• Linked Discourses 21.9 Saṁyutta Nikāya 21.9
  • 1. Monks 1. Bhikkhuvagga

With Tissa Tissasutta

At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

Then Venerable Tissa—the Buddha’s cousin on his father’s side—went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. He was miserable and sad, with tears flowing. Then the Buddha said to him: Atha kho āyasmā tisso bhagavato pitucchāputto yena bhagavā tenupasaį¹…kami; upasaį¹…kamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisÄ«di dukkhÄ« dummano assÅ«ni pavattayamāno. Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ tissaṁ etadavoca:

ā€œTissa, why are you sitting there so miserable and sad, with tears flowing?ā€ ā€œkiṁ nu kho tvaṁ, tissa, ekamantaṁ nisinno dukkhÄ« dummano assÅ«ni pavattayamānoā€ti?

ā€œSir, it’s because the mendicants beset me on all sides with sneering and jeering.ā€ ā€œTathā hi pana maṁ, bhante, bhikkhÅ« samantā vācāyasannitodakena saƱjambharimakaṁsÅ«ā€ti.

ā€œThat’s because you admonish others, but don’t accept admonition yourself. ā€œTathāhi pana tvaṁ, tissa, vattā no ca vacanakkhamo; As a gentleman who has gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness, it’s not appropriate for you to admonish others without accepting admonition yourself. na kho te taṁ, tissa, patirÅ«paṁ kulaputtassa saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitassa, yaṁ tvaṁ vattā no ca vacanakkhamo. It’s appropriate for you to Etaṁ kho te, tissa, patirÅ«paṁ kulaputtassa saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitassa: admonish others and accept admonition yourself.ā€ ā€˜yaṁ tvaṁ vattā ca assa vacanakkhamo cÄā€™ā€ti.

That is what the Buddha said. Idamavoca bhagavā. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say: Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

ā€œWhy are you angry? Don’t be angry! ā€œKiṁ nu kujjhasi mā kujjhi, It’s better to not be angry, Tissa. Akkodho tissa te varaṁ; For this spiritual life is lived KodhamānamakkhavinayatthaƱhi, in order to remove anger, conceit, and denigration.ā€ Tissa brahmacariyaṁ vussatÄ«ā€ti.

Navamaṁ.