Visākha preaches well (SA-2.8)

Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, the Anāthapiṇḍika Park.

At that time the renunciant Visākha, son of Pañcāla, had assembled a number of monks in the Dhamma hall and preached the Dhamma for them. His words were perfect and what he said was flawless. He was able to delight and comfort his audience, letting them listen without getting bored, and understand his meaning right away. The monks, on hearing him, were so happy they could hardly sit still; they listened whole-heartedly, reverently, with undivided attention they listened to him teaching the Dhamma. He spoke not in order to gain offerings or fame. His arguments were compelling and far-reaching, and he caused his listeners to remember well what he had said.

At that time a great number of people heard him teaching in this way. A number of monks went to the Buddha, paid homage at his feet and stood to one side. They told the Buddha: “World-honored One! The monk Visākha, son of Pañcāla, preaches to a large number of people in the Dhamma hall, not in order to gain offerings nor to acquire fame. His arguments are compelling and far-reaching. He is able to make his listeners remember what he says and not forget it.” The Buddha told the monks: “Go and and call this Visākha, son of Pañcāla.” Having received the order, the monks went to summon Visākha. When he received the summons, he went to the Buddha, paid homage at his feet and sat to one side. The Buddha asked Visākha: “Is it true that you assemble the monks and preach Dhamma to them and that they listen whole-heartedly? Is this a fact?” Visākha answered: “It is true.” Then the Buddha praised him: “Very good, very good, Visākha. You assembled the monks in the Dhamma hall, preached the Dhamma for them, and not in order to gain offerings or fame. Your words were perfect, the listeners delighted and you reached their hearts. From now on keep on teaching the Dhamma in this way, generously for their benefit. And you, monks, no matter if many of you are gathered in one place or only a few, you should practise two things: First, you should talk about the principles of Dhamma. Second, if you have nothing to say about the Dhamma, be silent. Do not discuss all kinds of secular topics. Now, do not make light of this silence; silence has great benefits.”

At that time the Buddha spoke a verse:

“Gathered in a crowd /
the foolish and the wise are mixed together.
If nothing is said /
the difference between them cannot be known.
If something is said /
then the difference can be told.

This is why you now /
should talk about the principles of the Dhamma;
let the flame of the Dhamma burn brightly /
hoist the banner of the sage:

all Arahats /
take the wondrous Dhamma as their banner
all sages /
take well-spoken speech as their banner.”

When the Buddha had finished speaking, the monks, having listened to what he had said, were happy and remembered it well.

Translation by Marcus Bingenheimer, 2005–8 (minor revisions 2009). First version published in Buddhist Studies Review vol. 23.1 (2006). The translations used here were revised by the translator and published in his Studies in Āgama Literature—with Special Reference to the Shorter Chinese Saṁyuktāgama, Dharma Drum Buddhist College, 2010.

Translated from the Taishō text of the CBETA-Database (Version Feb. 2006). All sutta titles added by the translator.

This series of translations were part of the project “A Digital Comparative Edition of the Bieyi za ahan jing” conducted at the Chung-hwa Institute for Buddhist Studies (中華佛學研究所) and the Dharma Drum Buddhist College (法鼓佛教研修學院), funded by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange (蔣經國國際學術交流基金會). The full project, including parallel Chinese, Pali, and Sanskrit texts, is available online here.

Used with kind permission of the translator.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.