those wanderers who followed other religions, unable to bear the esteem of the mendicant Sangha, abused, attacked, harassed, and troubled the mendicants…

How a wise meditator views abusive speech.

It struck me then, and still strikes me now, as being the ideal book to introduce students to a study of the language of the texts. There are a number of reasons for this. The first is that the Udāna is made up of related prose and verse sections…

… he suffered painful, sharp, severe, and acute feelings, which he endured unbothered, with mindfulness and awareness.

Walking together, dwelling as one,
the knowledge master mixes with foolish folk.

One of the Buddha’s attendants learns to listen to the Buddha’s advice.

He should dedicate an offering
To the deities there.
Venerated, they venerate him

A few verses on how to become “beloved of the gods” get a framing narrative glorifying the Magadha Kingdom.

Many Buddhist kingdoms (down to the present day) create (or promote) apocryphal stories to justify their Buddhist bona fides, and this sutta may be such an example from King Ashoka’s time.

It’s hard to see the unaffected…

Then the Blessed One, realizing his own abandoning of the perceptions & categories of objectification, on that occasion exclaimed…

Then at that time many moths rushing and falling down into those oil lamps, were coming to grief, were coming to ruin.

Like moths to the flame, living beings are draw to appearances at their own peril.

Then at that time the Gracious One was sitting reflecting on his own abandonment of countless bad, unwholesome things, and how through development countless wholesome things had come to fulfilment.

..accepting gold and money, it’s hard for you to know who is perfected or on the path to perfection.

How to judge another person’s spiritual character.

False pundits, totally muddled…

Evil, for the evil, is easy to do.

Devadatta announces that he will cause a split in the Sangha.

A wise man in the world of the living should avoid bad deeds.

Reflection Questions:

1. What was the cause of this man’s leprosy?
2. How does the Buddha treat him?
3. What attitude towards lepers does this sutta encourage us to have?

this not being, that is not;
from the cessation of this, that ceases.

Dependent Origination is the answer to this famously pithy Dharma summary.

This not being, that is not;
from the cessation of this, that ceases.

The Buddha, soon after awakening, utters this famous and pithy summary of the Dhamma.

All his doubts then vanish since he understands
Each thing along with its cause.

The Buddha, soon after awakening, summarizes what it is he awakened to.

For the independent there’s no agitation. When there’s no agitation there is tranquility.

Nibbāna is true independence.

… no coming or going or remaining or passing away or reappearing. It is not established, does not proceed, and has no support. Just this is the end of suffering.

The nature of Nibbāna especially as differentiated from the (other) attainments of Samādhi.

Meghiya, when the heart’s release is not ripe, five things help it ripen. What five? Firstly, a mendicant has good friends…

A monk leaves the Buddha to go into solitude, only to find his mind overcome by unskillful thoughts. When he asks the Buddha about this, he gets a heartfelt summary of the entire path.

Of the ascetics and brahmins who say that through annihilation of existence one escapes from continued existence, none have themselves escaped from continued existence, I say.

Shortly after awakening, the Buddha contemplates rebirth.

May the Buddha not be hot or cold, nor be bothered by flies …

Shortly after the Buddha’s awakening, Nāga Mucalinda protects him from a storm—a striking image that would inspire artists for thousands of years.

… most of the people in Sāvatthī were excessively attached to sensual pleasures…

See how troubled are those with attachments…

Then the Venerable Mahamoggllana took that person by the arm, pulled him outside the gate, and bolted it.

Oh, what bliss! Oh, what bliss!

A former king, now a monk, talks to himself.

Then a certain brahmin who was a reciter of the mystic syllable ‘huṁ’ went up to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him.

For Bhante Sujato’s fascinating explanation of his unorthodox translation of this sutta, see the essay on D&D about it.

What need for a well
if there were waters always?

Wanderers of other sects try to keep the Buddha from drinking the water in a well.

But Mahākassapa refused those deities…

A deva-king disguises himself to give alms to Ven. Mahā Kassapa.

Mendicants, it is not appropriate for you who have gone forth to talk about such things.

When monks have gathered, they shouldn’t spend their time gossiping.

having heard that rough speech broadcast around,
A monk should bear it with an uncorrupt mind.

After wanderers of other sects attempt to frame the Buddhist monks for the murder of Sundarī, the Buddha teaches the monks how to respond to false accusations.

… indeed there is no thing there

A beautiful reading of this wonderful and profound sutta on realizing the essence of emptiness.

There is, monks, an unborn, unbecome, unmade, unconditioned.

The escape from conditions exists.

See also, Iti 43.

For those who have one love, they have one suffering.
For those who love nothing, they have no sorrow.

Lady Visākhā wished for many grandchildren.

Whatever doubts there are…
The meditators give up all these

The Buddha rejoices in Ven. Revata’s diligent meditation.