Thus have I heard:

At one time the Lord was staying near Nādikā in the brick hall. Now at that time the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila were staying in a grove in the Gosiṅga sāl-wood. Then the Lord, emerging from solitary meditation towards evening, approached that grove in the Gosiṅga sāl-wood. The keeper of the grove saw the Lord coming from a distance; and seeing him, he spoke thus to the Lord: “Do not, recluse, enter this grove; there are three young men of family staying here desiring Self; do not cause them discomfort.” The venerable Anuruddha heard the keeper of the grove conferring with the Lord; having heard, he spoke thus to the keeper of the grove: “Do not, good grove-keeper, impede the Lord. It is our teacher, the Lord, who is arriving.”

Then the venerable Anuruddha approached the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila; having approached, he spoke thus to the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila: “Go forward, venerable ones, go forward, venerable ones; our teacher, the Lord is arriving.” Then the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila, having gone out to meet the Lord, one received his bowl and robe, one made ready a seat, one set out water for (washing) the feet. Then the Lord sat down on the seat made ready; as he was sitting down the Lord bathed his feet. Then these venerable ones, having greeted the Lord, sat down at a respectful distance.

As the venerable Anuruddha was sitting down at a respectful distance, the Lord spoke thus to him:

“I hope that things are going well with you, Anuruddha, I hope you are keeping going, I hope you are not short of almsfood?”

“Things are going well, Lord, we are keeping going, Lord, and, Lord, we are not short of almsfood.”

“I hope that you, Anuruddha, are living all together on friendly terms and harmonious, as milk and water blend, regarding one another with the eye of affection?”

“Yes, certainly, Lord, we are living all together on friendly terms and harmonious, as milk and water blend, regarding one another with the eye of affection.”

“And how is it that you, Anuruddha, are living all together on friendly terms and harmonious, as milk and water blend, regarding one another with the eye of affection?”

“As to this, Lord, it occurred to me: ‘Indeed it is a gain for me, indeed it is well gotten by me, that I am living with such fellow Brahma-farers.’ On account of this, Lord, for these venerable ones friendliness as to acts of body, whether openly or in private, has risen up in me, friendliness as to acts of speech, whether openly or in private, has risen up in me, friendliness as to acts of thought, whether openly or in private, has risen up in me. Because of this, Lord, it occurred to me: ‘Now, suppose that I, having surrendered my own mind, should live only according to the mind of these venerable ones?’ So I, Lord, having surrendered my own mind, am living only according to the mind of these venerable ones. Lord, we have divers bodies, but assuredly only one mind.”

And the venerable Nandiya too spoke thus to the Lord: “As to this, Lord, it occurred to me: ‘Indeed it is a gain for me, indeed it is well gotten by me, that I am living with such fellow Brahma-farers.’ On account of this, Lord, for these venerable ones friendliness as to acts of body, whether openly or in private, has risen up in me, friendliness as to acts of speech, whether openly or in private, has risen up in me, friendliness as to acts of thought, whether openly or in private, has risen up in me. Because of this, Lord, it occurred to me: ‘Now, suppose that I, having surrendered my own mind, should live only according to the mind of these venerable ones?’ So I, Lord, having surrendered my own mind, am living only according to the mind of these venerable ones. Lord, we have divers bodies, but assuredly only one mind.”

And the venerable Kimbila too spoke thus to the Lord: “As to this, Lord, it occurred to me: ‘Indeed it is a gain for me, indeed it is well gotten by me, that I am living with such fellow Brahma-farers.’ On account of this, Lord, for these venerable ones friendliness as to acts of body, whether openly or in private, has risen up in me, friendliness as to acts of speech, whether openly or in private, has risen up in me, friendliness as to acts of thought, whether openly or in private, has risen up in me. Because of this, Lord, it occurred to me: ‘Now, suppose that I, having surrendered my own mind, should live only according to the mind of these venerable ones?’ So I, Lord, having surrendered my own mind, am living only according to the mind of these venerable ones. Lord, we have divers bodies, but assuredly only one mind.”

