Help finding sutta Ajahn Chah quotes/paraphrases here?

[Tex]

In a transcription of a Dhamma talk (found in the short collection Living Dhamma, in the sixth talk titled "Living In the World With Dhamma"), Ajahn Chah stated the following:

The teaching of the Buddha is the unchanging truth whether in the present or in any other time. The Buddha revealed this truth 2,500 years ago and it's been the truth ever since. This teaching should not be added to or taken away from. The Buddha said, "What the Tathagata has laid down should not be discarded, what has not been laid down by the Tathagata should not be added on to the teachings". He 'sealed off' the Teachings. Why did the Buddha seal them off? Because these Teachings are the words of one who has no defilements. No matter how the world may change these Teachings are unaffected, they don't change with it.

I searched briefly for this online and couldn't find it (paraphrased perhaps?) -- I'm curious which sutta(s) Ajahn Chah is referencing here, any help?

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Tex,

That sounds remarkably similar to what I just quoted with respect to the Vinaya at viewtopic.php?f=13&t=895#p16090

Metta,
Retro.

[forestmat]

Greetings Tex

this website might be useful to you: http://www.ajahnchah.org/

Best wishes

forestmat

[Dhammanando]

Hi Tex,

I searched briefly for this online and couldn't find it (paraphrased perhaps?) -- I'm curious which sutta(s) Ajahn Chah is referencing here, any help?

Probably the Mahaparinibbana Sutta. On uposatha days in Thai wats, after the Patimokkha has been recited monks will chant various sutta passages, of which the following is very common:

“As long as the monks hold regular and frequent assemblies, they may be expected to prosper and not to decline.

“As long as they meet in harmony, break up in harmony, and carry on their business in harmony, they may be expected to prosper and not to decline.

“As long as they do not authorise what has not been authorised already, and do not abolish what has been authorised, but proceed according to what has been authorised by the rules of training, they may be expected to prosper and not to decline.

“As long as they honour, respect, revere and salute the elders of long standing who are long-ordained, fathers and leaders of the order, they may be expected to prosper and not to decline.

“As long as they do not fall prey to desires which arise in them and lead to rebirth, they may be expected to prosper and not to decline.

“As long as they are devoted to forest-lodgings, they may be expected to prosper and not to decline.

“As long as they preserve their personal mindfulness, so that in future the good among their companions will come to them, and those who have already come will feel at ease with them, they may be expected to prosper and not to decline.

“As long as the monks hold to these seven things and are seen to do so, they may be expected to prosper and not to decline.”
(from Mahaparinibbana Sutta, DN. 16. Walshe trans.)

Best wishes,
Dhammanando Bhikkhu

[pink_trike]

In a transcription of a Dhamma talk (found in the short collection Living Dhamma, in the sixth talk titled "Living In the World With Dhamma"), Ajahn Chah stated the following:

The teaching of the Buddha is the unchanging truth whether in the present or in any other time. The Buddha revealed this truth 2,500 years ago and it's been the truth ever since. This teaching should not be added to or taken away from. The Buddha said, "What the Tathagata has laid down should not be discarded, what has not been laid down by the Tathagata should not be added on to the teachings". He 'sealed off' the Teachings. Why did the Buddha seal them off? Because these Teachings are the words of one who has no defilements. No matter how the world may change these Teachings are unaffected, they don't change with it.

Clearly a precise definition of "Teachings" is needed here in light of the scholarly evidence that quite a few suttas evolved over time, many centuries after Siddhārtha Gautama died (whenever that might have been).