Chapter Sixteen
The First Council to the Present
The Group Recitation
Here the narrative of Ven. Mahā Kassapa returning to pay his final respects to the Buddha, touched on in the preceding chapter, continues from Ven. Mahā Kassapa’s perspective. And here we begin a new phase in the institutional history of the Saṅgha, as its more reliable members try to establish the authority of the Dhamma and Vinaya in the Buddha’s absence. Their actions show the extent to which members of the Saṅgha should be prepared to go in keeping the Buddha’s third major accomplishment alive.
Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa addressed the monks, “Friends, just recently I was traveling on the highway from Pāvā to Kusinārā with a large Saṅgha of monks, approximately five hundred monks in all. Then, coming down from the highway, I sat down at the root of a tree. Meanwhile, a certain Ājīvakan ascetic, carrying a coral-tree flower from Kusinārā, was traveling on the highway to Pāvā. I saw the Ājīvakan ascetic coming from afar and, on seeing him, said to him, ‘Do you know our teacher, friend?’
“‘Yes, friend, I know him. Seven days ago Gotama the contemplative totally unbound. That’s how I got this coral-tree flower.’
“With that, some of the monks present who were not without passion wept, uplifting their arms. As if their feet were cut out from under them, they fell down and rolled back & forth, crying, ‘All too soon, the Blessed One has been totally unbound! All too soon, the One Well-Gone has been totally unbound! All too soon, the One with Eyes has disappeared from the world!’ But those monks who had gone beyond passion acquiesced, mindful and alert, (thinking,) ‘Fabrications are inconstant. What else is there to expect?’
“Then I said to the monks, ‘Enough, friends. Don’t grieve; don’t lament. Friends, hasn’t the Blessed One already taught you the state of growing different with regard to all things dear & beloved, the state of becoming separate, the state of becoming otherwise? What else, friends, is there to expect? That of anything born, become, fabricated, subject to disintegration, you might say, “O, may it not disintegrate”? The possibility doesn’t exist.’
“Now at that time a monk named Subhadda, who had gone forth when old, was sitting among the group. He said to the monks, ‘Enough, friends, don’t grieve; don’t lament. We’re well rid of the Great Contemplative. We’ve been tyrannized by (his saying,) “This is allowable for you; this isn’t allowable for you.” But now we will do what we want to do, and not what we don’t want to do.’
“Friends, let’s recite the Dhamma & Vinaya together before non-Dhamma shines out and Dhamma is obscured, and non-Vinaya shines out and Vinaya is obscured; before the speakers of non-Dhamma are strong and the speakers of Dhamma are weak, and speakers of non-Vinaya are strong and speakers of Vinaya are weak.”
[The other monks:] “In that case, venerable sir, may the elder gather the monks.”
Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa gathered one fewer than five hundred arahants. The monks said to him, “Venerable sir, Ven. Ānanda here, even though he’s still in training, couldn’t be biased by desire, aversion, delusion, or fear, and he has mastered much Dhamma & Vinaya in the Blessed One’s presence. That being the case, may the elder also invite Ven. Ānanda.” So Ven. Mahā Kassapa invited Ven. Ānanda.
The thought occurred to the elder monks, “Where should we recite the Dhamma & Vinaya?” The thought occurred to them, “Rājagaha has a large territory and many lodgings. Why don’t we, entering the Rains at Rājagaha, recite the Dhamma & Vinaya there, while no other monks should go there for the Rains.”
Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa informed the monks: “Friends, may the Saṅgha listen to me. If the Saṅgha is ready, it should designate these five hundred monks, entering the Rains at Rājagaha, to recite the Dhamma & Vinaya, while no other monks should enter the Rains at Rājagaha. That is the motion.
“Friends, may the Saṅgha listen to me. The Saṅgha is designating these five hundred monks, entering the Rains at Rājagaha, to recite the Dhamma & Vinaya, while no other monks should enter the Rains at Rājagaha.
“He to whom the designation of these five hundred monks, entering the Rains at Rājagaha, to recite the Dhamma & Vinaya—while no other monks should enter the Rains at Rājagaha—is agreeable should remain silent. He to whom it is not agreeable should speak.
“These five hundred monks, entering the Rains at Rājagaha, have been designated by the Saṅgha to recite the Dhamma & Vinaya, while no other monks should enter the Rains at Rājagaha. This is agreeable to the Saṅgha, therefore it is silent. Thus do I hold it.”
