10.
The Discourse on the Unsurpassed
30.
"There are, monks, these six unsurpassed things.
What are the six?
The unsurpassed in seeing, the unsurpassed in hearing, the unsurpassed in material gain, the unsurpassed in training, the unsurpassed in service, the unsurpassed in recollection.
"And what, monks, is the unsurpassed in seeing? Here, monks, a certain one goes to see an elephant treasure, goes to see a horse treasure, goes to see a gem treasure, or else goes to see various things, goes to see an ascetic or brahmin who holds wrong view and is wrongly practising. There is, monks, this seeing; I do not say it does not exist. But this seeing, monks, is low, vulgar, belonging to ordinary people, ignoble, not connected with benefit; it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna. But whoever, monks, goes to see the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the ultimate, devoted - this, monks, is the unsurpassed among seeings, for the purification of beings, for the transcendence of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and displeasure, for the achievement of the true method, for the realisation of Nibbāna, that is to say, one who goes to see the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the ultimate, devoted. This is called, monks, the unsurpassed in seeing. Thus the unsurpassed in seeing.
"And how is there the unsurpassed in hearing? Here, monks, a certain one goes to hear the sound of a drum, goes to hear the sound of a lute, goes to hear the sound of singing, or else goes to hear various things, goes to hear the Teaching of an ascetic or brahmin who holds wrong view and is wrongly practising. There is, monks, this hearing; I do not say it does not exist. But this hearing, monks, is low, vulgar, belonging to ordinary people, ignoble, not connected with benefit; it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna. But whoever, monks, goes to hear the Teaching of the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the ultimate, devoted - this, monks, is the unsurpassed among hearings, for the purification of beings, for the transcendence of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and displeasure, for the achievement of the true method, for the realisation of Nibbāna, that is to say, one who goes to hear the Teaching of the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the ultimate, devoted. This is called, monks, the unsurpassed in hearing. Thus the unsurpassed in seeing, the unsurpassed in hearing.
"And how is there the unsurpassed in material gain? Here, monks, a certain one obtains the gain of a son, obtains the gain of a wife, obtains the gain of wealth, or else obtains various gains, acquires faith in an ascetic or brahmin who holds wrong view and is wrongly practising. There is, monks, this gain; I do not say it does not exist. But this gain, monks, is low, vulgar, belonging to ordinary people, ignoble, not connected with benefit; it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna. But whoever, monks, acquires faith in the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the ultimate, devoted - this, monks, is the unsurpassed among gains, for the purification of beings, for the transcendence of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and displeasure, for the achievement of the true method, for the realisation of Nibbāna, that is to say, one who acquires faith in the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the ultimate, devoted. This is called, monks, the unsurpassed in material gain. Thus the unsurpassed in seeing, the unsurpassed in hearing, the unsurpassed in material gain.
"And how is there the unsurpassed in training? Here, monks, a certain one trains in elephants, trains in horses, trains in chariots, trains in the bow, trains in the sword, or else trains in various things, trains under an ascetic or brahmin who holds wrong view and is wrongly practising. There is, monks, this training; I do not say it does not exist. But this training, monks, is low, vulgar, belonging to ordinary people, ignoble, not connected with benefit; it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna. But whoever, monks, trains in higher morality, trains in higher consciousness, trains in higher wisdom in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the ultimate, devoted - this, monks, is the unsurpassed among trainings, for the purification of beings, for the transcendence of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and displeasure, for the achievement of the true method, for the realisation of Nibbāna, that is to say, one who trains in higher morality, trains in higher consciousness, trains in higher wisdom in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the ultimate, devoted. This is called, monks, the unsurpassed in training. Thus the unsurpassed in seeing, the unsurpassed in hearing, the unsurpassed in material gain, the unsurpassed in training.
"And how is there the unsurpassed in service? Here, monks, a certain one serves a warrior, serves a brahmin, serves a householder, or else serves various people, serves an ascetic or brahmin who holds wrong views, who is wrongly practised. There is this service, monks; I do not say it does not exist. But this service, monks, is low, vulgar, belonging to ordinary people, ignoble, not connected with benefit, not leading to disenchantment, etc. not leading to Nibbāna. But whoever, monks, serves the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the extreme, devoted - this is unsurpassed, monks, among services for the purification of beings, for the transcendence of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and displeasure, for the achievement of the true method, for the realisation of Nibbāna, that is to say, one who serves the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the extreme, devoted. This is called, monks, the unsurpassed in service. Thus the unsurpassed in seeing, the unsurpassed in hearing, the unsurpassed in material gain, the unsurpassed in training, the unsurpassed in service.
"And how is there the unsurpassed in recollection? Here, monks, a certain one recollects the gain of a son, recollects the gain of a wife, recollects the gain of wealth, or else recollects various gains, recollects an ascetic or brahmin who holds wrong views, who is wrongly practised. There is this recollection, monks; I do not say it does not exist. But this recollection, monks, is low, vulgar, belonging to ordinary people, ignoble, not connected with benefit, not leading to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna. But whoever, monks, recollects the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the extreme, devoted - this is unsurpassed, monks, among recollections for the purification of beings, for the transcendence of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and displeasure, for the achievement of the true method, for the realisation of Nibbāna, that is to say, one who recollects the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder with established faith, with established devotion, gone to the extreme, devoted. This is called, monks, the unsurpassed in recollection. These, monks, are the six unsurpassed things."
Having obtained the unsurpassed in material gain, delighting in the unsurpassed in training.
Connected with seclusion, secure, leading to the Deathless.
They indeed in time attain where suffering ceases." The tenth.