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(Supplication)[i]

[ii]Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the Vrs District,

at the is Deer Park[iii]. Then the Exalted One said to the bhikus[iv].There are two modes of behaviour (vtti) which a person in quest of the [highest]

truth[v] should avoid. Which are the two? Desiring, craving for objects of sensual

pleasure which by its very nature (dharma) is low, vulgar and unprofitable. On the

other hand, all [sorts of] mortification (pana)[vi], many acts of harming (vihisana)

and endless [tormenting] thoughts. These are the two modes of behaviour which a

person in quest of the [highest] truth should avoid. Having given up these two modes

of behaviour, on my own I gained the highest truth and became fully enlightened.Vision arose, superknowledge (abhij) arose, my mind became [truly] calm. I

obtained all the supernormal powers (ddhi) and realised the fruition of recluseship

Nirva.

Now what is the supreme path leading to Full Enlightenment, making for vision, for

superknowledge, for ones mind to become [truly] calm, for obtaining all supernormal

powers and for realising the fruition of recluseshipNirva? It is this very noble

eightfold path, viz. extraordinary (adhika) views, extraordinary prevention (pratikra),

extraordinary speech, extraordinary bodily action, extraordinary livelihood,

extraordinary skill in means (upya-kaualya), extraordinary mindfulness,

extraordinary concentration[vii]. This is what is called the supreme path.

At this time I have become fully enlightened, vision has arisen, superknowledge has

arisen, my mind has become [truly] calm, I have obtained all supernormal powers

and realised the fruition of recluseshipNirvana. Therefore, O bhikus, one should

train to give up the above[-mentioned] two modes of behaviour and practice in

accordance with the supreme path.

After listening to the Buddhas words, the bhikus were pleased and respectfully

applied themselves to practice.

[i] The first stra of Part 19, to which this subtitle refers, was translated into French byA.Bareau in his article Les

debuts de la predication du Buddha selon lEkoitara-gama; see Bulletin de Ecole francais dExtreme

OrientLXXVII (Paris 1988), p.78f; Bareau also refers to this stra in his paper Le Buddha et Uruvilva

in Indianisme et Bouddhisme, Melanges offerts a Mgr. Etienne Lamotte, Louvain-la-Neuve 1980, p.5ff.

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[ii] CBETA, T02, no. 125, p. 593, b24-c12; Hayashi, p.162ff. This translation originally published as Ekottaragama

XXI, Buddhist Studies Review 14.1, 1997, p 48-50. Translated from the Chinese version by Thch Huyn-Vi and

Bhikkhu Psdika in collaboration with Sara Boin-Webb. Cf. S V, p.420ff. (Dhamma-cakkappavattana-Vagga);

Hayashi, ibid., additionally mentions as parallel MI. 160ff. (Ariyapariyesanasutta) the relevant portion of which,

however, cannot be regarded as either a textual or thematic parallel to the present E passage.

[iii] The Chinese has what corresponds with i-mgadva, not with ipatana Mgadva.

[iv] Cf. S V, p.421: pacavaggiye bhikkhu

[v] Lit. a student of the Way () for pabbajita; for anta (extremes) the chinese has (action, also = vtti).

[vi] It is noteworthy that E here does not have anything corresponding to self mortification (tmaklamatha=

###) )

[vii] Cf. BSR 11, 2, p.15, where four versions of the rygikamrga, all differing slightly from each other, are

referred to. A remarkable innovation with the wording in this fifth version is the change from right (samyac= #)

to extraordinary (adhika= ).

Ekottaragama 19.2

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