With VassakāraVassakārasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

Then Vassakāra the brahmin, a chief minister of Magadha, went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.Atha kho vassakāro brāhmaṇo magadhamahāmatto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vassakāro brāhmaṇo magadhamahāmatto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Worthy Gotama, could an untrue person know of an untrue person:“Jāneyya nu kho, bho gotama, asappuriso asappurisaṁ: ‘This worthy one is an untrue person’?”‘asappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti?

“That’s impossible, brahmin, it can’t happen.”“Aṭṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, anavakāso yaṁ asappuriso asappurisaṁ jāneyya:

“Could an untrue person know of a true person:“Jāneyya pana, bho gotama, asappuriso sappurisaṁ: ‘This worthy one is a true person’?”‘sappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti?

“That too is impossible, it can’t happen.”“Etampi kho, brāhmaṇa, aṭṭhānaṁ anavakāso yaṁ asappuriso sappurisaṁ jāneyya:

“Worthy Gotama, could a true person know of a true person:“Jāneyya nu kho, bho gotama, sappuriso sappurisaṁ: ‘This worthy one is a true person’?”‘sappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti?

“That, brahmin, is possible.”“Ṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, vijjati yaṁ sappuriso sappurisaṁ jāneyya:

“Could a true person know of an untrue person:“Jāneyya pana, bho gotama, sappuriso asappurisaṁ: ‘This worthy one is an untrue person’?”‘asappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti?

“That too is possible.”“Etampi kho, brāhmaṇa, ṭhānaṁ vijjati yaṁ sappuriso asappurisaṁ jāneyya:

“It’s incredible, worthy Gotama, it’s amazing,“Acchariyaṁ, bho gotama, abbhutaṁ, bho gotama. how well said this was by the worthy Gotama:Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ bhotā gotamena: ‘It’s impossible, it can’t happen, that an untrue person could know …‘aṭṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, anavakāso yaṁ asappuriso asappurisaṁ jāneyya— But it is possible that a true person could know …’Ṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, vijjati yaṁ sappuriso sappurisaṁ jāneyya—

Once, members of the brahmin Todeyya’s assembly were going on complaining about others:Ekamidaṁ, bho gotama, samayaṁ todeyyassa brāhmaṇassa parisati parūpārambhaṁ vattenti: ‘This King Eḷeyya is a fool to be so devoted to the ascetic Rāmaputta. He even shows him the utmost deference by bowing down to him, rising up for him, greeting him with cupped palms, and observing proper etiquette for him.‘bālo ayaṁ rājā eḷeyyo samaṇe rāmaputte abhippasanno, samaṇe ca pana rāmaputte evarūpaṁ paramanipaccakāraṁ karoti, yadidaṁ abhivādanaṁ paccuṭṭhānaṁ añjalikammaṁ sāmīcikammanti. And these king’s men are fools too—Imepi rañño eḷeyyassa parihārakā bālā— Yamaka, Moggalla, Ugga, Nāvindakī, Gandhabba, and Aggivessa—for they show the same kind of deference to Rāmaputta.’yamako moggallo uggo nāvindakī gandhabbo aggivesso, ye samaṇe rāmaputte abhippasannā, samaṇe ca pana rāmaputte evarūpaṁ paramanipaccakāraṁ karonti, yadidaṁ abhivādanaṁ paccuṭṭhānaṁ añjalikammaṁ sāmīcikamman’ti. Then the brahmin Todeyya reasoned with them like this:Tyāssudaṁ todeyyo brāhmaṇo iminā nayena neti. ‘What do the good fellows think?‘Taṁ kiṁ maññanti, bhonto, When it comes to the various duties and speeches, isn’t King Eḷeyya astute, even better than the experts?’paṇḍito rājā eḷeyyo karaṇīyādhikaraṇīyesu vacanīyādhivacanīyesu alamatthadasatarehi alamatthadasataro’ti? ‘That’s true, worthy sir.’‘Evaṁ, bho, paṇḍito rājā eḷeyyo karaṇīyādhikaraṇīyesu vacanīyādhivacanīyesu alamatthadasatarehi alamatthadasataroti.

‘It’s because the ascetic Rāmaputta is even more astute and expert than King Eḷeyya that the king is so devoted to him. That’s why he even shows Rāmaputta the utmost deference by bowing down to him, rising up for him, greeting him with cupped palms, and observing proper etiquette for him.Yasmā ca kho, bho, samaṇo rāmaputto raññā eḷeyyena paṇḍitena paṇḍitataro karaṇīyādhikaraṇīyesu vacanīyādhivacanīyesu alamatthadasatarena alamatthadasataro, tasmā rājā eḷeyyo samaṇe rāmaputte abhippasanno, samaṇe ca pana rāmaputte evarūpaṁ paramanipaccakāraṁ karoti, yadidaṁ abhivādanaṁ paccuṭṭhānaṁ añjalikammaṁ sāmīcikammaṁ’.

‘What do the good fellows think?‘Taṁ kiṁ maññanti, bhonto, When it comes to the various duties and speeches, aren’t the king’s men—Yamaka, Moggalla, Ugga, Nāvindakī, Gandhabba, and Aggivessa—astute, even better than the experts?’yamako moggallo uggo nāvindakī gandhabbo aggivesso, karaṇīyādhikaraṇīyesu vacanīyādhivacanīyesu alamatthadasatarehi alamatthadasatarā’ti? ‘That’s true, worthy sir.’‘Evaṁ, bho, paṇḍitā rañño eḷeyyassa parihārakā—

‘It’s because Rāmaputta is even more astute and expert than the king’s men that they have such devotion to him. …Yasmā ca kho, bho, samaṇo rāmaputto rañño eḷeyyassa parihārakehi paṇḍitehi paṇḍitataro karaṇīyādhikaraṇīyesu vacanīyādhivacanīyesu alamatthadasatarehi alamatthadasataro, tasmā rañño eḷeyyassa parihārakā samaṇe rāmaputte abhippasannā; It’s because Rāmaputta is even more astute and expert than King Eḷeyya that the king is so devoted to him. That’s why he even shows Rāmaputta the utmost deference by bowing down to him, rising up for him, greeting him with cupped palms, and observing proper etiquette for him.’samaṇe ca pana rāmaputte evarūpaṁ paramanipaccakāraṁ karonti, yadidaṁ abhivādanaṁ paccuṭṭhānaṁ añjalikammaṁ sāmīcikamman’ti.

It’s incredible, worthy Gotama, it’s amazing,Acchariyaṁ, bho gotama, abbhutaṁ, bho gotama. how well said this was by the worthy Gotama:Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ bhotā gotamena: ‘It’s impossible, it can’t happen, that an untrue person could know …‘aṭṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, anavakāso yaṁ asappuriso asappurisaṁ jāneyya— But it is possible that a true person could know …’Ṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, vijjati yaṁ sappuriso sappurisaṁ jāneyya— Well, now, worthy Gotama, I must go.Handa ca dāni mayaṁ, bho gotama, gacchāma. I have many duties, and much to do.”Bahukiccā mayaṁ bahukaraṇīyā”ti.

“Please, brahmin, go at your convenience.”“Yassadāni tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, kālaṁ maññasī”ti.

Then Vassakāra the brahmin, having approved and agreed with what the Buddha said, rose from his seat and left.Atha kho vassakāro brāhmaṇo magadhamahāmatto bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmīti.