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ud.2.4 Udana

The Discourse about Veneration

Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Wood, at Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then at that time the Gracious One was venerated, respected, revered, honoured, esteemed, and in receipt of robes, almsfood, dwellings, and medicinal requisites to help when sick; also the Community of monks was venerated, respected, revered, honoured, esteemed, and in receipt of robes, almsfood, dwellings, and medicinal requisites to help when sick. But wanderers from other sects were not venerated, not respected, not revered, not honoured, not esteemed, nor were they in receipt of robes, almsfood, dwellings, and medicinal requisites to help when sick.

Then those wanderers from other sects, being unable to bear the veneration of the Gracious One and the Community of monks, after seeing the monks in the village or the wilderness, with vulgar and rough words scolded, abused, annoyed, and troubled them. Then many monks went to the Gracious One, and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, they sat down on one side. While sat on one side those monks said this to the Gracious One:

“At present, reverend Sir, the Gracious One is venerated, respected, revered, honoured, esteemed, and in receipt of robes, almsfood, dwellings, and medicinal requisites to help when sick; also the Community of monks is venerated, respected, revered, honoured, esteemed, and in receipt of robes, almsfood, dwellings, and medicinal requisites to help when sick. But wanderers from other sects are not venerated, not respected, not revered, not honoured, not esteemed, nor are they in receipt of robes, almsfood, dwellings, and medicinal requisites to help when sick. Then those wanderers from other sects, reverend Sir, being unable to bear the veneration of the Gracious One and the Community of monks, after seeing the monks in the village or the wilderness, with vulgar and rough words scold, abuse, annoy, and trouble them.”

Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“Affected by pleasure and pain in the village or wilderness,
you should certainly not consider it as due to oneself or another.

“Contacts affect one with cleaving as condition,
How could contacts affect one without cleaving?”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Ānandajoti

- Editor: Bhikkhu Sujato


Esteem

So I have heard.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Now at that time the Buddha was honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And he received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.
And the mendicant Saṅgha was also honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And they received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.
But the wanderers who followed other paths were not honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And they didn’t receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.
Then those wanderers who followed other paths, unable to bear the esteem of the mendicant Sangha, abused, attacked, harassed, and troubled the mendicants in the village and the wilderness.
Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“When struck by pleasure and pain in the village or wilderness,
regard it not as self or other.
Contacts strike because of attachment;
how would contacts strike one free of attachment?”