Subhasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 99

With Subha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ vutte, subho māṇavo todeyyaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama.
Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.
Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.
Upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gataṁ.
Handa ca dāni mayaṁ, bho gotama, gacchāma;
bahukiccā mayaṁ bahukaraṇīyā”ti.

When he had spoken, Subha said to him, “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. I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life. Well, now, worthy Gotama, I must go. I have many duties, and much to do.”

“Yassadāni tvaṁ, māṇava, kālaṁ maññasī”ti.
Atha kho subho māṇavo todeyyaputto bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.

“Please, student, go at your convenience.” And then Subha approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. He got up from his seat, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

Tena kho pana samayena jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo sabbasetena vaḷavābhirathena sāvatthiyā niyyāti divā divassa.
Addasā kho jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo subhaṁ māṇavaṁ todeyyaputtaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.
Disvāna subhaṁ māṇavaṁ todeyyaputtaṁ etadavoca:
“handa kuto nu bhavaṁ bhāradvājo āgacchati divā divassā”ti?
“Ito hi kho ahaṁ, bho, āgacchāmi samaṇassa gotamassa santikā”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, bhavaṁ bhāradvājo samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ paṇḍito maññeti”?
“Ko cāhaṁ, bho, ko ca samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ jānissāmi?
Sopi nūnassa tādisova yo samaṇassa gotamassa paññāveyyattiyaṁ jāneyyā”ti.
“Uḷārāya khalu bhavaṁ bhāradvājo samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pasaṁsāya pasaṁsatī”ti.
“Ko cāhaṁ, bho, ko ca samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pasaṁsissāmi?
Pasatthapasatthova so bhavaṁ gotamo seṭṭho devamanussānaṁ.

Now at that time the brahmin Jānussoṇi drove out from Sāvatthī in the middle of the day in an all-white chariot drawn by mares. He saw the student Subha coming off in the distance, and said to him, “So, worthy Bhāradvāja, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?” “Just now, good fellow, I’ve come from the presence of the ascetic Gotama.” “What do you think of the ascetic Gotama’s lucidity of wisdom? Do you think he’s astute?” “Worthy sir, who am I to judge the ascetic Gotama’s lucidity of wisdom? You’d really have to be on the same level to judge his lucidity of wisdom.” “Worthy Bhāradvāja praises the ascetic Gotama with high praise indeed.” “Who am I to praise the ascetic Gotama? He is praised by the praised as the best among gods and humans.

Ye cime, bho, brāhmaṇā pañca dhamme paññapenti puññassa kiriyāya kusalassa ārādhanāya;
cittassete samaṇo gotamo parikkhāre vadeti—
yadidaṁ cittaṁ averaṁ abyābajjhaṁ tassa bhāvanāyā”ti.

The five things that the brahmins prescribe for making merit and succeeding in the skillful he says are prerequisites of the mind for developing a mind free of enmity and ill will.”

Evaṁ vutte, jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo sabbasetā vaḷavābhirathā orohitvā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā udānaṁ udānesi:
“lābhā rañño pasenadissa kosalassa, suladdhalābhā rañño pasenadissa kosalassa
yassa vijite tathāgato viharati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho”ti.
Subhasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ navamaṁ.

When he had spoken, Jānussoṇi got down from his chariot, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha, and expressed this heartfelt sentiment three times, “King Pasenadi of Kosala is lucky, so very lucky that the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha is living in his realm!”

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