..續本文上一頁give up restlessness, lack of self-control and immorality. Being virtuous, he can give up disinterest in seeing noble ones, disinterest in listening to their teachings, and a fault-finding mentality. Not being a fault-finder, he can give up unmindfulness, lack of clear comprehension, and mental distraction. Having an undistracted mind, he can give up unwise attention, pursuit of wrong ways and mental lassitude. Being without mental lassitude, he can give up personality belief, skeptical doubt and clinging to rites and rituals. Being free from doubt, he can give up greed, hate and delusion. Having given up greed, hate and delusion, he can give up birth, old age and death."

　　— AN 10.76

　　28. A DISCRIMINATIVE TEACHING

　　Once the Blessed One was staying near Campaa, on the bank of the Gaggaraa lotus pond.

　　One day the householder Vajjiyamaahita[71] left Campaa at an early hour in order to see the Blessed One. Then he thought: "It is not the right time to visit the Blessed One, who will now be in seclusion. Nor is it the proper time to visit monks devoted to mind training; they, too, will be in seclusion. Let me now go to the park where the wandering ascetics of another persuasion stay."

　　When Vajjiyamaahita the householder arrived at the park, those wanderers of another persuasion were gathered there in company and, shouting and speaking loudly, they were sitting there engaged in perse kinds of low talk. But when they saw Vajjiyamaahita the householder approaching from afar, they admonished each other to be quiet, saying: "Make less noise, your reverences, and be quiet! Here the householder Vajjiyamaahita is coming, a disciple of the recluse Gotama. He is one of the white-clad lay disciples of the recluse Gotama who stays now at Campaa. These worthy ones do not like much noise, they are used to being noiseless and they praise noiselessness. Perhaps if Vajjiyamaahita sees our group to be quiet, he may think of coming here."

　　These wandering ascetics now kept silent. When the householder Vajjiyamaahita had arrived there, he exchanged polite greetings and friendly talk with them and sat down at one side. When he was seated, the wanderers asked him:

　　"Is it true, householder, what they say — that the recluse Gotama blames all asceticism and that he unreservedly condemns and reproves all ascetics who live a harsh austere life

　　"

　　"No, venerable sirs, the Blessed One does not blame all asceticism, nor does he unreservedly condemn and reprove all ascetics living a harsh austere life. What is blameworthy, the Blessed One blames; what is praiseworthy, he praises. By blaming what is blameworthy and praising what is praiseworthy, the Blessed One teaches with discrimination, he does not teach here in a one-sided way."[72]

　　At these words, a certain wanderer said this to the householder Vajjiyamaahita: "Wait a moment, householder! That recluse Gotama, whom you praise so much, is a nihilist,[73] and he is one who refrains from making (any definite) declarations."[74]

　　"About that, too, venerable sir, I shall speak to your reverences according to Dhamma.[75] The Blessed One, venerable sir, declares that some things are wholesome and that some things are unwholesome. The Blessed One, having thus declared what is wholesome and what is unwholesome, is in fact one who makes (definite) declarations. He is not a nihilist, nor one who refrains from making (definite) declarations."

　　At these words, the wanderers kept silent in their embarrassment, sitting there with slumping shoulders and heads lowered, brooding and unable to utter a word. When Vajjiyamaahita saw them in that condition, he rose from his seat and left to see the Blessed One. Having arrived, after saluting the Master, he told him of his conversation with these wanderers of another persuasion. A…

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