Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

“Mā, bhikkhave, anekavihitaṃ tiracchānakathaṃ katheyyātha, seyyathidaṃ:

“Bhikkhus, do not entertain yourselves with low talk of diverse nature, such as:

rājakathaṃ corakathaṃ mahāmattakathaṃ senākathaṃ, bhayakathaṃ yuddhakathaṃ,

talk about kings, robbers, great ministers, armies, menaces, war,

annakathaṃ pānakathaṃ vatthakathaṃ sayanakathaṃ mālākathaṃ gandhakathaṃ, ñātikathaṃ,

food, drink, clothes, beds, garlands, perfumes, relatives,

yānakathaṃ gāmakathaṃ nigamakathaṃ nagarakathaṃ janapadakathaṃ,

vehicles, villages, towns and cities, countries,

itthikathaṃ sūrakathaṃ

visikhākathaṃ kumbhaṭṭhānakathaṃ  , pubbapetakathaṃ

nānattakathaṃ,

women, heroes,

gossip at street-corners and at the well,

ghost-stories, desultory talk,

lokakkhāyikaṃ samuddakkhāyikaṃ itibhavābhavakathaṃ iti vā.

speculation about the world and oceans, talk of being and non-being and such like.

Taṃ kissa hetu?

What is the reason for this?

Nesā, bhikkhave, kathā atthasaṃhitā nādibrahmacariyakā

na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṃvattati.

Such kind of talk, O’ Bhikkhus, is not connected with the goal, does not affect the holy life,

and does not lead to weariness of the world, to dispassion, to cessation, to tranquillity, to universal knowledge, to full enlightenment, to nibbāna.

Kathentā ca kho tumhe, bhikkhave,

Bhikkhus, when you speak, you talk about,

‘Idaṃ dukkhan’ti katheyyātha,

‘ayaṃ dukkhasamudayo’ti katheyyātha,

‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodho’ti katheyyātha, ‘ayaṃ

dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti katheyyātha.

‘This is suffering’;

you talk about ‘This is the origination of suffering’;

you talk about ‘This is the eradication of suffering’;

you talk about ‘This is the path leading to the eradication of suffering.’

Taṃ kissa hetu?

“What is the reason for this?

Esā, bhikkhave, kathā atthasaṃhitā, esā ādibrahmacariyakā, esā nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati.

Such kind of talk, Bhikkhus, is connected with the goal, is related to the holy life, and leads to weariness of the world, to dispassion, to cessation, to tranquility, to universal knowledge, to full enlightenment, to nibbāna.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṃ dukkha’nti yogo karaṇīyo,

Therefore, Bhikkhus, make it your obligation to practice: ‘This is suffering’.

‘ayaṃ dukkhasamudayo’ti yogo karaṇīyo,

Make it your obligation to practice: ‘This is the origination of suffering’.

‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodho’ti yogo karaṇīyo,

Make it your obligation to practice: ‘This is the eradication of suffering’.

‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

Make it your obligation to practice: ‘This is the path leading to the eradication of suffering’”