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Mv I 11
PTS: Mv I 1.14 | CS: vin.mv.01.11
Bhaddavaggiyavatthu
The Discussion of the Auspicious Group
by
Ven. Khematto Bhikkhu
Alternate translations/layout: "line by line" Pāḷi - English

(Mv.I.14.1) [36] Then the Blessed One, having stayed near Bārāṇasī as long as he liked, set out wandering to Uruvelā. Coming down from the road, the Blessed One went to a certain forest grove, plunged into it, and sat down at the root of a certain tree. At that time, the Auspicious Group of thirty friends, were entertaining themselves with their wives in the forest grove.

“Bhaddavaggiyas”: They say that they were princes/sons of chiefs, auspicious in physical appearance and in mind, and that they traveled around bound together (metaphorically) in a group. That’s why they were called “Bhaddavaggiyas”.

One of them had no wife, so, for that purpose, they brought a prostitute along. As they were heedlessly entertaining themselves, the prostitute took his belongings and ran off.

(Mv.I.14.2) Then the other friends, as they were helping him out — searching for the woman and wandering around in the forest grove — saw the Blessed One sitting at the root of a certain tree. On seeing him, they went to the Blessed One and on arrival said to him, “Could it be, lord, that the Blessed One has seen a woman?”

“Young men, what do you want with a woman?”

“Just now, lord, we, the Auspicious Group of thirty friends, were entertaining ourselves with our wives in the forest grove.

“One of us has no wife, so, for that purpose, we brought a prostitute along.

“Then, as we were heedlessly entertaining ourselves, the prostitute took his belongings and ran off.

“So we were helping our friend out — searching for the woman and wandering around in the forest grove.”

(Mv.I.14.3) “What do you think, young men, which is better for you: that you search for a woman, or that you search for the self?”

“Surely, lord, it’s better for us to search for the self.”[1]

“In that case, young men, sit down. I’ll teach you the Dhamma.”

Responding, “Yes, lord” to the Blessed One, the Auspicious Group of friends bowed down to the Blessed One and sat to one side.

(Mv.I.14.4) The Blessed One gave them a graduated talk: talk on generosity, talk on virtue, talk on heaven, talk on the drawbacks, lowliness, and defilement of sensuality, and talk on the rewards of renunciation.

When the Blessed One knew that their minds were ready — malleable, free from hindrances, uplifted, and bright — he proclaimed the characteristic Dhamma talk of Buddhas: stress, origination, cessation, and path. Just as a clean piece of cloth, free from grime, would properly take dye, in the same way the dustless, stainless eye of Dhamma arose for them as they sat right there — “Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.”

(Mv.I.14.5) Then they, having seen the Dhamma, having attained the Dhamma, having known the Dhamma, having fathomed the Dhamma, having crossed over and beyond uncertainty, having no more perplexity, having gained fearlessness, independence of others with regard to the Teacher’s message, said to the Blessed One, “May we receive the Going-forth in the Blessed One’s presence? May we receive the Acceptance?”

“Come, monks.” Said the Blessed One. “The Dhamma is well-taught. Live the holy life for the right ending of stress.”

Such was the venerable ones’ Acceptance.

Notes

1.
This is an example of the Buddha using the concept of self as a strategy [Dhp 160, AN 3.40]. By encouraging the Auspicious Group to search for the self, he is not implying the existence of a self in a metaphysical sense.
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