Visākhasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā visākho pañcālaputto upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāya.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. 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.

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena upaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “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.

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: “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 āmantesi: “sādhu sādhu, visākha, sādhu kho tvaṁ, visākha, bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi …pe… atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā”ti.

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.”

Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“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. Sattamaṁ.

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.”