Note: Unless otherwise indicated, these suttas were translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
"No, your majesty," she answered. "There is no one more dear to me than myself. And what about you, your majesty? Is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?"
"No, Mallika. There is no one more dear to me than myself."
Then the king, descending from the palace, 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: "Just now I was together with Queen Mallika in the upper palace. I said to her, 'Is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?'
"'No, your majesty,' she answered. 'There is no one more dear to me than myself. And what about you, your majesty? Is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?'
"'No, Mallika. There is no one more dear to me than myself.'"
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
Searching all directions
with one's awareness,
one finds no one dearer
than oneself.
In the same way, others
are fiercely dear to themselves.
So one should not hurt others
if one loves oneself.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying in Rajagaha at the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Sanctuary. Now at that time in Rajagaha there was a leper named Suppabuddha, a poor, miserable wretch of a person. And at that time the Blessed One was sitting surrounded by a large assembly, teaching the Dhamma. Suppabuddha the leper saw the large gathering of people from afar and thought to himself, "Without a doubt, someone must be distributing staple or non-staple food over there. Why don't I go over to that large group of people, and maybe I'll get some staple or non-staple food." So he went over to the large group of people. Then he saw the Blessed One sitting surrounded by a large assembly, teaching the Dhamma. On seeing this, he realized, "There's no one distributing staple or non-staple food over here. That's Gotama the contemplative, sitting surrounded by a large assembly, teaching the Dhamma. Why don't I listen to the Dhamma?" So he sat down to one side right there, [thinking,] "I, too, will listen to the Dhamma."
Then the Blessed One, having encompassed the awareness of the entire assembly with his awareness, asked himself, "Now who here is capable of understanding the Dhamma?" He saw Suppabuddha the leper sitting in the assembly, and on seeing him the thought occurred to him, "This person here is capable of understanding the Dhamma." So, aiming at Suppabuddha the leper, he gave a step-by-step talk, i.e., a talk on generosity, on virtue, on heaven; he declared the drawbacks, degradation, & corruption of sensual passions, and the rewards of renunciation. Then when he saw that Suppabuddha the leper's mind was ready, malleable, free from hindrances, elated, & bright, he then gave the Dhamma-talk peculiar to Awakened Ones, i.e., stress, origination, cessation, & path. And just as a clean cloth, free of stains, would properly absorb a dye, in the same way, as Suppabuddha the leper was sitting in that very seat, the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye arose within him, "Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation."
Having seen the Dhamma, reached the Dhamma, known the Dhamma, having plunged entirely into the Dhamma, having crossed over & beyond doubt, having had no more perplexity, having gained fearlessness & independence from others with regard to the Teacher's message, he rose up from his seat and went to the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: "Magnificent, venerable sir! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place upright what had been overturned, were to reveal what was hidden, were to show the way to one who was lost, or were to hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way the Blessed One has -- through many lines of reasoning -- made the Dhamma clear. I go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the Community of monks. May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for refuge, from this day forward, for life."
Then Suppabuddha the leper, having been instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged by the Blessed One's Dhamma talk, delighting & approving of the Blessed One's words, got up from his seat, bowed down to the Blessed One, circumambulated him -- keeping him to his right -- and left. Not long after his departure he was attacked & killed by a cow with a young calf.
Then a large number of monks approached the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there, they said to the Blessed One, "Lord, the leper named Suppabuddha, whom the Blessed One instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged with a Dhamma talk, has died. What is his destination? What is his future state?"
"Monks, Suppabuddha the leper was wise. He practiced the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma and did not pester me with issues related to the Dhamma. With the destruction of the first three fetters, he is a stream-winner, not subject to states of deprivation, headed for self-awakening for sure."
When this was said, one of the monks said to the Blessed One, "Lord, what was the cause, what was the reason, why Suppabuddha the leper was such a poor, miserable wretch of a person?"
