sutta » an » an10 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.83

Translators: sujato

Numbered Discourses 10.83

9. Theravagga
9. Senior Mendicants

Puṇṇiyasutta

With Puṇṇiya

Atha kho āyasmā puṇṇiyo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā puṇṇiyo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Venerable Puṇṇiya went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo yena appekadā tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti appekadā nappaṭibhātī”ti?
“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why sometimes the Realized One feels inspired to teach, and other times not?”

“Saddho ca, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu hoti, no ca upasaṅkamitā; neva tāva tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.
“Puṇṇiya, when a mendicant has faith but doesn’t approach, the Realized One doesn’t feel inspired to teach.

Yato ca kho, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu saddho ca hoti upasaṅkamitā ca, evaṁ tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.
But when a mendicant has faith and approaches, the Realized One feels inspired to teach.

Saddho ca, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu hoti upasaṅkamitā ca, no ca payirupāsitā …pe…
When a mendicant has faith and approaches, but doesn’t pay homage …

payirupāsitā ca, no ca paripucchitā …
they pay homage, but don’t ask questions …

paripucchitā ca, no ca ohitasoto dhammaṁ suṇāti …
they ask questions, but don’t actively listen …

ohitasoto ca dhammaṁ suṇāti, no ca sutvā dhammaṁ dhāreti …
they actively listen, but don’t remember the teaching they’ve heard …

sutvā ca dhammaṁ dhāreti, no ca dhātānaṁ dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhati …
they remember the teaching they’ve heard, but don’t reflect on the meaning of the teachings they’ve remembered …

dhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhati no ca atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti …
they reflect on the meaning of the teachings they’ve remembered, but, not having understood the meaning and the teaching, they don’t practice accordingly …

atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno ca hoti, no ca kalyāṇavāco hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā …
they practice accordingly, but they’re not a good speaker. Their voice is not polished, clear, articulate, and doesn’t express the meaning …

kalyāṇavāco ca hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā, no ca sandassako hoti samādapako samuttejako sampahaṁsako sabrahmacārīnaṁ, neva tāva tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.
They’re a good speaker, but they don’t educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. The Realized One doesn’t feel inspired to teach.

Yato ca kho, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu saddho ca hoti, upasaṅkamitā ca, payirupāsitā ca, paripucchitā ca, ohitasoto ca dhammaṁ suṇāti, sutvā ca dhammaṁ dhāreti, dhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhati, atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno ca hoti, kalyāṇavāco ca hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā, sandassako ca hoti samādapako samuttejako sampahaṁsako sabrahmacārīnaṁ—
But when a mendicant has faith, approaches, pays homage, asks questions, actively listens, remembers the teachings, reflects on the meaning, practices accordingly, has a good voice, and encourages their spiritual companions,

evaṁ tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.
the Realized One feels inspired to teach.

Imehi kho, puṇṇiya, dasahi dhammehi samannāgatā ekantapaṭibhānā tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā hotī”ti.
When someone has these ten qualities, the Realized One feels totally inspired to teach.”

Tatiyaṁ.