Kings · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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⚠ Glossing did not finish. The original text is shown below.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: “ko nu kho, āvuso, imesaṁ dvinnaṁ rājūnaṁ mahaddhanataro vā mahābhogataro vā mahākosataro vā mahāvijitataro vā mahāvāhanataro vā mahabbalataro vā mahiddhikataro vā mahānubhāvataro vā rājā vā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro, rājā vā pasenadi kosalo”ti? Ayañcarahi tesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ antarākathā hoti vippakatā.
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time, after the meal, on return from almsround, several mendicants sat together in the assembly hall and this discussion came up among them: “Which of these two kings has greater wealth, riches, treasury, dominion, vehicles, forces, might, and power: King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha or King Pasenadi of Kosala?” At that point the conversation among those mendicants was left unfinished.
Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenupaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “kāya nuttha, bhikkhave, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā sannipatitā, kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā”ti?
Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat, went to the assembly hall, sat down on the seat spread out, and addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?”
“Idha, bhante, amhākaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: ‘ko nu kho, āvuso, imesaṁ dvinnaṁ rājūnaṁ mahaddhanataro vā mahābhogataro vā mahākosataro vā mahāvijitataro vā mahāvāhanataro vā mahabbalataro vā mahiddhikataro vā mahānubhāvataro vā rājā vā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro, rājā vā pasenadi kosalo’ti? Ayaṁ kho no, bhante, antarākathā vippakatā, atha bhagavā anuppatto”ti.
So the mendicants told him what they had been talking about when the Buddha arrived. The Buddha said,
“Na khvetaṁ, bhikkhave, tumhākaṁ patirūpaṁ kulaputtānaṁ saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitānaṁ yaṁ tumhe evarūpiṁ kathaṁ katheyyātha. Sannipatitānaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dvayaṁ karaṇīyaṁ— dhammī vā kathā ariyo vā tuṇhībhāvo”ti.
“Mendicants, it is not appropriate for you gentlemen who have gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness to talk about such things. When you’re sitting together you should do one of two things: discuss the teachings or keep noble silence.”
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“Yañca kāmasukhaṁ loke, yañcidaṁ diviyaṁ sukhaṁ; Taṇhakkhayasukhassete, kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasin”ti. Dutiyaṁ.
“Neither the pleasures of the senses, nor even divine happiness, is worth even a sixteenth part of the happiness of craving’s end.”
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