The Story of Thirty Bhikkhus

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (384) of this book, with reference to thirty bhikkhus.

On one occasion, thirty bhikkhus came to pay homage to the Buddha. The Venerable Sariputta, seeing that time was ripe and proper for those bhikkhus to attain arahatship, approached the Buddha and asked a question, solely for the benefit of those bhikkhus. The question was this: "What are the two dhammas?" To this the Buddha replied, "Sariputta! Tranquillity and Insight Meditation are the two dhammas."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 384: When the brahmana is well-established in the two dhammas (i.e., the practice of Tranquillity and Insight Meditation), then, in that knowing one, all fetters are destroyed.

At the end of the discourse all the thirty bhikkhus attained arahatship.