“…Monks, it is through not understanding, not penetrating the Four Noble Truths that I as well as you have for a long time run on and gone round the cycle of birth-and-death…” ----- “…Suppose a monk were to say: ‘Friends, I heard and received this from the Lord’s own lips: This is the Dhamma, this is the Discipline (Vinaya), this is the Master’s teaching.’ Then, monks, you should neither approve nor disapprove his words. Then, without approving or disapproving, his words and expressions should be carefully noted and compared with the Suttas and reviewed in the light of the discipline. If they, on such comparison and review, are found not to conform to the Suttas or the discipline, the conclusion must be: ‘Assuredly this is not the word of the Buddha, it has been wrongly understood by this monk’, and the matter is to be rejected… …Supposed a monk were to say: ‘ In such and such place there is a community with elders and distinguished teachers. I have heard and received this from that community… …Supposed a monk were to say: ‘In such and such a place there are many elders who are learned, bearers of the tradition, who know the Dhamma, the discipline, the code of rules… …Supposed a monk were to say: ‘ In such and such a place there is one elder who is learned…..” ---- “…in whatever Dhamma and Discipline (Vinaya) the Noble Eightfold Path is not found, no ascetic is found of the first (Stream-winner), the second (Once-returner), the third (Non-returner) or the fourth grade (Arahant)…” ---- “…Ananda, it may be that you will think: ‘The Teacher’s instruction has ceased, now we have no teacher!’ It should not be seen like this, Ananda, for what I have taught and explained to you as Dhamma and Discipline (Vinaya) will, at my passing, be your teacher…” excerpts from DN16 from The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya translated by Maurice Walshe Alternative translation by Ven Ajahn Thanissaro accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.5-6.than.html#chap5 posted by aSuttareader. Dear Readers, pls note that this sutta is a long one and the Buddha mentioned the Suttas (Dhamma, his teachings) and Vinaya (Discipline). No-where did he mention the Abhidhamma...or the Commentaries...
Posted on: Mon, 07 Oct 2013 02:52:30 +0000
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