Visākhasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā visākho pañcālaputto upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāya. Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena upaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time Venerable Visākha, Pañcāli’s son, was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk. His words were polished, clear, articulate, expressing the meaning, comprehensive, and independent. Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the assembly hall. He sat down on the seat spread out, and addressed the mendicants:

“Ko nu kho, bhikkhave, upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā”ti? “Āyasmā, bhante, visākho pañcālaputto upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā”ti.

“Mendicants, who was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk?” “Sir, it was Venerable Visākha, Pañcāli’s son.”

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ visākhaṁ pañcālaputtaṁ etadavoca: “sādhu sādhu, visākha. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, visākha, bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyāti.

Then the Buddha said to Visākha, “Good, good, Visākha! It’s good that you educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, with words that are polished, clear, articulate, expressing the meaning, comprehensive, and independent.

Nābhāsamānaṁ jānanti, missaṁ bālehi paṇḍitaṁ; Bhāsamānañca jānanti, desentaṁ amataṁ padaṁ.

Though an astute person is mixed up with fools, they don’t know unless he speaks. But when he speaks they know, he’s teaching the state free of death.

Bhāsaye jotaye dhammaṁ, paggaṇhe isinaṁ dhajaṁ; Subhāsitadhajā isayo, dhammo hi isinaṁ dhajo”ti. Aṭṭhamaṁ.

He should speak and illustrate the teaching, holding up the banner of the seers. Words well spoken are the seers’ banner, for the teaching is the banner of the seers.”