Then the elder monks went to Rājagaha to recite the Dhamma & Vinaya. Then the thought occurred to them, “Friends, the restoration of things (buildings) that are old and broken has been praised by the Blessed One. Let’s restore the old and broken buildings in the first month, and in the middle month, having assembled, recite the Dhamma & Vinaya.” So they restored the old and broken buildings in the first month.
Then Ven. Ānanda, (thinking.) “Tomorrow is the assembly. It wouldn’t be fitting for me, being one in training, to go to the assembly,” spent most of the night with mindfulness immersed in the body. When the night had passed, in the early morning, (thinking,) “I’ll lie down,” he inclined his body. His head had not touched the pillow, but his feet were off the ground, and there, in between, his mind—through lack of clinging/sustenance—was released from effluents.
Then Ven. Ānanda, being an arahant, went to the assembly.
Ven. Mahā Kassapa informed the Saṅgha: “Friends, may the Saṅgha listen to me. If the Saṅgha is ready, I would question Upāli about the Vinaya.”
Ven. Upāli informed the Saṅgha: “Venerable sirs, may the Saṅgha listen to me. If the Saṅgha is ready, I, being questioned by Ven. Mahā Kassapa about the Vinaya, will answer.”
Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa said to Ven. Upāli, “Friend Upāli, where was the first pārājika legislated?”
“At Vesāli, venerable sir.”
“With reference to whom?”
“With reference to Sudinna, the native of Kalanda.”
“With reference to what topic?”
“Sexual intercourse.”
Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa asked Ven. Upāli about the topic of the first pārājika, about its origin story, about the individual, about its declaration, about its amendments, and about its [derived] offenses & non-offenses.…
By this procedure he questioned him about both Vinayas [those for monks and nuns]. Questioned again & again, Ven. Upāli answered.
Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa informed the Saṅgha: “Friends, may the Saṅgha listen to me. If the Saṅgha is ready, I would question Ānanda about the Dhamma.”
Ven. Ānanda informed the Saṅgha: “Venerable sirs, may the Saṅgha listen to me. If the Saṅgha is ready, I, being questioned by Ven. Mahā Kassapa about the Dhamma, will answer.”
Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa said to Ven. Ānanda, “Friend Ānanda, where was the Brahmajāla (Sutta) spoken?”
“Venerable sir, between Rājagaha & Nāḷandā, in the royal rest house at Ambalaṭṭhikā Park.”
“With reference to whom?”
“Suppiya the wanderer & Brahmadatta the young brahman.”
Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa questioned Ven. Ānanda about the origin story of the Brahmajāla and about the individual.…
By this procedure he questioned him about the five Nikāyas. Questioned again & again, Ven. Ānanda answered.
The Lesser & Minor Training Rules
Then Ven. Ānanda said to the elder monks, “Venerable sirs, the Blessed One said this to me at the time of his total unbinding, ‘After my passing, Ānanda, the Saṅgha—if it wants—may rescind the lesser & minor training rules.’
“But, friend Ānanda, did you ask the Blessed One, ‘But which, lord, are the lesser & minor training rules?’?”
“Venerable sirs, I didn’t ask the Blessed One, ‘But which, lord, are the lesser & minor training rules?’”
Some of the elder monks said, “Aside from the four pārājikas, the rest are lesser & minor training rules.”
Some of the elder monks said, “Aside from the four pārājikas & the thirteen saṅghadisesas…”… “Aside from the four pārājikas, the thirteen saṅghadisesas, & the two aniyatas…”… “Aside from the four pārājikas, the thirteen saṅghadisesas, the two aniyatas, & the thirty nissaggiya pācittiyas…”… “Aside from the four pārājikas, the thirteen saṅghadisesas, the two aniyatas, the thirty nissaggiya pācittiyas, & the ninety-two pācittiyas…”… “Aside from the four pārājikas, the thirteen saṅghadisesas, the two aniyatas, the thirty nissaggiya pācittiyas, the ninety-two pācittiyas, & the four pāṭidesaniyas, the rest are lesser & minor training rules.”225
Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa informed the Saṅgha: “Friends, may the Saṅgha listen to me. There are training rules of ours that have gone to the householders, and the householders know them: ‘This is allowable for you Sakyan-son contemplatives; this is not allowable.’ If we rescind the lesser & minor training rules, there will be those who say, ‘The training rules were legislated by the Blessed One for his disciples only until the time of the smoke (from his cremation). As long as their teacher remained, they trained under the training rules. Now that their teacher is totally unbound, they don’t train under the training rules.’
