10.
The Discourse to Vekhanasa
278.
Thus have I heard.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park.
Then the wandering ascetic Vekhanasa approached the Blessed One;
having approached, he exchanged friendly greetings with the Blessed One.
Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, he stood to one side.
Standing to one side, the wandering ascetic Vekhanasa uttered an inspired utterance in the Blessed One’s presence:
"This is the supreme splendour, this is the supreme splendour!"
"But, Kaccāna, why do you say: 'This is the supreme splendour, this is the supreme splendour!'? Which, Kaccāna, is that supreme splendour?"
"Master Gotama, there is no other splendour superior to or more sublime than that splendour - that is the supreme splendour."
"But, Kaccāna, which is that supreme splendour, than which there is no other splendour superior or more sublime?"
"Master Gotama, there is no other splendour superior to or more sublime than that splendour - that is the supreme splendour."
"This could go on for a long time, Kaccāna. You say: 'Master Gotama, there is no other splendour superior to or more sublime than that splendour - that is the supreme splendour,' yet you do not describe that splendour. Just as, Kaccāna, a man might say: ‘Whoever is the most beautiful woman in this countryside, I want her, I desire her.’ Then they might ask him: 'Good man, that most beautiful woman in the country whom you want and desire - do you know whether she is of the ruling caste, the brahmin caste, the merchant caste, or the worker caste?' Thus asked, he would reply: 'No.' Then they might ask him: ''Good man, that most beautiful woman in the country whom you want and desire - do you know whether she has such a name or is of such a clan? ... Whether she is tall or short or of medium height? Whether she is dark or brown or golden-skinned? In which village or town or city she lives?' Thus asked, he would reply: 'No.' And then they might ask him: 'Good man, do you want and desire someone whom you neither know nor see?''" Thus asked, he would reply: 'Yes.'
"What do you think, Kaccāna, this being so, does not that man’s statement turn out to be worthless?" "Certainly, Master Gotama, this being so, that man’s statement turns out to be worthless." "But in the same way, Kaccāna, you say thus: 'Master Gotama, there is no other splendour superior to or more sublime than that splendour - that is the supreme splendour,' yet you do not describe that splendour." "Just as, Master Gotama, a lustrous beryl gem, of pure origin, octagonal, well polished, placed on a pale-yellow blanket, glows, radiates, and shines, so the self is of such splendour, [surviving] unimpaired after death."
279.
"What do you think, Kaccāna? This lustrous beryl gem — of pure origin, octagonal, well polished, placed on a pale-yellow blanket — glowing, radiating, and shining, or a glowworm in the thick darkness of the night: of these two splendours, which splendour is the more brilliant and sublime?"
"Master Gotama, the glowworm in the thick darkness of the night: this is the more brilliant and sublime of these two splendours."
"What do you think, Kaccāna? This glowworm in the thick darkness of the night, or an oil lamp in the thick darkness of the night: of these two splendours, which splendour is the more brilliant and sublime?" "Master Gotama, the oil lamp in the thick darkness of the night: this is the more brilliant and sublime of these two splendours."
"What do you think, Kaccāna? This oil lamp in the thick darkness of the night, or a great mass of fire in the thick darkness of the night: of these two splendours, which splendour is the more brilliant and sublime?" "Master Gotama, the great mass of fire in the thick darkness of the night: this is the more brilliant and sublime of these two splendours."
