Old Age

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Old Age

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling near Sāvatthī in the Eastern Monastery, the palace of Migāra’s mother. Now on that occasion the Blessed One, on emerging from seclusion in the late afternoon, sat warming his back in the western sun. Then Ven. Ānanda went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, massaged the Blessed One’s limbs with his hand and said, “It’s amazing, lord. It’s astounding, how the Blessed One’s complexion is no longer so clear & bright; his limbs are flabby & wrinkled; his back, bent forward; there’s a discernible change in his faculties—the faculty of the eye, the faculty of the ear, the faculty of the nose, the faculty of the tongue, the faculty of the body.”

“That’s the way it is, Ānanda. When young, one is subject to aging; when healthy, subject to illness; when alive, subject to death. The complexion is no longer so clear & bright; the limbs are flabby & wrinkled; the back, bent forward; there’s a discernible change in the faculties—the faculty of the eye, the faculty of the ear, the faculty of the nose, the faculty of the tongue, the faculty of the body.”

That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-Gone, the Teacher, said further:

Then Cunda the novice, who had spent the Rains at Pāvā, went to Ven. Ānanda at Sāmagāma and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to Ven. Ānanda, “Venerable sir, Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta has just died in Pāvā. On his death, the Nigaṇṭhas have split into two factions. They keep arguing, quarreling, & disputing, stabbing one another with weapons of the mouth: ‘You don’t understand this Dhamma-Vinaya. I understand this Dhamma-Vinaya. How could you understand this Dhamma-Vinaya? You practice wrongly. I practice rightly. I’m consistent. You’re inconsistent. What should be said first, you said last. What should be said last, you said first. What you cogitated so long has been turned inside out. Your position has been overthrown. You’re trapped, so go try to release your position or disentangle yourself if you can!’ Nothing but slaughter, as it were, is being committed among the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭa-sons. Even the lay disciples of Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, dressed in white, seem disenchanted, disgusted, & repelled by the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭa-sons, and at how that poorly proclaimed Dhamma-Vinaya was poorly expounded, not leading out, not conducive to calming, expounded by one who was not rightly self-awakened, its support [now] broken, without an arbiter.”…

When this was said, Ven. Ānanda said to Cunda the novice, “Friend Cunda, there is warrant here for talking to the Blessed One. Let’s go to the Blessed One and, on arrival, report this matter to him.”

“As you say, venerable sir,” Cunda the novice responded to Ven. Ānanda. Then Ven. Ānanda & Cunda the novice went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there, Ven. Ānanda said to the Blessed One, “Lord, Cunda the novice, here, has said that Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta has just died in Pāvā.… Even the lay disciples of Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, dressed in white, seem disenchanted, disgusted, & repelled by the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭa-sons, and at how that poorly proclaimed Dhamma-Vinaya was poorly expounded, not leading out, not conducive to calming, expounded by one who was not rightly self-awakened, its support broken, without an arbiter.”

“That’s the way it is, Cunda, with a poorly proclaimed Dhamma-Vinaya, poorly expounded, not leading out, not conducive to calming, expounded by one who is not rightly self-awakened.…

“There is the case, Cunda, where a teacher is rightly self-awakened, and his Dhamma-Vinaya, is well proclaimed, well expounded, leading out, conducive to calming, expounded by one who is rightly self-awakened. A disciple of that Dhamma dwells practicing the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, practicing masterfully, living in line with the Dhamma, and acts to conform to it. He is to be told, ‘It’s a gain for you, friend, well gained by you, that—when your teacher is rightly self-awakened, and his Dhamma-Vinaya is well proclaimed, well expounded, leading out, conducive to calming, expounded by one who is rightly self-awakened—you are one who dwells practicing the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, practicing masterfully, living in line with the Dhamma, and acts to conform to it.’ There, Cunda, the teacher is to be praised, the Dhamma is to be praised, and the disciple is to be thus praised.

