Verses on Dhamma 7.9.98_8

7.9.98_8

Punekadivasaṃ bhikkhū kathaṃ samuṭṭhāpesuṃ – ‘‘aho sāmaṇerassa lābho, aho puññaṃ, yena ekakena pañcannaṃ bhikkhusatānaṃ pañcakūṭāgārasatādīni katānī’’ti. Satthā āgantvā ‘‘kāya nuttha, bhikkhave, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā’’ti pucchitvā ‘‘imāya nāmā’’ti vutte, ‘‘bhikkhave, mayhaṃ puttassa neva puññaṃ atthi, na pāpaṃ, ubhayamassa pahīna’’nti vatvā brāhmaṇavagge imaṃ gāthamāha –

Again another day the monks began a discussion. “How great was the novice’s gain! How great was the merit through which one man was able to erect for five hundred monks five hundred pinnacled residences!” The Teacher came in and asked them, “Monks, what is it that you are sitting here now talking about?” When they told him, he said to them, “Monks, my son is attached neither to good nor to evil; he has renounced both.” So saying, he pronounced the following Stanza in the Brāhmaṇa Vagga,