an.8.86 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

Honor

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One, on a wandering tour among the Kosalans with a large community of monks, arrived at a Kosalan brahman village named Icchanangala. There he stayed in the Icchanangala forest grove.

The brahman householders of Icchanangala heard it said, “Gotama the contemplative—the son of the Sakyans, having gone forth from the Sakyan clan—on a wandering tour among the Kosalans with a large community of monks—has arrived at Icchanangala and is staying in the Icchanangala forest grove. And of that Master Gotama this fine reputation has spread: ‘He is indeed a Blessed One, worthy, & rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, a knower of the cosmos, an unexcelled trainer of those persons ready to be tamed, teacher of human & divine beings, awakened, blessed. He has made known—having realized it through direct knowledge—this world with its devas, maras, & brahmas, its generations with their contemplatives & brahmans, their rulers & common people; has explained the Dhamma admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end; has expounded the holy life both in its particulars & in its essence, entirely perfect, surpassingly pure. It is good to see such a worthy one.’”

So the brahman householders of Icchanangala, when the night was gone, taking many staple & non-staple foods, went to the gate house of the Icchanangala forest grove. On arrival they stood there making a loud racket, a great racket.

Now at that time Ven. Nagita was the Blessed One’s attendant. So the Blessed One addressed Ven. Nagita: “Nagita, what is that loud racket, that great racket, like fishermen with a catch of fish?”

“Lord, those are the brahman householders of Icchanangala standing at the gate house to the Icchanangala forest grove, having brought many staple & non-staple foods for the sake of the Blessed One & the community of monks.”

“May I have nothing to do with honor, Nagita, and honor nothing to do with me. Whoever cannot obtain at will—without difficulty, without trouble—as I do, the pleasure of renunciation, the pleasure of seclusion, the pleasure of peace, the pleasure of self-awakening, let him consent to this slimy-excrement-pleasure, this torpor-pleasure, this pleasure of gains, offerings, & fame.”

“Lord, let the Blessed One acquiesce [to their offerings] now! Let the One Well-gone acquiesce now! Now is the time for the Blessed One’s acquiescence, lord! Now is the time for the Blessed One’s acquiescence, lord! Wherever the Blessed One will go now, the brahmans of the towns & countryside will be so inclined. Just as when the rain-devas send rain in fat drops, the waters flow with the incline, in the same way, wherever the Blessed One will go now, the brahmans of the towns & countryside will be so inclined. Why is that? Because such is the Blessed One’s virtue & discernment.”

“Even some devas, Nagita, cannot obtain at will—without difficulty, without trouble—as I do, the pleasure of renunciation, the pleasure of seclusion, the pleasure of peace, the pleasure of self-awakening. When you all live together, assemble together, and live committed to dwelling with a group, the thought occurs: ‘Surely these venerable ones cannot obtain at will—without difficulty, without trouble—as I do, the pleasure of renunciation, the pleasure of seclusion, the pleasure of peace, the pleasure of self-awakening, which is why they live together, assemble together, and live committed to dwelling with a group.’

[1] “There is the case, Nagita, where I see monks laughing out loud, sporting around, tickling one another with their fingers. The thought occurs to me, ‘Surely these venerable ones cannot obtain at will—without difficulty, without trouble—as I do, the pleasure of renunciation, the pleasure of seclusion, the pleasure of peace, the pleasure of self-awakening, which is why they are laughing out loud, sporting around, tickling one another with their fingers.’

[2] “Then there is the case where I see monks—having eaten as much as they want, filling their bellies—live committed to the pleasure of lying down, the pleasure of sensory contacts, the pleasure of torpor. The thought occurs to me, ‘Surely these venerable ones cannot obtain at will—without difficulty, without trouble—as I do, the pleasure of renunciation, the pleasure of seclusion, the pleasure of peace, the pleasure of self-awakening, which is why they—having eaten as much as they want, filling their bellies—live committed to the pleasure of lying down, the pleasure of sensory contacts, the pleasure of torpor.

[3] “Then there is the case where I see a monk sitting in concentration in a village dwelling. The thought occurs to me, ‘Soon a monastery attendant will disturb this venerable one in some way, or a novice will, and rouse him from his concentration.’ And so I am not pleased with that monk’s village-dwelling.

[4] “But then there is the case where I see a monk sitting, nodding, in the wilderness. The thought occurs to me, ‘Soon this venerable one will dispel his drowsiness & fatigue and attend to the wilderness-perception, [his mind] unified.’ And so I am pleased with that monk’s wilderness-dwelling.

[5] “Then there is the case where I see a wilderness monk sitting unconcentrated in the wilderness. The thought occurs to me, ‘Soon this venerable one will center his unconcentrated mind, or protect his concentrated mind.’ And so I am pleased with that monk’s wilderness-dwelling.

[6] “Then there is the case where I see a wilderness monk sitting in concentration in the wilderness. The thought occurs to me, ‘Soon this venerable one will release his unreleased mind, or protect his released mind.’ And so I am pleased with that monk’s wilderness-dwelling.

[7] “Then there is the case where I see a village-dwelling monk who receives robes, alms food, shelter, & medicinal requisites for curing the sick. Receiving, as he likes, those gains, offerings, & fame, he neglects seclusion, he neglects isolated forest & wilderness dwellings. He makes his living by visiting villages, towns, & cities. And so I am not pleased with that monk’s village-dwelling.

