8.
The Discourse on the Foreign Cloth
358. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Then the Venerable Ānanda, having dressed in the earlier period of the day, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for almsfood. Having walked for almsfood in Sāvatthī, after the meal, having returned from his alms round, he approached the Eastern Park, the mansion of Migāra's mother, for the day residence. Now at that time King Pasenadi of Kosala, having mounted the elephant named Ekapuṇḍarīka, was driving out of Sāvatthī in the middle of the day. King Pasenadi of Kosala saw the Venerable Ānanda coming from afar. Having seen him, he addressed the chief minister Sirivaḍḍha - "Is that the Venerable Ānanda, my dear Sirivaḍḍha?" "Yes, great king, that is the Venerable Ānanda." Then King Pasenadi of Kosala addressed a certain man - "Come, my good man, go to where the Venerable Ānanda is; having approached, in my name pay respect with your head at the Venerable Ānanda's feet - 'King Pasenadi of Kosala, venerable sir, pays respect with his head at the Venerable Ānanda's feet.' And say this: 'If indeed, venerable sir, the Venerable Ānanda has nothing urgent to be done, may the Venerable Ānanda please wait a moment, out of compassion.'" "Yes, Sire," that man replied to King Pasenadi of Kosala, and approached the Venerable Ānanda; having approached, he paid respect to the Venerable Ānanda and stood to one side. Standing to one side, that man said this to the Venerable Ānanda - "King Pasenadi of Kosala, venerable sir, pays respect with his head at the Venerable Ānanda's feet; and he says thus - 'If indeed, venerable sir, the Venerable Ānanda has nothing urgent to be done, may the Venerable Ānanda please wait a moment, out of compassion.'" The Venerable Ānanda consented by silence. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala, having gone by elephant as far as the ground was passable for elephants, descended from the elephant and approached the Venerable Ānanda on foot; having approached, he paid respect to the Venerable Ānanda and stood to one side. Standing to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said this to the Venerable Ānanda - "If, venerable sir, the Venerable Ānanda has nothing urgent to be done, it would be good, venerable sir, if the Venerable Ānanda would approach the bank of the river Aciravatī, out of compassion." The Venerable Ānanda consented by silence.
359. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the bank of the river Aciravatī; having approached, he sat down on the prepared seat at the foot of a certain tree. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala, having gone by elephant as far as the ground was passable for elephants, descended from the elephant and approached the Venerable Ānanda on foot; having approached, he paid respect to the Venerable Ānanda and stood to one side. Standing to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said this to the Venerable Ānanda - "Here, venerable sir, let the Venerable Ānanda sit on the elephant rug." "Enough, great king. You sit down; I am seated on my own seat." King Pasenadi of Kosala sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, King Pasenadi of Kosala said this to the Venerable Ānanda - "Would indeed, venerable Ānanda, that Blessed One practise such bodily conduct as would be censurable by ascetics and brahmins?" "Indeed not, great king, that Blessed One would not practise such bodily conduct as would be censurable by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise."
"But then, venerable Ānanda, would that Blessed One practise such verbal conduct, etc. mental conduct as would be censurable by ascetics and brahmins?" "Indeed not, great king, that Blessed One would not practise such mental conduct as would be censurable by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise."
"Wonderful, venerable sir, marvellous, venerable sir! For that which we, venerable sir, were not able to complete with a question, that, venerable sir, has been completed by the Venerable Ānanda with the explanation of the question. Those, venerable sir, who are foolish and inexperienced, who without investigating and without scrutinising speak praise or dispraise of others, we do not accept that as having substance; but those, venerable sir, who are wise, learned, and intelligent, who having investigated and scrutinised speak praise or dispraise of others, we accept that as having substance."
360. "But, venerable Ānanda, what bodily conduct is censurable by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise?" "Whatever bodily conduct, great king, is unwholesome."
"But, venerable sir, what bodily conduct is unwholesome?" "Whatever bodily conduct, great king, is blameable."
"But, venerable sir, what bodily conduct is blameable?" "Whatever bodily conduct, great king, is afflicting."
"But, venerable sir, what bodily conduct is afflicting?" "Whatever bodily conduct, great king, is with painful results."
"But, venerable sir, what bodily conduct is with painful results?" "Whatever bodily conduct, great king, leads to affliction of oneself, leads to affliction of others, leads to affliction of both; for him unwholesome mental states increase, wholesome mental states decline; such bodily conduct, great king, is censurable by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise."
"But, venerable Ānanda, what verbal conduct, etc. what mental conduct is censurable by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise?" "Whatever mental conduct, great king, is unwholesome."
"But, venerable sir, what mental conduct is unwholesome?" "Whatever mental conduct, great king, is blameable."
"But, venerable sir, what mental conduct is blameable?" "Whatever mental conduct, great king, is afflicting."
