Topics of Discussion (1st)Paṭhamakathāvatthusutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Now at that time, after the meal, on return from almsround, several mendicants sat together in the assembly hall. They engaged in all kinds of low talk, such asTena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ sannisinnā sannipatitā anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā viharanti, seyyathidaṁ— talk about kings, bandits, and chief ministers; talk about armies, threats, and wars; talk about food, drink, clothes, and beds; talk about garlands and fragrances; talk about family, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries; talk about women and heroes; street talk and well talk; talk about the departed; motley talk; tales of land and sea; and talk about being reborn in this or that place.rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ mahāmattakathaṁ senākathaṁ bhayakathaṁ yuddhakathaṁ annakathaṁ pānakathaṁ vatthakathaṁ sayanakathaṁ mālākathaṁ gandhakathaṁ ñātikathaṁ yānakathaṁ gāmakathaṁ nigamakathaṁ nagarakathaṁ janapadakathaṁ itthikathaṁ sūrakathaṁ visikhākathaṁ kumbhaṭṭhānakathaṁ pubbapetakathaṁ nānattakathaṁ lokakkhāyikaṁ samuddakkhāyikaṁ itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vāti.

Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the assembly hall, where he sat down on the seat spread outAtha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena upaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. and addressed the mendicants:Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “Mendicants, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?”“kāya nuttha, bhikkhave, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā sannipatitā, kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā”ti?

And they told him what had happened.“Idha mayaṁ, bhante, pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ sannisinnā sannipatitā anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā viharāma, seyyathidaṁ—

“Mendicants, it is not appropriate for you gentlemen who have gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness to engage in these kinds of low talk.“Na kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, tumhākaṁ patirūpaṁ kulaputtānaṁ saddhāya agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitānaṁ, yaṁ tumhe anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā vihareyyātha, seyyathidaṁ—

There are, mendicants, these ten topics of discussion.Dasayimāni, bhikkhave, kathāvatthūni. What ten?Katamāni dasa? Talk about fewness of wishes, contentment, seclusion, aloofness, arousing energy, ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and the knowledge and vision of freedom.Appicchakathā, santuṭṭhikathā, pavivekakathā, asaṁsaggakathā, vīriyārambhakathā, sīlakathā, samādhikathā, paññākathā, vimuttikathā, vimuttiñāṇadassanakathāti— These are the ten topics of discussion.imāni kho, bhikkhave, dasa kathāvatthūni.

Mendicants, if you bring up these topics of conversation again and again then your glory could surpass even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful, let alone the wanderers of other religions.”Imesañce tumhe, bhikkhave, dasannaṁ kathāvatthūnaṁ upādāyupādāya kathaṁ katheyyātha, imesampi candimasūriyānaṁ evaṁmahiddhikānaṁ evaṁmahānubhāvānaṁ tejasā tejaṁ pariyādiyeyyātha, ko pana vādo aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānan”ti.