At Uruvelā (2nd)Dutiyauruvelasutta

“Mendicants, this one time, when I was first awakened, I was staying in Uruvelā at the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River.“Ekamidāhaṁ, bhikkhave, samayaṁ uruvelāyaṁ viharāmi najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhe paṭhamābhisambuddho. Then several old brahmins—elderly and senior, who were advanced in years and had reached the final stage of life—came up to me, and exchanged greetings with me.Atha kho, bhikkhave, sambahulā brāhmaṇā jiṇṇā vuddhā mahallakā addhagatā vayoanuppattā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā mayā saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side, and said to me:Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho, bhikkhave, te brāhmaṇā maṁ etadavocuṁ: ‘Worthy Gotama, we have heard this:‘sutaṁ netaṁ, bho gotama:

“The ascetic Gotama does not bow to old brahmins, elderly and senior, who are advanced in years and have reached the final stage of life; nor does he rise in their presence or offer them a seat.”“na samaṇo gotamo brāhmaṇe jiṇṇe vuddhe mahallake addhagate vayoanuppatte abhivādeti vā paccuṭṭheti vā āsanena vā nimantetī”ti. And this is indeed the case,Tayidaṁ, bho gotama, tatheva. for the worthy Gotama does not bow to old brahmins, elderly and senior, who are advanced in years and have reached the final stage of life; nor does he rise in their presence or offer them a seat.Na hi bhavaṁ gotamo brāhmaṇe jiṇṇe vuddhe mahallake addhagate vayoanuppatte abhivādeti vā paccuṭṭheti vā āsanena vā nimanteti. This is not appropriate, worthy Gotama.’Tayidaṁ, bho gotama, na sampannamevā’ti.

Then it occurred to me,Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘These venerables don’t know what a senior is, or what qualities make you a senior.’‘nayime āyasmanto jānanti theraṁ vā therakaraṇe vā dhamme’ti.

Mendicants, suppose you’re eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old.Vuddho cepi, bhikkhave, hoti āsītiko vā nāvutiko vā vassasatiko vā jātiyā. But your speech is untimely, false, meaningless, and against the teaching or training. You say things at the wrong time which are worthless, unreasonable, rambling, and unbeneficial.So ca hoti akālavādī abhūtavādī anatthavādī adhammavādī avinayavādī, anidhānavatiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā akālena anapadesaṁ apariyantavatiṁ anatthasaṁhitaṁ. Then you’ll be reckoned a ‘childish senior’.Atha kho so ‘bālo thero’tveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

Now suppose you’re a youth, young, with pristine black hair, blessed with youth, in the prime of life.Daharo cepi, bhikkhave, hoti yuvā susukāḷakeso bhadrena yobbanena samannāgato paṭhamena vayasā. But your speech is timely, true, meaningful, and in line with the teaching and training. You say things at the right time which are valuable, reasonable, succinct, and beneficial.So ca hoti kālavādī bhūtavādī atthavādī dhammavādī vinayavādī nidhānavatiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā kālena sāpadesaṁ pariyantavatiṁ atthasaṁhitaṁ. Then you’ll be reckoned an ‘astute senior’.Atha kho so ‘paṇḍito thero’tveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

There are these four qualities that make a senior.Cattārome, bhikkhave, therakaraṇā dhammā. What four?Katame cattāro? A mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and resorting for alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu

They’re very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, rehearsing them, mentally scrutinizing them, and penetrating them theoretically.Bahussuto hoti sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpāssa dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā, diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā.

They get the four absorptions—blissful meditations in this life that belong to the higher mind—when they want, without trouble or difficulty.Catunnaṁ jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī.

They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.Āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.

These are the four qualities that make a senior.Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro therakaraṇā dhammāti.

The creature with a restless mindYo uddhatena cittena, speaks a lot of nonsense.samphañca bahu bhāsati; Their thoughts are unsettled,Asamāhitasaṅkappo, and they don’t like the true teaching.asaddhammarato mago; They’re far from seniority, with their bad viewsĀrā so thāvareyyamhā, and their lack of regard for others.pāpadiṭṭhi anādaro.

But one accomplished in ethics,Yo ca sīlena sampanno, learned and eloquent, that attentive onesutavā paṭibhānavā; is restrained when experiencing phenomena,Saññato dhīro dhammesu, discerning the meaning with wisdom.paññāyatthaṁ vipassati.

Gone beyond all things,Pāragū sabbadhammānaṁ, kind, eloquent,akhilo paṭibhānavā; they’ve given up birth and death,Pahīnajātimaraṇo, and have completed the spiritual journey.brahmacariyassa kevalī.

That’s who I call a senior,Tamahaṁ vadāmi theroti, who has no defilements.yassa no santi āsavā; With the ending of defilements, a mendicantĀsavānaṁ khayā bhikkhu, is declared a ‘senior’.”so theroti pavuccatī”ti.