"But, venerable sir, what mental conduct is afflicting?" "Whatever mental conduct, great king, is with painful results."
"But, venerable sir, what mental conduct is with painful results?" "Whatever mental conduct, great king, leads to affliction of oneself, leads to affliction of others, leads to affliction of both; for him unwholesome mental states increase, wholesome mental states decline; such mental conduct, great king, is censurable by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise."
"Does indeed, venerable Ānanda, that Blessed One praise the abandoning of all unwholesome mental states?" "The Truth-finder, great king, has abandoned all unwholesome mental states and is endowed with wholesome mental states."
361. "But, venerable Ānanda, what bodily conduct is not censurable by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise?" "Whatever bodily conduct, great king, is wholesome."
"But, venerable sir, what bodily conduct is wholesome?" "Whatever bodily conduct, great king, is faultless."
"But, venerable sir, what bodily conduct is faultless?" "Whatever bodily conduct, great king, is non-afflicting."
"But, venerable sir, what bodily conduct is non-afflicting?" "Whatever bodily conduct, great king, results in happiness."
"But, venerable sir, what bodily conduct results in happiness?"
"Whatever bodily conduct, great king, does not lead to affliction of oneself, does not lead to affliction of others, does not lead to affliction of both; for him unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase; such bodily conduct, great king, is not censurable by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise."
"But, venerable Ānanda, what verbal conduct, etc. mental conduct is not censurable by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise?" "Whatever mental conduct, great king, is wholesome."
"But, venerable sir, what mental conduct is wholesome?" "Whatever mental conduct, great king, is faultless."
"But, venerable sir, what mental conduct is faultless?" "Whatever mental conduct, great king, is non-afflicting."
"But, venerable sir, what mental conduct is non-afflicting?" "Whatever mental conduct, great king, results in happiness."
"But, venerable sir, what mental conduct results in happiness?" "Whatever mental conduct, great king, does not lead to affliction of oneself, does not lead to affliction of others, does not lead to affliction of both. For him unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase. Such mental conduct, great king, is not censurable by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise."
"But then, venerable Ānanda, does that Blessed One praise the undertaking of all wholesome mental states?" "The Truth-finder, great king, has abandoned all unwholesome mental states and is endowed with wholesome mental states."
362. "Wonderful, venerable sir, marvellous, venerable sir! How well spoken is this, venerable sir, by the Venerable Ānanda. And we, venerable sir, are delighted and satisfied by this well-spoken word of the Venerable Ānanda. Thus delighted and satisfied are we, venerable sir, by the well-spoken word of the Venerable Ānanda. If, venerable sir, an elephant treasure were allowable for the Venerable Ānanda, we would give an elephant treasure to the Venerable Ānanda. If, venerable sir, a horse treasure were allowable for the Venerable Ānanda, we would give a horse treasure to the Venerable Ānanda. If, venerable sir, an excellent village were allowable for the Venerable Ānanda, we would give an excellent village to the Venerable Ānanda. But, venerable sir, we know this - 'This is not allowable for the Venerable Ānanda.' This, venerable sir, is my bāhitikā cloth, sent by King Ajātasattu Vedehiputta of Magadha, having been placed in a cloth container, sixteen spans in length, eight spans in breadth. May the Venerable Ānanda, venerable sir, accept it out of compassion." "Enough, great king, my three robes are complete."
"This, venerable sir, river Aciravatī has been seen by both the Venerable Ānanda and by us. When a great rain cloud has poured down on the upper mountains, then this river Aciravatī flows overflowing both banks; just so, venerable sir, the Venerable Ānanda will make his own three robes from this bāhitikā cloth. And whatever is the Venerable Ānanda's old three robes, that he will share with his fellows in the holy life. Thus this offering of ours will, I think, go overflowing. May the Venerable Ānanda, venerable sir, accept the bāhitikā cloth." The Venerable Ānanda accepted the bāhitikā cloth.
Then King Pasenadi of Kosala said this to the Venerable Ānanda - "Well then, venerable Ānanda, we will now go; we have much to do, we have many duties." "Now do as you think fit, great king." Then King Pasenadi of Kosala, having delighted in and given thanks for what the Venerable Ānanda had said, rose from his seat, paid respect to the Venerable Ānanda, circumambulated him keeping him on his right, and departed.
363. Then the Venerable Ānanda, not long after King Pasenadi of Kosala had departed, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Ānanda reported to the Blessed One all the friendly conversation he had with King Pasenadi of Kosala. And he gave that bāhitikā cloth to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One addressed the monks: "It is a gain, monks, for King Pasenadi of Kosala, it is well-gained, monks, for King Pasenadi of Kosala; that King Pasenadi of Kosala gets to see Ānanda, gets to attend upon him."
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on Bāhitika is concluded as eighth.