The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [346]
4. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala told a man: “Come, good man, go to the venerable Ānanda and pay homage in my name with your head at his feet, saying: ‘Venerable sir, King Pasenadi of Kosala pays homage with his head at the venerable Ānanda’s feet.’ Then say this: ‘Venerable sir, if the venerable Ānanda has no urgent business, perhaps the venerable Ānanda would wait [113] a moment, out of compassion.’”
5. “Yes, sire,” the man replied, and he went to the venerable Ānanda, and after paying homage to him, he stood at one side and said to the venerable Ānanda: “Venerable sir, King Pasenadi of Kosala pays homage with his head at the venerable Ānanda’s feet and he says this: ‘Venerable sir, if the venerable Ānanda has no urgent business, perhaps the venerable Ānanda would wait a moment, out of compassion.’”
6. The venerable Ānanda consented in silence. Then King Pasenadi went by elephant as far as the elephant could go, and then he dismounted and went to the venerable Ānanda on foot. After paying homage to him, he stood at one side and said to the venerable Ānanda: “If, venerable sir, the venerable Ānanda has no urgent business, it would be good if he would go to the bank of the river Aciravatī, out of compassion.”
7. The venerable Ānanda consented in silence. He went to the bank of the river Aciravatī and sat down at the root of a tree on a seat made ready. Then King Pasenadi went by elephant as far as the elephant could go, and then he dismounted and went to the venerable Ānanda on foot. After paying homage to him, he stood at one side and said to the venerable Ānanda: “Here, venerable sir, is an elephant rug. Let the venerable Ānanda be seated on it.”
“There is no need, great king. Sit down. I am sitting on my own mat.”
8. King Pasenadi of Kosala sat down on a seat made ready and said: “Venerable Ānanda, would the Blessed One behave with the body in such a way that he could be censured by recluses and brahmins?”831
“Great king, the Blessed One would not behave with the body in such a way that he could be censured by wise recluses and brahmins.” [114]
“Would the Blessed One, venerable Ānanda, behave with speech…behave with the mind in such a way that he could be censured by recluses and brahmins?”
“Great king, the Blessed One would not behave with speech…behave with the mind in such a way that he could be censured by wise recluses and brahmins.”
9. “It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous! For what we were unable to accomplish with a question has been accomplished by the venerable Ānanda with the answer to the question. We do not recognise anything of value in the praise and blame of others spoken by foolish ignorant persons, who speak without having investigated and evaluated; but we recognise as valuable the praise and blame of others spoken by wise, intelligent, and sagacious persons who speak after having investigated and evaluated.
10. “Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour is censured by wise recluses and brahmins?”
“Any bodily behaviour that is unwholesome, great king.”
“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour is unwholesome?”
“Any bodily behaviour that is blameworthy, great king.”
“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour is blameworthy?”
“Any bodily behaviour that brings affliction, great king.”
“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour brings affliction?”
“Any bodily behaviour that has painful results, great king.”
“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour has painful results?”
“Any bodily behaviour, great king, that leads to one’s own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both, and on account of which unwholesome states increase and wholesome states diminish. Such bodily behaviour is censured by wise recluses