9.
The First Discourse on Points of Discussion
69.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park.
Now at that time many monks, after the meal, having returned from their alms round, were seated together assembled in the assembly hall, engaged in various kinds of pointless talk, as follows -
talk about kings, talk about thieves, talk about ministers, talk about armies, talk about perils, talk about battles, talk about food, talk about drink, talk about clothes, talk about beds, talk about garlands, talk about odours, talk about relatives, talk about vehicles, talk about villages, talk about towns, talk about cities, talk about countries, talk about women, talk about heroes, talk about streets, talk about wells, talk about the dead, talk about diversity, speculations about the world, speculations about the sea, talk about existence and non-existence - or such.
Then the Blessed One, in the evening, having emerged from seclusion, went to the assembly hall; having approached, he sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the monks: "Monks, what discussion were you having as you sat together here? And what was the conversation that was interrupted?"
"Here we, venerable sir, after the meal, having returned from our alms round, were seated together assembled in the assembly hall, engaged in various kinds of pointless talk, as follows - talk about kings, talk about thieves, etc. talk about existence and non-existence - or such." "This indeed, monks, is not proper for you, sons of good family who have gone forth from home into homelessness through faith, that you should dwell engaged in various kinds of pointless talk, as follows - talk about kings, talk about thieves, talk about ministers, talk about armies, talk about perils, talk about battles, talk about food, talk about drink, talk about clothes, talk about beds, talk about garlands, talk about odours, talk about relatives, talk about vehicles, talk about villages, talk about towns, talk about cities, talk about countries, talk about women, talk about heroes, talk about streets, talk about wells, talk about the dead, talk about diversity, speculations about the world, speculations about the sea, talk about existence and non-existence - or such.
"There are, monks, these ten topics of discussion. What are the ten? Talk about fewness of wishes, talk about contentment, talk about solitude, talk about aloofness from society, talk about arousal of energy, talk about morality, talk about concentration, talk about wisdom, talk about liberation, talk about knowledge and vision of liberation - these, monks, are the ten topics of discussion.
"If you, monks, were to speak again and again taking up these ten topics of discussion, you would outshine with your radiance the radiance of even these moon and sun, so powerful, so mighty - what then to say of the heterodox wandering ascetics!" The ninth.