Venāgapurasuttaṃ -In Venaga

At one time the Blessed One was touring the country of Kosala with a large Community of bhikkhus and entered the brahmin township of Venaga. Then the brahmin householders of Venaga heard that the good recluse Gotama, who had gone forth from the Sakya clan and become homeless has entered Venaga. And such good praise spread about that blessed Gotama. That Blessed One is worthy, rightfully enlightened, endowed with knowledge and conduct, well gone, knower of the worlds, the incomparable tamer of those to be tamed, teacher of gods and men, enlightened and blessed. He having realized by himself teaches in this world together with gods and men, Màra, Brahma and the community of recluses and brahmins. The Teaching which is good in the beginning, middle and end, full of meaning in words and letters and it clearly points out the complete and pure holy life. It is good to see such worthy ones.

Then the brahmin householdersof Venaga approached the Blessed One, some worshipped and sat on a side. Some exchanged friendly greetings and sat on a side. Some extended their clasped hands towards the Blessed One and sat on a side. Some announced their name and clan and sat on a side and some others silently sat on a side and said thus to the Blessed One:

It is wonderful good Gotama, your mental faculties are bright, skin colour is pure and clear, like a yellow jujube fruit in Autumn Or is pure and clear like a palm flower just released from the case. Or is like a creation done out of pure gold is placed in an orange blanket by a clever goldsmith. Good Gotama, your mental faculties are bright, skin colour is pure and clear. How good would it be, if there were high and lofty seats such as decked chairs cusioned out of wild bull hide, decorated with white woollen cloth, with layers of embroidered woollen blankets, made of only wool, made with a mixture of wool and covered with silken embroidered coverlets. The floor covered with woven woollen carpets, elephant spreads, horse spreads chariot spreads made of antelope and deer hide. With overhead canopies, and red cushions on either side. Good Gotama should be a quick gainer without difficulty, a gainer for nothing of these high and lofty seats.

Brahmin, these high and lofty seats such as decked chairs cusioned out of wild bull hide, decorated with white woollen cloth, with layers of embroidered woollen blankets, made of only wool, made with a mixture of wool and covered with silken embroidered coverlets. The floor covered with woven woollen carpets, elephant spreads, horse spreads chariot spreads made of antelope and deer hide. With overhead canopies, and red cushions on either side, are not easily gained by those gone forth. Even if gained, are not suitable for the homeless.

Brahmin, these three are the high and lofty seats for which I am a quick gainer without difficulty, a gainer for nothing. What three?

They are the high and lofty seats of divinity, of brahma and the noble ones.

Good Gotama, what are the high and lofty seats of divinity for which good gotama is a quick gainer without difficulty, a gainer for nothing now?

Here, brahmin, in the morning I put on robes and taking bowl and robes go for alms to the village or hamlet relying on which I abide. After the meal is over and returning from the alms round, I roam in that forest stretch. Finding a heap of grass or leaves, I collect them and sit on them making a cross legged position, keeping the body straight and establishing mindfulness in front. Then I seclude my mind from sensual and evil thoughts, with thoughts and thought processes and with joy and pleasantness born of seclusion I attain to the first jhana. Allaying thoughts and thought processes and the mind internally appeased and brought to one point, without thoughts and thought processes and with joy and pleasantness born of concentration I attain to the second jhana. With detachment to joy I abide in equanimity. Mindful and aware I experience pleasantness too with the body. This is the third jhana, to this the noble ones say mindfully abiding in pleasantness with equanimity. Giving up pleasantness and unpleasantness and earlier gone beyond pleasure and displeasure and experiencing neither the pleasant nor the unpleasant by purifying mindfulness with equanimity I attain to the forth jhana.

Brahmin, in that abiding I walk, then my walking is divine. In that abiding I stand, then my standing is divine. In that abiding I sit, then my sitting is divine. In that abiding I lie, then my lying is divine on a high and lofty bed. Brahmin, these are the high and lofty seats of divinity for which I am a quick gainer without difficulty, a gainer for nothing now.

It is wonderful good Gotama, who else could be the quick gainer without difficulty, a gainer for nothing now of high and lofty beds, other than good Gotama.

Good Gotama, what are the high and lofty seats of Brahma for which good gotama is a quick gainer without difficulty, a gainer for nothing now?

Here, brahmin, in the morning I put on robes and taking bowl and robes go for alms to the village or hamlet relying on which I abide. After the meal is over and returning from the alms round, I roam in that forest stretch. Finding a heap of grass or leaves, I collect them and sit on them making a cross legged position, keeping the body straight and establishing mindfulness in front. Then I abide pervading one direction with loving kindness, so too the second, the third, the fourth, above, below and across, in every respect, on the whole, entirely grown great, immeasurable and without anger.

Then I abide pervading one direction with compassion, so too the second, ... re ... with intrinsic joy, ... re ... the third, the fourth, above, below and across, in every respect, on the whole, entirely grown great, immeasurable and without anger. Then I abide pervading one direction with equanimity, so too the second, the third, the fourth, above, below and across, in every respect, on the whole, entirely grown great, immeasurable and without anger.

Brahmin, in that abiding I walk, then my walking is of Brahma. In that abiding I stand, then my standing is of Brahma. In that abiding I sit, then my sitting is of Brahma. In that abiding I lie, then my lying is of Brahma on a high and lofty bed. Brahmin, these are the high and lofty seats of Brahma for which I am a quick gainer without difficulty, a gainer for nothing now.

It is wonderful good Gotama, who else could be the quick gainer without difficulty, a gainer for nothing now, of high and lofty beds of Brahma, other than good Gotama.

Good Gotama, what are the high and lofty seats of the Noble Ones for which good gotama is a quick gainer without difficulty, a gainer for nothing now?

Here, brahmin, in the morning I put on robes and taking bowl and robes go for alms to the village or hamlet relying on which I abide. After the meal is over and returning from the alms round, I roam in that forest stretch. Finding a heap of grass or leaves, I collect them and sit on them making a cross legged position, keeping the body straight and establishing mindfulness in front. Then I know my greed is dispelled, pulled out with the roots, made like a palm stump, made a thing that would not grow again. My hate is dispelled, pulled out with the roots, made like a palm stump, made a thing that would not grow again. My delusion is dispelled, pulled out with the roots, made like a palm stump, made a thing that would not grow again.

Brahmin, in that abiding I walk, then my walking is of the noble ones. In that abiding I stand, then my standing is of the Noble Ones. In that abiding I sit, then my sitting is of the Noble Ones. In that abiding I lie, then my lying is of the Noble Ones on a high and lofty bed. Brahmin, these are the high and lofty seats of the Noble Ones for which I am a quick gainer without difficulty, a gainer for nothing now.

It is wonderful good Gotama, who else could be the quick gainer without difficulty, a gainer for nothing now of high and lofty beds of the Noble Ones, other than good Gotama.

Good Gotama, I understand. It is like something overturned is reinstated. Some thing covered is made manifest. It is as though the path is told to someone who has lost his way and it is as though an oil lamp is lighted for the darkness so that those who have their sight could see forms. Thus Good Gotama has explained the Teaching in various ways. Now I take refuge in good Gotama, in the Teaching and the Community of bhikikhus. I am a lay disciple who has taken refuge until life lasts.