“Whoever might say to such a disciple, ‘Yes, friend, practicing the right way, you will succeed in the right way’: The person who praised him, the thing praised, and the person who, being praised, aroused even greater persistence would all produce much merit. Why is that? That’s the way it is, Cunda, with a well proclaimed Dhamma-Vinaya, well expounded, leading out, conducive to calming, expounded by one who is rightly self-awakened.

“Cunda, I am now a teacher who has appeared in the world, worthy & rightly self-awakened. And the Dhamma is well proclaimed, well expounded, leading out, conducive to calming, expounded by one who is rightly self-awakened. My disciples have been instructed in the meaning/goal of the True Dhamma, and the complete holy life has been entirely disclosed to them, made plain, with all its steps collected, complete with miracles, well proclaimed as far as human beings & devas. I am now a teacher who is an elder, of long standing, long gone-forth, senior, attained to old age.

“There are now elder monk disciples of mine who are experienced, trained, mature, attained to security from the yoke, able to teach the True Dhamma, able to trap with the True Dhamma any opposing doctrines that have arisen and—having trapped them—to teach the Dhamma complete with miracles. There are now monk disciples of mine of middle standing. There are now junior monk disciples of mine. There are now elder nun disciples of mine… nun disciples of mine of middle standing… junior nun disciples of mine… male lay disciples of mine, householders wearing white, following the celibate life… male lay disciples of mine, householders wearing white, partaking of sensuality… female lay disciples of mine, householders wearing white, following the celibate life. There are now female lay disciples of mine, householders wearing white, partaking of sensuality; and my holy life has now become powerful, prosperous, detailed, well populated, wide-spread, proclaimed among devas & human beings.

“Cunda, to the extent that I am now a teacher who has appeared in the world, I do not see any other teacher who has attained supremacy in terms of gains & supremacy in terms of status equal to what I have. And to the extent that my community or group has appeared in the world, I do not see any other community that has attained supremacy in terms of gains & supremacy in terms of status, equal to what the Saṅgha of monks has.

“If one speaking rightly were to say, ‘a well expounded, entirely complete, well proclaimed holy life, consummate in all its aspects, complete in all its aspects, with nothing lacking & nothing in excess,’ he would, speaking rightly, say it of this: ‘a well expounded, entirely complete, well proclaimed holy life, consummate in all its aspects, complete in all its aspects, with nothing lacking & nothing in excess.’” — DN 29

“There are some contemplatives & brahmans with this doctrine, this view: ‘As long as this good man is young, youthful, with fully black hair, endowed with the blessing of youth and the first stage of life, he is endowed with the foremost keenness of discernment. But when this good man becomes aged, old, elderly, advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, eighty years old, ninety years old, or one hundred years old in this birth, then because of that, his keenness of discernment diminishes. Sāriputta, it shouldn’t be seen that way.

“At this time, I am aged, old, elderly, advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life. My age has come to eighty years.

“Sāriputta, suppose that I had four disciples with a one hundred-year life span, living for one hundred years, and endowed with excellent mindfulness, retention, recall, & keenness of discernment. Just as an archer with a good bow—trained, dexterous, & practiced—could easily shoot a light arrow across the shadow of a palmyra tree, they—endowed with that great an extent of mindfulness, that great an extent of retention, that great an extent of recall, & that keenness of discernment—would ask me one question after another on the four establishings of mindfulness. And I, asked again & again, would answer. Answered, they would remember what I had answered, and they wouldn’t counter-question me about it a second time more. Aside from eating, drinking, chewing, & savoring, aside from urinating & defecating, aside from relieving sleepiness & weariness, there would be no ending of the Tathāgata’s Dhamma teaching, there would be no ending of the Tathāgata’s phrasing of Dhamma statements, there would be no ending of the Tathāgata’s quick-wittedness (in answering) questions; but those four disciples of mine, with their one hundred-year life span, living for one hundred years, would die with the passing of one hundred years.

“Even if you carried me around on a bed, there would be no alteration in the Tathāgata’s keenness of discernment.

