1.
The Shorter Discourse on the Lion's Roar
139. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. There the Blessed One addressed the monks - "Monks." "Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this -
"Here only, monks, is an ascetic, here is a second ascetic, here is a third ascetic, here is a fourth ascetic; the other doctrines are empty of other ascetics. Thus, monks, rightly roar the lion's roar.
140. "Now, monks, there is this possibility that heterodox wandering ascetics would speak thus - 'But what is the venerable ones' reassurance, what is the power, by which you venerable ones speak thus - here only is an ascetic, here is a second ascetic, here is a third ascetic, here is a fourth ascetic; the other doctrines are empty of other ascetics'? Monks, heterodox wandering ascetics who speak thus should be told thus - 'There are indeed for us, friends, four qualities declared by that Blessed One, who knows and sees, the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, seeing which in ourselves we speak thus - here only is an ascetic, here is a second ascetic, here is a third ascetic, here is a fourth ascetic; the other doctrines are empty of other ascetics. Which four? There is indeed for us, friends, confidence in the Teacher, there is confidence in the Teaching, there is the fulfilment of morality; and those who share the same Teaching are dear and agreeable - both householders and those gone forth. These indeed, friends, are the four qualities declared by that Blessed One, who knows and sees, the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, seeing which in ourselves we speak thus - here only is an ascetic, here is a second ascetic, here is a third ascetic, here is a fourth ascetic; the other doctrines are empty of other ascetics.'
141. "Now, monks, there is this possibility that heterodox wandering ascetics would speak thus - 'We too indeed, friends, have confidence in the Teacher who is our teacher, we too have confidence in the Teaching which is our teaching, we too are ones who fulfil the moral precepts which are our moral precepts, we too have those who share the same Teaching who are dear and agreeable - both householders and those gone forth. Here, friends, what is the distinction, what is the disparity, what is the difference between you and us?'
"Monks, heterodox wandering ascetics who speak thus should be told thus - 'But, friends, is there one goal or are there many goals?' Answering correctly, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics would answer thus - 'Friends, there is one goal, not many goals.'
"'But, friends, is that goal for one with lust or for one without lust?' Answering correctly, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics would answer thus - 'Friends, that goal is for one without lust, not for one with lust.'
"'But, friends, is that goal for one with hate or for one without hate?' Answering correctly, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics would answer thus - 'Friends, that goal is for one without hate, not for one with hate.'
"'But, friends, is that goal for one with delusion or for one without delusion?' Answering correctly, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics would answer thus - 'Friends, that goal is for one without delusion, not for one with delusion.'
"'But, friends, is that goal for one with craving or for one without craving?' Answering correctly, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics would answer thus - 'Friends, that goal is for one without craving, not for one with craving.'
"'But, friends, is that goal for one with clinging or for one without clinging?' Answering correctly, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics would answer thus - 'Friends, that goal is for one without clinging, not for one with clinging.'
"'But, friends, is that goal for a wise man or for a fool?' Answering correctly, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics would answer thus - 'Friends, that goal is for a wise man, not for a fool.'
"'But, friends, is that goal for one who is compliant and opposing or for one who is not compliant and not opposing?' Answering correctly, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics would answer thus - 'Friends, that goal is for one who is not compliant and not opposing, not for one who is compliant and opposing.'
"'But, friends, is that goal for one who delights in obsession and takes pleasure in obsession or for one who delights in the absence of obsession and takes pleasure in the absence of obsession?' Answering correctly, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics would answer thus - 'Friends, that goal is for one who delights in the absence of obsession and takes pleasure in the absence of obsession, not for one who delights in obsession and takes pleasure in obsession.'
142. "Monks, there are these two views - view of existence and view of non-existence. Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who cling to the view of existence, who have reached the view of existence, who are attached to the view of existence, they are opposed to the view of non-existence. Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who cling to the view of non-existence, who have reached the view of non-existence, who are attached to the view of non-existence, they are opposed to the view of existence. Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who do not understand as it really is the origin, passing away, gratification, danger, and escape of these two views, they are with lust, they are with hate, they are with delusion, they are with craving, they are with clinging, they are fools, they are approving and opposing, they delight in obsession and take pleasure in obsession; they are not released from birth, from ageing, from death, from sorrows, from lamentations, from sufferings, from displeasures, from anguishes; 'they are not released from suffering', I say. But whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who understand as it really is the origin, passing away, gratification, danger, and escape of these two views, they are without lust, they are without hate, they are without delusion, they are without craving, they are without clinging, they are wise men, they are neither approving nor opposing, they delight in the absence of obsession and take pleasure in the absence of obsession; they are released from birth, from ageing, from death, from sorrows, from lamentations, from sufferings, from displeasures, from anguishes; 'they are released from suffering', I say.
