The importance of discussion

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Maṅgala Sutta (Khp 5 / Sn 2.4) – “The Discourse on Blessings”

Among the list of greatest blessings, the Buddha includes:

“Patience, being easy to admonish, the sight of ascetics, and timely discussion of the teaching: this is the highest blessing.”

Mahāvedalla Sutta (MN 43)
“Friend, how many conditions are there for the arising of right view?”

“Friend, there are two conditions for the arising of right view: another’s voice and wise attention. These are the two conditions for the arising of right view.”

“Friend, how many factors is right view assisted by when it has deliverance of the heart for its fruit, deliverance of the heart for its benefit, and has the deliverance by understanding for its fruit, the deliverance by understanding for its benefit?”

“Friend, right view is assisted by five factors when it has the deliverance of the heart for its fruit, the deliverance of the heart for its benefit, the deliverance by understanding for its fruit, the deliverance by understanding for its benefit. Here right view is assisted by virtue, by learning, by converse, by peace and by insight. Right view assisted by these five factors has the deliverance of the heart for its fruit, the deliverance of the heart for its benefit, the deliverance by understanding for its fruit, the deliverance by understanding for its benefit.”

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“ The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Complete Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya (The Teachings of the Buddha) by Bhikkhu Bodhi

And what is the assembly trained in interrogation, not in vain talk? Here, in this kind of assembly, when those discourses are being recited that are mere poetry composed by poets, beautiful in words and phrases, created by outsiders, spoken by disciples, the bhikkhus do not want to listen to them, do not lend an ear to them, or apply their minds to understand them; they do not think those teachings should be studied and learned. But when those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata are being recited that are deep, deep in meaning, world-transcending, connected with emptiness, the bhikkhus want to listen to them, lend an ear to them, and apply their minds to understand them; they think those teachings should be studied and learned. And having learned those teachings, they interrogate each other about them and examine them thoroughly, [asking]: ‘How is this? What is the meaning of this?’ [They] disclose to [others] what is obscure and elucidate what is unclear, and dispel their perplexity about numerous perplexing points. This is called the assembly trained in interrogation, not in vain talk. “These, bhikkhus, are the two kinds of assemblies. Of these two kinds of assemblies, the assembly trained in interrogation, not in vain talk, is foremos t.””—

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