AN 10.69

Paṭhamakathāvatthusutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ sannisinnā sannipatitā anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā viharanti, seyyathidaṁ— rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ mahāmattakathaṁ senākathaṁ bhayakathaṁ yuddhakathaṁ annakathaṁ pānakathaṁ vatthakathaṁ sayanakathaṁ mālākathaṁ gandhakathaṁ ñātikathaṁ yānakathaṁ gāmakathaṁ nigamakathaṁ nagarakathaṁ janapadakathaṁ itthikathaṁ sūrakathaṁ visikhākathaṁ kumbhaṭṭhānakathaṁ pubbapetakathaṁ nānattakathaṁ lokakkhāyikaṁ samuddakkhāyikaṁ itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vāti.

Topics of Discussion (1st)

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time, after the meal, on return from almsround, several mendicants sat together in the assembly hall. They engaged in all kinds of low talk, such as talk about kings, bandits, and chief ministers; talk about armies, threats, and wars; talk about food, drink, clothes, and beds; talk about garlands and fragrances; talk about family, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries; talk about women and heroes; talk at the street market and the place for water pots; talk about the departed; motley talk; tales of land and sea; and talk about being reborn in this or that place.

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena upaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “kāya nuttha, bhikkhave, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā sannipatitā, kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā”ti?

Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the assembly hall, where he sat down on the seat spread out and addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?”

“Idha mayaṁ, bhante, pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ sannisinnā sannipatitā anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā viharāma, seyyathidaṁ— rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ …pe… itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vā”ti. “Na kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, tumhākaṁ patirūpaṁ kulaputtānaṁ saddhāya agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitānaṁ, yaṁ tumhe anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā vihareyyātha, seyyathidaṁ— rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ mahāmattakathaṁ senākathaṁ bhayakathaṁ yuddhakathaṁ annakathaṁ pānakathaṁ vatthakathaṁ sayanakathaṁ mālākathaṁ gandhakathaṁ ñātikathaṁ yānakathaṁ gāmakathaṁ nigamakathaṁ nagarakathaṁ janapadakathaṁ itthikathaṁ sūrakathaṁ visikhākathaṁ kumbhaṭṭhānakathaṁ pubbapetakathaṁ nānattakathaṁ lokakkhāyikaṁ samuddakkhāyikaṁ itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vāti.

And they told him what had happened. “Mendicants, it is not appropriate for you gentlemen who have gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness to engage in these kinds of low talk.

Dasayimāni, bhikkhave, kathāvatthūni. Katamāni dasa? Appicchakathā, santuṭṭhikathā, pavivekakathā, asaṁsaggakathā, vīriyārambhakathā, sīlakathā, samādhikathā, paññākathā, vimuttikathā, vimuttiñāṇadassanakathāti— imāni kho, bhikkhave, dasa kathāvatthūni.

There are, mendicants, these ten topics of discussion. What ten? Talk about fewness of wishes, contentment, seclusion, aloofness, arousing energy, ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and the knowledge and vision of freedom. These are the ten topics of discussion.

Imesañce tumhe, bhikkhave, dasannaṁ kathāvatthūnaṁ upādāyupādāya kathaṁ katheyyātha, imesampi candimasūriyānaṁ evaṁmahiddhikānaṁ evaṁmahānubhāvānaṁ tejasā tejaṁ pariyādiyeyyātha, ko pana vādo aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānan”ti.

Mendicants, if you bring up these topics of conversation again and again then your glory could surpass even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful, let alone the wanderers of other religions.”