32 (1)
“Bhikkhus, I will teach you the plane of the bad person and the plane of the good person. Listen and attend closely. I will speak.”
“Yes, Bhante,” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:
“And what is the plane of the bad person? A bad person is ungrateful and unthankful. For ingratitude and unthankfulness are extolled by the bad. Ingratitude and unthankfulness belong entirely to the plane of the bad person.
“And what is the plane of the good person? A good person is grateful and thankful. For gratitude and thankfulness are extolled by the good. Gratitude and thankfulness belong entirely to the plane of the good person.”
33 (2)
“Bhikkhus, there are two persons that cannot easily be repaid. What two? One’s mother and father.
“Even if one should carry about one’s mother on one shoulder [62] and one’s father on the other, and [while doing so] should have a life span of a hundred years, live for a hundred years; and if one should attend to them by anointing them with balms, by massaging, bathing, and rubbing their limbs, and they even void their urine and excrement there, one still would not have done enough for one’s parents, nor would one have repaid them. Even if one were to establish one’s parents as the supreme lords and rulers over this great earth abounding in the seven treasures, one still would not have done enough for one’s parents, nor would one have repaid them. For what reason? Parents are of great help to their children; they bring them up, feed them, and show them the world.
“But, bhikkhus, if, when one’s parents lack faith, one encourages, settles, and establishes them in faith; if, when one’s parents are immoral, one encourages, settles, and establishes them in virtuous behavior; if, when one’s parents are miserly, one encourages, settles, and establishes them in generosity; if, when one’s parents are unwise, one encourages, settles, and establishes them in wisdom: in such a way, one has done enough for one’s parents, repaid them, and done more than enough for them.”252
34 (3)
Then a certain brahmin approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One: “What does Master Gotama assert, what does he declare?”
“Brahmin, I assert a doctrine of deeds and a doctrine of nondoing.”253
“But in what way does Master Gotama assert a doctrine of deeds and a doctrine of non-doing?”
“I assert non-doing with regard to bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct; I assert non-doing with regard to the numerous kinds of bad unwholesome qualities. I assert doing with regard to good bodily, verbal, and mental conduct; I assert doing with regard to the numerous kinds of wholesome qualities. It is in this way, brahmin, that I assert a doctrine of deeds and a doctrine of non-doing.”
“Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent, Master Gotama! Master Gotama has made the Dhamma clear in many ways, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the darkness so those with good eyesight can see forms. I now go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Let Master Gotama consider me a lay follower who from today has gone for refuge for life.”
35 (4)
Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika approached the Blessed One, [63] paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:
“Who in the world, Bhante, is worthy of offerings, and where is a gift to be given?”
“There are, householder, two in the world worthy of offerings: the trainee and the one beyond training.254 These are the two in the world worthy of offerings and a gift is to be given to them.”
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:
“In this world the trainee and one beyond training
are worthy of the gifts of those practicing charity;
upright in body, speech, and mind,
they are the field for those practicing charity;
what is given to them brings great fruit.”
36 (5)
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Now on that occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Migāramātā’s Mansion in the Eastern Park. There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus: “Friends, bhikkhus!”255
“Friend!” those bhikkhus replied. The Venerable Sāriputta said this:
“Friends, I will teach you about the person fettered internally and the person fettered externally.256 Listen and attend closely. I will speak.”
“Yes, friend,” those bhikkhus replied. The Venerable Sāriputta said this:
“And who, friends, is the person fettered internally? Here, a bhikkhu is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the Pātimokkha, possessed of good conduct and resort, seeing danger in minute faults. Having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a certain order of devas. Passing away from there, he is a returner, one who returns to this state of being. This is called the person fettered internally, who is a returner, one who returns to this state of being.257 [64]
“And who, friends, is the person fettered externally? Here, a bhikkhu is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the Pātimokkha, possessed of good conduct and resort, seeing danger in minute faults. Having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them. Having entered upon a certain peaceful liberation of mind, he dwells in it.258 With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a certain order of devas. Passing away from there, he is a non-returner, one who does not return to this state of being. This is called the person fettered externally, who is a non-returner, one who does not return to this state of being.259
“Again, friends, a bhikkhu is virtuous…. Having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them. He is practicing for disenchantment with sensual pleasures, dispassion toward them, and for their cessation.260 He is practicing for disenchantment with states of existence, for dispassion toward them, and for their cessation.261 He is practicing for the destruction of craving. He is practicing for the destruction of greed.262 With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a certain order of devas. Passing away from there, he is a non-returner, one who does not return to this state of being. This is called a person fettered externally, who is a non-returner, one who does not return to this state of being.”263
Then a number of same-minded deities264 approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, stood to one side, and said to him: “Bhante, at Migāramātā’s Mansion in the Eastern Park, Venerable Sāriputta is teaching the bhikkhus about the person fettered internally and the person fettered externally. The assembly is thrilled. It would be good, Bhante, if the Blessed One would approach the Venerable Sāriputta out of compassion.”265 The Blessed One consented by silence.
