SN 7.22

Khomadussasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati khomadussaṁ nāmaṁ sakyānaṁ nigamo. Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya khomadussaṁ nigamaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Tena kho pana samayena khomadussakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā sabhāyaṁ sannipatitā honti kenacideva karaṇīyena, devo ca ekamekaṁ phusāyati. Atha kho bhagavā yena sā sabhā tenupasaṅkami. Addasaṁsu khomadussakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna etadavocuṁ: “ke ca muṇḍakā samaṇakā, ke ca sabhādhammaṁ jānissantī”ti? Atha kho bhagavā khomadussake brāhmaṇagahapatike gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

At Khomadussa

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, where they have a town named Khomadussa. Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Khomadussa for alms. Now at that time the brahmins and householders of Khomadussa were gathered in the council hall for some business, while a gentle rain drizzled down. Then the Buddha approached that council. The brahmins and householders saw the Buddha coming off in the distance, and said, “Who are these shavelings, these fake ascetics? Don’t they understand the council rules?” Then the Buddha addressed the brahmins and householders of Khomadussa in verse:

“Nesā sabhā yattha na santi santo, Santo na te ye na vadanti dhammaṁ; Rāgañca dosañca pahāya mohaṁ, Dhammaṁ vadantā ca bhavanti santo”ti.

“If good people are not present it is no true council; and those whose speak against principle are not good people. Having given up greed, hate, and delusion, speakers of principle are good people.”

Evaṁ vutte, khomadussakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama. Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Ete mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāma dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsake no bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupete saraṇaṁ gate”ti.

When he had spoken, the brahmins and householders of Khomadussa said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. We go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember us as lay followers who have gone for refuge for life.”