Samṛddhi’s Question (SA29)

Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī.

There was then a certain monk named Samṛddhi who came to visit the Buddha. He bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet and withdrew to stand to one side. He then said to the Buddha, “As the Bhagavān says ‘the teaching of a Dharma teacher,’ what’s called the teaching of a Dharma teacher?”

The Buddha asked the monk, “[Good, good!] Do you want now to know the meaning of ‘the teaching of a Dharma teacher’?”

The monk said to the Buddha, “Indeed, Bhagavān.”

The Buddha told the monk, “[Listen closely!] Listen closely, and consider it well. I will explain this for you. If a monk teaches disillusionment with form, being free of desire for it, and completely ceasing it, this is called the teaching of a Dharma teacher. Thus with feeling … conception … volition … awareness, he teaches disillusionment with awareness, being free of desire for it, and completely ceasing it. This is called the teaching of a Dharma teacher.”

When that monk heard what the Buddha taught, he celebrated and rejoiced. He then bowed and departed.

Summary Verse

[31] Well versed, [32] the well taught Dharma,
[33] Proceeding through principles, [34] nirvāṇa,
[35] And Samṛddhi’s question,
“What is the teaching of a Dharma teacher.”

This sūtra is part of the Dharma Pearls translation project.

Prepared by Charles Patton for SuttaCentral.