Then, just as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw in his extended arm, the Blessed One disappeared from Jeta’s Grove and reappeared at Migāramātā’s Mansion in the Eastern Park in the presence of the Venerable Sāriputta. He sat down in the seat that was prepared. The Venerable Sāriputta [65] paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. The Blessed One then said to the Venerable Sāriputta:
“Here, Sāriputta, a number of same-minded deities approached me, paid homage to me, stood to one side, and said: ‘Bhante, at Migāramātā’s Mansion in the Eastern Park, Venerable Sāriputta is teaching the bhikkhus about the person fettered internally and the person fettered externally. The assembly is thrilled. It would be good, Bhante, if the Blessed One would approach the Venerable Sāriputta out of compassion.’
“Those deities—ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, and even sixty in number—stand in an area even as small as the tip of an awl yet do not encroach upon one another. It may be, Sāriputta, that you think: ‘Surely, it was there that those deities developed their minds in such a way that ten … and even sixty in number stand in an area even as small as the tip of an awl yet do not encroach upon one another.’ But this should not be regarded in such a way. Rather, it was right here that those deities developed their minds in such a way that ten … and even sixty in number stand in an area even as small as the tip of an awl yet do not encroach upon one another.266
“Therefore, Sāriputta, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will have peaceful sense faculties and peaceful minds.’267 It is in such a way that you should train yourselves. When you have peaceful sense faculties and peaceful minds, your bodily action will be peaceful, your verbal action will be peaceful, and your mental action will be peaceful. [Thinking:] ‘We will offer only peaceful service to our fellow monks,’ it is in such a way, Sāriputta, that you should train yourselves. Sāriputta, those wanderers of other sects are lost who did not get to hear this exposition of the Dhamma.”
37 (6)
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Venerable Mahākaccāna was dwelling at Varaṇā on a bank of the Kaddama Lake. [66] Then the brahmin Ārāmadaṇḍa approached the Venerable Mahākaccāna and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to him: “Why is it, Master Kaccāna, that khattiyas fight with khattiyas, brahmins with brahmins, and householders with householders?”
“It is, brahmin, because of adherence to lust for sensual pleasures, bondage [to it], fixation [on it], obsession [by it], holding firmly [to it],268 that khattiyas fight with khattiyas, brahmins with brahmins, and householders with householders.”
“Why is it, Master Kaccāna, that ascetics fight with ascetics?”
“It is, brahmin, because of adherence to lust for views, bondage [to it], fixation [on it], obsession [by it], holding firmly [to it], that ascetics fight with ascetics.”
“Is there then anyone in the world who has overcome this adherence to lust for sensual pleasures … holding firmly [to it], and this adherence to lust for views … holding firmly [to it]?”
“There is.”
“And who is that?”
“There is, brahmin, a town to the east called Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One is now dwelling. The Blessed One has overcome this adherence to lust for sensual pleasures, bondage [to it], fixation [on it], obsession [by it], holding firmly [to it], [67] and he has overcome this adherence to lust for views, bondage [to it], fixation [on it], obsession [by it], holding firmly [to it].”
When this was said, the brahmin Ārāmadaṇḍa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, lowered his right knee to the ground, reverently saluted in the direction of the Blessed One, and uttered this inspired utterance three times: “Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One. Indeed, that Blessed One has overcome this adherence to lust for sensual pleasures, bondage [to it], fixation [on it], obsession [by it], holding firmly [to it], and he has overcome this adherence to lust for views, bondage [to it], fixation [on it], obsession [by it], holding firmly [to it].
“Excellent, Master Kaccāna! Excellent, Master Kaccāna! Master Kaccāna has made the Dhamma clear in many ways, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the darkness so those with good eyesight can see forms. Master Kaccāna, I now go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Let Master Kaccāna consider me a lay follower who from today has gone for refuge for life.”
