Puṇṇiyasutta

Atha kho āyasmā puṇṇiyo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā puṇṇiyo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo yena appekadā tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti appekadā nappaṭibhātī”ti?

Then Venerable Puṇṇiya went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why sometimes the Realized One feels inspired to teach, and other times not?”

“Saddho ca, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu hoti, no ca upasaṅkamitā; neva tāva tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti. Yato ca kho, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu saddho ca hoti upasaṅkamitā ca, evaṁ tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.

“Puṇṇiya, when a mendicant has faith but doesn’t approach, the Realized One doesn’t feel inspired to teach. But when a mendicant has faith and approaches, the Realized One feels inspired to teach.

Saddho ca, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu hoti upasaṅkamitā ca, no ca payirupāsitā …pe… payirupāsitā ca, no ca paripucchitā … paripucchitā ca, no ca ohitasoto dhammaṁ suṇāti … ohitasoto ca dhammaṁ suṇāti, no ca sutvā dhammaṁ dhāreti … sutvā ca dhammaṁ dhāreti, no ca dhātānaṁ dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhati … dhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhati no ca atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti … atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno ca hoti, no ca kalyāṇavāco hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā … kalyāṇavāco ca hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā, no ca sandassako hoti samādapako samuttejako sampahaṁsako sabrahmacārīnaṁ, neva tāva tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti.

When a mendicant has faith and approaches, but doesn’t pay homage … they pay homage, but don’t ask questions … they ask questions, but don’t actively listen to the teaching … they actively listen to the teaching, but don’t remember the teaching they’ve heard … they remember the teaching they’ve heard, but don’t examine the meaning of the teachings they’ve remembered … they examine the meaning of the teachings they’ve remembered, but, not having understood the meaning and the teaching, they don’t practice in line with the principle of the teaching … they practice in line with the teaching, but they’re not a good speaker and do not enunciate well. Their voice is not polished, clear, articulate, and doesn’t express the meaning … They’re a good speaker who enunciates well, but they don’t educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. The Realized One doesn’t feel inspired to teach.

Yato ca kho, puṇṇiya, bhikkhu saddho ca hoti, upasaṅkamitā ca, payirupāsitā ca, paripucchitā ca, ohitasoto ca dhammaṁ suṇāti, sutvā ca dhammaṁ dhāreti, dhātānañca dhammānaṁ atthaṁ upaparikkhati, atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno ca hoti, kalyāṇavāco ca hoti kalyāṇavākkaraṇo poriyā vācāya samannāgato vissaṭṭhāya anelagaḷāya atthassa viññāpaniyā, sandassako ca hoti samādapako samuttejako sampahaṁsako sabrahmacārīnaṁ— evaṁ tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā paṭibhāti. Imehi kho, puṇṇiya, dasahi dhammehi samannāgatā ekantapaṭibhānā tathāgataṁ dhammadesanā hotī”ti. Tatiyaṁ.

But when a mendicant has faith, approaches, pays homage, asks questions, actively listens to the teachings, remembers the teachings, examines the meaning, practices in line with the principle of the teaching, has a good voice, and encourages their spiritual companions, the Realized One feels inspired to teach. When someone possesses these ten qualities, the Realized One feels totally inspired to teach.”