Udāyīsutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā udāyī mahatiyā gihiparisāya parivuto dhammaṁ desento nisinno hoti. Addasā kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ mahatiyā gihiparisāya parivutaṁ dhammaṁ desentaṁ nisinnaṁ. Disvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “āyasmā, bhante, udāyī mahatiyā gihiparisāya parivuto dhammaṁ desetī”ti.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery. Now, at that time Venerable Udāyī was sitting teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly of laypeople. Seeing this, Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, Venerable Udāyī is teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly of laypeople.”

“Na kho, ānanda, sukaraṁ paresaṁ dhammaṁ desetuṁ. Paresaṁ, ānanda, dhammaṁ desentena pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetvā paresaṁ dhammo desetabbo. Katame pañca? ‘Anupubbiṁ kathaṁ kathessāmī’ti paresaṁ dhammo desetabbo; ‘pariyāyadassāvī kathaṁ kathessāmī’ti paresaṁ dhammo desetabbo; ‘anuddayataṁ paṭicca kathaṁ kathessāmī’ti paresaṁ dhammo desetabbo; ‘na āmisantaro kathaṁ kathessāmī’ti paresaṁ dhammo desetabbo; ‘attānañca parañca anupahacca kathaṁ kathessāmī’ti paresaṁ dhammo desetabbo. Na kho, ānanda, sukaraṁ paresaṁ dhammaṁ desetuṁ. Paresaṁ, ānanda, dhammaṁ desentena ime pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetvā paresaṁ dhammo desetabbo”ti. Navamaṁ.

“Ānanda, it’s not easy to teach Dhamma to others. You should establish five things in yourself before teaching Dhamma to others. What five? You should teach Dhamma to others thinking: ‘I will teach step by step.’ … ‘I will teach showing my method.’ … ‘I will teach out of kindness.’ … ‘I will not teach while secretly hoping to profit.’ … ‘I will teach without damaging myself or others.’ It’s not easy to teach Dhamma to others. You should establish these five things in yourself before teaching Dhamma to others.”