38 (7)
On one occasion the Venerable Mahākaccāna was dwelling at Madhurā in Gundā’s Grove. Then the brahmin Kaṇḍarāyana approached the Venerable Mahākaccāna and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to him:
“I have heard, Master Kaccāna: ‘The ascetic Kaccāna does not pay homage to brahmins who are old, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, come to the last stage; nor does he stand up for them or offer them a seat.’ This is indeed true, for Master Kaccāna does not pay homage to brahmins who are old, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, come to the last stage; nor does he stand up for them or offer them a seat. This is not proper, Master Kaccāna.”269
“Brahmin, the Blessed One, the Arahant, [68] the Perfectly Enlightened One, knowing and seeing, has proclaimed the stage of an elder and the stage of a youth. Even though someone is old—eighty, ninety, or a hundred years from birth—if he enjoys sensual pleasures, dwells in sensual pleasures,270 burns with a fever for sensual pleasures, is consumed with thoughts of sensual pleasures, is eager in the quest for sensual pleasures, then he is reckoned as a foolish [childish] elder. But even though someone is young, a youth with dark black hair, endowed with the blessing of youth, in the prime of life, if he does not enjoy sensual pleasures, does not dwell in sensual pleasures, does not burn with a fever for sensual pleasures, is not consumed with thoughts of sensual pleasures, is not eager in the quest for sensual pleasures, then he is reckoned as a wise elder.”
When this was said, the brahmin Kaṇḍarāyana rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and bowed down with his head at the feet of the young bhikkhus, [saying]: “You elders stand at the stage of an elder; we youths stand at the stage of a youth.
“Excellent, Master Kaccāna! … [as in 2:37] … Let Master Kaccāna consider me a lay follower who from today has gone for refuge for life.”
39 (8)
“Bhikkhus, when robbers are strong, kings are weak. At that time the king is not at ease when re-entering [his capital], or when going out, or when touring the outlying provinces. At that time brahmins and householders, too, are not at ease when re-entering [their towns and villages], or when going out, or when attending to work outside.
“So too, when evil bhikkhus are strong, well-behaved bhikkhus are weak. At that time the well-behaved bhikkhus sit silently in the midst of the Saṅgha271 or they resort to272 the outlying provinces. This is for the harm of many people, for the unhappiness of many people, for the ruin, harm, and suffering of many people, of devas and human beings. [69]
“Bhikkhus, when kings are strong, robbers are weak. At that time the king is at ease when re-entering [his capital], and when going out, and when touring the outlying provinces. At that time brahmins and householders, too, are at ease when reentering [their towns and villages], and when going out, and when attending to work outside.
“So too, when well-behaved bhikkhus are strong, evil bhikkhus are weak. At that time the evil bhikkhus sit silently in the midst of the Saṅgha or they depart for other regions.273 This is for the welfare of many people, for the happiness of many people, for the good, welfare, and happiness of many people, of devas and human beings.”
40 (9)274
“Bhikkhus, I do not praise the wrong practice of two [kinds of people]: a layperson and one gone forth [into homelessness]. Whether it is a layperson or one gone forth who is practicing wrongly, because of wrong practice, they do not attain the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome.275
“Bhikkhus, I praise the right practice of two [kinds of people]: a layperson and one gone forth. Whether it is a layperson or one gone forth who is practicing rightly, because of right practice, they attain the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome.”
41 (10)
“Bhikkhus, those bhikkhus who exclude the meaning and the Dhamma by means of badly acquired discourses whose phrasing is a semblance [of the correct phrasing]276 are acting for the harm of many people, for the unhappiness of many people, for the ruin, harm, and suffering of many people, of devas and human beings. These bhikkhus generate much demerit and cause the good Dhamma to disappear.
“Bhikkhus, those bhikkhus who conform to the meaning and the Dhamma with well-acquired discourses whose phrasing is not [mere] semblance277 are acting for the welfare of many people, for the happiness of many people, for the good, welfare, and happiness of many people, of devas and human beings. These bhikkhus generate much merit and sustain the good Dhamma.” [70]
252 I read with Ce and Ee katañca hoti patikatañca atikatañcā ti. Be ends at patikatañcā ti.
253 The operative terms here are kiriyavāda and akiriyavāda. For the Buddhist critique of akiriyavāda, a doctrine that denied the validity of ethical distinctions, see MN 60.13, I 404,21–35; MN 76.10, I 516,3–17. The present sutta seems to be extracted from 8:12 §§1–2.
254 Mp: “The ‘trainee’ (sekha) refers to the seven trainees [from the one on the path of stream-entry to the one on the path of arahantship]. But the virtuous worldling (sīlavantaputhujjana) can also be included under the stream-enterer.”
