Tripiṭaka 12. Paccorohaṇivagga
12. The Ceremony of Descent
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Atha kho ajito paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then the wanderer Ajita went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho ajito paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha,
“Amhākaṁ, bho gotama, paṇḍito nāma sabrahmacārī.
“Worthy Gotama, we have a spiritual companion called ‘Astute’.
Tena pañcamattāni cittaṭṭhānasatāni cintitāni, yehi aññatitthiyā upāraddhāva jānanti upāraddhasmā”ti.
He has worked out around five hundred arguments by which followers of other religions will know when they’ve been refuted.”
“dhāretha no tumhe, bhikkhave, paṇḍitavatthūnī”ti?
“Mendicants, do you remember this Astute’s points?”
“Etassa, bhagavā, kālo etassa, sugata, kālo
“Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One!
yaṁ bhagavā bhāseyya, bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
Let the Buddha speak and the mendicants will remember it.”
“Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Well then, mendicants, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”
“Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena adhammikaṁ vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti.
“Mendicants, take a certain someone who rebuts and quashes unprincipled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly,
Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena dhammikaṁ vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti.
Someone else rebuts and quashes principled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly,
Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena dhammikañca vādaṁ adhammikañca vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti.
Someone else rebuts and quashes principled and unprincipled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly,
Adhammo ca, bhikkhave, veditabbo dhammo ca;
Mendicants, you should know bad principles and good principles.
Adhammañca viditvā dhammañca, anatthañca viditvā atthañca yathā dhammo yathā attho tathā paṭipajjitabbaṁ.
Knowing these things, your practice should follow the good principles with good results.
Katamo ca, bhikkhave, adhammo, katamo ca dhammo, katamo ca anattho, katamo ca attho?
So what are bad principles? What are good principles? What are bad results? And what are good results?
ye ca micchādiṭṭhipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti, ayaṁ anattho;
And the many bad, unskillful qualities produced by wrong view are bad results.
sammādiṭṭhipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, ayaṁ attho.
And the many skillful qualities fully developed because of right view are good results.
ye ca micchāvimuttipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti, ayaṁ anattho;
And the many bad, unskillful qualities produced by wrong freedom are bad results.
sammāvimuttipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, ayaṁ attho.
And the many skillful qualities fully developed because of right freedom are good results.
‘Adhammo ca, bhikkhave, veditabbo dhammo ca;
‘You should know bad principles and good principles.
Adhammañca viditvā dhammañca, anatthañca viditvā atthañca yathā dhammo yathā attho tathā paṭipajjitabban’ti,
Knowing these things, your practice should follow the good principles with good results.’
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan”ti.
That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.”
Catutthaṁ.