"Once, monks, in this very Rajagaha, Suppabuddha the leper was the son of a rich money-lender. While being escorted to a pleasure park, he saw Tagarasikhi the Private Buddha going for alms in the city. On seeing him, he thought, 'Who is this leper prowling about?' Spitting and disrespectfully turning his left side to Tagarasikhi the Private Buddha, he left. As a result of that deed he boiled in hell for many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, many hundreds of thousands of years. And then as a result of that deed he became a poor, miserable wretch of a person in this very Rajagaha. But on encountering the Dhamma & Discipline made known by the Tathagata, he acquired conviction, virtue, learning, relinquishment, & discernment. Having acquired conviction, virtue, learning, relinquishment, & discernment on encountering the Dhamma & Discipline made known by the Tathagata, now -- on the break-up of the body, after death -- he has reappeared in a good destination, the heavenly world, in company with the devas of the heaven of the Thirty-three. There he outshines the other devas both in beauty & in glory."
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
A person with good eyes,
encountering
a treacherous, uneven place,
would try hard to avoid it.
A wise person, in the world of life,
should avoid
evil deeds.
"Yes, lord, we fear pain. We dislike pain."
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
If you fear pain,
if you dislike pain,
don't do an evil deed
in open or secret.
If you're doing or will do
an evil deed,
you won't escape pain:
it will catch you
even as you run away.
Then a second time, when the night was far advanced, at the end of the second watch, Ven. Ananda arose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, stood facing the Blessed One with his hands placed palm-to-palm over his heart, and said to him: "The night, venerable sir, is far advanced. The second watch has ended. The community of monks has been sitting here long. Let the Blessed One recite the Patimokkha to them." When this was said, the Blessed One remained silent.
Then a third time, when the night was far advanced, at the end of the third watch, as dawn was approaching and the face of the night was beaming, Ven. Ananda arose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, stood facing the Blessed One with his hands placed palm-to-palm over his heart, and said to him: "The night, venerable sir, is far advanced. The third watch has ended. Dawn is approaching and the face of the night is beaming. The community of monks has been sitting here long. Let the Blessed One recite the Patimokkha to the community of monks."
"Ananda, the gathering isn't pure."
Then the thought occurred to Ven. Maha Moggallana: "In reference to which individual did the Blessed One just now say, 'Ananda, the gathering isn't pure'?" So he directed his mind, encompassing with his awareness the awareness of the entire community of monks. He saw that individual -- unprincipled, evil, unclean and suspect in his undertakings, hidden in his actions, not a contemplative though claiming to be one, not leading the holy life though claiming to do so, inwardly rotten, oozing with desire, filthy by nature -- sitting in the midst of the community of monks. On seeing him, he got up, went over to that individual, and on reaching him said, "Get up, my friend. You have been seen by the Blessed One. You have no communion with the community of monks." Then the individual remained silent. A second time...A third time, Ven. Maha Moggallana said, "Get up, my friend. You have been seen by the Blessed One. You have no communion with the community of monks." And for a third time the individual remained silent.
Then Ven. Maha Moggallana, grabbing that individual by the arm, having expelled him through the outside door of the porch and locking the bolt, approached the Blessed One and on arrival said, "I have expelled that individual, venerable sir. The gathering is now pure. Let the Blessed One recite the Patimokkha to the community of monks."
"Isn't it amazing, Moggallana. Isn't it astounding, how that individual waited until he was grabbed by the arm." Then the Blessed One addressed the monks: "From now on I will no longer perform the observance or recite the Patimokkha. You alone, monks, will perform the observance and recite the Patimokkha. It is impossible, it cannot happen, that a Tathagata would perform the observance or recite the Patimokkha with an impure gathering.
"Monks, there are these eight amazing and astounding facts about the ocean that, as they see them again and again, have the Asuras greatly pleased with the ocean. Which eight?
"[1] The ocean has a gradual shelf, a gradual slope, a gradual inclination, with a sudden drop-off only after a long stretch. The fact that the ocean has a gradual shelf, a gradual slope, a gradual inclination, with a sudden drop-off only after a long stretch: This is the first amazing and astounding fact about the ocean that, as they see it again and again, has the Asuras greatly pleased with the ocean.
