EFTA01160176

the recitation, the guardian spirits 
rejoiced as usual. 
Some monks in the retinue felt that 
the devas inhabiting 
the forests were showing 
favouritism to 
EkuddAna. They reported the 
matter to the Buddha 
on arrival at the Jetavana 
monastery. However, 
the Buddha admonished them: 
"0! Monks! I don't say that a 
bhikkhu who 
has learned much and talks much 
of the 
Dhamma is one who is versed in 
the 
EFTA01162956

Dhamma. One who has learned 
only little 
and knows only one verse of the 
Dhamma, 
but fully comprehends the Four 
Noble 
Blessing Thirty: Regular 
Discussion of the Dhamma 339 
Truths, and is ever mindful is the 
one who 
is truly versed in the Dhamma." 
E.4 Ex. Veralija Sutta (A.iv.172) 
The brahmin Verarija once visited 
the Buddha at 
NaOerupicumanda and asked the 
Buddha a series 
of questions. 
EFTA01162957

First he asked, "It is said that the 
Buddha pays no 
respect to aged brahmins?" 
The Buddha replies that he has not 
seen a brahmin 
in the whole world to whom such 
respect is due 
from him. 
"It is said that the you are 
tasteless?" 
"In fact that they say I am tasteless 
is correct because 
the Buddha has relinquished 
attachment in 
the sense perceptions of eye, ear, 
nose, mouth and 
body — but that is not the reason 
EFTA01162958

for your asking?" 
"It is said that the you are without 
wealth?" 
"What they say is true, because the 
Buddha has 
relinquished the sense perceptions 
of eye, ear, nose, 
mouth and body which lead to 
attachments to 
wealth — but that is not the reason 
for your asking?" 
"It is said that the you are 
inactive?" 
"What they say is true, because the 
Buddha exhorts 
his disciples not to do anything 
which is evil 
EFTA01162959

with body, speech or mind 
but 
that is not the 
reason for your asking?" 
"It is said that the you are a 
nihilist?" 
"What they say is true, because the 
Buddha advocates 
the anihilation of greed, hatred and 
delusion 
from the mind — but that is not the 
reason for 
your asking?" 
"It is said that the you are full of 
hatred?" 
"What they say is true, because the 
Buddha advocates 
the hatred of evil action of body, 
EFTA01162960

speech and 
mind — but that is not the reason 
for your asking?" 
"It is said that the you are a 
terminator?" 
"What they say is true, because the 
Buddha advocates 
the termination of greed, hatred 
and delusion 
and he teaches the Dhamma for the 
termination 
of all forms of evil and 
unwholesomeness 
but that is not the reason for your 
asking?" 
"It is said that you are an 
incinerator?" 
EFTA01162961

"What they say is true, because the 
Buddha advocates 
the burning up of the 
unwholesome states 
of body, speech and mind 
but 
that is not the reason 
for your asking?" 
"It is said that you will not be born 
any more?" 
"What they say is true, because the 
Buddha will 
never again enter the womb or take 
future birth. 
Just like amongst 8, 10 or 12 eggs 
are incubated by 
a mother hen, wouldn't it be true to 
call the first of 
EFTA01162962

those chickens to use its beak or its 
claw to break 
through the shell the eldest of the 
batch? " 
"It is true he should be called the 
oldest, because 
he emerges before all the others." 
"In the same way, of all the beings 
of the world 
encapsulated in their shell of 
ignorance [avijjA] the 
Buddha has been the first to break 
through that shell 
because of cultivating the 
recollection of previous 
lifetimes 
[pubbenivAsAnussatifiAAa], 
EFTA01162963

knowing the 
arising and falling of others 
according to their 
karma [cutEpapAtanikAa] and 
knowing an end to 
defilements [AsavakkhayariAAa]. 
Only after this explanation did 
Verarija realize 
the answer to his original question 
and appreciating 
the uniqueness of the Buddha in 
his world and 
took refuge in the Triple Gem as a 
Buddhist layman 
for the rest of his life. 
E.5 Ex. BAvarE & his disciples 
(SN 976-1148) 
EFTA01162964