“If the Saṅgha is ready, it should not legislate what was not legislated, and not rescind what was legislated. It should proceed, having undertaken the training rules as they were legislated.226 This is the motion.
“Friends, may the Saṅgha listen to me. There are training rules of ours that have gone to the householders, and the householders know them: ‘This is allowable for you Sakyan-son contemplatives; this is not allowable.’ If we rescind the lesser & minor training rules, there will be those who say, ‘The training rules were legislated by the Blessed One for his disciples only until the time of the smoke. As long as their teacher remained, they trained under the training rules. Now that their teacher is totally unbound, they don’t train under the training rules.’ The Saṅgha does not legislate what has not been legislated, does not rescind what has been legislated. It proceeds, having undertaken the training rules as they were legislated.
“He to whom the not-legislation of what was not legislated, the not-rescinding of what was legislated, and proceeding having undertaken the training rules as they were legislated is agreeable should remain silent. He to whom it is not agreeable should speak.
“The Saṅgha does not legislate what has not been legislated, does not rescind what has been legislated. It proceeds, having undertaken the training rules as they were legislated. This is agreeable to the Saṅgha, therefore it is silent. Thus do I hold it.”
Then the elder monks said to Ven. Ānanda, “Friend Ānanda, this was a wrongdoing227 on your part: that you didn’t ask the Blessed One, ‘But which, lord, are the lesser & minor training rules?’ Confess the wrongdoing.”
“Venerable sirs, it was through lack of mindfulness that I didn’t ask the Blessed One, ‘But which, lord, are the lesser & minor training rules?’ I don’t see that as a wrongdoing, but I confess it out of conviction in you.”
“Friend Ānanda, this, too, was a wrongdoing on your part: that you stepped on the Blessed One’s rains bathing cloth while sewing it. Confess the wrongdoing.”
“Venerable sirs, it was not out of disrespect that I stepped on the Blessed One’s rains bathing cloth while sewing it. I don’t see that as a wrongdoing, but I confess it out of conviction in you.”
“Friend Ānanda, this, too, was a wrongdoing on your part: that you had women pay homage to the Blessed One’s body first as they were crying, smearing his body with their tears. Confess the wrongdoing.”
“Venerable sirs, (thinking,) ‘May they not be here at the wrong time [night],’ I had women pay homage to the Blessed One’s body first. I don’t see that as a wrongdoing, but I confess it out of conviction in you.”
“Friend Ānanda, this, too, was a wrongdoing on your part: that even when the Blessed One had given such a blatant sign, such a blatant hint, you didn’t beg of him, ‘May the Blessed One remain for an eon. May the One Well-Gone remain for an eon—for the benefit of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of sympathy for the world, for the welfare, benefit, & happiness of human beings & devas.’ Confess the wrongdoing.”
“Venerable sirs, it was with my mind possessed by Māra that I didn’t beg of the Blessed One, ‘May the Blessed One remain for an eon. May the One Well-Gone remain for an eon—for the benefit of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of sympathy for the world, for the welfare, benefit, & happiness of human beings & devas.’ I don’t see that as a wrongdoing, but I confess it out of conviction in you.”
“Friend Ānanda, this, too, was a wrongdoing on your part: that you made an effort for the Going-forth of women in the Dhamma & Vinaya made known by the Blessed One. Confess the wrongdoing.”
“Venerable sirs, (thinking,) ‘Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī was the Blessed One’s aunt, foster mother, nurse, giver of milk. When the Blessed One’s mother passed away, she gave him milk,’ I made an effort for the Going-forth of women in the Dhamma & Vinaya made known by the Blessed One. I don’t see that as a wrongdoing, but I confess it out of conviction in you.”
Now at that time Ven. Purāṇa was on a walking tour in the Southern Mountains, along with a large Saṅgha of approximately five hundred monks in all. Having stayed in the Southern Mountains for as long as he liked while the Dhamma & Vinaya were being recited by the elder monks, Ven. Purāṇa went to Rājagaha, to the Bamboo Forest, the Squirrels’ Feeding Ground, and went to the elder monks. On arrival, having exchanged courteous greetings with them, he sat to one side.
As he was sitting there, the elder monks said to Ven. Purāṇa, “Friend Purāṇa, the Dhamma & Vinaya have been recited by the elders. Accept it as recited.”
