| Sutta Name | Nikaya | Vagga | Academic | PTS | PSA Plae | Keywords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ra.t.thapaala | Majjhima | Majjhimapa.n.naasa, Raaja Vagga | MN.082 | M.ii.054-74 | 21/024 | ordination, faith | Contains an account of Rattapala’s admission into the Order, his visit to his parents after attaining arahantship and his conversation with the Kuru king in the latter’s Deer Park. This last conversation forms the main theme.The king asks Ratthapala why he has left the home life when he suffers neither from old age, failing health, poverty nor death of kinsfolk. Ratthapala answers that his reason for ordination is his conviction of the propositions enunciated by the Buddha: 1. that the world is in a continuous state of flux and change; 2. there is no protector or preserver; 3. in it we own nothing, but must leave all behind us; 4. it lacks and hankers, being enslaved by craving. He explains the meaning of these statements to the satisfaction of the king and summarises the statements in a series of stanzas. The Ratthapala Sutta is given as an example of a discourse in which the rupakammatthana is given first, leading on through vedana to the arupakammatthana. |
Last modified on: Sunday, 9 January 2000.