“If, when speaking rightly, one were to say of someone, ‘A being not subject to delusion has appeared in the world for the benefit & happiness of many, out of sympathy for the world, for the welfare, benefit, & happiness of devas & human beings,’ he would rightly be speaking of me.” — MN 12

Once the Blessed One was dwelling near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Forest, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then King Pasenadi Kosala went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. Now, at that time Queen Mallikā died. Then a certain man went to the king and whispered in his ear: “Your majesty, Queen Mallikā has died.” When this was said, King Pasenadi Kosala sat there miserable, sick at heart, his shoulders drooping, his face down, brooding, at a loss for words. Then the Blessed One saw the king sitting there miserable, sick at heart… at a loss for words, and so said to him, “There are these five things, great king, that cannot be gotten by a contemplative, a brahman, a deva, a Māra, a Brahmā, or anyone at all in the world. Which five?

“‘May what is subject to aging not age.’ This is something that cannot be gotten by a contemplative, a brahman, a deva, a Māra, a Brahmā, or anyone at all in the world.

“‘May what is subject to illness not grow ill.’ This is something that cannot be gotten by a contemplative, a brahman, a deva, a Māra, a Brahmā, or anyone at all in the world.

“‘May what is subject to death not die.’ This is something that cannot be gotten by a contemplative, a brahman, a deva, a Māra, a Brahmā, or anyone at all in the world.

“‘May what is subject to ending not end.’ This is something that cannot be gotten by a contemplative, a brahman, a deva, a Māra, a Brahmā, or anyone at all in the world.

“‘May what is subject to destruction not be destroyed.’ This is something that cannot be gotten by a contemplative, a brahman, a deva, a Māra, a Brahmā, or anyone at all in the world.…

“Now, it happens to an instructed disciple of the noble ones that something subject to aging ages… that something subject to illness grows ill… that something subject to death dies… that something subject to ending ends… that something subject to destruction is destroyed. With the destruction of what is subject to destruction, he reflects: ‘It doesn’t happen only to me that what is subject to destruction will be destroyed. To the extent that there are beings—past & future, passing away & re-arising—it happens to all of them that what is subject to destruction will be destroyed. And if, with the destruction of what is subject to destruction, I were to sorrow, grieve, lament, beat my breast, & become distraught, food would not agree with me, my body would become unattractive, my affairs would go untended, my enemies would be gratified and my friends unhappy.’ So, with the destruction of what is subject to destruction, he does not sorrow, grieve, or lament, does not beat his breast or become distraught. This is called an instructed disciple of the noble ones who has pulled out the poisoned arrow of sorrow pierced with which the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person torments himself. Sorrowless, arrowless, the disciple of the noble ones is totally unbound right within himself.” — AN 5:49

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling near Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Forest, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. And on that occasion Anāthapiṇḍika the householder was diseased, in pain, severely ill. Then Anāthapiṇḍika said to one of his men, “Come, my good man. Go to the Blessed One and, on arrival, pay homage to his feet with your head in my name and say ‘Lord, Anāthapiṇḍika the householder is diseased, in pain, severely ill. He pays homage with his head to the Blessed One’s feet.’ Then go to Ven. Sāriputta and, on arrival, pay homage to his feet with your head in my name and say ‘Venerable sir, Anāthapiṇḍika the householder is diseased, in pain, severely ill. He pays homage with his head to your feet.’ Then say: ‘It would be good if Ven. Sāriputta would visit Anāthapiṇḍika’s home, out of sympathy for him.’”

Responding, “As you say, lord,” to Anāthapiṇḍika the householder, the man went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, bowed down to him and sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said, “Lord, Anāthapiṇḍika the householder is diseased, in pain, severely ill. He pays homage with his head to the Blessed One’s feet.” Then he went to Ven. Sāriputta and, on arrival, bowed down to him and sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said, ‘Venerable sir, Anāthapiṇḍika the householder is diseased, in pain, severely ill. He pays homage with his head to your feet.” Then he said, “It would be good if Ven. Sāriputta would visit Anāthapiṇḍika’s home, out of sympathy for him.”