"[2] And furthermore, the ocean is stable and does not overstep its tideline...This is the second amazing and astounding fact about the ocean that, as they see it again and again, has the Asuras pleased with the ocean.
"[3] And furthermore, the ocean does not tolerate a dead body. Any dead body in the ocean gets washed to the shore and thrown up on dry land...This is the third amazing and astounding fact about the ocean that, as they see it again and again, has the Asuras greatly pleased with the ocean.
"[4] And furthermore, whatever great rivers there are -- such as the Ganges, the Yamuna, the Aciravati, the Sarabhu, the Mahi -- on reaching the ocean, give up their former names and are classed simply as "ocean"...This is the fourth amazing and astounding fact about the ocean that, as they see it again and again, has the Asuras greatly pleased with the ocean.
"[5] And furthermore, though the rivers of the world pour into the ocean, and rain falls from the sky, no swelling or diminishing in the ocean for that reason can be discerned...This is the fifth amazing and astounding fact about the ocean that, as they see it again and again, has the Asuras greatly pleased with the ocean.
"[6] And furthermore, the ocean has a single taste: that of salt...This is the sixth amazing and astounding fact about the ocean that, as they see it again and again, has the Asuras greatly pleased with the ocean.
"[7] And furthermore, the ocean has these many treasures of various kinds: pearls, sapphires, lapis lazuli, shells, quartz, coral, silver, gold, rubies, and cat's eyes...This is the seventh amazing and astounding fact about the ocean that, as they see it again and again, has the Asuras greatly pleased with the ocean.
"[8] And furthermore, the ocean is the abode of such mighty beings as whales, whale-eaters, and whale-eater-eaters; asuras, nagas, and gandhabbas. There are in the ocean beings one hundred leagues long, two hundred...three hundred...four hundred...five hundred leagues long. The fact that the ocean is the abode of such mighty beings as whales, whale-eaters, and whale-eater-eaters; asuras, nagas, and gandhabbas; and there are in the ocean beings one hundred leagues long, two hundred...three hundred...four hundred...five hundred leagues long: This is the eighth amazing and astounding fact about the ocean that, as they see it again and again, has the Asuras greatly pleased with the ocean.
"These are the eight amazing and astounding facts about the ocean that, as they see them again and again, have the Asuras greatly pleased with the ocean.
"In the same way, monks, there are eight amazing and astounding facts about this Doctrine and Discipline that, as they see them again and again, have the monks greatly pleased with the Doctrine and Discipline. Which eight?
"[1] Just as the ocean has a gradual shelf, a gradual slope, a gradual inclination, with a sudden drop-off only after a long stretch, in the same way this Doctrine and Discipline has a gradual training, a gradual performance, a gradual progression, with a penetration to gnosis only after a long stretch. The fact that this Doctrine and Discipline has a gradual training, a gradual performance, a gradual progression, with a penetration to gnosis only after a long stretch: This is the first amazing and astounding fact about this Doctrine and Discipline that, as they see it again and again, has the monks greatly pleased with the Doctrine and Discipline.
"[2] And furthermore, just as the ocean is stable and does not overstep its tideline, in the same way my disciples do not -- even for the sake of their lives -- overstep the training rules I have formulated for them...This is the second amazing and astounding fact about this Doctrine and Discipline that, as they see it again and again, has the monks greatly pleased with the Doctrine and Discipline.
"[3] And furthermore, just as the ocean does not tolerate a dead body -- any dead body in the ocean getting washed to the shore and thrown up on dry land -- in the same way, if an individual is unprincipled, evil, unclean and suspect in his undertakings, hidden in his actions -- not a contemplative though claiming to be one, not leading the holy life though claiming to do so, inwardly rotten, oozing with desire, filthy by nature -- the community has no communion with him. Holding an immediate meeting, they banish him from the community. Even though he may be sitting in the midst of the community, he is far from the community, and the community far from him...This is the third amazing and astounding fact about this Doctrine and Discipline that, as they see it again and again, has the monks greatly pleased with the Doctrine and Discipline.