“The Dhamma & Vinaya have been well recited by the elder monks, but I will remember what I have heard and learned face-to-face with the Blessed One.”228
The Brahmā-punishment
Then Ven. Ānanda said to the elder monks, “At the time of his total unbinding, the Blessed One said to me, ’In that case, Ānanda, after my passing, the monk Channa should be given the Brahmā punishment.’”
“But, friend Ānanda, did you ask the Blessed One what the Brahmā punishment is?”
“Venerable sirs, I did ask the Blessed One what the Brahmā punishment is. (He said,) ‘The monk Channa may say what he wants, Ānanda, but he is not to be spoken to, instructed, or admonished by the monks.’”
“In that case, friend Ānanda, give the monk Channa the Brahmā punishment yourself.”
“Venerable sirs, how could I give the monk Channa the Brahmā punishment? He is fierce & rough.”
“In that case, go together with many monks.”
Responding, “As you say, venerable sirs,” to the elder monks, having gone by boat to Kosambī along with a large Saṅgha of approximately five hundred monks, having gotten off the up-stream-going boat, Ven. Ānanda sat down at the foot of a certain tree not far from King Udena’s park.
At that time, King Udena was enjoying himself in the park, along with his harem. King Udena’s harem heard that “They say that our teacher, Master Ānanda, is sitting at the root of a certain tree not far from the park.”
Then King Udena’s harem said to him, “Your majesty, they say that our teacher, Master Ānanda, is sitting at the root of a certain tree not far from the park. We would like to see Master Ānanda.”
“In that case, you may see Ānanda the contemplative.”
So King Udena’s harem went to Ven. Ānanda and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there, Ven. Ānanda instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged them with a Dhamma talk. Having been instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged with a Dhamma talk by Ven. Ānanda, they offered him five hundred upper robes.
Then King Udena’s harem, delighting in and approving of Ven. Ānanda’s words, got up from their seats and, having bowed to him, circumambulated him, keeping him on their right, and went to King Udena.
King Udena saw his harem coming from afar and, on seeing them, said, “Did you see Ānanda the contemplative?”
“We saw Master Ānanda, your majesty.”
“And did you give him something?”
“We gave him five hundred upper robes, your majesty.”
King Udena criticized & complained & spread it about, “How could Ānanda the contemplative accept so many robes? Is he going to do business in cloth? Is he going to open a shop?”
Then King Udena went to Ven. Ānanda and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to Ven. Ānanda, “Did my harem come, Master Ānanda?”
“They came, great king.”
“And did they give something to Master Ānanda?”
“They gave me five hundred upper robes, great king.”
“But what will Master Ānanda do with so many robes?”
“Great king, I’ll share them with those monks who have worn-out robes.”
“But what will you all do with the old, worn-out robes, Master Ānanda?”
“We’ll make canopies, great king.”
“But what will you do with the old, worn-out canopies, Master Ānanda?”
“We’ll make bolster covers, great king.”
“But what will you do with the old, worn-out bolster covers, Master Ānanda?”
“We’ll make floor coverings, great king.”
“But what will you do with the old, worn-out floor coverings, Master Ānanda?”
“We’ll make foot-wiping cloths, great king.”
“But what will you do with the old, worn-out foot-wiping cloths, Master Ānanda?”
“We’ll make dust-rags, great king.”
“But what will you do with the old, worn-out dust-rags, Master Ānanda?”
“Having pounded them and trampled them together with clay, we’ll spread it on as plaster, great king.”
Then King Udena, (thinking,) “All these Sakyan-son monks, it seems, use things appropriately—they don’t let things go to waste,” offered Ven. Ānanda another five hundred upper robes.
And so it was that the first robes-alms of a thousand robes arose for Ven. Ānanda.
Then Ven. Ānanda went to Ghosita’s monastery and, on arrival, sat down on a seat laid out. Then Ven. Channa went to Ven. Ānanda and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, Ven. Ānanda said to him, “Friend Channa, the Saṅgha has ordered the Brahmā-punishment for you.”
“But what, venerable sir, is the Brahmā-punishment?”
“Friend Channa Bhikkhu, you may say what you want, but you are not to be spoken to, instructed, or admonished by the monks.”
(Saying,) “Ven. Ānanda, isn’t it the same as being killed that I am not to be spoken to, instructed, or admonished by the monks?” he fell down in a faint right there.