Then Ven. Sāriputta—having adjusted his under robe and carrying his bowl & outer robe—went to the home of Anāthapiṇḍika the householder with Ven. Ānanda as his attendant. On arrival, he sat down on a seat laid out and said to Anāthapiṇḍika: “I hope you are getting better, householder. I hope you are comfortable. I hope that your pains are lessening and not increasing. I hope that there are signs of their lessening, and not of their increasing.”

[Anāthapiṇḍika:] “I am not getting better, venerable sir. I am not comfortable. My extreme pains are increasing, not lessening. There are signs of their increasing, and not of their lessening. Extreme forces slice through my head, just as if a strong man were slicing my head open with a sharp sword.… Extreme pains have arisen in my head, just as if a strong man were tightening a turban made of tough leather straps around my head.… Extreme forces carve up my stomach cavity, just as if a butcher or his apprentice were to carve up the stomach cavity of an ox.… There is an extreme burning in my body, just as if two strong men, grabbing a weaker man by the arms, were to roast and broil him over a pit of hot embers. I am not getting better, venerable sir. I am not comfortable. My extreme pains are increasing, not lessening. There are signs of their increasing, and not of their lessening.”

[Ven. Sāriputta:] “Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: ‘I won’t cling to the eye; my consciousness will not be dependent on the eye.’ That’s how you should train yourself. ‘I won’t cling to the ear… nose… tongue… body; my consciousness will not be dependent on the body.’… ‘I won’t cling to the intellect; my consciousness will not be dependent on the intellect.’ That’s how you should train yourself.

“Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: ‘I won’t cling to forms… sounds… smells… tastes… tactile sensations; my consciousness will not be dependent on tactile sensations.’… ‘I won’t cling to ideas; my consciousness will not be dependent on ideas.’ That’s how you should train yourself.

“Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: ‘I won’t cling to eye-consciousness… ear-consciousness… nose-consciousness… tongue-consciousness… body-consciousness; my consciousness will not be dependent on body-consciousness.’… ‘I won’t cling to intellect-consciousness; my consciousness will not be dependent on intellect-consciousness.’ That’s how you should train yourself.

“Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: ‘I won’t cling to contact at the eye… contact at the ear… contact at the nose… contact at the tongue… contact at the body; my consciousness will not be dependent on contact at the body.’… ‘I won’t cling to contact at the intellect; my consciousness will not be dependent on contact at the intellect.’ That’s how you should train yourself.

“Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: ‘I won’t cling to feeling born of contact at the eye… feeling born of contact at the ear… feeling born of contact at the nose… feeling born of contact at the tongue… feeling born of contact at the body; my consciousness will not be dependent on feeling born of contact at the body.’… ‘I won’t cling to feeling born of contact at the intellect; my consciousness will not be dependent on feeling born of contact at the intellect.’ That’s how you should train yourself.

“Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: ‘I won’t cling to the earth property… liquid property… fire property… wind property… space property; my consciousness will not be dependent on the space property.’… ‘I won’t cling to the consciousness property; my consciousness will not be dependent on the consciousness property.’ That’s how you should train yourself.

“Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: ‘I won’t cling to form… feeling… perception… fabrications; my consciousness will not be dependent on fabrications.’… ‘I won’t cling to consciousness; my consciousness will not be dependent on consciousness.’ That’s how you should train yourself.

“Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: ‘I won’t cling to the dimension of the infinitude of space… the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness… the dimension of nothingness; my consciousness will not be dependent on the dimension of nothingness.’… ‘I won’t cling to the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception; my consciousness will not be dependent on the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception.’ That’s how you should train yourself.

“Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: ‘I won’t cling to this world; my consciousness will not be dependent on this world.… I won’t cling to the world beyond; my consciousness will not be dependent on the world beyond.’ That’s how you should train yourself.

“Then, householder, you should train yourself in this way: ‘I won’t cling to what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, pondered by the intellect; my consciousness will not be dependent on that.’ That’s how you should train yourself.”

