1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Sanctuary.
2. Then a number of bhikkhus from [the Blessed One’s] native land, who had spent the Rains there, went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, sat down at one side. The Blessed One asked them: “Bhikkhus, who in [my] native land is esteemed by the bhikkhus there, by his companions in the holy life, in this way: ‘Having few wishes himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on fewness of wishes; content himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on contentment; secluded himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on seclusion; aloof from society himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on aloofness from society; energetic himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on arousing energy; attained to virtue himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on the attainment of virtue; attained to con centration himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on the attainment of concentration; attained to wisdom himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on the attainment of wisdom; attained to deliverance himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on the attainment of deliverance; attained to the knowledge and vision of deliverance himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on the attainment of the knowledge and vision of deliverance; he is one who advises, informs, instructs, urges, rouses, and gladdens his companions in the holy life’?”
“Venerable sir, the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta is so esteemed in the [Blessed One’s] native land by the bhikkhus there, by his companions in the holy life.”
3. Now on that occasion the venerable Sāriputta was seated near the Blessed One. Then it occurred to the venerable Sāriputta: “It is a gain for the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta, it is a great gain for him that his wise companions in the holy life praise him point by point in the Teacher’s presence. Perhaps sometime or other we might meet the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta and have some conversation with him.”
4. Then, when the Blessed One had stayed at Rājagaha as long as he chose, he set out to wander by stages to Sāvatthī. Wandering by stages, he eventually arrived at Sāvatthī, and there he lived in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.
5. The venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta heard: “The Blessed One has arrived at Sāvatthī and is living in Jeta’s Grove, Anātha piṇḍika’s Park.” Then the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta set his resting place in order, and taking his outer robe and bowl, set out to wander by stages to Sāvatthī. Wandering by stages, he eventually arrived at Sāvatthī and went to Jeta’s Grove, Anātha piṇḍika’s Park, to see the Blessed One. After paying homage to the Blessed One, he sat down at one side and the Blessed One instructed, urged, roused, and gladdened him with talk on the Dhamma. Then the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta, instructed, urged, roused, and gladdened by the Blessed One’s talk on the Dhamma, delighting and rejoicing in the Blessed One’s words, rose from his seat, and after paying homage to the Blessed One, keeping him on his right, he went to the Blind Men’s Grove for the day’s abiding.
6. Then a certain bhikkhu went to the venerable Sāriputta and said to him: “Friend Sāriputta, the bhikkhu Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta of whom you have always spoken highly has just been instructed, urged, roused, and gladdened by the Blessed One with talk on the Dhamma; after delighting and rejoicing in the Blessed One’s words, he rose from his seat, and after paying homage to the Blessed One, keeping him on his right, he has gone to the Blind Men’s Grove for the day’s abiding.”
7. Then the venerable Sāriputta hurriedly took his sitting cloth and followed close behind the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta, keeping his head in sight. Then the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta entered the Blind Men’s Grove and sat down for the day’s abiding at the root of a tree. The venerable Sāriputta also entered the Blind Men’s Grove and sat down for the day’s abiding at the root of a tree.
8. Then, when it was evening, the venerable Sāriputta rose from meditation, went to the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When this courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down at one side and said to the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta:
9. “Is the holy life lived under our Blessed One, friend?”— “Yes, friend.”—“But, friend, is it for the sake of purification of virtue that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One?”—“No, friend.”—“Then is it for the sake of purification of mind that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One?”—“No, friend.”— “Then is it for the sake of purification of view that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One?”—“No, friend.”—“Then is it for the sake of purification by overcoming doubt that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One?”—“No, friend.”—“Then is it for the sake of purification by knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One?”—“No, friend.”—“Then is it for the sake of purification by knowledge and vision of the way that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One?”—“No, friend.”—“Then is it for the sake of purification by knowledge and vision that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One?”—“No, friend.”
10. “Friend, when asked: ‘But, friend, is it for the sake of purifi cation of virtue that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One?’ you replied: ‘No, friend.’ When asked: ‘Then is it for the sake of purification of mind…purification of view…purification by overcoming doubt…purification by knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path…purification by knowledge and vision of the way…purification by knowledge and vision that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One?’ you replied: ‘No, friend.’ For the sake of what then, friend, [148] is the holy life lived under the Blessed One?”
“Friend, it is for the sake of final Nibbāna without clinging that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.”
11. “But, friend, is purification of virtue final Nibbāna without clinging?”—“No, friend.”—“Then is purification of mind final Nibbāna without clinging?”—“No, friend.”—“Then is purification of view final Nibbāna without clinging?”—“No, friend.”—“Then is purification by overcoming doubt final Nibbāna without clinging?”—“No, friend.”—“Then is purification by knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path final Nibbāna without clinging?”—“No, friend.”—“Then is purification by knowledge and vision of the way final Nibbāna without clinging?”—“No, friend.”—“Then is purification by knowledge and vision final Nibbāna without clinging?”—“No, friend.”—“But, friend, is final Nibbāna without clinging to be attained without these states?”—“No, friend.”