255 Mp has a long preamble to its commentary on this sutta, explaining how throngs of lay devotees from Sāvatthī spontaneously assembled at the Eastern Park to hear Sāriputta speak. The devas, too, realizing that Sāriputta was about to deliver a momentous discourse, arrived from multiple celestial realms and from thousands of world systems to listen. Sāriputta exercised a feat of psychic power such that even those at the back of the crowd, and the devas at the far edge of the world system, could clearly see him and hear his voice.
256 Mp: “The person fettered internally (ajjhattasaṃyojanaṃ puggalaṃ): The ‘internal’ (ajjhattaṃ) is sense-sphere existence; the ‘external’ (bahiddhā) is form and formless existence. Desire and lust for ‘the internal,’ consisting in sense-sphere existence, is called the internal fetter. Desire and lust for ‘the external,’ consisting in form and formless existence, is called the external fetter. Or, alternatively, the five lower fetters are the internal fetter, and the five higher fetters are the external fetter. The persons being spoken of as internally fettered and externally fettered are not the multitude of ordinary worldly people still attached to the round of existence, but noble disciples—stream-enterers, once-returners, and non-returners—who are distinguished as twofold by way of their mode of existence.”
It is striking that the Chinese parallel MĀ 21 (at T I 448c23–25) interprets these two persons in a way diametrically opposite to the Pāli version: “In this world there are two kinds of people. Which two? The person with an internal fetter, the non-returner, who does not come back to this world. And the person with an external fetter, one who is not a non-returner but comes back to this world” (
). The explanations that follow in MĀ 21 are consistent with this opening statement.
257 Mp: “Who returns to this state of being (āgantā itthattaṃ): He returns to this state of the human five aggregates. Or else, he is not reborn in that heavenly realm or in some higher realm, but he comes back to a lower realm. By this factor, what is discussed are the lower two paths and fruits [of stream-entry and once-returning] attained by a bhikkhu who is a dry-insight meditator using the elements as meditation subject (sukkhavipassakassa dhātukammaṭṭhānikabhikkhuno).”
258 Mp: “A certain peaceful liberation of mind (aññataraṃ santaṃ cetovimuttiṃ): the fourth jhāna among the eight meditative attainments; for that is peaceful because it stills the opposing defilements, and it is a liberation of mind because it is liberated from those defilements.”
259 Mp: “He is reborn in an order of devas among the pure abodes (suddhāvāsa). He does not return to this state of the human five aggregates, nor is he reborn in a lower realm. Either he is reborn in a higher realm or he attains final nibbāna right there. By this factor, what is discussed are the three paths and fruits [up to non-returning] of a bhikkhu working at concentration (samādhikammikassa bhikkhuno).”
260 Mp: “At this point, what is discussed is the stream-enterer’s and once-returner’s insight [undertaken] to destroy lust for the five objects of sensual pleasure and [to reach] the path of non-returning (anāgāmimaggavipassanā).”
261 Mp: “By this, what is discussed is the non-returner’s insight [undertaken] to destroy lust for existence and [to reach] the path of arahantship (arahattamaggavipassanā).”
262 Mp sees the practice for the destruction of craving (taṇhākkhaya) as again referring to the stream-enterer’s and once-returner’s insight to reach the path of non-returning, and the practice for the destruction of greed (lobhakkhaya) as again referring to the non-returner’s insight to reach the path of arahantship. It would be peculiar for such a distinction to be intended here. Since both craving (taṇhā) and greed (lobha) can refer to the desire for continued existence (bhavataṇhā, bhavarāga), and since it seems improbable that, after alluding to the highest realization, Sāriputta would then revert to a lower level, this sentence may simply be continuing the description of one practicing to attain arahantship.
263 Mp: “[Sāriputta] has discussed insight under six headings: (1) the lower two paths and fruits of the dry-insight meditator who uses the elements as his meditation subject; (2) the three paths and fruits of one who works at concentration; (3) the stream-enterer’s and once-returner’s insight to destroy sensual lust [and reach] the path of non-returning; (4) the non-returner’s insight to destroy lust for existence [and reach] the path of arahantship; (5) the stream-enterer’s and once-returner’s insight for ‘the destruction of craving’—that is, craving for sensual pleasure—and to reach the path of non-returning; and (6) the non-returner’s insight for ‘the destruction of greed’—that is, greed for existence—and [to reach] the path of arahantship. At the conclusion of the discourse, deities numbering hundreds of thousand of koṭis (a koṭi = ten million) attained arahantship, and there was no counting the number of those who became stream-enterers and so forth.”
