1On one occasion a number of elder bhikkhus were dwelling at Macchikasaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove. Then Citta the householder approached those elder bhikkhus, paid homage to them, sat down to one side, and said to them: "Venerable sirs, let the elders consent to accept tomorrow's meal from me."

The elder bhikkhus consented by silence. sn.iv.284 Then Citta the householder, having understood that the elders had consented, rose from his seat, paid homage to them, and departed, keeping them on his right.

When the night had passed, in the morning the elder bhikkhus dressed, took their bowls and outer robes, and went to the residence of Citta the householder. There they sat down on the appointed seats.

2Then Citta the householder approached the elder bhikkhus, paid homage to them, sat down to one side, and said to the venerable chief elder:

"Venerable Elder, it is said, ‘diversity of elements, diversity of elements.’ In what way, venerable sir, has the diversity of elements been spoken of by the Blessed One?" [n.287] The problem is also posed at SN35.129, but the reply given below draws on SN14.1.

When this was said, the venerable chief elder was silent. A second time and a third time Citta the householder asked the same question, and a second time and a third time the venerable chief elder was silent. [n.288] Spk says that he knew the answer but was not a confident speaker. This explanation is not very convincing in view of the elder's confession below.

3Now on that occasion the Venerable Isidatta was the most junior bhikkhu in that Saṅgha. [n.289] Th120 is ascribed to Isidatta. According to Th-a I 248, while Isidatta was still a layman, his "unseen friend" Citta (see next sutta) sent him a letter in which he praised the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha. Isidatta gained confidence in the Triple Gem, went forth as a monk under the Venerable Mahakaccana, and quickly attained arahantship with the six direct knowledges. Then the Venerable Isidatta said to the venerable chief elder: "Allow me, venerable elder, to answer Citta the householder's question."

"Answer it, friend Isidatta."

"Now, householder, are you asking thus: ‘Venerable elder, it is said, "diversity of elements, diversity of elements." In what way, venerable sir, has the diversity of elements been spoken of by the Blessed One?’" sn.iv.285

"Yes, venerable sir."

"This diversity of elements, householder, has been spoken of by the Blessed One thus: the eye element, form element, eye-consciousness element … the mind element, mental-phenomena element, mind-consciousness element. It is in this way, householder, that the diversity of elements has been spoken of by the Blessed One."

4Then Citta the householder, having delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Isidatta's words, with his own hand served and satisfied the elder bhikkhus with the various kinds of delicious food. When the elder bhikkhus had finished eating and had put away their bowls, [n.290] Onītapattapāṇino. Here Spk expands: "Having removed their bowls from their hands and washed them (paṇīto apanītapattā dhovitvā), having deposited them into their bags, (they left) with the bowls hanging from their shoulders." This explanation goes further than the more typical commentarial gloss, which interprets the expression to mean simply that the monk has put the bowl aside; see n. 135. On osāpeti, “to deposit,” see I, n. 223. they rose from their seats and departed.

Then the venerable chief elder said to the Venerable Isidatta: "It is good, friend Isidatta, that the answer to this question occurred to you. The answer did not occur to me. Therefore, friend Isidatta, whenever a similar question comes up at some other time, you should clear it up." [n.291] I translate the awkward idiom freely in accordance with the natural sense.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā therā bhikkhū macchikāsaṇḍe vihāranti ambāṭakavane. Atha kho citto gahapati yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati there bhikkhū etadavoca: "adhivāsentu me, bhante, therā svātanāya bhattan"ti.

Adhivāsesuṁ kho therā bhikkhū tuṇhībhāvena. Atha kho citto gahapati therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.

Atha kho therā bhikkhū tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena cittassa gahapatissa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdiṁsu.

2Atha kho citto gahapati yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca:

"‘dhātunānattaṁ, dhātunānattan’ti, bhante thera, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, dhātunānattaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā"ti?

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā thero tuṇhī ahosi. Dutiyampi kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: "‘dhātunānattaṁ, dhātunānattan’ti, bhante thera, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, dhātunānattaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā"ti? Dutiyampi kho āyasmā thero tuṇhī ahosi. Tatiyampi kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: "‘dhātunānattaṁ, dhātunānattan’ti, bhante thera, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, dhātunānattaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā"ti? Tatiyampi kho āyasmā thero tuṇhī ahosi.

3Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā isidatto tasmiṁ bhikkhusaṅghe sabbanavako hoti. Atha kho āyasmā isidatto āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: "byākaromahaṁ, bhante thera, cittassa gahapatino etaṁ pañhan"ti?

"Byākarohi tvaṁ, āvuso isidatta, cittassa gahapatino etaṁ pañhan"ti.

"Evañhi tvaṁ, gahapati, pucchasi: ‘dhātunānattaṁ, dhātunānattanti, bhante thera, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, dhātunānattaṁ, vuttaṁ bhagavatā’"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante".

"Idaṁ kho, gahapati, dhātunānattaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā – cakkhudhātu, rūpadhātu, cakkhuviññāṇadhātu … pe … manodhātu, dhammadhātu, manoviññāṇadhātu. Ettāvatā kho, gahapati, dhātunānattaṁ vuttaṁ bhagavatā"ti.

4Atha kho citto gahapati āyasmato isidattassa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā there bhikkhū paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi. Atha kho therā bhikkhū bhuttāvino onītapattapāṇino uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu.

Atha kho āyasmā thero āyasmantaṁ isidattaṁ etadavoca: "sādhu kho taṁ, āvuso isidatta, eso pañho paṭibhāsi, neso pañho maṁ paṭibhāsi. Tenahāvuso isidatta, yadā aññathāpi evarūpo pañho āgaccheyya, taññevettha paṭibhāseyyā"ti.

Dutiyaṁ.