Rare (EA19.10)

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in Śrāvastī, at Jetṛ’s Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. The the Exalted One said to the bhikkus:

“There are two persons whose appearance in the world is extremely rare. Which are the two? Exceedingly rare is the appearance in the world of a person that is able to set forth the Teaching, and equally rare is the appearance of someone who is able to listen to the Teaching, remember it and put it respectfully into practice. These are, monks, the two persons whose appearance in the world is extremely rare. On this account, monks, you should train to be expounders of the Teaching and also to be true listeners taking heed of the Teaching. Thus, O monks, you should train.”

After listening to the Buddha’s words, the monks were pleased and respectfully applied themselves to practice.

Translated from Sanskrit to Chinese by Dharmanandi.

Originally published as Ekottarikāgama XXIV, Buddhist Studies Review 15.2, 1998, pp. 205–212. Translated from the Chinese version by Thích Huyên-Vi in collaboration with Sara Boin-Webb and Bhikkhu Pāsādika. Used with kind permission of the Buddhist Studies Review and Bhikkhu Pāsādika.

Transcription by Nola Webb, 2014.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.