9.
The Discourse on Pahārāda
19.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Verañjā at the root of the Naḷeru's Pucimanda tree.
Then Pahārāda, the lord of titans, approached the Blessed One;
having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side.
To Pahārāda, the lord of titans, standing to one side, the Blessed One said this:
"But do the titans, Pahārāda, delight in the great ocean?" "The titans do delight in the great ocean, venerable sir." "But how many, Pahārāda, wonderful and marvellous phenomena are there in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the titans delight in the great ocean?" "There are eight, venerable sir, wonderful and marvellous phenomena in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the titans delight in the great ocean. What are the eight? The great ocean, venerable sir, is progressively slanting, progressively sloping, progressively inclining, not abruptly precipitous. Since, venerable sir, the great ocean is progressively slanting, progressively sloping, progressively inclining, not abruptly precipitous. This, venerable sir, is the first wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the titans delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, the great ocean is stable in nature and does not overflow its boundaries. Since, venerable sir, the great ocean is stable in nature and does not overflow its boundaries; this, venerable sir, is the second wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the titans delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, the great ocean does not associate with a dead corpse. Whatever dead corpse there is in the great ocean, it quickly carries it to the shore, pushes it onto dry land. Since, venerable sir, the great ocean does not associate with a dead corpse, whatever dead corpse there is in the great ocean, it quickly carries it to the shore, pushes it onto dry land; this, venerable sir, is the third wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the titans delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, whatever great rivers, as follows - the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī, having reached the great ocean, they give up their former names and clans, and go by the term 'great ocean'. Since, venerable sir, whatever great rivers, as follows - the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī, having reached the great ocean, they give up their former names and clans, and go by the term 'great ocean'; this, venerable sir, is the fourth wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the titans delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, whatever streams in the world flow into the great ocean and whatever showers of rain fall from the sky, by that neither deficiency nor fullness of the great ocean is discerned. Since, venerable sir, whatever streams in the world flow into the great ocean and whatever showers of rain fall from the sky, by that neither deficiency nor fullness of the great ocean is discerned; this, venerable sir, is the fifth wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the titans delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, the great ocean has one flavour, the flavour of salt. Since, venerable sir, the great ocean has one flavour, the flavour of salt; this, venerable sir, is the sixth wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the titans delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, the great ocean has many jewels, various jewels. There are these jewels, as follows - pearls, gems, lapis lazuli, conch shells, stones, coral, silver, gold, rubies, and cat's eye gems. Since, venerable sir, the great ocean has many jewels, various jewels; there are these jewels, as follows - pearls, gems, lapis lazuli, conch shells, stones, coral, silver, gold, rubies, and cat's eye gems. This, venerable sir, is the seventh wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in the great ocean, which having seen again and again the titans delight in the great ocean.
"Furthermore, venerable sir, the great ocean is the residence of great beings. There are these beings - the timi, the timiṅgala, the timirapiṅgala, titans, serpents, and gandhabbas. There are in the great ocean bodies one hundred yojanas in size, bodies two hundred yojanas in size, bodies three hundred yojanas in size, bodies four hundred yojanas in size, bodies five hundred yojanas in size. Since, venerable sir, the great ocean is the residence of great beings; there are these beings - the timi, the timiṅgala, the timirapiṅgala, titans, serpents, and gandhabbas; there are in the great ocean bodies one hundred yojanas in size, etc. two hundred yojanas... three hundred yojanas... four hundred yojanas... bodies five hundred yojanas in size; this, venerable sir, is the eighth wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in the great ocean, which having seen again and again the titans delight in the great ocean. These, venerable sir, are the eight wonderful and marvellous phenomena in the great ocean, which having seen again and again the titans delight in the great ocean."
"But, venerable sir, do the monks delight in this Teaching and discipline?" "The monks do delight, Pahārāda, in this Teaching and discipline." "But how many, venerable sir, are the wonderful and marvellous phenomena in this Teaching and discipline, which having seen again and again the monks delight in this Teaching and discipline?" "Eight, Pahārāda, are the wonderful and marvellous phenomena in this Teaching and discipline, which having seen again and again the monks delight in this Teaching and discipline. What are the eight? Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean is gradually sloping, gradually inclining, gradually shelving, not a sudden precipice; so too, Pahārāda, in this Teaching and discipline there is gradual training, gradual action, gradual practice, not a sudden penetration of final knowledge. Since, Pahārāda, in this Teaching and discipline there is gradual training, gradual action, gradual practice, not a sudden penetration of final knowledge. This, Pahārāda, is the first wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in this Teaching and discipline, which having seen again and again the monks delight in this Teaching and discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean is of stable nature and does not overflow its boundaries; so too, Pahārāda, whatever training rule has been laid down by me for disciples, my disciples do not transgress it even for the sake of their life. That, Pahārāda, whatever training rule has been laid down by me for disciples, my disciples do not transgress it even for the sake of their life. This, Pahārāda, is the second wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in this Teaching and discipline, seeing which again and again monks delight in this Teaching and discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean does not associate with a dead corpse. Whatever dead corpse there is in the great ocean, that it quickly carries to the shore and pushes onto dry land; so too, Pahārāda, whatever person is immoral, of bad character, of impure and suspicious conduct, of concealed actions, not a recluse though claiming to be a recluse, not a practitioner of the holy life though claiming to be a practitioner of the holy life, rotten inside, filled with desire, rubbish-born, the Community does not associate with him; quickly having assembled together, it suspends him.
