṁ, sirbhante, mendicantsbhikkhū I seepassāmi;
in whichyasmiṁ occasionsamaye the Blessed Onebhagavā of many hundredsanekasatāya of an assemblyparisāya dhammadhammaṁ teachesdeseti, notneva at thattasmiṁ occasionsamaye of the Blessed Onebhagavato of the disciplessāvakānaṁ sneezing soundkhipitasaddo orvā there ishoti coughing soundukkāsitasaddo orvā.
once it wasBhūtapubbaṁ, sirbhante, the Blessed Onebhagavā of many hundredsanekasatāya of an assemblyparisāya dhammadhammaṁ teachesdeseti.
then a certainTatraññataro of the Blessed Onebhagavato disciplesāvako coughedukkāsi.
himTamenaṁ a certainaññataro fellow celibatesabrahmacārī with the kneejaṇṇukena nudgedghaṭṭesi:
quiet‘appasaddo venerableāyasmā let behotu, may not the venerablemāyasmā make a soundsaddamakāsi; the teachersatthā ourno the Blessed Onebhagavā dhammadhammaṁ teachesdesetī’ti.
of thatTassa of memayhaṁ, sirbhante, this occurredetadahosi:

Furthermore, as an anointed aristocratic king I am able to execute, fine, or banish those who are guilty. Yet when I’m sitting in court they interrupt me. And I can’t get them to stop interrupting me and wait until I’ve finished speaking. But here I see the mendicants while the Buddha is teaching an assembly of many hundreds, and there is no sound of his disciples coughing or clearing their throats. Once it so happened that the Buddha was teaching an assembly of many hundreds. Then one of his disciples cleared their throat. And one of their spiritual companions nudged them with their knee, to indicate: ‘Hush, venerable, don’t make a sound! Our teacher, the Blessed One, is teaching!’ It occurred to me:

wonderful‘acchariyaṁ indeedvata sirbho, amazingabbhutaṁ indeedvata sirbho.
without rodAdaṇḍena indeedvata trulykira, sirbho, without swordasatthena thusevaṁ well trainedsuvinītā assemblyparisā will bebhavissatī’ti.
notNa indeedkho but Ipanāhaṁ, reverend sirbhante, from hereito outsidebahiddhā otheraññaṁ thusevaṁ well trainedsuvinītaṁ assemblyparisaṁ I seesamanupassāmi.
this tooAyampi indeedkho by meme, reverend sirbhante, in the Blessed Onebhagavati inference from the teachingdhammanvayo ishoti:
fully awakened‘sammāsambuddho Blessed Onebhagavā, well explainedsvākkhāto by the Blessed Onebhagavatā teachingdhammo, practicing wellsuppaṭipanno of the Blessed Onebhagavato Saṅgha of disciplessāvakasaṅgho’ti.

‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing, how an assembly can be so well trained without rod or sword!’ I don’t see any other assembly elsewhere so well trained. 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.’

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