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 presence of the Blessed One -
"This is the supreme beauty, this is the supreme beauty."
"But why do you, Kaccāna, speak thus - 'This is the supreme beauty, this is the supreme beauty'? Which, Kaccāna, is that supreme beauty?"
"That beauty, Master Gotama, than which there is no other beauty more superior or more sublime, that is the supreme beauty."
"But which is that beauty, Kaccāna, than which there is no other beauty more superior or more sublime?"
"That beauty, Master Gotama, than which there is no other beauty more superior or more sublime, that is the supreme beauty."
"This could go on for a long time, Kaccāna - 'That beauty, Master Gotama, than which there is no other beauty more superior or more sublime, that is the supreme beauty' - thus you say, yet you do not declare that beauty. Just as, Kaccāna, a man might speak thus - 'I desire and long for whoever is the most beautiful woman in this country.' They might say to him thus - 'Hey man, this most beautiful woman in the country whom you desire and long for, do you know whether that most beautiful woman is a noble woman or a brahmin woman or a merchant woman or a worker woman?' Thus questioned, he would say 'no.' They might say to him thus - 'Hey man, this most beautiful woman in the country whom you desire and long for, do you know whether that most beautiful woman is of such a name and such a clan, or etc. whether she is tall or short or of medium height, or whether she is dark or brown or of golden complexion, or in which village or town or city she lives?' Thus questioned, he would say 'no.' They might say to him thus - 'Hey man, that which you neither know nor see, that you desire and long for?'" Thus questioned, he would say 'yes.'
"What do you think, Kaccāna, this being so, does not the speech of that man turn out to be worthless?" "Certainly, Master Gotama, this being so, the speech of that man turns out to be worthless." "So too, Kaccāna, 'That beauty, Master Gotama, than which there is no other beauty more superior or more sublime, that is the supreme beauty' - thus you say; yet you do not declare that beauty." "Just as, Master Gotama, a lapis lazuli gem, beautiful, of pure origin, octagonal, well polished, placed on a pale-yellow blanket, shines and burns and is brilliant, so the self is of such beauty, healthy after death."
279.
"What do you think, Kaccāna, a lapis lazuli gem that is beautiful, of pure origin, octagonal, well polished, placed on a pale-yellow blanket, shines and burns and is brilliant, or a fire-fly worm in the dark of the night - of these two colours, which colour is more brilliant and more sublime?"
"That, Master Gotama, which is a fire-fly worm in the dark of the night, this of these two colours is more brilliant and more sublime."
"What do you think, Kaccāna, a fire-fly worm in the dark of the night, or an oil lamp in the dark of the night - of these two colours, which colour is more brilliant and more sublime?" "That, Master Gotama, which is an oil lamp in the dark of the night, this of these two colours is more brilliant and more sublime."
"What do you think, Kaccāna, an oil lamp in the dark of the night, or a great mass of fire in the dark of the night - of these two colours, which colour is more brilliant and more sublime?" "That, Master Gotama, which is a great mass of fire in the dark of the night, this of these two colours is more brilliant and more sublime."
"What do you think, Kaccāna, a great mass of fire in the dark of the night, or the morning star at the time towards break of dawn when the sky is clear and free from clouds - of these two colours, which colour is more brilliant and more sublime?" "That, Master Gotama, which is the morning star at the time towards break of dawn when the sky is clear and free from clouds, this of these two colours is more brilliant and more sublime." "What do you think, Kaccāna, the morning star at the time towards break of dawn when the sky is clear and free from clouds, or the moon on the uposatha day, the fifteenth, when the sky is clear and free from clouds, at the time of midnight - of these two colours, which colour is more brilliant and more sublime?" "That, Master Gotama, which is the moon on the uposatha day, the fifteenth, when the sky is clear and free from clouds, at the time of midnight, this of these two colours is more brilliant and more sublime." "What do you think, Kaccāna, the moon on the uposatha day, the fifteenth, when the sky is clear and free from clouds, at the time of midnight, or the sun in the last month of the rains, in the autumn season, when the sky is clear and free from clouds, at the noon period of the day - of these two colours, which colour is more brilliant and more sublime?" "That, Master Gotama, which is the sun in the last month of the rains, in the autumn season, when the sky is clear and free from clouds, at the noon period of the day - this of these two colours is more brilliant and more sublime." "Therefore, Kaccāna, there are many, indeed more, gods who do not partake of the radiance of this moon and sun - that I understand. And yet I do not say: 'There is no other colour more superior and more sublime than that colour.' And yet you, Kaccāna, say 'that colour which is more inferior and more despised than a fire-fly worm, that is the supreme colour'; yet you do not declare that colour."
280.
"There are, Kaccāna, these five kinds of sensual pleasure.
Which five?
Forms cognisable by eye that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, enticing, connected with sensuality, arousing; sounds cognisable by ear... etc.
odours cognisable by nose...
flavours cognisable by tongue...
tangible objects cognisable by body that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, enticing, connected with sensuality, arousing -
these, Kaccāna, are the five kinds of sensual pleasure.
Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on these five kinds 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 on Vekhanasa is concluded as tenth.