[8] “Then there is the case where I see a wilderness monk who receives robes, alms food, shelter, & medicinal requisites for curing the sick. Fending off those gains, offerings, & fame, he doesn’t neglect seclusion, doesn’t neglect isolated forest & wilderness dwellings. And so I am pleased with that monk’s wilderness-dwelling.

“But when I am traveling along a road and see no one in front or behind me, at that time I have my ease, even when urinating & defecating.”

- Translator: Thanissaro Bhikkhu

- Editor: Gabriel Laera

With Nāgita

I think to myself:
At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants when he arrived at a village of the Kosalan brahmins named Icchānaṅgala.
He stayed in a forest near Icchānaṅgala.
The brahmins and householders of Icchānaṅgala heard:
“It seems the ascetic Gotama—a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family—has arrived at Icchānaṅgala. He is staying in a forest near Icchānaṅgala.
He has this good reputation:
‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ …
It’s good to see such perfected ones.”
Then, when the night had passed, they took many different foods and went to the forest near Icchānaṅgala, where they stood outside the gates making a dreadful racket.
Now, at that time Venerable Nāgita was the Buddha’s attendant.
Then the Buddha said to Nāgita,
“Nāgita, who’s making that dreadful racket? You’d think it was fishermen hauling in a catch!”
“Sir, it’s these brahmins and householders of Icchānaṅgala. They’ve brought many different foods, and they’re standing outside the gates wanting to offer it specially to the Buddha and the mendicant Saṅgha.”
“Nāgita, may I never become famous. May fame not come to me.
There are those who can’t get the bliss of renunciation, the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of peace, the bliss of awakening when they want, without trouble or difficulty like I can.
Let them enjoy the filthy, lazy pleasure of possessions, honor, and popularity.”
“Sir, may the Blessed One please relent now! May the Holy One relent!
Now is the time for the Buddha to relent.
Wherever the Buddha now goes, the brahmins and householders will incline the same way, as will the people of town and country.
It’s like when it rains heavily and the water flows downhill.
In the same way, wherever the Buddha now goes, the brahmins and householders will incline the same way, as will the people of town and country.
Why is that?
Because of the Buddha’s ethics and wisdom.”
“Nāgita, may I never become famous. May fame not come to me.
There are those who can’t get the bliss of renunciation, the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of peace, the bliss of awakening when they want, without trouble or difficulty like I can.
Let them enjoy the filthy, lazy pleasure of possessions, honor, and popularity.
Even some of the deities can’t get the bliss of renunciation, the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of peace, the bliss of awakening when they want, without trouble or difficulty like I can.
When you all come together to enjoy each other’s company, I think:
‘These venerables mustn’t get the bliss of renunciation, the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of peace, the bliss of awakening when they want, without trouble or difficulty like I can.
That must be because they come together to enjoy each other’s company.’
Take mendicants I see poking each other with their fingers, giggling and playing together.
‘These venerables mustn’t get the bliss of renunciation, the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of peace, the bliss of awakening when they want, without trouble or difficulty like I can.
That must be because they’re poking each other with their fingers, giggling and playing together.’
Take mendicants I see eat as much as they like until their bellies are full, then indulge in the pleasures of sleeping, lying down, and drowsing.
I think to myself:
‘These venerables mustn’t get the bliss of renunciation, the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of peace, the bliss of awakening when they want, without trouble or difficulty like I can.
That must be because they eat as much as they like until their bellies are full, then indulge in the pleasures of sleeping, lying down, and drowsing.’
Take a mendicant living within a village who I see sitting immersed in samādhi.
I think to myself:
‘Now a monastery worker, a novice, or a fellow practitioner will make this venerable fall from immersion.’
So I’m not pleased that that mendicant is living within a village.
Take a mendicant in the wilderness who I see sitting nodding in meditation.
I think to myself:
‘Now this venerable, having dispelled that sleepiness and weariness, will focus just on the unified perception of wilderness.’
So I’m pleased that that mendicant is living in the wilderness.
Take a mendicant in the wilderness who I see sitting without being immersed in samādhi.
I think to myself:
‘Now if this venerable’s mind is not immersed in samādhi they will immerse it; or if it is immersed in samādhi, they will preserve it.’
So I’m pleased that that mendicant is living in the wilderness.
Take a mendicant in the wilderness who I see sitting immersed in samādhi.
I think to myself:
‘Now this venerable will free the unfreed mind or preserve the freed mind.’
So I’m pleased that that mendicant is living in the wilderness.
Take a mendicant who I see living within a village receiving robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.
Enjoying possessions, honor, and popularity they neglect retreat, and they neglect remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.
They come down to villages, towns and capital cities and make their homes there.
So I’m not pleased that that mendicant is living within a village.
Take a mendicant who I see in the wilderness receiving robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.
Fending off possessions, honor, and popularity they don’t neglect retreat, and they don’t neglect remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.
So I’m pleased that that mendicant is living in the wilderness.
Nāgita, when I’m walking along a road and I don’t see anyone ahead or behind I feel relaxed, even if I need to urinate or defecate.”