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A very important thing is reminded to us by the Buddha: for our own benefit as well as for the benfit of the generations yet to come, we must give most importance to his own actual words, and not so much to whoever else pretends nowadays or has pretended in the past to be a proper (Dhamma) teacher. |
Pāḷi |
English |
| Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati Jeta·vane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: | On one occasion, the Bhagavā was dwelling near Sāvatthī, in Jeta's grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park.{n} There, the Bhagavā adressed the bhikkhus: |
– 'Bhaddante' ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṃ. Bhagavā etad·avoca:
| – Bhikkhus. – Bhaddante, answered the bhikkhus. The Bhagavā said:
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Bhūta·pubbaṃ, bhikkhave, dasārahānaṃ ānako nāma mudiṅgo ahosi. Tassa dasārahā ānake phaḷite aññaṃ āṇiṃ odahiṃsu. Ahu kho so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṃ ānakassa mudiṅgassa porāṇaṃ pokkhara·phalakaṃ antaradhāyi. Āṇi·saṅghāṭo·va avasissi.
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Formerly, bhikkhus, the Dasārahās had a drum named Anaka. When the Dasārahās' drum was broken, they would insert a peg in it. There was a time, bhikkhus, when the original skin and body of the Anaka drum had disappeared. There only remained an assemblage of pegs.
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Evam·eva kho, bhikkhave, bhavissanti bhikkhū anāgatam·addhānaṃ, ye te suttantā tathāgata·bhāsitā gambhīrā gambhīr·atthā lok·uttarā suññata·p·paṭisaṃyuttā, tesu bhaññamānesu na sussūsissanti, na sotaṃ odahissanti na aññā cittaṃ upaṭṭhāpessanti na ca te dhamme uggahetabbaṃ pariyāpuṇitabbaṃ maññissanti.
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In the same way, bhikkhus, in future time, there will be bhikkhus who will not listen to the utterance of such discourses which are words of the Tathāgata, profound, profound in meaning, leading beyond the world, connected with emptiness, they will not lend ear, they will not apply their mind on knowledge, they will not consider those teachings as to be taken up and mastered.
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Ye pana te suttantā kavi·katā kāveyyā citt·akkharā citta·byañjanā bāhirakā sāvaka·bhāsitā, tesu bhaññamānesu sussūsissanti sotaṃ odahissanti aññā cittaṃ upaṭṭhāpessanti, te ca dhamme uggahetabbaṃ pariyāpuṇitabbaṃ maññissanti. Evam·etesaṃ, bhikkhave, suttantānaṃ tathāgata·bhāsitānaṃ gambhīrānaṃ gambhīr·atthānaṃ lok·uttarānaṃ suññata·p·paṭisaṃyuttānaṃ antaradhānaṃ bhavissati.
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On the contrary, they will listen to the utterance of such discourses which are literary compositions made by poets, witty words, witty letters, by people from outside [the Dhamma], or the words of disciples, they will lend ear, they will apply their mind on knowledge, they will consider those teachings as to be taken up and mastered. Thus, bhikkhus, the discourses which are words of the Tathāgata, profound, profound in meaning, leading beyond the world, connected with emptiness, will disappear.
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Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṃ sikkhitabbaṃ: ‘ye te suttantā tathāgata·bhāsitā, gambhīrā gambhīr·atthā lok·uttarā suññata·p·paṭisaṃyuttā, tesu bhaññamānesu sussūsissāma sotaṃ odahissāma aññā cittaṃ upaṭṭhāpessāma, te ca dhamme uggahetabbaṃ pariyāpuṇitabbaṃ maññissāma’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban·ti.
| Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: 'We will listen to the utterance of such discourses which are words of the Tathāgata, profound, profound in meaning, leading beyond the world, connected with emptiness, we will lend ear, we will apply our mind on knowledge, we will consider those teachings as to be taken up and mastered.' This is how, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves. |
 with the support of Thanissaro Bhikkhu's translation. ———oOo——— Published as a gift of Dhamma, to be distributed free of charge. Any copies or derivatives of this work must cite their original source. |