When this was said, Anāthapiṇḍika wept and shed tears. Ven. Ānanda said to him, “Are you sinking, householder? Are you foundering?”

“No, venerable sir. I’m not sinking, nor am I foundering. It’s just that for a long time I have attended to the Teacher, and to the monks who inspire my heart, but never before have I heard a Dhamma talk like this.”

“This sort of Dhamma talk, householder, is not given to lay people clad in white. This sort of Dhamma talk is given to those gone forth.”

“In that case, Ven. Sāriputta, please let this sort of Dhamma talk be given to lay people clad in white. There are clansmen with little dust in their eyes who are wasting away through not hearing (this) Dhamma. There will be those who will understand it.”

Then Ven. Sāriputta & Ven. Ānanda, having given this instruction to Anāthapiṇḍika the householder, got up from their seats and left. Then, not long after they left, Anāthapiṇḍika the householder died and reappeared in the Tusita [Contented] heaven. Then Anāthapiṇḍika the deva-son, in the far extreme of the night, his extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta’s Forest, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, bowed down to him and stood to one side. As he was standing there, he addressed the Blessed One with this verse:

That is what Anāthapiṇḍika the deva-son said. The Teacher approved. Then Anāthapiṇḍika the deva-son, (knowing,) “The Teacher has approved of me,” bowed down to him, circumambulated him three times, keeping him to his right, and then disappeared right there.

Then when the night had past, The Blessed One addressed the monks: “Last night, monks, a certain deva’s son in the far extreme of the night, his extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta’s Forest, came to me and, on arrival, bowed down to me and stood to one side. As he was standing there, he addressed me with this verse:

“That is what the deva-son said. And (thinking,) ‘The Teacher has approved of me,’ he bowed down to me, circumambulated me three times, and then disappeared right there.”

When this was said, Ven. Ānanda said to the Blessed One, “Lord, that must have been Anāthapiṇḍika the deva-son. Anāthapiṇḍika the householder had supreme confidence in Ven. Sāriputta.”

“Very good, Ānanda. Very good, to the extent that you have deduced what can be arrived at through logic. That was Anāthapiṇḍika the deva-son, and no one else.”

That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, Ven. Ānanda delighted in the Blessed One’s words. — MN 143

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans, near a Sakyan town called Medaḷupa.

Now on that occasion, King Pasenadi Kosala had arrived at Nagaraka on some business or other. Then he addressed Dīgha Kārāyana: “My dear Kārāyana, have some auspicious vehicles yoked. We’ll go to the royal park to see the lovely landscape.”

Responding, “As you say, your majesty,” to King Pasenadi Kosala, having had some auspicious vehicles yoked, Dīgha Kārāyana informed the king, “Your majesty, your auspicious vehicles are yoked. Now is the time for you to do as you see fit.”

Then King Pasenadi Kosala, mounting an auspicious vehicle, set out from Nagaraka with other auspicious vehicles in full royal pomp and proceeded to the park. Going as far by vehicle as the ground permitted, he got down from his vehicle and entered the park on foot.

As he was walking around and exploring the park, King Pasenadi Kosala saw roots of trees that were serene-looking, inspiring serenity, with few noises or sounds of voices, with an air of isolation, private from human beings, and appropriate for seclusion. On seeing them, rapture associated with the Blessed One arose, (as he thought,) “These roots of trees are serene-looking, inspiring serenity, with few noises or sounds of voices, with an air of isolation, private from human beings, and appropriate for seclusion—just like where I attended on the Blessed One, worthy & rightly self-awakened.”

Then the king addressed Dīgha Kārāyana, “My dear Kārāyana, these roots of trees are serene-looking… appropriate for seclusion—just like where I attended on the Blessed One, worthy & rightly self-awakened. My dear Kārāyana, where is the Blessed One… staying right now?”

“Great king, there is a Sakyan town called Medaḷupa. The Blessed One… is staying there now.”

“And how far is it from Nagaraka to that Sakyan village called Medaḷupa, dear Kārāyana?”