Then Ven. Channa—troubled, shamed, & horrified by the Brahmā-punishment, dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, & resolute—in no long time reached & remained in the supreme goal of the holy life for which clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness, knowing & realizing it for himself in the here-&-now. He knew: “Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world.” And thus Ven. Channa became another one of the arahants.
“Then Ven. Channa, having attained arahantship, went to Ven. Ānanda and, on arrival, said to him, “Ven. Ānanda, now rescind the Brahmā-punishment for me.”
“Friend Channa, from the moment you realized arahantship, the Brahmā-punishment was rescinded.” — Cv 11:1–15
The following discourse presents a picture of life in the early Buddhist Saṅgha shortly after the Buddha’s passing away. On the one hand, it shows the relationship between the Saṅgha and the political powers that be: The monks are polite and courteous to political functionaries, but the existence of this discourse shows that they had no qualms about depicting those functionaries as a little dense. On the other hand, it shows that early Buddhist practice had no room for many practices that developed in later Buddhist traditions, such as appointed lineage holders, elected ecclesiastical heads, or the use of mental defilements as a basis for concentration practice.
I have heard that on one occasion Ven. Ānanda was dwelling near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Forest, the Squirrels’ Sanctuary, not long after the Blessed One’s total unbinding.
Now at that time the King of Magadha, Ajātasattu Vedehiputta, suspicious of King Pajjota, was having Rājagaha fortified.
Then in the early morning, Ven. Ānanda—having adjusted his under robe and carrying his bowl & outer robe—went into Rājagaha for alms. The thought occurred to him, “It’s too early to go for alms in Rājagaha. What if I were to go to the brahman Moggallāna the Guardsman at his construction site?” So he went to Moggallāna the Guardsman at his construction site. Moggallāna the Guardsman saw him coming from afar and, on seeing him, said to him, “Come, Master Ānanda. Welcome, Master Ānanda. It has been a long time since Master Ānanda has found the time to come here. Sit down, Master Ānanda. Here is a seat laid out for you.”
So Ven. Ānanda sat down on the seat laid out. Moggallāna the Guardsman, taking a lower seat, sat to one side.
As he was sitting there, he said to Ven. Ānanda: “Master Ānanda, is there any one monk endowed in each & every way with the qualities with which Master Gotama—worthy & rightly self-awakened—was endowed?”
“No, brahman, there isn’t any one monk endowed in each & every way with the qualities with which the Blessed One—worthy & rightly self-awakened—was endowed. For the Blessed One was the arouser of the unarisen path, the begetter of the unbegotten path, the expounder of the unexpounded path, the knower of the path, the expert with regard to the path, adept at the path. And now his disciples follow the path and become endowed with it after him.”
And then Ven. Ānanda’s discussion with Moggallāna the Guardsman was interrupted in mid-course, for the brahman Vassakāra, the Magadhan administrator, on an inspection tour of the construction sites in Rājagaha, went to Ven. Ānanda at Moggallāna the Guardsman’s construction site. On arrival, he exchanged courteous greetings with Ven. Ānanda. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to Ven. Ānanda, “Just now, Master Ānanda, for what discussion were you sitting together when you were interrupted in mid-course?”
“Just now, brahman, Moggallāna the Guardsman said to me, ‘Master Ānanda, is there any one monk endowed in each & every way with the qualities with which Master Gotama—worthy & rightly self-awakened—was endowed?’ And when this was said, I said to him, ‘No, brahman, there isn’t any one monk endowed in each & every way with the qualities with which the Blessed One—worthy & rightly self-awakened—was endowed. For the Blessed One was the arouser of the unarisen path, the begetter of the unbegotten path, the expounder of the unexpounded path, the knower of the path, the expert with regard to the path, adept at the path. And now his disciples follow the path and become endowed with it after him.’ This was my discussion with the brahman Moggallāna the Guardsman that was interrupted in mid-course when you arrived.”
“Master Ānanda, is there any one monk appointed by Master Gotama (with the words), ‘He will be your arbitrator after I am gone,’ to whom you now turn?”
“No, brahman. There isn’t any one monk appointed by the Blessed One—the one who knows, the one who sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened—(with the words), ‘He will be your arbitrator after I am gone,’ to whom we now turn.”
“Then is there any one monk authorized by the Saṅgha and appointed by a large body of elder monks (with the words), ‘He will be our arbitrator after the Blessed One is gone,’ to whom you now turn?”
