ing about everything like this useless monk now disgrac-
ing himself. Where did the Buddha ever state that reach-
ing a true understanding requires moaning and groaning?
I didn’t study many books, so perhaps I missed it. Where
in the suttas does it refer to moaning and groaning? If any
of you who are well-versed in the scriptures comes across a
passage where it states that the Buddha extolled the merits
of moaning and groaning, please point it out to me. Then
I won’t have to teach monks to trouble themselves about
investigating pain and putting up with difficulties. You can
all just moan and groan until the Truth arises to fill the
whole universe. We can then witness the appearance of
wise, sagacious individuals who have succeeded in reach-
ing magga and phala by the power of their loud moans and
groans. They will be in a position to question the legiti-
macy, and the current relevance, of the Dhamma that Lord
Buddha proclaimed over 2,500 years ago.“The Dhamma of these latter-day sages will be a new, modern
Dhamma whose attainment requires no troublesome inves-
tigations. All that’s required to attain magga and phala is a
chorus of moaning and groaning, a method suited to an age
when people prefer to seek righteous results from unright-
eous causes – a pernicious attitude consuming the whole
world today. Before long there won’t be enough room on
the planet to hold all these modern-day sages. I myself have
an old-fashioned mentality. I trust what the Lord Buddha
taught and dare not take any shortcuts. I am afraid that, as
soon as I put a foot forward, I would fall flat on my face –