I have heard that at one time the Blessed One was staying near Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Sanctuary.
Then Prince Abhaya went to see Nigantha Nataputta and when he arrived, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, Nigantha Nataputta said to him, “Come, now, prince. Defeat Gotama the monk in debate, and you will become famous far and wide, it will be said about you: ‘The words of Gotama the contemplative — so mighty, so powerful — were overturned by Prince Abhaya!'”
“But sir, how could I defeat Gotama the monk in a debate? – for indeed he is mighty and powerful!”
“Come now, prince. Go to Gotama the monk and ask him this question: ‘Venerable sir, would the Tathagata speak words that are unpleasant and disagreeable for others to hear?’
If Gotama the monk, when asked this question, answers,
‘The Tathagata would speak words that are unpleasant & disagreeable for others to hear,’
Then you should say, ‘Then how is there any difference between you, venerable sir, and ordinary people? For ordinary people too often speak words that are unpleasant & disagreeable for others to hear.’
But if he answers ‘The Tathagata would not speak words that are unpleasant & disagreeable for others to hear,’ then you should say, ‘Then how, sir, did you say about Devadatta that “Devadatta is headed for destruction, Devadatta is headed for hell, Devadatta will boil for an eon, Devadatta is beyond correction“? For Devadatta was upset & unhappy at those words of yours.’
When Gotama the monk is asked this double-edged question by you, he won’t be able to swallow it down or spit it up. Just as if a two-horned chestnut[1] were stuck in a man’s throat: he would not be able to swallow it down or spit it up. In the same way, when Gotama the contemplative is asked this double-edged question by you, he won’t be able to swallow it down or spit it up.”
Answering, “As you say, venerable sir,” Prince Abhaya got up from his seat, bowed down to Nigantha Nataputta, walked around him, and then went to see the Blessed One.
When he arrived, he bowed down to the Blessed One and sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he looked quickly up at the sun and thought, “Today is not the time to debate with the Blessed One. Tomorrow in my own home I will defeat the Blessed One in debate.”
So he said to the Blessed One, “Please, I would like to invite the Blessed one to a meal at my house tomorrow, and three others with him. May the Blessed One accept my offer.”
The Blessed One accepted with silence.
Then Prince Abhaya, understanding that the Blessed One had accepted, got up from his seat, bowed down to the Blessed One, walked around him, and left.
Then, after the night had passed, the Blessed One early in the morning put on his robes and, carrying his bowl and outer robe, went to Prince Abhaya’s home. On arrival, he sat down on a seat that had already been prepared.
Prince Abhaya, with his own hand, served the Blessed One with delicious and fine foods. Then, when the Blessed One had eaten and had removed his hand from his bowl, Prince Abhaya took a lower seat and sat to one side.
As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, Venerable sir, would the Tathagata speak words that are unpleasant and disagreeable for others to hear?”
“Prince, there is no simple yes-or-no answer to that.”
“Then right here, sir, the Niganthas are defeated.”
“Prince, why do you say that the Niganthas are defeated?”
“Just yesterday, sir, I went to Nigantha Nataputta and he told me to ask you this question that I have just asked. He told me that if you should say yes to this question, I should say that then, you were just like ordinary people, and that if you should say no, I should argue by bringing up the fact that Devadatta was unhappy and troubled by what you had said about him. And so he said that this was a double edged question which could neither be swallowed nor spat out, like a two-horned chestnut.”
Now, as they were speaking, Prince Abhaya was holding a baby boy on his lap. So the Blessed One said to the prince, “What do you think, prince: if, through your own carelessness or the carelessness of his nurse, this young boy were to take a stick or a stone into his mouth, what would you do?”
“I would take it out, sir. If I couldn’t take it out easily, t hen, holding his head in my left hand and hooking it with the finger of my right hand, I would get it out, even if it meant drawing blood. Why? Out of care for the young boy.”
In the same way, prince,
- In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be not true, not useful, unpleasant and disagreeable to others, he does not say them.
- In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be true and fact, but not useful, unpleasant and disagreeable to others, he does not say them.
- In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be true and useful, but unpleasant and disagreeable for others to hear, he will know what is the proper time for speaking them.
- In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be untrue and not useful, but pleasant and agreeable for others to hear, he does not say them.
- In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be true, but not useful, and pleasant and agreeable for others to hear, he does not say them.
- In the case of words that the Tathagata knows to be true, useful, and pleasant and agreeable for others to hear,he will know what is the proper time for speaking them.
Why is that? Out of care and compassion for living beings.”
“Venerable sir, when wise men or brahmans, householders or monks, having come up with a question, come to the Tathagata and ask him, is it the case that he has already planned an answer; for example, does he say to himself, “If those who come and see me ask me this, I will answer in this way,” – or does the Tathagata know what to answer at the moment he is asked?”
“In that case, prince, I will ask you a counter-question. Answer as you see it is. What do you think: are you skilled and knowledgeable in the parts of a chariot?”
“Yes, venerable sir. I am skilled and knowledgable in the parts of a chariot.”
“And what do you think: When people come & ask you, ‘What is the name of this part of the chariot?’ is it the case that you have already planned an answer; saying to yourself, “If those who come and see me ask me this, I will answer in this way,” – or do you know the answer the moment you are asked?
“Venerable sir, I am well-known for being skilled and knowledgable in the parts of a chariot. All the parts of a chariot are well-known to me. I do not need to plan such answers beforehand, I know the answer the moment I am asked.“
“In the same way, prince, when wise men or brahmans, householders or monks, having come up with a question, come to the Tathagata and ask him their questions, the Tathagata know what to answer at the moment he is asked. Why is that? Because the Dhamma is completely known and understood by the Tathagata. From his complete knowledge and understanding of the Dhamma, he knows what to answer the moment he is asked.”
When this was said, Prince Abhaya said to the Blessed One: Magnificent, venerable sir! Magnificent! It is as if he has turned the right way up what was upside down, as if he has shown clearly what was hidden, as if he has pointed the way to one who was lost, or as if he has carried a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see – it is in this way that the Blessed One has made the Dhamma clear to me in many ways. I go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma for refuge, and to the Sangha of monks for refuge. May the Blessed One know me as lay followers who has gone to him for refuge, from this day forward, for life.”
Notes
1.
A two-horned chestnut is the nut of a tree (Trapa bicornis) growing in south and southeast Asia. Its shell looks like the head of a water buffalo, with two nasty, curved “horns” sticking out of either side.