“No, brahman. There isn’t any one monk authorized by the Saṅgha and appointed by a large body of elder monks (with the words), ‘He will be our arbitrator after the Blessed One is gone,’ to whom we now turn.”
“Being thus without an arbitrator, Master Ānanda, what is the reason for your concord?”
“It’s not the case, brahman, that we’re without an arbitrator. We have an arbitrator. The Dhamma is our arbitrator.”
“… How, Master Ānanda, is the meaning of what you have said to be understood?”
“Brahman, there is a training rule laid down by the Blessed One—the one who knows, the one who sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened—a Pāṭimokkha that has been expounded. On the Uposatha day, all of us who live dependent on a single township gather together in one place. Having gathered together, we invite the one to whom it falls [to recite the Pāṭimokkha]. If, while he is reciting, a monk remembers an offense or transgression, we deal with him in accordance with the Dhamma, in accordance with what has been instructed. We’re not the ones who deal with that venerable one. Rather, the Dhamma is what deals with us.”
“Is there, Master Ānanda, any one monk you now honor, respect, revere, & venerate, on whom—honoring & respecting—you live in dependence?”
“Yes, brahman, there is a monk we now honor, respect, revere, & venerate, on whom—honoring & respecting—we live in dependence.”
“When asked, ‘Master Ānanda, is there any one monk appointed by Master Gotama [with the words], “He will be your arbitrator after I am gone,” to whom you now turn?’ you said, ‘No, brahman. There isn’t any one monk appointed by the Blessed One… to whom we now turn.’
“When asked, ‘Then is there any one monk authorized by the Saṅgha… to whom you now turn?’ you said, ‘No, brahman. There isn’t any one monk authorized by the Saṅgha… to whom we now turn.’
“When asked, ‘Is there, Master Ānanda, any one monk you now honor, respect, revere, & venerate, on whom—honoring & respecting—you live in dependence?’ you said, ‘Yes, brahman, there is a monk we now honor, respect, revere, & venerate, on whom—honoring & respecting—we live in dependence.’ Now how is the meaning of what you have said to be understood?”
“Brahman, there are ten inspiring qualities expounded by the Blessed One, the one who knows, the one who sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened. In whoever among us those ten qualities are found, we now honor, respect, revere, & venerate him; honoring & respecting him, we live in dependence on him. Which ten?
[1] “There is the case where a monk is virtuous. He dwells restrained in accordance with the Pāṭimokkha, consummate in his behavior & sphere of activity. He trains himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the slightest faults.
[2] “He has heard much, has retained what he has heard, has stored what he has heard. Whatever teachings are admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end, that—in their meaning & expression—proclaim the holy life entirely perfect & pure: Those he has listened to often, retained, discussed, accumulated, examined with his mind, and well penetrated in terms of his views.
[3] “He is content with robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medicinal requisites for curing the sick.
[4] “He attains—whenever he wants, without strain, without difficulty—the four jhānas that are heightened mental states, pleasant abidings in the here-&-now.
[5] “He experiences manifold supranormal powers.… He exercises influence with his body even as far as the Brahmā worlds.
[6] “He hears—by means of the divine ear-element, purified & surpassing the human—both kinds of sounds: divine & human, whether near or far.
[7] “He knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed it with his own awareness.…
[8] “He recollects his manifold past lives.…
[9] “He sees—by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human—beings passing away and re-appearing…
[10] “Through the ending of effluents, he remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having known and made them manifest for himself right in the here-&-now.
“These, brahman, are the ten inspiring qualities expounded by the Blessed One—the one who knows, the one who sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened. In whoever among us these ten qualities are found, we now honor, respect, revere, & venerate him; honoring & respecting him, we live in dependence on him.”
When this was said, the brahman Vassakāra, the Magadhan administrator, turned to General Upananda and said, “What do you think, general? Do these venerable ones honor what should be honored, respect what should be respected, revere what should be revered, venerate what should be venerated? Of course they honor what should be honored, respect what should be respected, revere what should be revered, venerate what should be venerated. For if they did not honor, respect, revere, or venerate a person like this, then what sort of person would they honor, respect, revere, & venerate; on what sort of person, honor & respecting, would they live in dependence?”
Then the brahman Vassakāra, the Magadhan administrator, said to Ven. Ānanda, “But where are you dwelling now, Master Ānanda?”
“I am now dwelling at the Bamboo Forest, brahman.”
“I trust, Master Ānanda, that the Bamboo Forest is delightful, with few noises or sounds of voices, with an air of isolation, private from human beings, and appropriate for seclusion.”