There was once a Brahmin ascetic 
teacher who lived 
on the banks of a river in 
DakkhiAApatha and who 
had many students. He heard 
praise of the Buddha 
and decided to send his students to 
interrogate the 
Buddha with questions to see if his 
claim to Buddhahood 
was justified. 
They followed the Buddha to 
RAjagaha, and 
meeting him, satisfied themselves 
that he bore all 
the thirty-two marks of a Great 
Man. Then each in 
EFTA01162965

turn asked one or more questions 
(to a total of thirtyfive 
different questions!) — 
Ajita: What is the reason why 
living beings are 
enshrouded in unknowing? 
Buddha: The enshrouding of 
ignorance is reason 
for their unknowing. Because of 
their craving and 
recklessness no wisdom is 
available to them. Thus 
I teach that craving smothers living 
beings in attachment 
and suffering is the consequent 
harm 
brought. 
EFTA01162966

Ajita: What is the thing to prevent 
the craving that 
340 A Manual of Peace: 38 Steps 
towards Enlightened Living 
runs like water through our 
perceptions? What can 
release us from craving? 
Buddha: Mindfulness is what can 
prevent and protect 
one from craving while wisdom is 
what allows 
one release. 
Ajita: And what can cause the 
extinguishing of 
body and mind components 
[nAma-rEpa]? 
Buddha: If the consciousness 
EFTA01162967

(mind) has already 
attained extinction, the bodily 
component will also 
be brought to extinction. 
Ajita: What characterises those 
who have already 
seen the Dhamma (attained 
enlightenment)? 
Buddha: They have no further 
attachment for 
sense pleasure, their mind remains 
unclouded and 
knowing all mental phenomena 
they are mindful 
in all postures. 
Tissametteyya: Who can be said to 
be contented? 
EFTA01162968

Buddha: I call those who are not 
caught up in sense 
pleasure . . . those who follow the 
Brahma-faring, 
who are restrained as to the senses, 
who have no 
further craving, who are mindful in 
all postures 
who are of Right View and who 
have uprooted the 
defilements from the mind, those 
who are contented. 
PuAAaka: What is the reason why 
large numbers 
of people worship deities with 
sacrifices? 
Buddha: The reason is that their 
EFTA01162969

aging interferes 
with them achieving what they 
wish. 
PuAAaka: Is it possible through 
properly practising 
sacrifices to overcome birth and 
aging? 
Buddha: Those who perform 
sacrifices are motivated 
by material gain. I say that 
whoever is so motivated 
cannot be released from the cycle 
of rebirth. 
PuAAaka: If those performing 
sacrifices cannot 
obtain release from the cycle of 
rebirth, then who 
EFTA01162970

can? 
Buddha: Those who can attain 
release must be 
those who have no further craving 
in their mind, 
who have seen the Dhamma by 
which their mind 
is peaceful, pure, without 
unwholesome behaviour 
to cloud the mind, like a snuffed 
candle, without 
further defilements or craving. 
MettagE: What causes all the 
suffering in the 
world? 
Buddha: Suffering has karma and 
defilements as 
EFTA01162971

its cause [up adhi]. The more the 
cause is fulfilled, 
the more suffering there will be —
thus fools by 
fulfilling the cause come across 
suffering often. 
However, knowing the cause, one 
should avoid 
fulfilling it. 
MettagE: How can one endowed 
with wisdom 
cross the ocean of birth, aging and 
sorrow? 
Buddha: All my teachings are 
those you must put 
into practice by yourself, within 
the very body of 
EFTA01162972

yours — it cannot be attained by 
asking other people 
— and that is to mindfully 
overcome the craving 
that traps you in this world 
MettagE: Which dhamma does the 
Buddha rejoice 
in as the highest? 
Buddha: The Buddha rejoices in 
any teaching 
which reduces absent-mindedness 
in the beginning, 
middle or ending — which leads to 
mindfulness 
and non-recklessness to know and 
relinquish attachment 
to all that is `mine' in order to 
EFTA01162973

transcend 
the suffering of birth, aging and 
sorrow. 
MettagE: Just as the Buddha must 
have overcome 
suffering and doubtlessly have 
taught your disciples 
to do the same — may I be 
accepted as one of 
your disciples? 
Buddha: He who is the true 
Brahmin has (not only) 
thoroughly studied the Three 
Vedas (but), has no 
further defilements or anxieties, 
has no further attachment 
in the sensual plane — has crossed 
EFTA01162974

the 
ocean of suffering with no 
remaining suffering —
that is who I say is liberated from 
birth and aging. 
Dhotaka: In the human or 
deva-world is their any 
brahmin perfectly free of 
concerns? 
Buddha: Those who know the 
supreme Dhamma, 
having overcome doubt, have 
crossed the ocean of 
defilement. 
Dhotaka: What is the device to 
extinguish the defilements? 
Buddha: The device which you can 
EFTA01162975