“Not far, great king—three leagues. One could go there in what remains of the day.”

“In that case, dear Kārāyana, have the auspicious vehicles yoked. We’ll go to see the Blessed One, worthy & rightly self-awakened.”

Responding, “As you say, your majesty,” to King Pasenadi Kosala, having had the auspicious vehicles yoked, Dīgha Kārāyana informed the king, “Your Majesty, your auspicious vehicles are yoked. Now is the time for you to do as you see fit.”

Then King Pasenadi Kosala, mounting an auspicious vehicle, set out from Nagaraka with other auspicious vehicles toward the Sakyan village of Medaḷupa. Arriving there in what remained of the day, he set out toward the park. Going as far by vehicle as the ground permitted, he got down from his vehicle and entered the park on foot.

Now at that time several monks were walking back and forth out in the open air. King Pasenadi Kosala went to the monks and, on arrival, said to them, “Venerable sirs, where is the Blessed One, worthy & rightly self-awakened, staying right now? We would like to see the Blessed One, worthy & rightly self-awakened.”

“In that dwelling, great king, with the closed door. Approaching it quietly and unhurriedly, enter the porch, clear your throat, and knock on the door. The Blessed One will open the door for you.”

So right there King Pasenadi Kosala gave his sword & royal turban to Dīgha Kārāyana. The thought occurred to Dīgha Kārāyana, “The great king wishes to be alone now, so I should stay right here.”

Then King Pasenadi Kosala, having gone quietly and unhurriedly to the dwelling with the closed door, entered the porch, cleared his throat, and knocked on the door. The Blessed One opened the door. Entering the dwelling, the king put his head down at the Blessed One’s feet, kissed the Blessed One’s feet all over, caressing them with his hands, and announced his name: “Lord, I am King Pasenadi Kosala. Lord, I am King Pasenadi Kosala.”

“But, great king, with what purpose in mind are you showing such extreme reverence toward this body and displaying such an offering of friendship?”

“Lord, there are reasons that lead me to infer rightfully with regard to the Blessed One: ‘The Blessed One is worthy & rightly self-awakened; the Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One; the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples has practiced well.’

“Lord Blessed One, there is the case where I see some contemplatives & brahmans, living a limited holy life—ten Rains, twenty Rains, thirty Rains, or forty Rains. And then at a later time they are well bathed & well perfumed, have trimmed their hair & beards, and have put on white clothes, and they go about endowed and provided with the five strings of sensuality. But there is the case where I see monks living the holy life pure and complete for their whole lives—until the last breath. Lord, I don’t envision any other holy life so pure & complete aside from this one. This, lord, is one reason that leads me to infer righteously with regard to the Blessed One: ‘The Blessed One is worthy & rightly self-awakened; the Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One; the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples has practiced well.’

“Then again, kings quarrel with kings, nobles with nobles, brahmans with brahmans, householders with householders, mother with child, child with mother, father with child, child with father, brother with sister, sister with brother, friend with friend. But here I see the monks living harmoniously, cordially, and without dispute, blending like milk & water, looking at one another with eyes of affection. I envision no other assembly so harmonious aside from this one. This too, lord, is a reason.…

“Again, lord, I travel around and explore, from monastery to monastery, from park to park. There I see some contemplatives & brahmans who are thin, wretched, unattractive, & pale, their bodies covered with veins, not binding the eye, as it were, for a person to look at them. And the thought occurs to me, ‘Surely these venerable ones lead the holy life dissatisfied, or they have done some hidden evil. That’s why they are thin, wretched, unattractive, & pale, their bodies covered with veins, and why it’s as if they don’t bind the eye, as it were, for a person to look at them.’

“Going to them, I say, ‘Why are you venerable ones thin, wretched, unattractive, & pale, with your bodies covered with veins, not binding the eye, as it were, for a person to look at you?’ They said to me, ‘We have jaundice, great king.’

