Hello,
Which is the real [or more probable] ending of MN1?
Bhikkhus
… delighted at the Buddha’s words,
… or not?
Delighted
IB Horner ( and similarly in Bengali & French translations)
Thus spoke the Lord. Delighted, these monks rejoiced in what the Lord had said.
Not delighted
B. Bodhi, ( and similarly in B. Sujato, Thannissaro B., Czech, German, Burmese, Spanish, Sinhala, Chinese translations)
That is what the Blessed One said, but those bhikkhus did not delight in the Blessed One’s words.
Remaining languages of 22 available on SC — not searched yet.
Some explanations, imo.
Spanish (google translate)
This is what the Blessed One said, but these monks did not delight in the words of the Blessed One.
The translator proposes to consider another possible interpretation, according to which the monks have perfectly understood and accepted this message and knew how to assimilate it par excellence: they did not delight in the Buddha’s words, because according to what he expounded here –in its shortened version of the exposition of conditional origin - delight, even in states as sublime as the base of infinite space, the base of infinite consciousness, etc., is ultimately the cause of dissatisfaction (dukkha). Furthermore, going back to the beginning of the sutta, it is precisely “the ordinary, uneducated person” who is characterized by the enjoyment of delight at all times. “The disciple who follows the course of perfection” is advised not to delight and, from the first arahant, delight has already been completely eliminated.
French (google translate)
Thus spoke the Lord.
The monks were satisfied with the words of the Lord and they rejoiced.
The commentary says, on the contrary, that the monks were not satisfied with the words of the Lord and that they did not rejoice in them. They said to themselves: "Ordinary beings perceive the earth as earth while the monks who practice, the Accomplished and the Tathagata know it directly. What does this mean ? we do not understand it when we have so far learned and easily understood everything that the Lord told us. " Their sense of superiority faded, they regained the respect due to the Lord and began to come to consult him again.
Later the Lord explained to other monks that he had already in the past lowered the pride of these monks of Brahmin origin, and he narrated to them the Mûlapariyâyajâtaka, where there is question of an eminent Brahmin who transmits everything his knowledge to his students, and they end up believing him his equals, but the guru submits to them two puzzles that they cannot solve, which puts them in their place.
The story does not end there. Subsequently the Lord went to Vesali. There he saw that these monks had matured and he said to them the Gotamakasutta (AN I 276) which this time rightly ends with the assertion that the monks were satisfied with the words of the Lord and that they rejoiced.
Burmese (My Summary of burmese explanation). Words in […] are my additions.
In some pali variants, ended in “delighted”. However, here, Buddha intended just to lessen the pride of the Bhikkhus, not aiming for their [thorough] understanding and [immediate] enlightenment [because their minds are not ripe enough yet], translated according to commentary.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
If the listeners present at this discourse were indeed interested in fitting Buddhist teachings into a Samkhyan mold, then it’s small wonder that they were displeased — one of the few places where we read of a negative reaction to the Buddha’s words. They had hoped to hear his contribution to their project, but instead they hear their whole pattern of thinking & theorizing attacked as ignorant & ill-informed. The Commentary tells us, though, they were later able to overcome their displeasure and eventually attain Awakening on listening to the discourse reported in AN 3.123.