4.
The Honour Discourse
14.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park.
Now at that time the Blessed One was honoured, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed, an obtainer of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicine for the sick.
The Community of monks too was honoured, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed, obtainers of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicine for the sick.
But the heterodox wandering ascetics were not honoured, not respected, not revered, not venerated, not esteemed, not obtainers of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicine for the sick.
Then those heterodox wandering ascetics, not enduring the honour shown to the Blessed One and to the Community of monks, having seen monks in the village and in the forest, reviled, abused, irritated, and harassed them with vulgar and harsh speech.
Then several monks 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 - "Now, venerable sir, the Blessed One is honoured, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed, an obtainer of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicine for the sick. The Community of monks too is honoured, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed, obtainers of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicine for the sick. But the heterodox wandering ascetics are not honoured, not respected, not revered, not venerated, not esteemed, not obtainers of the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicine for the sick. Then those heterodox wandering ascetics, venerable sir, not enduring the honour shown to the Blessed One and to the Community of monks, having seen monks in the village and in the forest, revile, abuse, irritate, and harass them with vulgar and harsh speech."
Then the Blessed One, having understood this matter, at that time uttered this inspired utterance -
Do not attribute it to oneself nor to another;
Contacts touch dependent on clinging,
Without clinging, by what would contacts touch?" The fourth.