Mahavogga 6.31

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Adapted from the Translation by T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg

MAHAVAGGA

SIXTH KHANDHAKA(ON MEDICAMENTS)

Chapter-31.

1. At that time many distinguished Likkhavis were sitting together assembled in the town-hall and spoke in many ways in praise of the Buddha, of the Dhamma, and of the Sangha. At that time Siha, the general-in-chief (of the Likkhavis), a disciple of the Nigantha sect, was sitting in that assembly. And Siha, the general, thought: 'Truly he, the Lord Buddha, must be the Arahat Buddha, since these many distinguished Likkhavis, who are sitting here together assembled in the town-hall, speak in so many ways in praise of the Buddha, of the Dhamma, and of the Sangha. What if I were to go and visit him, the Arahat Buddha.'

2. And Siha, the general, went to the place where the Nigantha Nataputta(Mahavir of Jain sect) was; having approached him, he said to the Nigantha Nataputta: 'I wish, Lord, to go and visit the Samana Gotama(Buddha).'

'Why should you, Siha, who believe in the result of actions (according to their moral merit), go to visit the Samana Gotama(Buddha), who denies the result of actions? For the Samana Gotama, Siha, denies the result of actions; he teaches the doctrine of non-action; and in this doctrine he trains his disciples.'

Then the desire to go and to visit the Lord Buddha, which had arisen in Siha, the general, abated in him.

3. And a second time many distinguished Likkhavis were sitting together (&c., as in §§-1, 2, down to the end).

And a third time many distinguished Likkhavis were sitting together, &c. And a third time Siha, the general, thought: 'Truly he, the Lord Buddha, must be the Arahat Buddha, since these many distinguished Likkhavis, who are sitting here together assembled in the town-hall, speak in so many ways in praise of the Buddha, of the Dhamma, and of the Sangha. What are the Niganthas to me, whether they give their consent or not? What if I were to go without asking the Niganthas for their consent, to visit him, the Lord Buddha, the Arahat Buddha.'

4. And Siha, the general, went out of Veshali with five hundred vehicles at broad daylight in order to visit the Lord Buddha. He went in the carriage as far as the ground was passable for carriages; there he alighted; and he proceeded on foot to the place where the Lord Buddha was. Having approached him, and respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, he sat down near him. When he was sitting near him, Siha, the general, said to the Lord Buddha: 'I have heard, Lord, that the Samana Gotama(Buddha) denies the result of actions; he teaches the doctrine of non-action, and in this doctrine he trains his disciples. Now, Lord, those who speak thus: "The Samana Gotama(Buddha) denies the result of actions," &c.--do they say the truth of the Lord Buddha, and do they not bear false witness against the Lord Buddha and pass off a spurious Dhamma as your Dhamma? And there is nothing blameworthy in a discourse and dispute like this regarding matters of the Dhamma; for it is our intention, Lord, to avoid bringing false accusations against the Lord Buddha.'

5. 'There is a way, Siha, in which one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama(Buddha) denies action; he teaches the doctrine of non-action; and in this doctrine he trains his disciples."

'And again, Siha, there is a way in which one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama maintains action; he teaches the doctrine of action; and in this doctrine he trains his disciples."

'And again, Siha, there is a way in which one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama maintains annihilation; he teaches the doctrine of annihilation; and in this doctrine he trains his disciples."

'And again, Siha, there is a way in which one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama proclaims contemptibleness; he teaches the doctrine of contemptibleness; and in this doctrine he trains his disciples."

'And again, &c.: "The Samana Gotama proclaims Vinaya; he teaches the doctrine of Vinaya; and in this doctrine he trains his disciples."

'And again, &c.: "The Samana Gotama(Buddha) proclaims Tapas, &c."

'And again, &c.: "The Samana Gotama is apagabbha; he teaches the doctrine of apagabbhata, &c."

'And again, &c.: "The Samana Gotama is confident; he teaches the doctrine of confidence, &c."

6. 'And in which way is it, Siha, that one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama denies action; he teaches the doctrine of non-action; and in this doctrine he trains his disciples?" I teach, Siha, the not-doing of such actions as are unrighteous, either by deed, or by word, or by thought; I teach the not bringing about of the manifold conditions (of heart) which are evil and not good. In this way, Siha, one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama(Buddha), &c."

'And in which way is it, Siha, that one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama(Buddha) maintains action; he teaches the doctrine of action; and in this doctrine he trains his disciples?" I teach, Siha, the doing of such actions as are righteous, by deed, by word, and by thought; I teach the bringing about of the manifold conditions (of heart) which are good and not evil. In this way, &c."

7. 'And in which way is it, Siha, that one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama maintains annihilation; he teaches the doctrine of annihilation; and in this doctrine he trains his disciples?" I proclaim, Siha, the annihilation of lust, of ill-will, of delusion; I proclaim the annihilation of the manifold conditions (of heart) which are evil and not good. In this way, &c."

'And in which way is it, Siha, that one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama proclaims contemptibleness, &c.?" I deem, Siha, unrighteous actions contemptible, whether they be performed by deed, or by word, or by thought; I proclaim the doctrine of the contemptibleness of falling into the manifold conditions (of heart) which are evil and not good. In this way, &c.

8. 'And in which way is it, Siha, that one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama proclaims Vinaya, &c.?" I teach, Siha, the doing away with lust, with ill-will, with delusion; I teach the doing away with the manifold conditions (of heart) which are evil and not good. In this way, &c.