“Thus it is that we, Lord, are living all together on friendlyterms and harmonious, as milk and water blend, regarding one another with the eye of affection.”

“It is good, Anuruddha, it is good. And I hope that you, Anuruddha, are living diligent, ardent, self-resolute?”

“Yes, certainly, Lord, we are living diligent, ardent, self-resolute.”

“And how is it that you, Anuruddha, are living diligent, ardent, self-resolute?”

“As to this, Lord, whichever of us returns first from (going to) a village for almsfood, he makes ready a seat, he sets out water for drinking and water for washing (the feet), he sets out a refuse-bowl. Whoever returns last from (going to) a village for almsfood, if there are the remains of a meal and if he so desires, he eats them; if he does not desire to do so, he throws them out where there are no crops or drops them into water where there are no living creatures; he puts up the seat, he puts away the water for drinking and the water for washing, he puts away the refuse-bowl, he sweeps the refectory. Whoever sees a vessel for drinking water or a vessel for washing water or a vessel (for water) for rinsing after evacuation, void and empty, he sets out (water). If it is impossible for him (to do this) by a movement of his hand, having invited a companion to help us by signalling (to him) with the hand, we set out (the water); but we do not, Lord, for such a reason, break into speech. And then we, Lord, once in every five nights sit down together for talk on Dhamma. It is thus, Lord, that we are dwelling diligent, ardent, self-resolute.”

“It is good, Anuruddha, it is good. But have you, Anuruddha, thus living diligent, ardent, self-resolute, attained states of further-men, the excellent knowledge and insight befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort?”

“How could that not be, Lord? For here we, Lord, for as long as we like, aloof from pleasures of the senses, aloof from unskilled states of mind, entering on the first meditation which is accompanied by initial thought and discursive thought, is born of aloofness, and is rapturous and joyful, abide therein. This, Lord, is for us a state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and insight befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort reached while we are dwelling diligent, ardent, self-resolute.”

“It is good, Anuruddha, it is good. But did you, Anuruddha, by passing quite beyond this abiding, by allaying this abiding, reach another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort?”

“How could that not be, Lord? Here we, Lord, for as long as we like, by allaying initial thought and discursive thought, with the mind subjectively tranquillised and fixed on one point, enter into and abide in the second meditation which is devoid of initial and discursive thought, is born of concentration, and is rapturous and joyful. By passing quite beyond that abiding, Lord, by allaying that abiding, another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort, is reached.”

“It is good, Anuruddha, it is good. But did you, Anuruddha, by passing quite beyond this abiding, by allaying this abiding, reach another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort?”

“How could that not be, Lord? Here we, Lord, for as long as we like, by the fading out of rapture, dwell with equanimity, attentive and clearly conscious; and experience in our persons that joy of which the ariyans say: ‘Joyful lives he who has equanimity and is mindful,’ and we enter into and abide in the third meditation. By passing quite beyond that abiding, Lord, by allaying that abiding, another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort, is reached.”

“It is good, Anuruddha, it is good. But did you, Anuruddha, by passing quite beyond this abiding, by allaying this abiding, reach another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort?”

“How could that not be, Lord? Here we, Lord, for as long as we like, by getting rid of joy, by getting rid of anguish, by the going down of our former pleasures and sorrows, enter into and abide in the fourth meditation which has neither anguish nor joy, and which is entirely purified by equanimity and mindfulness. By passing quite beyond that abiding, Lord, by allaying that abiding, another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort, is reached.”

“It is good, Anuruddha, it is good. But did you, Anuruddha, by passing quite beyond this abiding, by allaying this abiding, reach another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort?”

“How could that not be, Lord? Here we, Lord, for as long as we like, by passing quite beyond all perception of material shapes, by the going down of perception of sensory reactions, by not attending to perception of variety, thinking, ‘Ether is unending,’ entering on the plane of infinite ether, abide in it. By passing quite beyond that abiding, Lord, by allaying that abiding, another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort, is reached.”