"Even though he may be sitting in the midst of the community of monks, yet he is far from the Community and the Community from him. That, Pahārāda, whatever person is immoral, of bad character, of impure and suspicious conduct, of concealed actions, not a recluse though claiming to be a recluse, not a practitioner of the holy life though claiming to be a practitioner of the holy life, rotten inside, filled with desire, rubbish-born, the Community does not associate with him; quickly having assembled together, it suspends him; even though he may be sitting in the midst of the community of monks, yet he is far from the Community and the Community from him. This, Pahārāda, is the third wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in this Teaching and discipline, seeing which again and again monks delight in this Teaching and discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, whatever great rivers, as follows - the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī, having reached the great ocean, they give up their former names and clans, and go by the term 'great ocean'; so too, Pahārāda, these four castes - nobles, brahmins, merchants, and workers, having gone forth from home into homelessness in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, they give up their former names and clans, and go by the term 'ascetics, disciples of the Sakyan'. That, Pahārāda, these four castes - nobles, brahmins, merchants, and workers, having gone forth from home into homelessness in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, they give up their former names and clans, and go by the term 'ascetics, disciples of the Sakyan'. This, Pahārāda, is the fourth wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in this Teaching and discipline, seeing which again and again monks delight in this Teaching and discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, whatever rivers in the world flow into the great ocean and whatever streams of rain fall from the sky, no deficiency or fullness of the great ocean is discerned by that; so too, Pahārāda, even if many monks attain final Nibbāna through the Nibbāna element without residue of clinging, no deficiency or fullness of the Nibbāna element is discerned by that. That, Pahārāda, even if many monks attain final Nibbāna through the Nibbāna element without residue of clinging, no deficiency or fullness of the Nibbāna element is discerned by that. This, Pahārāda, is the fifth wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in this Teaching and discipline, seeing which again and again monks delight in this Teaching and discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean has one flavour, the flavour of salt; so too, Pahārāda, this Teaching and discipline has one flavour, the flavour of liberation. That, Pahārāda, this Teaching and discipline has one flavour, the flavour of liberation; this, Pahārāda, is the sixth wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in this Teaching and discipline, seeing which again and again monks delight in this Teaching and discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean has many jewels, various jewels; there are these jewels, as follows - pearls, gems, lapis lazuli, conch shells, stones, coral, silver, gold, rubies, and cat's eye gems; so too, Pahārāda, this Teaching and discipline has many jewels, various jewels. There are these jewels, as follows - the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right strivings, the four bases for spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the noble eightfold path. That, Pahārāda, this Teaching and discipline has many jewels, various jewels; there are these jewels, as follows - the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right strivings, the four bases for spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the noble eightfold path; this, Pahārāda, is the seventh wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in this Teaching and discipline, seeing which again and again monks delight in this Teaching and discipline.
"Just as, Pahārāda, the great ocean is the residence of great creatures; there are these beings - the timi, the timiṅgala, the timirapiṅgala, titans, serpents, and gandhabbas; there are in the great ocean beings with bodies a hundred yojanas in size, beings with bodies two hundred yojanas in size, beings with bodies three hundred yojanas in size, beings with bodies four hundred yojanas in size, beings with bodies five hundred yojanas in size; so too, Pahārāda, this Teaching and discipline is the residence of great creatures; there are these beings - a stream-enterer, one practising for the realisation of the fruition of stream-entry; a once-returner, one practising for the realisation of the fruition of once-returning; a non-returner, one practising for the realisation of the fruition of non-returning; a Worthy One, one practising for arahantship. That this Teaching and discipline, Pahārāda, is the residence of great creatures; there are these beings - a stream-enterer, one practising for the realisation of the fruition of stream-entry; a once-returner, one practising for the realisation of the fruition of once-returning; a non-returner, one practising for the realisation of the fruition of non-returning; a Worthy One, one practising for arahantship; this, Pahārāda, is the eighth wonderful and marvellous phenomenon in this Teaching and discipline, seeing which again and again monks delight in this Teaching and discipline. These, Pahārāda, are the eight wonderful and marvellous phenomena in this Teaching and discipline, seeing which again and again monks delight in this Teaching and discipline." The ninth.