The "Connected Discourses With King Pasenadi of Kosala" centers on King Pasenadi of Kosala, a figure who emerges in the early texts as both complex and relatable. Pasenadi is portrayed with his flaws and follies, yet also with deep devotion and a capacity for growth. These discourses often involve substantial prose narratives, depicting the king's struggles to reconcile his royal duties—amidst spies, sacrifices, punishments, and wars—with his commitment to the Dhamma. Queen Mallikā, a key figure in Pasenadi's spiritual journey, also appears, notably in SN 3.8, where she boldly challenges the king. This collection provides a rich exploration of the challenges faced by a ruler striving to uphold the Dhamma in the complex world of royal life.
Kosalasaṁyutta - Connected Discourses With King Pasenadi of Kosala
Paṭhama vagga - The First Chapter
The first chapter of the Connected Discourses with King Pasenadi of Kosala, containing discourses 1–10.
When King Pasenadi of Kosala asks the Buddha if he has also awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening, the Buddha affirms that he has.
PTS 1.68–1.69When asked by King Pasenadi of Kosala about the qualities that arise within a person for their harm, suffering, and troubled living, the Buddha lists greed, aversion, and delusion, and explains their effect on the mind with a simile.
PTS 1.70The Buddha explains to King Pasenadi of Kosala that no one, regardless of their wealth or status, is free from aging and death. Even arahants, who have attained the ultimate goal, are subject to the breaking up of this body.
PTS 1.71Who treats themselves as dear and who treats themselves as a foe?
PTS 1.71Even if protected by an entire army, one who engages in misconduct is unprotected. But one who engages in good conduct protects themselves, even without external protection.
PTS 1.72There are few in the world, who having obtained great wealth, neither become arrogant nor negligent, do not become obsessed with sensual pleasures, and do not act wrongly towards others.
PTS 1.73King Pasenadi of Kosala and Queen Mallikā ask each other who is more dearer to them than themselves.
PTS 1.75Dutiya vagga - The Second Chapter
The second chapter of the Connected Discourses with King Pasenadi of Kosala, containing discourses 11–20.
The Buddha observes the King Pasenadi as huffing and puffing and advises him on moderation in eating.
PTS 1.81When King Ajātasattu defeats King Pasenadi in battle over Kāsi, the Buddha contrasts Ajātasattu’s bad companions with Pasenadi’s good friends, explaining that victory breeds hatred while the peaceful sleep at ease.
PTS 1.82King Pasenadi asks the Buddha if there is one Dhamma which, having accomplished, secures both kinds of welfare—welfare pertaining to the present life and that pertaining to the next life. The Buddha explains that diligence is that one Dhamma.
PTS 1.86The Buddha teaches King Pasenadi that good friendship is the entire spiritual life, fostering the Noble Eightfold Path. He then advises the king to rely on diligence in wholesome states to secure benefits in this life and the hereafter.
PTS 1.87–1.88King Pasenadi recounts an heirless miser who hoarded millions yet lived on scraps. The Buddha then explains the past deeds that dictated both his vast fortune and his inability to enjoy it.
PTS 1.91–1.92Tatiya vagga - The Third Chapter
The third chapter of the Connected Discourses with King Pasenadi of Kosala, containing discourses 21–25.
King Pasenadi expresses deep sorrow over his grandmother’s death. The Buddha teaches him that all beings, without exception, are subject to death and cannot escape it, likening it to a potter’s pots that are all bound to break.
PTS 1.96–1.97Comparing renunciates to archers chosen for skill rather than birth, the Buddha explains to King Pasenadi that gifts bear greatest fruit when given to ethical, fully liberated disciples.
PTS 1.98–1.99The Buddha shares a simile of a mountain to illustrate the inevitability of old age and death, and the importance of living by the Dhamma.
PTS 1.100–1.102