Majjhima Nikāya
1. Mūla-Paṇṇāsa
4. Mahā Yamaka Vagga

Sutta 31

Cūḷa Gosiṇga Suttaṃ

The Shorter Gosiṇga Sāla-tree Discourse

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Sourced from the edition at dhammatalks.org
Provenance, terms and conditons

Translator's Introduction

According to the Commentary, the events reported in this discourse follow on the events of a discourse in the Final Fifty of the Majjhima Nikāya, by which it obviously means MN 128. There is a fair amount of overlap between this discourse and that, but as the Commentary notes, in that discourse the three monks mentioned here were still run-of-the-mill people, trying to find their way. After putting into practice the Buddha's teaching given in that discourse, they all became arahants, a fact that is reported and celebrated here.

[1][chlm][pts][upal][ntbb] I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Nādikā in the Brick Hall.

And on that occasion, Ven. Anuruddha, Ven. Nandiya, and Ven. Kimbila were staying in the Gosiṇga [Cattle-horn] Sāla-tree Forest Park.

Then, emerging from his seclusion in the late afternoon, the Blessed One went to the Gosiṇga Sāla-tree Forest Park.

The park warden saw him coming from afar and, on seeing him, said to him, "Contemplative, don't enter the park.

There are three sons of good families living there, apparently desiring their own (welfare).

Don't disturb them."

Ven. Anuruddha heard the park warden conversing with the Blessed One and, on hearing him, said to the park warden, "Friend park warden, don't stand in the way of the Blessed One.

It's our Teacher, the Blessed One, who has arrived!"

Then Ven. Anuruddha went to Ven. Nandiya and Ven. Kimbila and, on arrival, said to them, "Come out, venerables!

Come out, venerables!

It's our Teacher, the Blessed One, who has arrived!"

Then Ven. Anuruddha, Ven. Nandiya, and Ven. Kimbila went out to greet the Blessed One.

One received his robe and bowl.

Another laid out a seat.

Another set out water for washing his feet.

The Blessed One sat down on the seat laid out and, seated, washed his feet.

They, having bowed down to the Blessed One, sat to one side.

As they were sitting there, the Blessed One said to Ven. Anuruddha, "Is it tolerable for you, Anuruddhas?^[1]

Are you getting by?

Are you weary from going for alms?"

"It's tolerable, O Blessed One.

We're getting by, O Blessed One.

And we're not weary, lord, from going for alms."

"But, Anuruddhas, are you living harmoniously, cordially, and without dispute, blending like milk and water, looking at one another with eyes of affection?"

"Yes, lord, we're living harmoniously, cordially, and without dispute, blending like milk and water, looking at one another with eyes of affection."

"But, Anuruddhas, how are you living harmoniously, cordially, and without dispute, blending like milk and water, looking at one another with eyes of affection?"

"Here, lord, the thought occurs to me, 'It's a gain for me, a great gain, that I'm living with companions like this in the holy life.'

I'm set on bodily acts of goodwill with regard to these venerable ones, to their faces and behind their backs.

I'm set on verbal acts...

mental acts of goodwill with regard to these venerable ones, to their faces and behind their backs.

The thought occurs to me, 'Why don't I, having cast aside my own mind, conduct myself in line with the mind of these venerable ones?'

So, having cast aside my own mind, I conduct myself in line with the mind of these venerable ones.

We are separate in body, lord, but one — as it were — in mind."

Ven. Nandiya and Ven. Kimbila said to the Blessed One, "Here, lord, the thought occurs to me also, 'It's a gain for me, a great gain...

We are separate in body, lord, but one — as it were — in mind."

[Ven. Anuruddha:] "This, lord, is how we are living harmoniously, cordially, and without dispute, blending like milk and water, looking at one another with eyes of affection."

"But, Anuruddhas, do you remain heedful, ardent, and resolute?"

"Yes, lord, we remain heedful, ardent, and resolute."

"But, Anuruddhas, how do you remain heedful, ardent, and resolute?"

"Here, lord, whichever of us returns first from going to the village for alms lays out the seats, sets out water for drinking and using, and sets out the refuse bucket.

Whoever returns afterwards from going to the village for alms eats the leftovers — if there are any and if he wants to — and if not, he throws them out in a place where there are no crops or dumps them into water without living beings in it.

He puts away the seats, puts away the water for drinking and using, puts away the refuse bucket after having washed it, and sweeps the meal hall.

"Whoever sees that the drinking-water jar, using-water jar, or rinsing-water jar [in the bathroom] are low or empty refills it.

If it occurs to him, 'It's too much for me,' he calls another by waving — using hand signals — and they refill the drinking-water jar or using-water jar by joining hands.

But we don't for that reason break into speech.

"And every five days we sit together for the whole night to discuss the Dhamma.

That's how we remain heedful, ardent, and resolute."

"Excellent, Anuruddhas.

Excellent.

But, remaining heedful, ardent, and resolute in this way, do you have a comfortable abiding where a superior human attainment, a truly noble distinction of knowledge and vision, has been attained?"

"Why wouldn't we, lord?

There is the case where, whenever we want, quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities, we enter and remain in the first jhāna: rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought and evaluation.

This is our comfortable abiding where a superior human attainment, a truly noble distinction of knowledge and vision, has been attained while remaining heedful, ardent, and resolute."

"Excellent, Anuruddhas.

Excellent.