The Numerical Discourses

Chapter 10: The Guarded Mind

2. No Pride (2)

1. Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī.

2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “One must develop one thing and disseminate one thing. Having cultivated one thing and disseminated one thing, they’ll then attain spiritual knowledge, pacify their conditioned thinking, attain the fruits of the ascetic, and reach the abode of Nirvāṇa. What’s that one thing? It’s the practice of carefulness in the good teachings.

3. “What is this practice of carefulness? It means not harassing any sentient being, not harming any sentient being, and not troubling any sentient being. This is called the practice of carefulness. What’s called the good teachings? It means the noble eightfold path, which is right view, right method, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right discipline, right mindfulness, and right samādhi.[1] These are the good teachings.”

4. The Bhagavān then spoke in verse:

• “Being generous to all sentient beings
  Is not the same as giving Dharma to someone.
  Although being generous has its merit,
  Giving Dharma to one person is greater.”

5. “Therefore, monks, one should cultivate the good teaching. Thus, monks, you should train yourselves.”

6. When the monks heard what the Buddha taught, they rejoiced and approved.

Notes

1. right view … right samādhi. C. 等見⋯等定. The C. lit. reads “equal” rather than “right” in this sūtra. This is likely because of confusion in G. between S. samyak and S. sama, which perhaps led to ambiguous readings in that language. There are also a couple less standard translations of “intention” and “effort,” which are rendered here as “method” (方便) and “discipline” (治). [back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 20 March 2023