12. “When asked: ‘But, friend, is purification of virtue final Nibbāna without clinging?’ you replied: ‘No, friend.’ When asked: ‘Then is purification of mind…purification of view…purification by overcoming doubt…purification by knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path…purification by knowledge and vision of the way…purification by knowledge and vision final Nibbāna without clinging?’ you replied: ‘No, friend.’ And when asked: ‘But, friend, is final Nibbāna without clinging to be attained without these states?’ you replied: ‘No, friend.’ But how, friend, should the meaning of these statements be regarded?”
13. “Friend, if the Blessed One had described purification of virtue as final Nibbāna without clinging, he would have described what is still accompanied by clinging as final Nibbāna without clinging. If the Blessed One had described purification of mind… purification of view…purification by overcoming doubt…purifi cation by knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path…purification by knowledge and vision of the way… purification by knowledge and vision as final Nibbāna without clinging, he would have described what is still accompanied by clinging as final Nibbāna without clinging. And if final Nibbāna without clinging were to be attained without these states, then an ordinary person would have attained final Nibbāna, for an ordi nary person is without these states.
14. “As to that, friend, I shall give you a simile, for some wise men understand the meaning of a statement by means of a simile. Suppose that King Pasenadi of Kosalā while living at Sāvatthī had some urgent business to settle at Sāketa, and that between Sāvatthī and Sāketa seven relay chariots were kept ready for him. Then King Pasenadi of Kosalā, leaving Sāvatthī through the inner palace door, would mount the first relay chariot, and by means of the first relay chariot he would arrive at the second relay chariot; then he would dismount from the first chariot and mount the second chariot, and by means of the second chariot, he would arrive at the third chariot…by means of the third chariot, he would arrive at the fourth chariot…by means of the fourth chariot, he would arrive at the fifth chariot…by means of the fifth chariot, he would arrive at the sixth chariot… by means of the sixth chariot, he would arrive at the seventh chariot, and by means of the seventh chariot he would arrive at the inner palace door in Sāketa. Then, when he had come to the inner palace door, his friends and acquaintances, his kinsmen and relatives, would ask him: ‘Sire, did you come from Sāvatthī to the inner palace door in Sāketa by means of this relay chariot?’ How then should King Pasenadi of Kosalā answer in order to answer correctly?”
“In order to answer correctly, friend, he should answer thus: ‘Here, while living at Sāvatthī I had some urgent business to settle at Sāketa, and between Sāvatthī and Sāketa seven relay char iots were kept ready for me. Then, leaving Sāvatthī through the inner palace door, I mounted the first relay chariot, and by means of the first relay chariot I arrived at the second relay chariot; then I dismounted from the first chariot and mounted the second chariot, and by means of the second chariot I arrived at the third…fourth…fifth…sixth…seventh chariot, and by means of the seventh chariot I arrived at the inner palace door in Sāketa.’ In order to answer correctly he should answer thus.”
15. “So too, friend, purification of virtue is for the sake of reaching purification of mind; purification of mind is for the sake of reaching purification of view; purification of view is for the sake of reaching purification by overcoming doubt; purification by overcoming doubt is for the sake of reaching purification by knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path; purification by knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path is for the sake of reaching purification by knowledge and vision of the way; purification by knowledge and vision of the way is for the sake of reaching purification by knowledge and vision; purification by knowledge and vision is for the sake of reaching final Nibbāna without clinging. It is for the sake of final Nibbāna without clinging that the holy life is lived under the Blessed One.”
16. When this was said, the venerable Sāriputta asked the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta: “What is the venerable one’s name, and how do his companions in the holy life know the venerable one?”
“My name is Puṇṇa, friend, and my companions in the holy life know me as Mantāṇiputta.”
“It is wonderful, friend, it is marvellous! Each profound question has been answered, point by point, by the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta as a learned disciple who understands the Teacher’s Dispensation correctly. It is a gain for his companions in the holy life, it is a great gain for them that they have the opportunity to see and honour the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta. Even if it were by carrying the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta about on a cushion on their heads that his companions in the holy life would get the opportunity to see and honour him, it would be a gain for them, a great gain for them. And it is a gain for us, a great gain for us that we have the opportunity to see and honour the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta.”
17. When this was said, the venerable Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta asked the venerable Sāriputta: “What is the venerable one’s name, and how do his companions in the holy life know the ven erable one?”
“My name is Upatissa, friend, and my companions in the holy life know me as Sāriputta.”
“Indeed, friend, we did not know that we were talking with the venerable Sāriputta, the disciple who is like the Teacher himself. If we had known that this was the venerable Sāriputta, we should not have said so much. It is wonderful, friend, it is marvellous! Each profound question has been posed, point by point, by the venerable Sāriputta as a learned disciple who understands the Teacher’s Dispensation correctly. It is a gain for his companions in the holy life, it is a great gain for them that they have the opportunity to see and honour the venerable Sāriputta. Even if it were by carrying the venerable Sāriputta about on a cushion on their heads that his companions in the holy life would get the opportunity to see and honour him, it would be a gain for them, a great gain for them. And it is a gain for us, a great gain for us that we have the opportunity to see and honour the venerable Sāriputta.”
Thus it was that these two great beings rejoiced in each other’s good words.