SN 41.2

Paṭhamaisidattasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā therā bhikkhū macchikāsaṇḍe viharanti ambāṭakavane. Atha kho citto gahapati yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati there bhikkhū etadavoca: “adhivāsentu me, bhante, therā svātanāya bhattan”ti. Adhivāsesuṁ kho therā bhikkhū tuṇhībhāvena. Atha kho citto gahapati therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi. Atha kho therā bhikkhū tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena cittassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdiṁsu.

With Isidatta (1st)

At one time several senior mendicants were staying near Macchikāsaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove. Then Citta the householder went up to them, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to them, “Sirs, would the senior monks please accept tomorrow’s meal from me?” They consented with silence. Knowing that the senior mendicants had consented, Citta rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled them, keeping them on his right, before leaving. Then when the night had passed, the senior mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, went to Citta’s home, and sat down on the seats spread out.

Atha kho citto gahapati yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: “‘dhātunānattaṁ, dhātunānattan’ti, bhante thera, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, dhātunānattaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā”ti? Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā thero tuṇhī ahosi. Dutiyampi kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: “‘dhātunānattaṁ, dhātunānattan’ti, bhante thera, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, dhātunānattaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā”ti? Dutiyampi kho āyasmā thero tuṇhī ahosi. Tatiyampi kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: “‘dhātunānattaṁ, dhātunānattan’ti, bhante thera, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, dhātunānattaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā”ti? Tatiyampi kho āyasmā thero tuṇhī ahosi.

Then Citta went up to them, bowed, sat down to one side, and asked the senior venerable, “Honorable Senior, they speak of ‘the diversity of elements’. In what way did the Buddha speak of the diversity of elements?” When he said this, the senior venerable kept silent. For a second time … And for a third time, Citta asked him, “Honorable Senior, they speak of ‘the diversity of elements’. In what way did the Buddha speak of the diversity of elements?” And a second time and a third time the senior venerable kept silent.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā isidatto tasmiṁ bhikkhusaṅghe sabbanavako hoti. Atha kho āyasmā isidatto āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: “byākaromahaṁ, bhante thera, cittassa gahapatino etaṁ pañhan”ti? “Byākarohi tvaṁ, āvuso isidatta, cittassa gahapatino etaṁ pañhan”ti. “Evañhi tvaṁ, gahapati, pucchasi: ‘dhātunānattaṁ, dhātunānattanti, bhante thera, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, dhātunānattaṁ, vuttaṁ bhagavatā’”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Idaṁ kho, gahapati, dhātunānattaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā— cakkhudhātu, rūpadhātu, cakkhuviññāṇadhātu …pe… manodhātu, dhammadhātu, manoviññāṇadhātu. Ettāvatā kho, gahapati, dhātunānattaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā”ti.

Now at that time Venerable Isidatta was the most junior mendicant in that Saṅgha. He said to the senior venerable, “Honorable Senior, may I answer Citta’s question?” “Answer it, Reverend Isidatta.” “Householder, is this your question: ‘They speak of “the diversity of elements”. In what way did the Buddha speak of the diversity of elements?’” “Yes, sir.” “This is the diversity of elements spoken of by the Buddha. The eye element, the sights element, the eye consciousness element … The mind element, the idea element, the mind consciousness element. This is how the Buddha spoke of the diversity of elements.”

Atha kho citto gahapati āyasmato isidattassa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā there bhikkhū paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi. Atha kho therā bhikkhū bhuttāvino onītapattapāṇino uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu. Atha kho āyasmā thero āyasmantaṁ isidattaṁ etadavoca: “sādhu kho taṁ, āvuso isidatta, eso pañho paṭibhāsi, neso pañho maṁ paṭibhāsi. Tenahāvuso isidatta, yadā aññathāpi evarūpo pañho āgaccheyya, taññevettha paṭibhāseyyā”ti.

Then Citta, having approved and agreed with what Isidatta said, served and satisfied the senior mendicants with his own hands with delicious fresh and cooked foods. When the senior mendicants had eaten and washed their hands and bowls, they rose from their seats and left. Then the senior venerable said to Venerable Isidatta, “Isidatta, it’s good that you felt inspired to answer that question, because I didn’t. So when a similar question comes up, you should also answer it as you feel inspired.”