“But then I see the monks: joyful, so joyful; exultant, so exultant; looking like they are enjoying themselves, dwelling with their faculties healthy, unconcerned, unruffled, living on the gifts of others, with their minds like wild deer. The thought occurs to me, ‘Surely these venerable ones are discerning grand, successive distinctions in the Blessed One’s dispensation. That’s why they are joyful, so joyful; exultant, so exultant; looking like they are enjoying themselves, dwelling with their faculties healthy, unconcerned, unruffled, living on the gifts of others, with their minds like wild deer.’ This too, lord, is a reason.…

“Again, lord, I am a head-anointed noble-warrior king, able to execute those (I have) sentenced to be executed, to fine those (I have) sentenced to be fined, or to banish those (I have) sentenced to be banished. Yet when I am sitting in judgment, they interrupt me in mid-sentence. I can’t have it that: ‘Good sirs, when I am sitting in judgment, don’t interrupt me in mid-sentence. Wait, good sirs, until I finish speaking.’ They still interrupt me in mid-sentence, lord.

“But then I see the monks: On whatever occasion the Blessed One is teaching the Dhamma to an assembly of many hundreds, there is not even the sound of sneezing or throat-clearing from his disciples. Once the Blessed One was teaching the Dhamma to an assembly of many hundreds. There a certain one of the Blessed One’s disciples cleared his throat, upon which one of his fellows in the holy life nudged him with his knee (and said,) ‘Be quiet, venerable sir. Don’t make a sound. The Blessed One, our teacher, is teaching the Dhamma.’ The thought occurred to me, ‘How amazing! How astounding—that this assembly could be so well disciplined without rod or knife!’ I don’t envision any other assembly so well disciplined as this one. This too, lord, is a reason.…

“Again, there is the case where I see some noble-warrior-pundits, subtle, masters of the doctrines of others, like hair-splitting marksmen. They prowl about, as it were, shooting philosophical positions to pieces with their dialectic. They hear, ‘Gotama the contemplative, they say, will visit such-and-such village or town.’ They formulate a question: ‘Having gone to Gotama the contemplative, we will ask him this question. If, having been asked by us like this, he answers us like this, we will refute his teaching like this. And, if having been asked by us like this, he answers us like that, we will refute his teaching like that.’

“They hear, ‘Gotama the contemplative is visiting that village or town.’ They go to him, and he instructs, urges, rouses, & encourages them with a talk on Dhamma. Having been instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged by him with a talk on Dhamma, they don’t even ask him their question, so from where could they refute him? As it turns out, they become his disciples. This too, lord, is a reason.…

“There is the case where I see some brahman pundits… householder pundits … contemplative pundits, subtle, masters of the doctrines of others, like hair-splitting marksmen. They prowl about, as it were, shooting philosophical positions to pieces with their discernment. They hear, ‘Gotama the contemplative, they say, will visit such-and-such village or town.’ They formulate a question: ‘Having gone to Gotama the contemplative, we will ask him this question. If, having been asked by us like this, he answers us like this, we will refute his teaching like this. And, if having been asked by us like this, he answers us like that, we will refute his teaching like that.’

“They hear, ‘Gotama the contemplative is visiting that village or town.’ They go to him, and he instructs, urges, rouses, & encourages them with a talk on Dhamma. Having been instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged by him with a talk on Dhamma, they don’t even ask him their question, so from where could they refute him? As it turns out, they request the opportunity to go forth under the Blessed One from home into homelessness.

“The Blessed One gives them the Going-forth. Having gone forth there—dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, & resolute—they in no long time reach & remain in the supreme goal of the holy life for which clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness, knowing & realizing it for themselves in the here-&-now. They say, ‘How near we were to perishing! How near we were to being lost! Before, though we weren’t contemplatives, we claimed to be contemplatives. Though we weren’t brahmans, we claimed to be brahmans. Though we weren’t arahants, we claimed to be arahants. But now we are contemplatives, now we are brahmans, now we are arahants.’ This too, lord, is a reason…

“Again, there are my building overseers Isidanta & Purāṇa, living on my food, using my vehicles. I am the giver of their livelihood, the bringer of their prestige. But they don’t show such reverence to me as they do to the Blessed One.