“Certainly, brahman, the Bamboo Forest is delightful, with few noises or sounds of voices, with an air of isolation, private from human beings, and appropriate for seclusion because of guardians & protectors like yourself.”
“Certainly, Master Ānanda, the Bamboo Forest is delightful, with few noises or sounds of voices, with an air of isolation, private from human beings, and appropriate for seclusion because of venerable ones who are endowed with mental absorption [jhāna], who make mental absorption their habit. You venerable ones are both endowed with mental absorption & make mental absorption your habit.
“Once, Ven. Ānanda, Master Gotama was dwelling near Vesālī in the Gabled Pavilion in the Great Forest. I went to him at the Gabled Pavilion in the Great Forest, and there he spoke in a variety of ways on mental absorption. Master Gotama was both endowed with mental absorption & made mental absorption his habit. In fact, he praised mental absorption of every sort.”
“It wasn’t the case, brahman, that the Blessed One praised mental absorption of every sort, nor did he criticize mental absorption of every sort. And which sort of mental absorption did he not praise? There is the case where a certain person dwells with his awareness overcome by sensual passion, seized with sensual passion. He does not discern the escape, as it has come to be, from sensual passion once it has arisen. Making that sensual passion the focal point, he absorbs himself with it, besorbs, resorbs, & supersorbs himself with it.
“He dwells with his awareness overcome by ill will… sloth & drowsiness… restlessness & anxiety…
“He dwells with his awareness overcome by uncertainty, seized with uncertainty. He does not discern the escape, as it has come to be, from uncertainty once it has arisen. Making that uncertainty the focal point, he absorbs himself with it, besorbs, resorbs, & supersorbs himself with it. This is the sort of mental absorption that the Blessed One did not praise.
“And which sort of mental absorption did he praise? There is the case where a monk—quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities—enters and remains in the first jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters and remains in the second jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation—internal assurance. With the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters and remains in the third jhāna, of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.’ With the abandoning of pleasure & pain—as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress—he enters and remains in the fourth jhāna: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This is the sort of mental absorption that the Blessed One praised.”
“It would seem, Ven. Ānanda, that Master Gotama criticized the mental absorption that deserves criticism, and praised that which deserves praise.
“Well, now, Master Ānanda, I must be going. Many are my duties, many the things I must do.”
“Then do, brahman, what you think it is now time to do.”
So the brahman Vassakāra, the Magadhan administrator, delighting & rejoicing in Ven. Ānanda’s words, got up from his seat & left.
Then, not long after he had left, Moggallāna the Guardsman said to Ven. Ānanda, “Master Ānanda, you still haven’t answered what I asked you.”
“Didn’t I just tell you, brahman? There isn’t any one monk endowed in each & every way with the qualities with which the Blessed One—worthy & rightly self-awakened—was endowed. For the Blessed One was the arouser of the unarisen path, the begetter of the unbegotten path, the expounder of the unexpounded path, the knower of the path, the expert with regard to the path, adept at the path. And now his disciples follow the path and become endowed with it after him.” — MN 108
The Survival of the Dhamma & Vinaya
Even though the Buddha has totally unbound, his words remain to encourage all of us in later generations to take advantage of the Dhamma and Vinaya he worked so hard to establish, and—for the sake of others—to help keep the Dhamma alive.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Forest, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, “What is the cause, lord, what is the reason, why before there were fewer training rules and yet more monks established in final gnosis, whereas now there are more training rules and yet fewer monks established in final gnosis?”
“That’s the way it is, Kassapa. When beings are degenerating and the True Dhamma is disappearing, there are more training rules and yet fewer monks established in final gnosis. There is no disappearance of the True Dhamma as long as a counterfeit of the True Dhamma has not arisen in the world, but there is the disappearance of the True Dhamma when a counterfeit of the True Dhamma has arisen in the world. Just as there is no disappearance of gold as long as a counterfeit of gold has not arisen in the world, but there is the disappearance of gold when a counterfeit of gold has arisen in the world, in the same way, there is no disappearance of the True Dhamma as long as a counterfeit of the True Dhamma has not arisen in the world, but there is the disappearance of the True Dhamma when a counterfeit of the True Dhamma has arisen in the world.229
“It’s not the earth property that makes the True Dhamma disappear. It’s not the water property… the fire property… the wind property that makes the True Dhamma disappear.230 It’s worthless people who arise right here [within the Saṅgha] who make the True Dhamma disappear. The True Dhamma doesn’t disappear the way a ship sinks all at once.
