Esteem (UD2.4)

Heartfelt Sayings 2.4

Esteem

So I have heard.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Now at that time the Buddha was honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And he received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.

And the mendicant Saṅgha was also honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And they received robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.

But the wanderers who followed other religions were not honored, respected, revered, venerated, and esteemed. And they didn’t receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.

Then those wanderers who followed other religions, unable to bear the esteem of the mendicant Saṅgha, abused, attacked, harassed, and troubled the mendicants in the village and the wilderness.

Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“When struck by pleasure and pain in the village or wilderness,

regard it not as self or alien.¹

Contacts strike because of attachment;

how would contacts strike one free of attachment?”