143. "Monks, there are these four kinds of clinging. What are the four? Clinging to sensual pleasures, clinging to views, clinging to moral rules and austerities, clinging to the doctrine of self. There are, monks, some ascetics and brahmins who claim to teach the full understanding of all clinging. They do not rightly declare the full understanding of all clinging - they declare the full understanding of clinging to sensual pleasures, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to views, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to moral rules and austerities, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to the doctrine of self. What is the reason for this? Because those venerable ascetics and brahmins do not understand these three states as they really are. Therefore those venerable ascetics and brahmins, while claiming to teach the full understanding of all clinging, they do not rightly declare the full understanding of all clinging - they declare the full understanding of clinging to sensual pleasures, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to views, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to moral rules and austerities, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to the doctrine of self.
"There are, monks, some ascetics and brahmins who claim to teach the full understanding of all clinging. They do not rightly declare the full understanding of all clinging - they declare the full understanding of clinging to sensual pleasures, they declare the full understanding of clinging to views, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to moral rules and austerities, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to the doctrine of self. What is the reason for this? Because those venerable ascetics and brahmins do not understand these two states as they really are. Therefore those venerable ascetics and brahmins, while claiming to teach the full understanding of all clinging, they do not rightly declare the full understanding of all clinging - they declare the full understanding of clinging to sensual pleasures, they declare the full understanding of clinging to views, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to moral rules and austerities, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to the doctrine of self.
"There are, monks, some ascetics and brahmins who claim to teach the full understanding of all clinging. They do not rightly declare the full understanding of all clinging - they declare the full understanding of clinging to sensual pleasures, they declare the full understanding of clinging to views, they declare the full understanding of clinging to moral rules and austerities, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to the doctrine of self. What is the reason for this? Because those venerable ascetics and brahmins do not understand this one state as it really is. Therefore those venerable ascetics and brahmins, while claiming to teach the full understanding of all clinging, they do not rightly declare the full understanding of all clinging - they declare the full understanding of clinging to sensual pleasures, they declare the full understanding of clinging to views, they declare the full understanding of clinging to moral rules and austerities, they do not declare the full understanding of clinging to the doctrine of self.
"In such a Teaching and discipline, monks, whatever confidence there is in the Teacher, that is declared to be not rightly attained; whatever confidence there is in the Teaching, that is declared to be not rightly attained; whatever fulfilment of morality there is, that is declared to be not rightly attained; whatever affection and agreeableness there is towards those who share the same Teaching, that is declared to be not rightly attained. What is the reason for this? For this is so, monks, as is natural with a Teaching and discipline that is badly preached, badly proclaimed, not leading to liberation, not conducive to peace, not proclaimed by a One Enlightened by himself.
144. "But the Truth-finder, monks, the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, claiming to teach the full understanding of all clinging, rightly declares the full understanding of all clinging - he declares the full understanding of clinging to sensual pleasures, he declares the full understanding of clinging to views, he declares the full understanding of clinging to moral rules and austerities, he declares the full understanding of clinging to the doctrine of self. In such a Teaching and discipline, monks, whatever confidence there is in the Teacher, that is declared to be rightly attained; whatever confidence there is in the Teaching, that is declared to be rightly attained; whatever fulfilment of morality there is, that is declared to be rightly attained; whatever affection and agreeableness there is towards those who share the same Teaching, that is declared to be rightly attained. What is the reason for this? For this is so, monks, as is natural with a Teaching and discipline that is well preached, well proclaimed, leading to liberation, conducive to peace, proclaimed by a One Enlightened by himself.
145. "And, monks, these four kinds of clinging. What is their source, what is their origin, what gives birth to them, what is their production? These four kinds of clinging have craving as their source, craving as their origin, craving gives birth to them, craving is their production. And this craving, monks, what is its source, what is its origin, what gives birth to it, what is its production? Craving has feeling as its source, feeling as its origin, feeling gives birth to it, feeling is its production. And this feeling, monks, what is its source, what is its origin, what gives birth to it, what is its production? Feeling has contact as its source, contact as its origin, contact gives birth to it, contact is its production. And this contact, monks, what is its source, what is its origin, what gives birth to it, what is its production? Contact has the six sense bases as its source, the six sense bases as its origin, the six sense bases give birth to it, the six sense bases are its production. And these six sense bases, monks, what is their source, what is their origin, what gives birth to them, what is their production? The six sense bases have mentality-materiality as their source, mentality-materiality as their origin, mentality-materiality gives birth to them, mentality-materiality is their production. And this mentality-materiality, monks, what is its source, what is its origin, what gives birth to it, what is its production? Mentality-materiality has consciousness as its source, consciousness as its origin, consciousness gives birth to it, consciousness is its production. And this consciousness, monks, what is its source, what is its origin, what gives birth to it, what is its production? Consciousness has activities as its source, activities as its origin, activities give birth to it, activities are its production. And these activities, monks, what is their source, what is their origin, what gives birth to them, what is their production? Activities have ignorance as their source, ignorance as their origin, ignorance gives birth to them, ignorance is their production.
"But when, monks, for a monk ignorance has been abandoned and true knowledge has arisen, he, through the fading away of ignorance and the arising of true knowledge, does not cling to clinging to sensual pleasures, does not cling to clinging to views, does not cling to clinging to moral rules and austerities, does not cling to clinging to the doctrine of self. Not clinging, he is not agitated; not being agitated, he personally attains final nibbāna. He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.'"
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Shorter Discourse on the Lion's Roar is concluded as first.