'And in which way is it, Siha, that one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama proclaims Tapas, &c.?" I teach, Siha, that all the conditions (of heart) which are evil and not good, unrighteous actions by deed, by word, and by thought must be burnt away. He who has freed himself, Siha, from all conditions (of heart) which are evil and not good, which ought to be burnt away, who has rooted them out, and has done away with them as a palm tree is rooted out, so that they are destroyed and cannot grow up again--such a person do I call accomplished in Tapas. Now the Tathagata(Buddha), Siha, has freed himself from all conditions, &c. In this way, &c.

9. 'And in which way is it, Siha, that one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama is apagabbha (irresolute), &c.?" He who has freed himself, Siha, from the necessity of returning in future into a mother's womb, and of being reborn into new existences, who has rooted out (his being subject to) rebirth, and has done away with it as a palm tree is rooted out, so that it is destroyed and cannot grow up again--such a person do I call apagabbha. Now the Tathagata, Siha, has freed himself, &c. In this way, &c.

'And in which way is it, Siha, that one speaking truly could say of me: "The Samana Gotama is confident, &c.?" I am confident, Siha, by the highest confidence; and thus I teach the doctrine of confidence and train my disciples in it. In this way, &c.'

10. When he had spoken thus, Siha, the general, said to the Lord Buddha: 'Glorious, Lord! glorious, Lord! (&c., as in Chap-26. 9, down to:) may the Lord Buddha receive me from this day forth while my life lasts as a disciple who has taken his refuge in him.'

'Consider first, Siha, what you are doing. It is becoming that well-known persons like you should do nothing without due consideration.'

'By this, Lord, my joy and my faith in the Lord Buddha has still increased, in that the Lord Buddha says to me: "Consider first, &c." Had the other Titthiya teachers, Lord, got me as their disciple, they would carry around their banners through the whole of Veshali (and cry): "Siha, the general, has become our disciple!" But the Lord Buddha says to me: "Consider first, &c." For the second time, Lord, I take my refuge in. the Lord Buddha, and in the Dhamma, and in the Bhikkhu-sangha: may the Lord Buddha receive me from this day forth while my life lasts as a disciple who has taken his refuge in him.'

11. 'For a long time, Siha, drink has been offered to the Niganthas in your house. You should therefore deem it right (also in the future) to give them food when they come (to you on their alms-pilgrimage).'

'By this, Lord, my joy and my faith in the Lord Buddha has still increased, in that the Lord Buddha says to me: "For a long time, &c." I have been told, Lord: "The Samana Gotama(Buddha) says: 'To me alone gifts should be given; to nobody else gifts should be given. To my pupils alone gifts should be given; to no one else's pupils gifts should be given. Only what is given to me has great reward; what is given to others has not great reward. Only what is given to my pupils has great reward; what is given to the pupils of others has not great reward.'" But the Lord Buddha exhorts me to give also to the Niganthas. Well, Lord, we will see what will be seasonable.

For the third time, Lord, I take my refuge in the Lord Buddha, &c.'

12. And the Lord Buddha preached to Siha, the general, in due course; that is to say, he talked about the merits obtained by almsgiving, about the duties of morality (&c., in the usual way; see, for instance, I, 8, 2, 3, down to:) dependent on nobody else for knowledge of the doctrine of the Teacher, he said to the Lord Buddha; 'Lord, may the Lord Buddha consent to take his meal with me to-morrow, together with the fraternity of Bhikkhus.'

The Lord Buddha expressed his consent by remaining silent. Then Siha, the general, when he understood that the Lord Buddha had accepted his invitation, rose from his seat, respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, and, passing round him with his right side towards him, went away.

And Siha, the general, gave order to a certain man (among his subalterns, saying), 'Go, my friend, and see if there is any meat to be had: And when that night had elapsed, Siha, the general, ordered excellent food (&c., as in Chap-23. 5, down to the end).

13. At that time a great number of Niganthas (running) through Veshali, from road to road and from cross-way to cross-way, with outstretched arms, cried: 'To-day Siha, the general, has killed a great ox and has made a meal for the Samana Gotama(Buddha); the Samana Gotama knowingly eats this meat of an animal killed for this very purpose, and has thus become virtually the author of that deed (of killing the animal)!'

Then a certain man went to the place where Siha, the general, was. Having approached him he said to Siha, the general, into his ear: 'Please, Lord, have you noticed that a great number of Niganthas (running) through Veshali, &c.?'

'Do not mind it, my good Sir. Long since those venerable brethren are trying to discredit the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha; and those venerable brethren do not become tired of telling false, idle, vain lies of the Lord Buddha. Not for our life would we ever intentionally kill a living being.'

14. And Siha, the general, served and offered with his own hands excellent food, both hard and soft, to the fraternity of Bhikkhus with the Buddha at its head; and when the Lord Buddha (&c., as in Chap-23. 7, down to the end).

In consequence of that the Lord Buddha, having delivered a dhamma discourse, addressed the Bhikkhus and said:

'Let no one, O Bhikkhus, knowingly eat meat (of an animal) killed for that purpose. Whosoever does so, is guilty of a dukkata offence.

'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that fish is pure to you in three cases: if you do not see, if you have not heard, if you do not suspect (that it has been caught specially to be given to you).'