MN24 — Rathavinītasutta
Thus have I heard: At one time, the Blessed One was staying in Rajagaha at the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary.
Then several disciples who had spent the rains retreat in their native region approached the Blessed One. Having approached, they paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. While they were sitting there, the Blessed One addressed the disciples:
Who among the disciples from the native region, is regarded by their fellow practitioners as one who is personally content with little and encourages others to be content with little, personally satisfied and encourages others to be satisfied, personally secluded and encourages others to be secluded, personally not entangled and encourages others to be not entangled, personally energetic and encourages others to be energetic, personally virtuous and encourages others to be virtuous, personally concentrated and encourages others to be concentrated, personally wise and encourages others to be wise, personally liberated and encourages others to be liberated, personally possessing the knowing and vision of liberation and encourages others to possess it, an advisor, instructor, elucidator, inspirer, and encourager of fellow practitioners?
Venerable sir, the Venerable Punna Mantaniputta is such a one.
The Blessed One said: I have heard that you are known as Mantaniputta because you are a master of the Dhamma. Is this true?
Yes, it is, replied the disciple.
The Blessed One then asked him several questions about his knowing of the Dhamma, and the disciple answered each question correctly.
The Blessed One was pleased with the disciple's answers and said: You have indeed mastered the Dhamma, my son.
Then a certain disciple got up from his seat and approached the Blessed One. Venerable sir, he said, I have heard that Venerable Sariputta is a great master of the Dhamma. Is this true?
Yes, it is, replied the Blessed One.
The disciple then asked the Blessed One several questions about Venerable Sariputta's knowing of the Dhamma, and the Blessed One answered each question correctly.
The disciple was pleased with the Blessed One's answers and said: I am glad to have heard this. I will go and see Venerable Sariputta.
He went to where Venerable Sariputta was staying and asked him several questions about his knowing of the Dhamma. Venerable Sariputta answered each question correctly.
The disciple was pleased with Venerable Sariputta's answers and said: I am glad to have heard this. You are indeed a great master of the Dhamma, Venerable Sariputta.
Venerable Sariputta then asked the disciple several questions about his knowing of the Dhamma, and the disciple answered each question correctly.
The two disciples continued to converse with each other, asking and answering questions about their knowing of the Dhamma. They were both pleased with each other's answers and said: We are glad to have met each other. We will continue to learn from each other.
The Blessed One was pleased with the conversation between the two disciples and said: This is how the wise should converse with each other, asking questions and answering correctly.
Then Venerable Sariputta asked Venerable Punna Mantaniputta a question about his knowing of the Dhamma. Venerable Punna Mantaniputta answered correctly.
Venerable Sariputta then said: I have heard that you are known as Mantaniputta because you are a master of the Dhamma. Is this true?
Yes, it is, replied Venerable Punna Mantaniputta.
Venerable Sariputta was pleased with Venerable Punna Mantaniputta's answer and said: You have indeed mastered the Dhamma, my son.
The two disciples continued to converse with each other, asking and answering questions about their knowing of the Dhamma. They were both pleased with each other's answers and said: We are glad to have met each other. We will continue to learn from each other.
The Blessed One was pleased with the conversation between the two disciples and said: This is how the wise should converse with each other, asking questions and answering correctly.
Then Venerable Sariputta asked Venerable Punna Mantaniputta a question about his knowing of the Dhamma. Venerable Punna Mantaniputta answered correctly.
Venerable Sariputta then said: I have heard that you are known as Mantaniputta because you are a master of the Dhamma. Is this true?
Yes, it is, replied Venerable Punna Mantaniputta.
The Blessed One was pleased with the conversation between the two disciples and said: This is how the wise should converse with each other, asking questions and answering correctly.
Then Venerable Sariputta asked a question about his own knowing of the Dhamma. He explained that moral purity is for the sake of mental purity, mental purity is for the sake of purity of view, purity of view is for the sake of purity of overcoming doubt, purity of overcoming doubt is for the sake of purity of knowing and vision of what is and is not the path, purity of knowing and vision of what is and is not the path is for the sake of purity of knowing and vision of the way, purity of knowing and vision of the way is for the sake of purity of knowing and vision, purity of knowing and vision is for the sake of unattachment and complete Nibbana.
The Blessed One was pleased with Venerable Sariputta's answer and said: This is how the wise should know the Dhamma.
Then Venerable Punna Mantaniputta asked a question about his own knowing of the Dhamma. He explained that he had mastered the Dhamma and was known as Mantaniputta because of it.
The Blessed One was pleased with Venerable Punna Mantaniputta's answer and said: You have indeed mastered the Dhamma, my son.
The two disciples continued to converse with each other, asking and answering questions about their knowing of the Dhamma. They were both pleased with each other's answers and said: We are glad to have met each other. We will continue to learn from each other.
The Blessed One was pleased with the conversation between the two disciples and said: This is how the wise should converse with each other, asking questions and answering correctly.
Then Venerable Sariputta asked a question about his own knowing of the Dhamma. He explained that he had mastered the Dhamma and was known as Sariputta because of it.
The Blessed One was pleased with Venerable Sariputta's answer and said: You have indeed mastered the Dhamma, my son.
The two disciples continued to converse with each other, asking and answering questions about their knowing of the Dhamma. They were both pleased with each other's answers and said: We are glad to have met each other. We will continue to learn from each other.
The Blessed One was pleased with the conversation between the two disciples and said: This is how the wise should converse with each other, asking questions and answering correctly.
Thus, the Rathavinīta Sutta ends.