The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [350]
14. “Again, venerable sir, I have seen here certain learned nobles who were clever, knowledgeable about the doctrines of others, as sharp as hairsplitting marksmen;840 they wander about, as it were, demolishing the views of others with their sharp wits. When they hear: ‘The recluse Gotama will visit such and such a village or town,’ they formulate a question thus: ‘We will go to the recluse Gotama and ask him this question. If he is asked like this, he will answer like this, and so we will refute his doctrine in this way; and if he is asked like that, he will answer like that, and so we will refute his doctrine in that way.’ They hear: ‘The recluse Gotama has come to visit such and such a village or town.’ They go to the Blessed One, and the Blessed One instructs, urges, rouses, [123] and gladdens them with a talk on the Dhamma. After they have been instructed, urged, roused, and gladdened by the Blessed One with a talk on the Dhamma, they do not so much as ask him the question, so how should they refute his doctrine? In actual fact, they become his disciples. This too, venerable sir, is why I infer according to Dhamma about the Blessed One: ‘The Blessed One is fully enlightened, the Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One, the Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practising the good way.’
15. “Again, venerable sir, I have seen here certain learned brahmins…
16. “Again, venerable sir, I have seen here certain learned householders…
17. “Again, venerable sir, I have seen here certain learned recluses…They do not so much as ask him the question, so how should they refute his doctrine? In actual fact, they ask the Blessed One to allow them to go forth from the home life into homelessness, and he gives them the going forth. Not long after they have thus gone forth, dwelling alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent, and resolute, by realising for themselves with direct knowledge they here and now enter upon and abide in that supreme goal of the holy life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness. They say thus: ‘We were very nearly lost, we very nearly perished, for formerly we claimed that we were recluses though we were not really recluses; we claimed that we were brahmins though we were not really brahmins; we claimed that we were arahants though we were not really arahants. But now we are recluses, now we are brahmins, now we are arahants.’ This too, venerable sir, is why I infer according to Dhamma about the Blessed One: ‘The Blessed One is fully enlightened, the Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One, the Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practising the good way.’
18. “Again, venerable sir, Isidatta and Purāṇa,841 my two inspectors, eat my food and use my carriages; I provide them with a livelihood and bring them fame. Yet despite this, they do not do such honour to me [124] as they do to the Blessed One. Once when I had gone out leading an army and was testing these inspectors, Isidatta and Purāṇa, I happened to put up in very cramped quarters. Then these two inspectors, Isidatta and Purāṇa, after spending much of the night in talk on the Dhamma, lay down with their