1. Sattajatila Sutta Discourse on the Seven Ascetics Dutiya Vagga, Kosala Samyutta, Sagatha Vagga Samyutta, Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka SOURCE: "FIVE SAMYUTTAS FROM SAGATHAVAGGA SAMYUTTA" Translated by U Tin U (Myaung), Yangon Edited by the Editorial Committee, Burma (Myanmar) Tipitaka Association, 1998

      122. At one time the Bhagava was staying at Savatthi, at a terraced building in the Pubbrama monastery-complex of Migaramata (i.e., Visakha). Then, in the evening, the Bhagava rose from mediating in seclusion and sat outside the doorway of the terraced building. At that time King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Bhagava, made obeisance, and sat at a suitable place. It was just then that there went past at a short distance from the Bhagava seven hermits with plaited hair, seven members of the Nigantha sect, seven naked ascetics, seven single-robed ascetics, and seven wandering ascetics; all with long arm pit hairs, long nails, long hair, long moustaches, long beard, and carrying various requisites of ascetics.

      Then King Pasenadi of Kosala rose from his seat and placing the outer robe on one shoulder, putting the right knee on the ground, with joined palms made obeisance towards the seven hermits with plaited hair, the seven members the Nigantha sect, the seven naked ascetics, the seven single-robed ascetics, and the seven wandering ascetics. He called out his name to them three times: "Your reverences! This is me, the King, Pasenadi of Kosala ...p... Your reverences! This is me, the King, Pasenadi of Kosala!" Not long after the seven hermits with plaited hair, the seven members of the Nigantha sect, the seven naked ascetics, the seven single-robed ascetics and the seven wandering ascetics had passed by, King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Bhagava, made obeisance and sat at a suitable place. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Bhagava: "Venerable Sir, in the world there are arahats and noble ones who have attained arahatta magga, and those (who had just passed by) are among them."

     "Great King, it is difficult for you as a layman, enjoying sensual pleasures, living a confined family life, making use of sandalwood from Kasi, adorning yourself with flowers, perfumes and cosmetics, and liking gold and silver, to know 'those persons are arahats or those persons are noble ones who have attained arahatta magga'."

      "It is only by living together, Great King, that one can know whether a person has morality or not; and that too can be known only after a long time, not in a short time, only by one who pays proper attention, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."

      "It is only by his talk, Great King, that the purity of a person can be known; and that too can be known only after a long time, not in a short time, only by one who pays proper attention, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."

      "It is only in times of crisis that a person's resourcefulness can be known; and that too can be known only after along time, not in a short time, only by one who pays proper attention, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."

      "It is only by discussion that a person's wisdom or lack of it can be known; and that too can be known only after a long, not in a short time, only by one who pays proper attention, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."

     "Wonderful, Venerable Sir! Marvellous, Venerable Sir. What the Bhagava has said is really true. You have said: 'Great King, it is difficult for you as a layman, enjoying sensual pleasures, living a confined family life, making use of sandalwood from kasi, adorning yourself with flowers, perfumes and cosmetics, and liking gold and silver, to know: those persons are arahats or those persons are noble ones who have attained arahatta magga."

     "It is only by living together, Great King, that one can know whether a person has morality or not; and that too can be known only after a long time, not in a short time, only by one who pays proper attentions not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."

     "It is only by his talk, Great King, that the purity of a person can be known; and that too can be known only after a long time, not in a short time, only by one who pays proper attention, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."

     "It is only in times of crisis that person's resourcefulness can be known; and that too can be known only after a long time, not in a short time, only by one who pays proper attention, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."

     "It is only by discussion that a person's wisdom or lack of it can be known; and that too can be known only after a long time, not in a short time, only by one who pays proper attentions, not by one who does not pay proper attention, and only by a wise person, not by one who lacks wisdom."

     "Venerable Sir, these secret agents of mine who wander about have come back from gathering intelligence in the countryside. What they have first investigated, I dispose of later. Now, they will clean off the dirt, take a good bath, anoint themselves with unguents, trim the hair and beard, dress themselves in clean clothes, and enjoy the five sensual pleasures fully and thoroughly."

      The Bhagava, understanding the matter, uttered these verses on that occasion:

     "It is not easy to know a man by his appearance only; there should be no intimacy on mere acquaintance-ship; for there are those lacking self-control who roam this world with the appurtenances of those who have full self-control."

      "Like imitation earrings made of clay, or like gold- plated copper trinkets which are of little value, those with the trappings of the virtuous go about in the world, outwardly respectable, but impure within"

End of the Sattajatila Sutta,

the first in this vagga.