Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
21. Bhikkhu Saṃyutta
The Connected Discourses of the Buddha
Part II.
The Book of Causation Nidāna-Vagga
21. Connected Discourses with Bhikkhus
Sutta 7
Visākha Pañcāli-Putta Suttaṃ
Visākha
Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi
Copyright Bhikkhu Bodhi 2000, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2000)
This selection from The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta Nikāya by Bhikkhu Bodhi is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the Great Wood in the Hall with the Peaked Roof.
Now on that occasion the Venerable Visākha Paācāliputta was instructing, exhorting, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, [spoken] with speech that was polished, clear, articulate, expressing well the meaning, comprehensive, unattached.
Then, in the evening, the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and approached the assembly hall.
He sat down in the appointed seat and addressed the bhikkhus thus:
"Bhikkhus, who has been instructing, exhorting, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, [spoken] with speech that is polished, clear, articulate, expressing well the meaning, comprehensive, unattached?"
"It was this Venerable Visākha Paācāliputta, venerable sir."
Then the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Visākha Paācāliputta thus:
"Good, good, Visākha!
It is good that you thus instruct the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk."
This is what the Blessed One said ... [who] further said this:
"When the wise man is in the midst of fools
They do not know him if he does not speak,
But they know him when he speaks,
Pointing out the deathless state.
"He should speak and explain the Dhamma,
He should raise high the seers' banner.
Well-spoken words are the seers' banner:
For the Dhamma is the banner of seers."