264 Mp explains samacittā to mean “with the same mind,” thereby resolving an ambiguity in the Pāli term. Though in Skt the difference between śama = “peace” and sama = “same, equal” would have been clear, in most dialects of Middle Indo-Aryan (including Pāli) the two words would be indistinguishable and thus their meanings could be conflated. Mp construes sama as equivalent to Skt sama, “same, equal”: “They are called ‘sameminded’ because of the similarity in the subtlety of their mind (cittassa sukhumabhāvasamatāya samacittā); for they had created their own bodies with minds of similar subtlety (sukhume cittasarikkhake katvā).” Mp gives other explanations of samacittā, but all assume the meaning is “with the same mind.” The Chinese parallel (at T I 449b1) reads 
= “same-minded deities,” thus agreeing with Mp. This indicates that the original on which the Chinese translation was based either had samacittā in a language that made a distinction between śama and sama, or, if preserved in a language that did not make such a distinction, had been accompanied by an explanation of the term as meaning “sameminded.” However, the expressions santindriyā and santamānasā toward the end of the sutta, both related to the Skt śama, suggest that the original meaning could have been “peaceful minded,” unless ambivalence was deliberate.
265 Anukampaṃ upādāya. Mp: “Not out of compassion for Sāriputta, for on that occasion there was no need to show compassion for the elder [Sāriputta] … who had already reached the perfection of a disciple’s knowledge. Rather, they ask the Blessed One to go out of compassion for the other devas and humans who had assembled there.” Despite the commentary, it may be the case that the devas actually wanted the Buddha to approach Sāriputta for his own sake. Sāriputta probably did not have the supernormal ability to see the hosts of devas that had assembled to hear him speak and thus the Buddha had to inform him of this. At Ud 40,28–29, Sāriputta says that he does not even see a mud sprite (mayaṃ pan’etarahi paṃsupisācakampi na passāma).
266 Mp: “It was right here (idh’eva): It was in this human world and under this teaching that those deities had developed their minds in such a way that they were reborn in a peaceful form-sphere existence. Having come from there, they have created subtle bodies. While those deities might have reached three paths and fruits in Buddha Kassapa’s teaching, because all Buddhas have the same teaching, with the words ‘right here’ he refers to the teaching as one.” The Chinese parallel is more explicit than the Pāli: “It was in the past when they were human beings that those same-minded deities developed such a wholesome mind, such an extremely vast and great mind.”
267 Santindriyā bhavissāma santamānasā. As noted in note 264 above, the repeated use of the word santa here and just below suggests that samacittā, in relation to the deities, could have meant “peaceful minded”—this despite the agreement between Mp and the Chinese translation on “same-minded.”
268 Kāmarāgābhinivesavinibandhapaligedhapariyuṭṭhānajjhosānahetu. I render the compound following Mp’s resolution: kāmarāgābhinivesahetu, kāmarāgavinibandhahetu, kāmarāgapaligedhahetu, kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhānahetu, kāmarāga-ajjhosānahetu. The same applies to the long compound on diṭṭhi.
269 The same charge is leveled against the Buddha himself in 4:22 and 8:11.
270 I follow Ce and Be kāmamajjhāvasati (= kāmaṃ ajjhāvasati), as against Ee kāmamajjhe vasati.
271 Tuṇhībhūtā tuṇhībhūtā va saṅghamajjhe saṅkasāyanti. Mp: “Sitting silently in the midst of the Saṅgha, they are unable to open their mouths and utter even a single word, but just sit there as if brooding.”
272 Here and below reading with Ce and Ee bhajanti.
273 Reading with Be yena vā pana tena pakkamanti. Ce and Ee read papatanti, which does not fit as well.
274 See SN 45:24, V 18–19.
275 Ñāyaṃ dhammaṃ kusalaṃ. Mp: “The path together with insight.”
276 Duggahitehi suttantehi byañjanappatirūpakehi. For –patirūpaka as meaning “counterfeit, a semblance, of misleading appearance,” see such expressions as amitto mittapatirūpako at DN III 185–86; sakkapatirūpako at SN I 230,16; jātarūpappatirūpakaṃ and saddhammappatirūpakaṃ at SN II 224,10–17. Here the compound probably means the same as dunnikkhittaṃ padabyañjanaṃ at 2:20 above. See too 4:160 (II 147,21) and 5:156 (III 178,26). Mp takes dhamma here to mean the text (pāḷi), commenting: “They exclude the meaning and text of well-acquired discourses and elevate above them the meaning and text of their badly acquired discourses.”
277 Be reads here suggahitehi suttantehi byañjanappatirūpakehi (Ee vyañjanapatirūpakehi). Ce, however, which I follow, uses the negative: suggahitehi suttantehi na byañjanapatirūpakehi. Ce may have added na to convey the required sense, but without it the sentence seems self-contradictory.