At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery. Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme.

Then the Buddha, having dismissed the mendicant Saṅgha for some reason, robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Kapilavatthu for alms. Atha kho bhagavā kismiñcideva pakaraṇe bhikkhusaṅghaṁ paṇāmetvā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya kapilavatthuṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. He wandered for alms in Kapilavatthu. After the meal, on his return from almsround, he went to the Great Wood for the day’s meditation, Kapilavatthusmiṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena mahāvanaṁ tenupasaṅkami divāvihārāya. plunged deep into it, and sat at the root of a young wood-apple tree to meditate. Mahāvanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā beluvalaṭṭhikāya mūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.

Then as he was in private retreat this thought came to his mind, Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: “I’ve sent the mendicant Saṅgha away. “mayā kho bhikkhusaṅgho pabāḷho. But there are mendicants here who are junior, recently gone forth, newly come to this teaching and training. Santettha bhikkhū navā acirapabbajitā adhunāgatā imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ. Not seeing me they may change and fall apart. Tesaṁ mamaṁ apassantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo. If a young calf doesn’t see its mother it may change and fall apart. … Seyyathāpi nāma vacchassa taruṇassa mātaraṁ apassantassa siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo; evameva santettha bhikkhū navā acirapabbajitā adhunāgatā imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ tesaṁ mamaṁ apassantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo. Or if young seedlings don’t get water they may change and fall apart. Seyyathāpi nāma bījānaṁ taruṇānaṁ udakaṁ alabhantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo; In the same way, there are mendicants here who are junior, recently gone forth, newly come to this teaching and training. evameva santettha …pe… Not seeing me they may change and fall apart. tesaṁ mamaṁ alabhantānaṁ dassanāya siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo. Why don’t I support the mendicant Saṅgha now as I did in the past?” Yannūnāhaṁ yatheva mayā pubbe bhikkhusaṅgho anuggahito, evameva etarahi anuggaṇheyyaṁ bhikkhusaṅghan”ti.

Then the divinity Sahampati knew what the Buddha was thinking. As easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared in front of the Buddha. Atha kho brahmā sahampati bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—brahmaloke antarahito bhagavato purato pāturahosi. He arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms toward the Buddha, and said: Atha kho brahmā sahampati ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “That’s so true, Blessed One! That’s so true, Holy One! “evametaṁ, bhagavā, evametaṁ, sugata. The Buddha has sent the mendicant Saṅgha away. Bhagavatā, bhante, bhikkhusaṅgho pabāḷho. But there are mendicants who are junior, recently gone forth, newly come to this teaching and training. … Santettha bhikkhū navā acirapabbajitā adhunāgatā imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ. Tesaṁ bhagavantaṁ apassantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo. Seyyathāpi nāma vacchassa taruṇassa mātaraṁ apassantassa siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo; evameva santettha bhikkhū navā acirapabbajitā adhunāgatā imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ tesaṁ bhagavantaṁ apassantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo. Seyyathāpi nāma bījānaṁ taruṇānaṁ udakaṁ alabhantānaṁ siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo; evameva santettha bhikkhū navā acirapabbajitā adhunāgatā imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ, tesaṁ bhagavantaṁ alabhantānaṁ dassanāya siyā aññathattaṁ siyā vipariṇāmo. May the Buddha be happy with the mendicant Saṅgha! Abhinandatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhusaṅghaṁ; May the Buddha welcome the mendicant Saṅgha! abhivadatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhusaṅghaṁ. May the Buddha support the mendicant Saṅgha now as he did in the past!” Yatheva bhagavatā pubbe bhikkhusaṅgho anuggahito, evameva etarahi anuggaṇhātu bhikkhusaṅghan”ti.

The Buddha consented with silence. Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena. Then the divinity Sahampati, knowing that the Buddha had consented, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there. Atha kho brahmā sahampati bhagavato adhivāsanaṁ viditvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.

Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the Banyan Tree Monastery, where he sat on the seat spread out. Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena nigrodhārāmo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Then he used his psychic power to will that the mendicants would come to him timidly, alone or in pairs. Nisajja kho bhagavā tathārūpaṁ iddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkhāsi yathā te bhikkhū ekadvīhikāya sārajjamānarūpā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkameyyuṁ. Those mendicants approached the Buddha timidly, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to them: Tepi bhikkhū ekadvīhikāya sārajjamānarūpā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinne kho te bhikkhū bhagavā etadavoca:

“This is the last of lifestyles, mendicants, namely relying on alms. “Antamidaṁ, bhikkhave, jīvikānaṁ yadidaṁ piṇḍolyaṁ. The world curses you: ‘You beggar, walking bowl in hand!’ Abhisāpoyaṁ, bhikkhave, lokasmiṁ piṇḍolo vicarasi pattapāṇīti. Yet earnest gentlemen take it up for a good reason. Tañca kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, kulaputtā upenti atthavasikā, atthavasaṁ paṭicca; Not to escape a summons by a king or a summons for a bandit, or because you were in debt or in fear, or in order to make a living. neva rājābhinītā, na corābhinītā, na iṇaṭṭā, na bhayaṭṭā, na ājīvikāpakatā; But because they’re swamped by rebirth, old age, and death; by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re swamped by suffering, mired in suffering. api ca kho otiṇṇāmha jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi dukkhotiṇṇā dukkhaparetā And they think, ‘Hopefully I can find an end to this entire mass of suffering.’ appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethāti.

That’s how this gentleman has gone forth. Evaṁ pabbajito cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, kulaputto. Yet they covet sensual pleasures; they’re infatuated, full of ill will and malicious intent. They are unmindful, lacking situational awareness and immersion, with straying mind and undisciplined faculties. So ca hoti abhijjhālu kāmesu tibbasārāgo byāpannacitto paduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo muṭṭhassati asampajāno asamāhito vibbhantacitto pākatindriyo. Suppose there was a firebrand for lighting a funeral pyre, burning at both ends, and smeared with dung in the middle. It couldn’t be used as timber either in the village or the wilderness. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, chavālātaṁ ubhatopadittaṁ majjhe gūthagataṁ, neva gāme kaṭṭhatthaṁ pharati, nāraññe kaṭṭhatthaṁ pharati. I say that person is just like this. They’ve missed out on the pleasures of the lay life, and haven’t fulfilled the goal of the ascetic life. Tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi gihibhogā ca parihīno, sāmaññatthañca na paripūreti.

There are these three unskillful thoughts. Tayome, bhikkhave, akusalavitakkā—Sensual, malicious, and cruel thoughts. kāmavitakko, byāpādavitakko, vihiṁsāvitakko. And where do these three unskillful thoughts cease without anything left over? Ime ca bhikkhave, tayo akusalavitakkā kva aparisesā nirujjhanti? In those who meditate with their mind firmly established in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation; or who develop signless immersion. Catūsu vā satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacittassa viharato animittaṁ vā samādhiṁ bhāvayato. This is quite enough motivation to develop signless immersion. Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva animitto samādhi bhāvetuṁ. When signless immersion is developed and cultivated it is very fruitful and beneficial. Animitto, bhikkhave, samādhi bhāvito bahulīkato mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṁso.

There are these two views. Dvemā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyo—Views favoring continued existence and views favoring ending existence. bhavadiṭṭhi ca vibhavadiṭṭhi ca. A learned noble disciple reflects on this: Tatra kho, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘Is there anything in the world that I could grasp without fault?’ ‘atthi nu kho taṁ kiñci lokasmiṁ yamahaṁ upādiyamāno na vajjavā assan’ti? They understand: So evaṁ pajānāti: ‘There’s nothing in the world that I could grasp without fault. ‘natthi nu kho taṁ kiñci lokasmiṁ yamahaṁ upādiyamāno na vajjavā assaṁ. For in grasping I would grasp only at form, feeling, Ahañhi rūpaññeva upādiyamāno upādiyeyyaṁ vedanaññeva … perception, saññaññeva … choices, or consciousness. saṅkhāreyeva viññāṇaññeva upādiyamāno upādiyeyyaṁ. That grasping of mine would be a condition for continued existence. Tassa me assa upādānapaccayā bhavo; Continued existence is a requirement for rebirth. bhavapaccayā jāti; Rebirth is a requirement for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be. jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhaveyyuṁ. That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.’ Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo assā’ti.

What do you think, mendicants? Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, Is form permanent or impermanent?” rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

“Impermanent, sir.” “Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?” “Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?

“Suffering, sir.” “Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.

“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: “Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?” ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?

“No, sir.” “No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Is feeling … “Vedanā … perception … saññā … choices … saṅkhārā … consciousness permanent or impermanent?” … viññāṇaṁ …pe…

“So you should truly see … tasmātiha, bhikkhave,

Seeing this … evaṁ passaṁ … They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’” nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānātī”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.