Mahavagga, Khandaka 1, Chapter 23

1. At that time Sañjaya, a paribbājaka (wandering ascetic), resided at Rājagaha with a great retinue of paribbājakas, with two hundred and fifty paribbājakas. At that time Sāriputta and Moggallāna (two young Brāhmaṇas) led a religious life as followers of Sañjaya the paribbājaka; these had given their word to each other: 'He who first attains to the immortal (amata, i.e. Nirvāṇa) shall tell the other one.'

2. Now one day the venerable Assaji in the forenoon, having put on his under-robes, and having taken his alms-bowl, and with his cīvara on, entered the city of Rājagaha for alms; his walking, turning back, regarding, looking, drawing (his arms) back, and stretching (them) out was decorous; he turned his eyes to the ground, and was dignified in deportment. Now the paribbājaka Sāriputta saw the venerable Assaji, who went through Rājagaha for alms, whose walking, &c., was docorous, who kept his eyes on the ground, and was dignified in deportment. Seeing him he thought: 'Indeed this person is one of those Bhikkhus who are the worthy ones (Arahats) in the world, or who have entered the path of Arahatship. What if I were to approach this Bhikkhu and to ask him: "In whose name, friend, have you retired from the world? Who is your teacher? Whose doctrine do you profess?"'

3. Now the paribbājaka Sāriputta thought: 'This is not the time to ask this Bhikkhu; he has entered the interior yard of a house, walking for alms. What if I were to follow this Bhikkhu step by step, according to the course recognised by those who want something^[1].'

And the venerable Assaji, having finished his alms-pilgrimage through Rājagaha, went back with the food he had received. Then the paribbājaka Sāriputta went to the place where the venerable Assaji was; having approached him, he exchanged greeting with the venerable Assaji; having exchanged with him greeting and complaisant words, he stationed himself at his side; standing at his side the paribbājaka Sāriputta said to the venerable Assaji: 'Your countenance, friend, is serene; your complexion is pure and bright. In whose name, friend, have you retired from the world? Who is your teacher? Whose doctrine do you profess^[2]?'

4. (Assaji replied): 'There is, friend, the great Samaṇa Sakyaputta, an ascetic of the Sakya tribe; in His, the Blessed One's, name have I retired from the world; He, the Blessed One, is my teacher; and His, the Blessed One's, doctrine do I profess.'

“And what is the doctrine, Sir, which your teacher holds, and preaches to you?”

“I am only a young disciple, friend; I have but recently received the ordination; and I have newly adopted this doctrine and discipline. I cannot explain to you the doctrine in detail; but I will tell you in short what it means.”

Then the paribbājaka Sāriputta said to the venerable Assaji: 'Well, friend, tell me much or little as you like, but be sure to tell me the spirit (of the doctrine); I want but the spirit; why do you make so much of the letter?'

5. Then the venerable Assaji pronounced to the paribbājaka Sāriputta the following text of the Dhamma: 'Of all objects which proceed from a cause, the Tathāgata has explained the cause, and He has explained theīr cessation also; this is the doctrine of the 'great Samaṇa^[3].'

And the paribbājaka 'Sāriputta after having heard this text obtained the pure and spotless Eye of the Truth (that is, the following knowledge): 'Whatsoever is subject to the condition of origination is subject also to the condition of cessation.' (And he said): 'If this alone be the Doctrine (the Dhamma), now you have reached up to the state where all sorrow ceases (i.e. Nirvāṇa), (the state) which has remained unseen through many myriads of Kappas (world-ages) of the past.'

6. Then the paribbājaka Sāriputta went to the place where the paribbājaka Moggallāna was. And the paribbājaka Moggallāna saw the paribbājaka Sāriputta coming from afar; seeing him he said to the paribbājaka Sāriputta: 'Your countenance, friend, is serene; your complexion is pure and bright. Have you then really reached the immortal, friend?'

“Yes, friend, I have attained to the immortal.”

“And how, friend, have you done so?”

7-9. 'I saw, friend, the Bhikkhu Assaji who went through Rājagaha for alms (&c.^[4], down to:); "But I will tell you in short what it means."

'"Tell me much or little as you like, but be sure to tell me the spirit (of the doctrine); I want but the spirit; why do you make so much of the letter?"

10. 'Then, friend, the Bhikkhu Assaji pronounced the following Dhamma sentence: "Of all objects which proceed from a cause, the Tathāgata has explained the cause, and He has explained their cessation also; this is the doctrine of the great Samaṇa."'

And the paribbājaka Moggallāna, after having heard (&c., as in § 5, down to the end).

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

This seems to us the meaning of atthikehi upaññātaṃ maggaṃ. Sāriputta followed Assaji as suppliants are accustomed to follow their proposed benefactor till a convenient season arrives for preferring their request.

[2]:

The same words as are put in the mouth of Upaka, when addressing the Buddha, above, chap. 6, § 7 (and see below, § 6).

[3]:

This famous stanza doubtless alludes to the formula of the twelve Nidānas (see chap. 1. 2) which explains the origination and cessation of what are called here ' dhammā hetuppabhavā.' Hetu and paccaya (the word so frequently used in the formula of the Nidānas) are nearly synonymous. Colebrooke (Life and Essays, vol. ii. p. 419) says that the Bauddhas distinguish between hetu, 'proximate cause,' and paccaya (pratyaya), 'concurrent occasion;' but, in practical use, this slight difference of meaning, if it really existed, has but little weight attached to it.

[4]:

See §§ 2-4. lnstead of 'The paribbājaka Sāriputta,' of course, the pronoun of the first person is to be read; instead of' The venerable Assaji , read, 'The Bhikkhu Assaji;' and further, the vocative 'Friend' (āvuso), addressed to Moggallāna, is inserted three or four times in the course of this narration.