Dialogues of the Buddha, Part II — trans. T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1910)

1 That is, those who cross the ' ocean drear ' of t a;/ ha, or craving ; avoiding by means of the ' dyke ' or causeway of the Aryan Path, the ' pools ' or shallows of lust, and ignorance, and delusion (comp. Dhp. 91), whilst the vain world looks for salvation from rites, and ceremonies, and gods, — ' these are the wise, these are the saved indeed ! '

CHAPTER II.

i. [90] Now the Exalted One addressed the venerable Ananda, and said : — ' Come, Ananda, let us go on to Ko/io-ama.'

' So be it, lord ! ' said Ananda, in assent, to the
Exalted One.

The Exalted One proceeded with a great company of the brethren to Ko/igama ; and there he stayed in the village itself1.

2. And at that place the Exalted One addressed the brethren, and said : — ' It is through not understanding and grasping four Aryan Truths, O brethren, that we have had to run so long, to wander so long in this weary path of transmigration, both you and I !

' And what are these four ? '

' The Aryan truth about sorrow ; the Aryan truth about the cause of sorrow ; the Aryan truth about the cessation of sorrow ; and the Aryan truth about the path that leads to that cessation. But when these Aryan truths are grasped and known the craving for future life is rooted out, that which leads to renewed becoming is destroyed, and then there is no more birth!2'

3. Thus spake the Exalted One ; and when the Happy One had thus spoken, then again the Teacher said : — [91]

' By not seeing the Aryan Truths as they really are,
Long is the path that is traversed through many
a birth ;

1 As will be observed from the similar passages that follow, there is a regular sequence of clauses in the set descriptions of the Buddha's movements. The last clause should specify the particular grove or house where the Exalted One stayed ; but it is also (in this and one or two other cases) inserted with due regularity even when it adds nothing positive to the sense.

2 Compare below, Chapter IV, §§ 2. 3; p. 131.

r > - ii.gr. THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASE.

When these are grasped, the cause of rebirth is removed, The root of sorrow uprooted, and then there is no more birth.'

4. There too, while staying at Ko/igama, the Exalted One held that comprehensive religious talk with the brethren, saying : — ' Such and such is upright conduct ; such and such is earnest contemplation ; such and such is intelligence. Great becomes the fruit, great the advantage of earnest contemplation, when it is set round with upright conduct. Great becomes the fruit, great the advantage of intellect when it is set round with earnest contemplation. The mind set round with intelligence is set quite free from the Intoxications, that is to say, from the Intoxication of Sensuality, from the Intoxication of Becoming, from the Intoxication of Delusion, from the Intoxication of Ignorance.'

5. Now when the Exalted One had remained as lone as he thought fit at Ko/ieama, he addressed the venerable Ananda, and said : — ' Come, Ananda, let us go on to the Nadikas.'

' So be it, lord ! ' said Ananda, in assent, to the
Exalted One.

And the Exalted One proceeded to the Nadikas with a great company of the brethren ; and there, at Nadika, the Exalted One stayed in the Brick Hall l.

1 At first Nadika is (twice) spoken of in the plural number (a clanname); but then, thirdly, in the last clause, in the singular (a local name derived from the clan-name). Buddhaghosa explains this by saying that there were two villages of the same name on the shore oi the same piece of water. The ' Brick Hall ' was the public restingplace for travellers, and the name is noteworthy as almost all buildings were then of wood.

The expression used here is an idiomatic phrase descriptive of the arrival of travellers at a place : — ' and there, at X. so and so stayed in Y.' where X. is the name of the town or village, and Y. is the lodgingplace the traveller occupies. (See just above in § 1 for a good instance.) The first name, the name X., is always the name of the

III. H

C)8 XVI. MAHA PARINIBBANA SUTTANTA. D. ii.91.