The Related Discourses

2. The Sense Fields

130 (235). Having a Teacher and a Disciple

1. Thus I have heard:[1] 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, “Having a teacher and having a disciple who lives nearby makes living alone painful. Having no teacher and no disciple who lives nearby makes living alone pleasant.

3. “How does having a teacher or a disciple living nearby make living alone painful? Conditioned by the eye and forms, bad and unskillful feelings arise together with greed, anger, and delusion. If a monk practices this teaching, he’s said to have a teacher. If he abides on the edge of this, he’s said to have a disciple who lives nearby. The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are likewise. Thus, having a teacher and having a disciple living nearby makes living alone constant suffering.

4. “How does having no teacher and no disciple who lives nearby make living alone constant happiness? Conditioned by the eye and forms, bad and unskillful feelings arise together with greed, anger, and delusion. That monk who doesn’t practice this is said to have no teacher. Not depending on that abode, he’s said to have no disciple living nearby. This is called having no teacher and no disciple living nearby, which makes living alone constant happiness.

5. “I say he attains the merits of the religious life. Why is that? Having no teacher and no disciple living nearby, a monk establishes my religious practice. He’s able to correctly end suffering and reach the ultimate end of suffering.”

6. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what he taught rejoiced and accepted it.

Notes

1. This is sūtra no. 235 in the Taisho edition and no. 308 in Yinshun (T99.2.57a16-b2). It’s parallel with SN 35.151. [back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 10 November 2023