4.
The Discourse about Sarabha
65.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on the Vulture's Peak mountain.
Now at that time a wandering ascetic named Sarabha had recently departed from this Teaching and discipline.
He spoke thus in the assembly at Rājagaha -
"The Teaching of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyans has been understood by me.
And having understood the Teaching of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyans, I have departed from that Teaching and discipline."
Then several monks, having dressed in the earlier period of the day, taking their bowls and robes, entered Rājagaha for almsfood.
Those monks heard the wandering ascetic Sarabha speaking thus in the assembly at Rājagaha -
"The Teaching of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyans has been understood by me.
And having understood the Teaching of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyans, I have departed from that Teaching and discipline."
Then those monks, having walked for almsfood in Rājagaha, after the meal, having returned from their alms round, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One - "Venerable sir, a wandering ascetic named Sarabha has recently departed from this Teaching and discipline. He spoke thus in the assembly at Rājagaha - 'The Teaching of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyans has been understood by me. And having understood the Teaching of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyans, I have departed from that Teaching and discipline.' It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would approach the wandering ascetics' park on the bank of the Sappinī, where the wandering ascetic Sarabha is, out of compassion." The Blessed One consented by silence.
Then the Blessed One, in the afternoon, having emerged from seclusion, approached the wandering ascetics' park on the bank of the Sappinī, where the wandering ascetic Sarabha was; having approached, he sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One said this to the wandering ascetic Sarabha - "Is it true, Sarabha, that you speak thus - 'The Teaching of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyans has been understood by me. And having understood the Teaching of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyans, I have departed from that Teaching and discipline'?" When this was said, the wandering ascetic Sarabha remained silent.
For the second time the Blessed One said this to the wandering ascetic Sarabha - "Speak, Sarabha, how has the Teaching of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyans been understood by you? If it is incomplete for you, I shall complete it. But if it is complete for you, I shall give thanks." For the second time the wandering ascetic Sarabha remained silent.
For the third time the Blessed One said this to the wandering ascetic Sarabha - "Speak, Sarabha, how has the Teaching of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyans been understood by you? If it is incomplete for you, I shall complete it. But if it is complete for you, I shall give thanks." For the third time the wandering ascetic Sarabha remained silent.
Then those wandering ascetics said this to the wandering ascetic Sarabha - "Whatever indeed you, friend Sarabha, would request of the ascetic Gotama, that very thing the ascetic Gotama invites you to admonish. Speak, friend Sarabha, what have you understood of the teaching of the ascetics who are sons of the Sakyans? If it is incomplete for you, the ascetic Gotama will complete it. But if it is complete for you, the ascetic Gotama will give thanks." When this was said, the wandering ascetic Sarabha sat silent, downcast, with drooping shoulders, face cast down, brooding, without response.
Then the Blessed One, having understood that the wandering ascetic Sarabha had become silent, downcast, with drooping shoulders, with face cast down, pondering, bewildered, said this to those wandering ascetics -
"Whoever, wandering ascetics, should say to me thus - 'For you who acknowledge yourself as a Perfectly Enlightened One, these things have not been fully awakened to' - him I would there thoroughly cross-question, ask for reasons, and admonish. He indeed, being thoroughly cross-questioned by me, asked for reasons, and admonished, this is impossible, there is no chance, that he would not come to one of three states: he will evade the question with another, he will divert the discussion outside, and he will manifest irritation, hate, and displeasure, he will sit silent, downcast, with drooping shoulders, face cast down, brooding, without response, just as the wandering ascetic Sarabha.
"Whoever, wandering ascetics, should say to me thus - 'For you who acknowledge yourself as one who has eliminated the mental corruptions, these mental corruptions have not been eliminated' - him I would there thoroughly cross-question, ask for reasons, and admonish. He indeed, being thoroughly cross-questioned by me, asked for reasons, and admonished, this is impossible, there is no chance, that he would not come to one of three states: he will evade the question with another, he will divert the discussion outside, and he will manifest irritation, hate, and displeasure, he will sit silent, downcast, with drooping shoulders, face cast down, brooding, without response, just as the wandering ascetic Sarabha.
"Whoever, wandering ascetics, should say to me thus - 'The Teaching, for the purpose for which you expounded it, does not lead the one who practises it to the complete elimination of suffering'- him I would there thoroughly cross-question, ask for reasons, and admonish. He indeed, being thoroughly cross-questioned by me, asked for reasons, and admonished, this is impossible, there is no chance, that he would not come to one of three states: he will evade the question with another, he will divert the discussion outside, and he will manifest irritation, hate, and displeasure, he will sit silent, downcast, with drooping shoulders, face cast down, brooding, without response, just as the wandering ascetic Sarabha." Then the Blessed One, having roared the lion's roar three times at the wandering ascetics' park on the bank of the Sappinī, departed through the sky.
Then those wandering ascetics, not long after the Blessed One had departed, assailed the wandering ascetic Sarabha from all sides with verbal goading - "Just as, friend Sarabha, an old jackal in a great forest, thinking 'I will roar the lion's roar,' howls only a jackal's howl, howls only a wretched howl; so too, friend Sarabha, in the absence of the ascetic Gotama, thinking 'I will roar the lion's roar,' you howled only a jackal's howl and only a wretched howl. Just as, friend Sarabha, a small hen, thinking 'I will crow a rooster's crow,' crows only a small hen's crow; so too, friend Sarabha, in the absence of the ascetic Gotama, thinking 'I will crow a rooster's crow,' you crowed only a small hen's crow. Just as, friend Sarabha, a bull in an empty cow-shed imagines he could bellow deeply; so too, friend Sarabha, in the absence of the ascetic Gotama you imagined you could bellow deeply." Then those wandering ascetics assailed the wandering ascetic Sarabha from all sides with verbal goading. The fourth.