The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [304]
“Suppose, Udāyin, my disciples honoured, respected, revered, and venerated me, and lived in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me, with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is secluded and commends seclusion.’ Now there are disciples of mine who are forest dwellers, dwellers in remote resting places, who live withdrawn in remote jungle-thicket resting places and return to the midst of the Sangha once each half-month for the recitation of the Pātimokkha. But I sometimes live surrounded by bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, by men and women lay followers, by kings and kings’ ministers, by other sectarians and their disciples. So if my disciples honoured me…with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is secluded and commends seclusion,’ [9] then those disciples of mine who are forest dwellers…should not honour, respect, revere, and venerate me for this quality, nor should they live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me. Thus, Udāyin, it is not because of these five qualities that my disciples honour, respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me.
10. “However, Udāyin, there are five other qualities because of which my disciples honour, respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me. What are the five?
(I. THE HIGHER VIRTUE)
11. “Here, Udāyin, my disciples esteem me for the higher virtue thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is virtuous, he possesses the supreme aggregate of virtue.’ This is the first quality because of which my disciples honour, respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me.
(II. KNOWLEDGE AND VISION)
12. “Again, Udāyin, my disciples esteem me for my excellent knowledge and vision thus: ‘When the recluse Gotama says “I know,” he truly knows; when he says “I see,” he truly sees. The recluse Gotama teaches the Dhamma through direct knowledge, not without direct knowledge; he teaches the Dhamma with a sound basis, not without a sound basis; he teaches the Dhamma in a convincing manner, not in an unconvincing manner.’ This is the second quality because of which [10] my disciples honour me…
(III. THE HIGHER WISDOM)
13. “Again, Udāyin, my disciples esteem me for the higher wisdom thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is wise; he possesses the supreme aggregate of wisdom. It is impossible that he should not foresee the implications of an assertion761 or that he should not be able to confute with reasons the current doctrines of others.’ What do you think, Udāyin? Would my disciples, knowing and seeing thus, break in and interrupt me?”—“No, venerable sir.”—“I do not expect instruction from my disciples; invariably, it is my disciples who expect instruction from me. This is the third quality because of which my disciples honour me…
(IV. THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS)
14. “Again, Udāyin, when my disciples have met with suffering and become victims of suffering, prey to suffering, they come to me and ask me about the noble truth of suffering. Being asked, I explain to them the noble truth of suffering, and I satisfy their minds with my explanation. They ask me about the noble truth of the origin of suffering…about the noble truth of the cessation of suffering…about the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering. Being asked, I explain to them the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering, and I satisfy their minds with my explanation. This is the fourth quality [11] because of which my disciples honour me…
(V. THE WAY TO DEVELOP WHOLESOME STATES)
(1. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness)
15. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the four foundations of mindfulness. 762 Here a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as