“Once, lord, when I was leading the army on a march, wanting to test them, I spent the night (with them) in a cramped rest-house. So my building overseers Isidanta & Purāṇa, having passed most of the night in Dhamma discussion, lay down with their heads in the direction where they had heard the Blessed One was staying and with their feet toward me. The thought occurred to me, ‘How amazing! How astounding! My building overseers Isidanta & Purāṇa live on my food and use my vehicles. I am the giver of their livelihood, the bringer of their prestige. But they don’t show such reverence to me as they do to the Blessed One. Surely these honorable men are discerning grand, successive distinctions in the Blessed One’s dispensation.’ This too, lord, is a reason.…

“Again, lord, the Blessed One is a noble warrior, and I am also a noble warrior. The Blessed One is a Kosalan, and I am also a Kosalan. The Blessed One is an eighty-year-old and I am also an eighty-year-old. That the Blessed One is a noble warrior, and I am also a noble warrior; the Blessed One is a Kosalan, and I am also a Kosalan; the Blessed One is an eighty-year-old and I am also an eighty-year-old: For this reason alone, lord, it is fitting for me to show such extreme reverence and display such an offering of friendship.

“Well then, lord, we will go now. Many are our duties, many our responsibilities.”

“Then do, great king, what you think it is now time to do.”

Then King Pasenadi Kosala got up from his seat and, having bowed down to the Blessed One, circumambulated him, keeping him to his right, and left.

Then, not long after he had left, the Blessed One addressed the monks, “That, monks, was King Pasenadi Kosala. Having spoken monuments to the Dhamma, having gotten up from his seat, he has left. Monks, learn the Monuments to the Dhamma. Master the Monuments to the Dhamma. Remember the Monuments to the Dhamma. The Monuments to the Dhamma are connected to the goal and to the fundamentals of the holy life.”

That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One’s words. — MN 89

On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Forest, the Squirrels’ Sanctuary. 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 the Blessed One said to him, “You are now old, Kassapa. Your robes made of cast-off hemp cloth are heavy for you. So wear robes donated by householders, eat invitational meals, and live close by me.”

“Lord, for a long time I have lived in the wilderness and have extolled living in the wilderness. I have been an almsgoer and have extolled being an almsgoer. I have worn cast-off cloth and have extolled wearing cast-off cloth. I have worn only one set of the triple robe and have extolled wearing only one set of the triple robe. I have been modest and have extolled being modest. I have been content and have extolled being content. I have been reclusive and have extolled being reclusive. I have been unentangled and have extolled being unentangled. I have kept my persistence aroused and have extolled having persistence aroused.”

“But, Kassapa, what compelling reason do you see that you for a long time have lived in the wilderness and have extolled living in the wilderness… that you have kept your persistence aroused and have extolled having persistence aroused?”

“Lord, I see two compelling reasons that for a long time I have lived in the wilderness and have extolled living in the wilderness… that I have kept my persistence aroused and have extolled having persistence aroused: seeing a pleasant abiding for myself in the here-&-now, and feeling sympathy for later generations: ‘Perhaps later generations will take it as an example: “It seems that the disciples of the Awakened One and those who awakened after him lived for a long time in the wilderness and extolled living in the wilderness; were almsgoers and extolled being almsgoers; wore cast-off cloth and extolled wearing cast-off cloth; wore only one set of the triple robe and extolled wearing only one set of the triple robe; were modest and extolled being modest; were content and extolled being content; were reclusive and extolled being reclusive; were unentangled and extolled being unentangled; kept their persistence aroused and extolled having persistence aroused.”’”

“Good, Kassapa. Very good. It seems that you are one who practices for the benefit & happiness of many, out of sympathy for the world, for the welfare, benefit, & happiness of devas & human beings. So continue wearing your robes of cast-off hemp cloth, go for alms, and live in the wilderness.” — SN 16:5