“These five downward-leading qualities tend to the confusion and disappearance of the True Dhamma. Which five? There is the case where the monks, nuns, male lay followers, & female lay followers live without respect, without deference, for the Teacher. They live without respect, without deference, for the Dhamma… for the Saṅgha… for the training… for concentration. These are the five downward-leading qualities that tend to the confusion and disappearance of the True Dhamma.
“But these five qualities tend to the stability, the non-confusion, the non-disappearance of the True Dhamma. Which five? There is the case where the monks, nuns, male lay followers, & female lay followers live with respect, with deference, for the Teacher. They live with respect, with deference, for the Dhamma… for the Saṅgha… for the training… for concentration. These are the five qualities that tend to the stability, the non-confusion, the non-disappearance of the True Dhamma.” — SN 16:13
Given the fact that the world now contains many versions of counterfeit Dhamma, by the Buddha’s standards the True Dhamma—in the sense that it is universally recognized among the Buddha’s followers to be True Dhamma—has disappeared. However, the Dhamma and Vinaya are still available, and it’s still possible to take advantage of them to practice for the end of suffering and stress. In fact, it’s through practicing in line with them that the Buddha’s accomplishments are kept alive in the world.
“Monks, these five future dangers, unarisen at present, will arise in the future. Be alert to them and, being alert, work to get rid of them. Which five?
“There will be, in the course of the future, monks desirous of fine robes. They, desirous of fine robes, will neglect the practice of wearing cast-off cloth; will neglect isolated forest & wilderness dwellings; will move to towns, cities, & royal capitals, taking up residence there. For the sake of a robe they will do many kinds of unseemly, inappropriate things.
“This, monks, is the first future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.
“And further, in the course of the future there will be monks desirous of fine food. They, desirous of fine food, will neglect the practice of going for alms; will neglect isolated forest & wilderness dwellings; will move to towns, cities, & royal capitals, taking up residence there and searching out the tip-top tastes with the tip of the tongue. For the sake of food they will do many kinds of unseemly, inappropriate things.
“This, monks, is the second future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.
“And further, in the course of the future there will be monks desirous of fine lodgings. They, desirous of fine lodgings, will neglect the practice of living in the wilds; will neglect isolated forest & wilderness dwellings; will move to towns, cities, & royal capitals, taking up residence there. For the sake of lodgings they will do many kinds of unseemly, inappropriate things.
“This, monks, is the third future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.
“And further, in the course of the future there will be monks who will live in close association with nuns, female trainees, & female novices. As they interact with nuns, female trainees, & female novices, they can be expected either to lead the holy life dissatisfied or to fall into one of the defiling offenses, leaving the training, returning to a lower way of life.
“This, monks, is the fourth future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.
“And further, in the course of the future there will be monks who will live in close association with monastery attendants & novices. As they interact with monastery attendants & novices, they can be expected to live committed to many kinds of stored-up possessions and to making large boundary posts for fields & crops.
“This, monks, is the fifth future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.
“These, monks, are the five future dangers, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to them and, being alert, work to get rid of them.” — AN 5:80
“Monks, there once was a time when the Dasārahas had a large drum called ‘Summoner.’ Whenever Summoner was split, the Dasārahas inserted another peg in it, until the time came when Summoner’s original wooden body had disappeared and only a conglomeration of pegs remained.
“In the same way, in the course of the future there will be monks who won’t listen when discourses that are words of the Tathāgata—deep, deep in their meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness—are being recited. They won’t lend ear, won’t set their hearts on knowing them, won’t regard these teachings as worth grasping or mastering. But they will listen when discourses that are literary works—the works of poets, elegant in sound, elegant in rhetoric, the work of outsiders, words of disciples—are recited. They will lend ear and set their hearts on knowing them. They will regard these teachings as worth grasping & mastering.
“In this way the disappearance of the discourses that are words of the Tathāgata—deep, deep in their meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness—will come about.
“Thus you should train yourselves: ‘We will listen when discourses that are words of the Tathāgata—deep, deep in their meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness—are being recited. We will lend ear, will set our hearts on knowing them, will regard these teachings as worth grasping & mastering.’ That’s how you should train yourselves.” — SN 20:7
“And if the monks dwell rightly, this world will not be empty of arahants.” — DN 16