"What do you think, Kaccāna? This great mass of fire in the thick darkness of the night, or the morning star towards dawn, when the sky is clear and cloudless: of these two splendours, which splendour is the more brilliant and sublime?" "Master Gotama, the morning star towards dawn, when the sky is clear and cloudless: this is the more brilliant and sublime of these two splendours." "What do you think, Kaccāna? The morning star towards dawn, when the sky is clear and cloudless, or the full moon at midnight on the Observance of the fifteenth day, when the sky is clear and cloudless: of these two splendours, which splendour is the more brilliant and sublime?" "Master Gotama, the full moon at midnight on the Observance of the fifteenth day, when the sky is clear and cloudless: this is the more brilliant and sublime of these two splendours." "What do you think, Kaccāna? The full moon at midnight on the Observance of the fifteenth day, when the sky is clear and cloudless, or the full disk of the sun at midday in autumn, during the last month of the rains, when the sky is clear and cloudless: of these two splendours, which splendour is the more brilliant and sublime?" "Master Gotama, the full disk of the sun at midday in autumn, during the last month of the rains, when the sky is clear and cloudless: this is the more brilliant and sublime of these two splendours." "Beyond this, Kaccāna, there are very many gods whose radiance does not match that of the moon and sun — these I know. And yet I do not say: 'There is no other splendour superior to or more sublime than that splendour.' But you, Kaccāna, say of that splendour which is inferior and meaner than a glowworm's: 'This is the supreme splendour,' yet you do not describe that splendour."
280.
"There are, Kaccāna, these five types of sensual pleasure.
Which five?
Visible forms cognisable by the eye that are desirable, pleasing, agreeable, lovely, sensually arousing, and enticing; sounds cognisable by the ear... etc.
odours cognisable by the nose...
flavours cognisable by the tongue...
tangibles cognisable by the body that are desirable, pleasing, agreeable, lovely, sensually arousing, and enticing -
these, Kaccāna, are the five types of sensual pleasure.
Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on these five types of sensual pleasure, Kaccāna, this is called sensual happiness.
Thus from sensual pleasures comes sensual happiness, from sensual happiness comes the highest happiness of sensuality, there the highest is declared."
When this was said, the wandering ascetic Vekhanasa said this to the Blessed One: "It is wonderful, Master Gotama, it is marvellous, Master Gotama! How well spoken is this by Master Gotama - 'From sensual pleasures comes sensual happiness, from sensual happiness comes the highest happiness of sensuality, there the highest is declared.' - "This is difficult to know, Kaccāna, by you who hold a different view, a different acceptance, a different preference, a different practice, a different teacher's doctrine - sensual pleasures or sensual happiness or the highest happiness of sensuality. Those monks, Kaccāna, who are Worthy Ones, who have eliminated the mental corruptions, who have lived the holy life, who have done what had to be done, who have laid down the burden, who have attained their own welfare, who have utterly eliminated the fetters of existence, who are completely liberated through final knowledge, they would know this - sensual pleasures or sensual happiness or the highest happiness of sensuality."
281.
When this was said, the wandering ascetic Vekhanasa, angry and displeased, jeering at the Blessed One, scoffing at the Blessed One, speaking against the Blessed One, and thinking "The ascetic Gotama will be brought to disgrace," said this to the Blessed One:
"So then there are here some ascetics and brahmins who, without knowing the past and without seeing the future, yet claim to know: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.'
This speech of theirs turns out to be ridiculous, turns out to be mere words, turns out to be void, turns out to be hollow."
"Those ascetics and brahmins, Kaccāna, who, without knowing the past and without seeing the future, yet claim to know: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.' -
that itself can be a reasonable refutation for them.
But, Kaccāna, let the past be, let the future be.
Let an intelligent person come, one who is not fraudulent, not deceitful, of upright nature; I will instruct him, I will expound the Teaching.
Practising in accordance with the instruction, he will soon know for himself, he will see for himself -
'Thus indeed there is complete release from bondage, that is to say, from the bondage of ignorance.'
Just as, Kaccāna, a young boy, dull, an infant lying on his back, might be bound with five bonds including the neck, with thread bonds;
following his growth, following the maturing of his faculties, those bonds would be released;
he would know 'I am released' but not the bondage.
So too, Kaccāna, let an intelligent person come, one who is not fraudulent, not deceitful, of upright nature; I will instruct him, I will expound the Teaching;
practising in accordance with the instruction, he will soon know for himself, he will see for himself -
'Thus indeed there is complete release from bondage, that is to say, from the bondage of ignorance.'"
When this was said, the wandering ascetic Vekhanasa said this to the Blessed One: "Excellent, Master Gotama! Etc. May Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge from this day forth for life."
The Discourse to Vekhanasa is concluded as tenth.