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By Root 5892 0

the aeon, Devadatta is incorrigible”? Devadatta was angry and displeased with that speech of yours.’ When the recluse Gotama is posed this two-horned question by you, he will not be able either to throw it up or to gulp it down. If an iron spike were stuck in a man’s throat, he would not be able either to throw it up or to gulp it down; so too, prince, when the recluse Gotama is posed this two-horned question by you, he will not be able either to throw it up or to gulp it down.”

4. “Yes, venerable sir,” Prince Abhaya replied. Then he rose from his seat, and after paying homage to the Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, keeping him on his right, he left and went to the Blessed One. After paying homage to the Blessed One, he sat down at one side, looked at the sun, and thought: “It is too late today to refute the Blessed One’s doctrine. I shall refute the Blessed One’s doctrine in my own house tomorrow.” Then he said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, let the Blessed One with three others consent to accept tomorrow’s meal from me.” The Blessed One consented in silence.

5. Then, knowing that the Blessed One had consented, Prince Abhaya rose from his seat, and after paying homage to him, keeping him on his right, he departed. Then, when the night had ended, it being morning, the Blessed One dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, he went to Prince Abhaya’s house and sat down on the seat made ready. Then, with his own hands, Prince Abhaya served and satisfied the Blessed One with various kinds of good food. When the Blessed One had eaten and had withdrawn his hand from the bowl, Prince Abhaya took a low seat, sat down at one side, and said to the Blessed One:

6. “Venerable sir, would a Tathāgata utter such speech as would be unwelcome and disagreeable to others?”

“There is no one-sided answer to that, prince.”

“Then, venerable sir, the Nigaṇṭhas have lost in this.”

“Why do you say this, prince: [394] ‘Then, venerable sir, the Nigaṇṭhas have lost in this’?”612

Prince Abhaya then reported to the Blessed One his entire conversation with the Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta.

7. Now on that occasion a young tender infant was lying prone on Prince Abhaya’s lap. Then the Blessed One said to Prince Abhaya: [395] “What do you think, prince? If, while you or your nurse were not attending to him, this child were to put a stick or a pebble in his mouth, what would you do to him?”

“Venerable sir, I would take it out. If I could not take it out at once, I would take his head in my left hand, and crooking a finger of my right hand, I would take it out even if it meant drawing blood. Why is that? Because I have compassion for the child.”

8. “So too, prince, such speech as the Tathāgata knows to be untrue, incorrect, and unbeneficial, and which is also unwelcome and disagreeable to others: such speech the Tathāgata does not utter. Such speech as the Tathāgata knows to be true and correct but unbeneficial, and which is also unwelcome and disagreeable to others: such speech the Tathāgata does not utter. Such speech as the Tathāgata knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, but which is unwelcome and disagreeable to others: the Tathāgata knows the time to use such speech.613 Such speech as the Tathāgata knows to be untrue, incorrect, and unbeneficial, but which is welcome and agreeable to others: such speech the Tathāgata does not utter. Such speech as the Tathāgata knows to be true and correct but unbeneficial, and which is welcome and agreeable to others: such speech the Tathāgata does not utter. Such speech as the Tathāgata knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, and which is welcome and agreeable to others: the Tathāgata knows the time to use such speech. Why is that? Because the Tathāgata has compassion for beings.”

9. “Venerable sir, when learned nobles, learned brahmins, learned householders, and learned recluses, after formulating a question, then go to the Blessed One and pose it, has there already been in the Blessed One’s mind the thought: ‘If they come to me and ask me thus, I shall answer thus’?