Dighanikaya 22.373_11

22.373_11

Porāṇakattherā kira piyadhammasavanā honti, saddaṃ sutvāva ‘‘ahaṃ paṭhamaṃ, ahaṃ paṭhama’’nti ekappahāreneva osaranti. Tasmiñca divase cūḷanāgattherassa vāro, tena dhammāsane nisīditvā bījaniṃ gahetvā pubbagāthāsu vuttāsu therassa āsanapiṭṭhiyaṃ ṭhitassa etadahosi – ‘‘raho nisīditvā na vakkhāmī’’ti. Porāṇakattherā hi anusūyakā honti. Na attano rucimeva ucchubhāraṃ viya evaṃ ukkhipitvā vicaranti, kāraṇameva gaṇhanti, akāraṇaṃ vissajjenti. Tasmā thero ‘‘āvuso, cūḷanāgā’’ti āha. So ācariyassa viya saddoti dhammaṃ ṭhapetvā ‘‘kiṃ bhante’’ti āha. Āvuso, cūḷanāga, mayā vutto missakamaggo na labbhati, tayā vutto pubbabhāgasatipaṭṭhānamaggova labbhatīti. Thero cintesi – ‘‘amhākaṃ ācariyo sabbapariyattiko tepiṭako sutabuddho, evarūpassāpi nāma bhikkhuno ayaṃ pañho āluḷeti, anāgate mama bhātikā imaṃ pañhaṃ āluḷessantīti suttaṃ gahetvā imaṃ pañhaṃ niccalaṃ karissāmī’’ti paṭisambhidāmaggato ‘‘ekāyanamaggo vuccati pubbabhāgasatipaṭṭhānamaggo’’.

The theras of old, they say, were lovers of hearing the Dhamma; as soon as they heard the sound, they assembled all at once, saying, 'I first! I first!' And on that day it was the turn of the thera Cūḷanāga. When he sat on the Dhamma seat, took the fan, and recited the preliminary verses, it occurred to the elder standing at the back of the seat: 'I will not speak having sat down in secret.' For the theras of old were free from envy. They did not go about upholding their own preference like a bundle of sugar cane; they accepted reason alone and rejected what was without reason. Therefore the elder said: 'Friend Cūḷanāga.' He, recognizing the voice as that of his teacher, set aside the Dhamma and said: 'What is it, venerable sir?' 'Friend Cūḷanāga, the mixed path spoken of by me is not admissible; only the preliminary path of mindfulness meditation spoken of by you is admissible.' The thera thought: 'Our teacher is master of all the scriptures, a Tipiṭaka expert, one who has awakened through learning; yet even for a monk of such a kind this question is perplexing. In the future, my brothers will be perplexed by this question. Taking a sutta, I will settle this question.' [And he cited] from the Paṭisambhidāmagga: 'The ekāyana path is called the preliminary path of mindfulness meditation.'