Paṭhamadhammavihārīsutta

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “‘dhammavihārī, dhammavihārī’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhikkhu dhammavihārī hotī”ti?

Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, they speak of ‘one who lives by the teaching’. How is a mendicant who lives by the teaching defined?”

“Idha, bhikkhu, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti— suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. So tāya dhammapariyattiyā divasaṁ atināmeti, riñcati paṭisallānaṁ, nānuyuñjati ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu: ‘bhikkhu pariyattibahulo, no dhammavihārī’.

“Mendicant, take a mendicant who memorizes the teaching— statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. They spend too much time studying that teaching. They neglect retreat, and are not committed to internal serenity of heart. That mendicant is called one who studies a lot, not one who lives by the teaching.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhu, bhikkhu yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paresaṁ deseti. So tāya dhammapaññattiyā divasaṁ atināmeti, riñcati paṭisallānaṁ, nānuyuñjati ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu: ‘bhikkhu paññattibahulo, no dhammavihārī’.

Furthermore, a mendicant teaches Dhamma in detail to others as they learned and memorized it. They spend too much time advocating that teaching. They neglect retreat, and are not committed to internal serenity of heart. That mendicant is called one who advocates a lot, not one who lives by the teaching.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhu, bhikkhu yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karoti. So tena sajjhāyena divasaṁ atināmeti, riñcati paṭisallānaṁ, nānuyuñjati ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu: ‘bhikkhu sajjhāyabahulo, no dhammavihārī’.

Furthermore, a mendicant rehearses the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. They spend too much time reciting that teaching. They neglect retreat, and are not committed to internal serenity of heart. That mendicant is called one who rehearses a lot, not one who lives by the teaching.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhu, bhikkhu yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ cetasā anuvitakketi anuvicāreti manasānupekkhati. So tehi dhammavitakkehi divasaṁ atināmeti, riñcati paṭisallānaṁ, nānuyuñjati ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu: ‘bhikkhu vitakkabahulo, no dhammavihārī’.

Furthermore, a mendicant thinks about and considers the teaching in their heart, examining it with the mind as they learned and memorized it. They spend too much time thinking about that teaching. They neglect retreat, and are not committed to internal serenity of heart. That mendicant is called one who thinks a lot, not one who lives by the teaching.

Idha, bhikkhu, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti— suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. So tāya dhammapariyattiyā na divasaṁ atināmeti, nāpi riñcati paṭisallānaṁ, anuyuñjati ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, bhikkhu dhammavihārī hoti.

Take a mendicant who memorizes the teaching— statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. They don’t spend too much time studying that teaching. They don’t neglect retreat, and they’re committed to internal serenity of heart. That’s how a mendicant is one who lives by the teaching.

Iti kho, bhikkhu, desito mayā pariyattibahulo, desito paññattibahulo, desito sajjhāyabahulo, desito vitakkabahulo, desito dhammavihārī. Yaṁ kho, bhikkhu, satthārā karaṇīyaṁ sāvakānaṁ hitesinā anukampakena anukampaṁ upādāya, kataṁ vo taṁ mayā. Etāni, bhikkhu, rukkhamūlāni, etāni suññāgārāni. Jhāyatha, bhikkhu, mā pamādattha, mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha. Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī”ti. Tatiyaṁ.

So, mendicant, I’ve taught you the one who studies a lot, the one who advocates a lot, the one who rehearses a lot, the one who thinks a lot, and the one who lives by the teaching. Out of sympathy, I’ve done what a teacher should do who wants what’s best for their disciples. Here are these roots of trees, and here are these empty huts. Practice absorption, mendicant! Don’t be negligent! Don’t regret it later! This is my instruction to you.”