"[4] And furthermore, just as whatever great rivers there are -- such as the Ganges, the Yamuna, the Aciravati, the Sarabhu, the Mahi -- on reaching the ocean, give up their former names and are classed simply as "ocean"; in the same way, when members of the four castes -- noble warriors, priests, merchants, and workers -- go forth from home to the homeless life in the Doctrine and Discipline declared by the Tathagata, they give up their former names and clans and are classed simply as "contemplatives, sons of the Sakyan"...This is the fourth amazing and astounding fact about this Doctrine and Discipline that, as they see it again and again, has the monks greatly pleased with the Doctrine and Discipline.
"[5] And furthermore, just as the rivers of the world pour into the ocean, and rain falls from the sky, but no swelling or diminishing in the ocean for that reason can be discerned; in the same way, although many monks are totally unbound into the property of Unbinding with no fuel remaining, no swelling or diminishing in the property of Unbinding for that reason can be discerned...This is the fifth amazing and astounding fact about this Doctrine and Discipline that, as they see it again and again, has the monks greatly pleased with the Doctrine and Discipline.
"[6] And furthermore, just as the ocean has a single taste -- that of salt -- in the same way, this Doctrine and Discipline has a single taste: that of release...This is the sixth amazing and astounding fact about this Doctrine and Discipline that, as they see it again and again, has the monks greatly pleased with the Doctrine and Discipline.
"[7] And furthermore, just as the ocean has these many treasures of various kinds -- pearls, sapphires, lapis lazuli, shells, quartz, coral, silver, gold, rubies, and cat's eyes -- in the same way, this Doctrine and Discipline has these many treasures of various kinds: the four frames of reference, the four right exertions, the four bases of power, the five faculties, the five strengths, the seven factors of Awakening, the noble eightfold path...This is the seventh amazing and astounding fact about this Doctrine and Discipline that, as they see it again and again, has the monks greatly pleased with the Doctrine and Discipline.
"[8] And furthermore, just as the ocean is the abode of such mighty beings as whales, whale-eaters, and whale-eater-eaters; asuras, nagas, and gandhabbas, and there are in the ocean beings one hundred leagues long, two hundred...three hundred...four hundred...five hundred leagues long; in the same way, this Doctrine and Discipline is the abode of such mighty beings as stream-winners and those practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry; once-returners and those practicing to realize the fruit of once-returning; non-returners and those practicing to realize the fruit of non-returning; Arahants and those practicing for Arahantship. The fact that this Doctrine and Discipline is the abode of such mighty beings as stream-winners and those practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry; once-returners and those practicing to realize the fruit of once-returning; non-returners and those practicing to realize the fruit of non-returning; Arahants and those practicing for Arahantship: This is the eighth amazing and astounding fact about this Doctrine and Discipline that, as they see it again and again, has the monks greatly pleased with the Doctrine and Discipline.
"These are the eight amazing and astounding facts about this Doctrine and Discipline that, as they see them again and again, have the monks greatly pleased with the Doctrine and Discipline."
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
The rain soddens what's covered,
& doesn't sodden what's exposed.
So open up what's covered up,
so that it won't get soddened by the rain.
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
Any doubts,
about here or the world beyond,
about what is experienced
by/because of others,
by/because of oneself,
are abandoned -- all --
by the person in jhana,
ardent,
living the holy life.
[Related reading: Theragatha I.3 (Kankharevata = Revata the Doubter).]
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
False pundits, deluded,
saying nothing but words,
speaking as much as they like:
What leads them on
they don't know.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Now at that time Ven. Cula Panthaka was sitting not far from the Blessed One, his legs crossed, his body held erect, with mindfulness established to the fore. The Blessed One saw Ven. Cula Panthaka sitting not far away, his legs crossed, his body held erect, with mindfulness established to the fore.
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
With steady body,
with steady awareness,
whether standing, sitting, or lying down,
a monk determined on mindfulness
gains one distinction
after another.
Having gained one distinction
after another,
he goes where the King of Death
can't see.