“It is good, Anuruddha, it is good. But did you, Anuruddha, by passing quite beyond this abiding, by allaying this abiding, reach another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort?”

“How could that not be, Lord? Here we, Lord, for as long as we like, by passing quite beyond the plane of infinite ether, thinking, ‘Consciousness is unending,’ entering on the plane of infinite consciousness, abide in it. By passing quite beyond that abiding, Lord, by allaying that abiding, another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort, is reached.”

“It is good, Anuruddha, it is good. But did you, Anuruddha, by passing quite beyond this abiding, by allaying this abiding, reach another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort?”

“How could that not be, Lord? Here we, Lord, for as long as we like, by passing quite beyond the plane of infinite consciousness, thinking, ‘There is not anything,’ entering on the plane of no-thing, abide in it. By passing quite beyond that abiding, Lord, by allaying that abiding, another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort, is reached.”

“It is good, Anuruddha, it is good. But did you, Anuruddha, by passing quite beyond this abiding, by allaying this abiding, reach another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort?”

“How could that not be, Lord? Here we, Lord, for as long as we like, by passing quite beyond the plane of no-thing, entering on the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, we abide in it. By passing quite beyond that abiding, Lord, by allaying that abiding, another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort, is reached.”

“It is good, Anuruddha, it is good. But did you, Anuruddha, by passing quite beyond this abiding, by allaying this abiding, reach another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort?”

“How could that not be, Lord? Here we, Lord, for as long as we like, by passing quite beyond the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, entering on the stopping of perception and feeling, abide in it, and having seen through intuitive wisdom, our cankers come to be utterly destroyed. By passing quite beyond that abiding, Lord, by allaying that abiding, another state of further-men, an excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans, an abiding in comfort, is reached. But we, Lord, do not behold another abiding in comfort that is higher or more excellent than this abiding in comfort,”

“It is good, Anuruddha, it is good. There is no other abiding in comfort that is higher or more excellent than this abiding in comfort.”

Then the Lord, having gladdened, roused, incited, delighted thevenerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila with talk on Dhamma, rising from his seat, departed.

Then when the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila, having escorted the Lord, had turned back again from there, the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila spoke thus to the venerable Anuruddha: “Now, did we ever speak thus to the venerable Anuruddha: ‘We are acquirers of this or that attainment in abiding,’ in virtue of which the venerable Anuruddha when face to face with the Lord, made this known of us up to the destruction of the cankers?”

“The venerable ones have not said to me: ‘We are acquirers of this and that attainment in abiding.’ But by my mind the minds of the venerable ones are known to me, to the effect that the venerable ones are acquirers of this and that attainment in abiding. And devatās also told me this matter: ‘These venerable ones are acquirers of this and that attainment in abiding.’ It is in this way that the questions put by the Lord were answered.”

Then Dīgha Parajana, a yakkha, approached the Lord; having approached, having greeted the Lord, he sat down at a respectful distance. As he was sitting down at a respectful distance, Dīgha Parajana, the yakkha, spoke thus to the Lord: “Indeed, it is profitable, Lord, for the Vajjis, it is well-gotten and profitable for the Vajji people that the Tathāgata is staying (here), the perfected one, the fully Self-awakened One, and these three young men of family: the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila.”

The earth-devas, having heard the sound of Dīgha Parajana, the yakkha, made this sound heard: “Indeed, it is profitable, Lord, for the Vajjis, it is well-gotten and profitable for the Vajji people that the Tathāgata is staying (here), the perfected one, the fully Self-awakened One, and these three young men of family: the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila.”

The four great Regent devas having heard the sound of the earth-devas, made this sound heard: “Indeed, it is profitable, Lord, for the Vajjis, it is well-gotten and profitable for the Vajji people that the Tathāgata is staying (here), the perfected one, the fully Self-awakened One, and these three young men of family: the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila.”

