1At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Now at that time Venerable Visākha, Pañcāli’s son, was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk. His words were polished, clear, articulate, expressing the meaning, comprehensive, and independent.

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Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the assembly hall. He sat down on the seat spread out, and addressed the mendicants,

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2“Mendicants, who was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk?”

“Sir, it was Venerable Visākha, Pañcāli’s son.”

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3Then the Buddha said to Visākha: “Good, good, Visākha! It’s good that you educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, with words that are polished, clear, articulate, expressing the meaning, comprehensive, and independent.

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4Though an astute person is mixed up with fools,
they don’t know unless he speaks.
But when he speaks they know,
he’s teaching the deathless state.

5He should speak and illustrate the teaching,
holding up the banner of the hermits.
Words well spoken are the hermits’ banner,
for the teaching is the banner of the hermits.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā visākho pañcālaputto upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāya.

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

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2"Ko nu kho, bhikkhave, upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā"ti?

"Āyasmā, bhante, visākho pañcālaputto upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā"ti.

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3Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ visākhaṁ pañcālaputtaṁ etadavoca:  "sādhu sādhu, visākha. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, visākha, bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyāti.

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4Nābhāsamānaṁ jānanti,
missaṁ bālehi paṇḍitaṁ;
Bhāsamānañca jānanti,
desentaṁ amataṁ padaṁ.

5Bhāsaye jotaye dhammaṁ,
paggaṇhe isinaṁ dhajaṁ;
Subhāsitadhajā isayo,
dhammo hi isinaṁ dhajo"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.