AN 2.38

38

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākaccāno madhurāyaṁ viharati gundāvane. Atha kho kandarāyano brāhmaṇo yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahākaccānena saddhiṁ …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho kandarāyano brāhmaṇo āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca: “sutaṁ metaṁ, bho kaccāna, ‘na samaṇo kaccāno brāhmaṇe jiṇṇe vuddhe mahallake addhagate vayoanuppatte abhivādeti vā paccuṭṭheti vā āsanena vā nimantetī’ti. Tayidaṁ, bho kaccāna, tatheva? Na hi bhavaṁ kaccāno brāhmaṇe jiṇṇe vuddhe mahallake addhagate vayoanuppatte abhivādeti vā paccuṭṭheti vā āsanena vā nimanteti. Tayidaṁ, bho kaccāna, na sampannamevā”ti.

38

At one time Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying near Madhurā in the Nut Grass Grove. Then the brahmin Kandarāyana went up to Mahākaccāna, and exchanged greetings with him … He sat down to one side and said to Mahākaccāna: “I have heard, worthy Kaccāna, that the ascetic Kaccāna doesn’t bow to old brahmins, the elderly and senior, who are advanced in years and have reached the final stage of life; nor does he rise in their presence or offer them a seat. And this is indeed the case, for the ascetic Kaccāna does not bow to old brahmins, elderly and senior, who are advanced in years and have reached the final stage of life; nor does he rise in their presence or offer them a seat. This is not appropriate, worthy Kaccāna.”

“Atthi, brāhmaṇa, tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena vuddhabhūmi ca akkhātā daharabhūmi ca. Vuddho cepi, brāhmaṇa, hoti āsītiko vā nāvutiko vā vassasatiko vā jātiyā, so ca kāme paribhuñjati kāmamajjhāvasati kāmapariḷāhena pariḍayhati kāmavitakkehi khajjati kāmapariyesanāya ussuko. Atha kho so bālo na therotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati. Daharo cepi, brāhmaṇa, hoti yuvā susukāḷakeso bhadrena yobbanena samannāgato paṭhamena vayasā. So ca na kāme paribhuñjati na kāmamajjhāvasati, na kāmapariḷāhena pariḍayhati, na kāmavitakkehi khajjati, na kāmapariyesanāya ussuko. Atha kho so paṇḍito therotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchatī”ti.

“There is the stage of an elder and the stage of youth as explained by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. If an elder, though eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old, still dwells in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying them, consumed by thoughts of them, burning with fever for them, and eagerly seeking more, they are reckoned as a child, not a senior. If a youth, young, with pristine black hair, blessed with youth, in the prime of life, does not dwell in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying them, consumed by thoughts of them, burning with fever for them, and eagerly seeking more, they are reckoned as astute, a senior.”

Evaṁ vutte, kandarāyano brāhmaṇo uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā daharānaṁ sataṁ bhikkhūnaṁ pāde sirasā vandati: “vuddhā bhavanto, vuddhabhūmiyaṁ ṭhitā. Daharā mayaṁ, daharabhūmiyaṁ ṭhitā”ti.

When this was said, the brahmin Kandarāyana got up from his seat, placed his robe over one shoulder, and bowed with his head to the feet of the young mendicants, saying, “The good fellows are elders, at the stage of the elder; we are youths, at the stage of youth.

“Abhikkantaṁ, bho kaccāna …pe… upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ kaccāno dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

Excellent, worthy Kaccāna! … From this day forth, may the worthy Kaccāna remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”