The devas of the Thirty-three, having heard the sound of the four great Regent devas, made this sound heard: “Indeed, it is profitable, Lord, for the Vajjis, it is well-gotten and profitable for the Vajji people that the Tathāgata is staying (here), the perfected one, the fully Self-awakened One, and these three young men of family: the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila.”

The Yama devas, having heard the sound of the four great Regent devas, made this sound heard: “Indeed, it is profitable, Lord, for the Vajjis, it is well-gotten and profitable for the Vajji people that the Tathāgata is staying (here), the perfected one, the fully Self-awakened One, and these three young men of family: the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila.”

The Happy devas, having heard the sound of the Yama devas, made this sound heard: “Indeed, it is profitable, Lord, for the Vajjis, it is well-gotten and profitable for the Vajji people that the Tathāgata is staying (here), the perfected one, the fully Self-awakened One, and these three young men of family: the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila.”

The devas who delight in creation, having heard the sound of the Happy devas, made this sound heard: “Indeed, it is profitable, Lord, for the Vajjis, it is well-gotten and profitable for the Vajji people that the Tathāgata is staying (here), the perfected one, the fully Self-awakened One, and these three young men of family: the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila.”

The devas who have power over the creation of others, having heard the sound of the devas who delight in creation, made this sound heard: “Indeed, it is profitable, Lord, for the Vajjis, it is well-gotten and profitable for the Vajji people that the Tathāgata is staying (here), the perfected one, the fully Self-awakened One, and these three young men of family: the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila.”

The devas in the retinue of Brahmā, having heard the sound of the devas who have power over the creations of others, made this sound heard: “Indeed, it is profitable, Lord, for the Vajjis, it is well-gotten and profitable for the Vajji people that the Tathāgata is staying (here), the perfected one,the fully Self-awakened One, and these three young men of family: the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila.” Thus in this moment, in this second, these venerable ones became known as far as the Brahma-world.

“That is so, Dīgha, that is so, Dīgha. If, Dīgha, that family from which these three young men of family have gone forth from home into homelessness were to remember these three young men of family with a believing mind, then for a long time would there be welfare and happiness for that family.

If, Dīgha, that group of families from which these three young men of family have gone forth from home into homelessness were to remember these three young men of family with a believing mind, then for a long time would there be welfare and happiness for that family.

If, Dīgha, that village from which these three young men of family have gone forth from home into homelessness were to remember these three young men of family with a believing mind, then for a long time would there be welfare and happiness for that family.

If, Dīgha, that little town from which these three young men of family have gone forth from home into homelessness were to remember these three young men of family with a believing mind, then for a long time would there be welfare and happiness for that family.

If, Dīgha, that town from which these three young men of family have gone forth from home into homelessness were to remember these three young men of family with a believing mind, then for a long time would there be welfare and happiness for that family.

If, Dīgha, that district from which these three young men of family have gone forth from home into homelessness were to remember these three young men of family with a believing mind, then for a long time would there be welfare and happiness for that family.

If, Dīgha, all nobles were to remember these three young men of family with a believing mind, then for a long time would there be welfare and happiness for that family.

If, Dīgha, all brahmans were to remember these three young men of family with a believing mind, then for a long time would there be welfare and happiness for that family.

If, Dīgha, all merchants were to remember these three young men of family with a believing mind, then for a long time would there be welfare and happiness for that family.

If, Dīgha, all workers, were to remember these three young men of family with a believing mind, then for a long time would there be welfare and happiness for that family.

And if, Dīgha, the world with its devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, if creation with recluses and brahmans, with devas and men, were to remember these three young men of family with a believing mind, then for a long time would there be welfare and happiness for the world with its devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, if creation with recluses and brahmans, with devas and men.

See, Dīgha, how these three young men of family are faring along for the welfare of the manyfolk, for the happiness of the manyfolk, out of compassion for the world, for the good, the welfare, the happiness of devas and men.”

Thus spoke the Lord. Delighted, Dīgha Parajana the yakkha, rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Lesser Discourse in Gosiṅga: The First