1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Now on that occasion, after their meal, on returning from their alms round, a number of bhikkhus had assembled in the assembly hall and were sitting together engaging in various kinds of pointless talk, that is: talk about kings, thieves, and ministers of state; talk about armies, perils, and wars; talk about food, drink, garments, and beds; talk about garlands and scents; talk about relatives, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries; talk about women and talk about heroes; street talk and talk by the well; talk about the departed; miscellaneous talk; speculation about the world and the sea; talk about becoming this or that.

2Then, in the evening, the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and went to the assembly hall, where he sat down on the prepared seat. The Blessed One then addressed the bhikkhus:

"Bhikkhus, what discussion were you engaged in just now as you were sitting together here? What was the conversation that was underway?"

3"Here, Bhante, after our meal, on returning from our alms round, we assembled in the assembly hall and were sitting together engaging in various kinds of pointless talk, that is: talk about kings, thieves, and ministers of state … talk about becoming this or that."

"Bhikkhus, it is not suitable for you, clansmen who have gone forth from the household life into homelessness out of faith, to engage in various kinds of pointless talk, that is: talk about kings, thieves, and ministers of state … talk about becoming this or that.

4"There are, bhikkhus, these ten topics of discussion. What ten? Talk on fewness of desires, on contentment, on solitude, on not being bound up with others, on arousing energy, on virtuous behavior, on concentration, on wisdom, on liberation, on knowledge and vision of liberation. These are the ten topics of discussion.

5"If, bhikkhus, you engage in discussion on any of these ten topics, your splendor might surpass even the splendor of the sun and moon, as powerful and mighty as they are, how much more then that of the wanderers of other sects!"

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ sannisinnā sannipatitā anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā viharanti, seyyathidaṁ – rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ mahāmattakathaṁ senākathaṁ bhayakathaṁ yuddhakathaṁ annakathaṁ pānakathaṁ vatthakathaṁ sayanakathaṁ mālākathaṁ gandhakathaṁ ñātikathaṁ yānakathaṁ gāmakathaṁ nigamakathaṁ nagarakathaṁ janapadakathaṁ itthikathaṁ sūrakathaṁ visikhākathaṁ kumbhaṭṭhānakathaṁ pubbapetakathaṁ nānattakathaṁ lokakkhāyikaṁ samuddakkhāyikaṁ itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vāti.

2Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena upaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

"Kāya nuttha, bhikkhave, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā sannipatitā, kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā"ti?

3"Idha mayaṁ, bhante, pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ sannisinnā sannipatitā anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā viharāma, seyyathidaṁ – rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ … pe … itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vā"ti.

"Na kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, tumhākaṁ patirūpaṁ kulaputtānaṁ saddhāya agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitānaṁ, yaṁ tumhe anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā vihareyyātha, seyyathidaṁ – rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ mahāmattakathaṁ senākathaṁ bhayakathaṁ yuddhakathaṁ annakathaṁ pānakathaṁ vatthakathaṁ sayanakathaṁ mālākathaṁ gandhakathaṁ ñātikathaṁ yānakathaṁ gāmakathaṁ nigamakathaṁ nagarakathaṁ janapadakathaṁ itthikathaṁ sūrakathaṁ visikhākathaṁ kumbhaṭṭhānakathaṁ pubbapetakathaṁ nānattakathaṁ lokakkhāyikaṁ samuddakkhāyikaṁ itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vāti.

4Dasayimāni, bhikkhave, kathāvatthūni. Katamāni dasa? Appicchakathā, santuṭṭhikathā, pavivekakathā, asaṁsaggakathā, vīriyārambhakathā, sīlakathā, samādhikathā, paññākathā, vimuttikathā, vimuttiñāṇadassanakathāti – imāni kho, bhikkhave, dasa kathāvatthūni.

5Imesañce tumhe, bhikkhave, dasannaṁ kathāvatthūnaṁ upādāyupādāya kathaṁ katheyyātha, imesampi candimasūriyānaṁ evaṁmahiddhikānaṁ evaṁmahānubhāvānaṁ tejasā tejaṁ pariyādiyeyyātha, ko pana vādo aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānan"ti.

Navamaṁ.