Axial Commons
“Ānanda, it is quite impossible for a faithless mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training.
Buddhism
Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)
9. Senior Mendicants
It is quite impossible for a mendicant who is unethical …
unlearned …
hard to admonish …
with bad friends …
lazy …
unmindful …
lacking contentment …
of corrupt wishes …
of wrong view to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training.
It is quite impossible for a mendicant with these ten qualities to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training.
It is quite possible for a faithful mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training.
It is quite possible for a mendicant who is ethical …
a learned memorizer …
easy to admonish …
with good friends …
energetic …
mindful …
contented …
of few desires …
of right view to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training.
It is quite possible for a mendicant with these ten qualities to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training.”
Then Venerable Puṇṇiya went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why sometimes the Realized One feels inspired to teach, and other times not?”
“Puṇṇiya, when a mendicant has faith but doesn’t approach, the Realized One doesn’t feel inspired to teach. But when a mendicant has faith and approaches, the Realized One feels inspired to teach.
When a mendicant has faith and approaches, but doesn’t pay homage … they pay homage, but don’t ask questions … they ask questions, but don’t actively listen to the teaching … they actively listen to the teaching, but don’t remember the teaching they’ve heard … they remember the teaching they’ve heard, but don’t examine the meaning of the teachings they’ve remembered … they examine the meaning of the teachings they’ve remembered, but, not having understood the meaning and the teaching, they don’t practice in line with the principle of the teaching … they practice in line with the teaching, but they’re not a good speaker and do not enunciate well. Their voice is not polished, clear, articulate, and doesn’t express the meaning … They’re a good speaker who enunciates well, but they don’t educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. The Realized One doesn’t feel inspired to teach.
But when a mendicant has faith, approaches, pays homage, asks questions, actively listens to the teachings, remembers the teachings, examines the meaning, practices in line with the principle of the teaching, has a good voice, and encourages their spiritual companions, the Realized One feels inspired to teach. When someone possesses these ten qualities, the Realized One feels totally inspired to teach.”
There Venerable Mahāmoggallāna addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, mendicants!” “Reverend,” they replied. Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this:
“Take a mendicant who declares enlightenment: ‘I understand: “Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.”’ They’re pursued, pressed, and grilled by the Realized One, or by one of his disciples who is a meditator skilled in attainments, in the minds of others, and in encompassing another’s mind. Grilled in this way they get stuck or lose their way. They fall to ruin and disaster.
The Realized One or one of his disciples encompasses their mind and investigates: ‘Why does this venerable declare enlightenment, saying: “I understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place’”?’
They understand:
‘This venerable gets irritable, and often lives with a heart full of anger. But being full of anger means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.
This venerable is acrimonious …
prone to disdain …
contemptuous …
jealous …
stingy …
devious …
deceitful …
This venerable has corrupt wishes, and often lives with a heart full of desire. But being full of desire means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.
When there is still more to be done, this venerable stopped half-way after achieving some trifling distinction. But stopping half-way means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’
It is quite impossible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training without giving up these ten qualities. It is quite possible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training after giving up these ten qualities.”
At one time Venerable Mahācunda was staying in the land of the Cetīs at Sahajāti. There he addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, mendicants!” “Reverend,” they replied. Venerable Mahācunda said this:
“Take a mendicant who boasts and brags about their achievements: ‘I enter and emerge from the first absorption, the second absorption, the third absorption, and the fourth absorption. And I enter and emerge from the dimensions of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, and neither perception nor non-perception. And I enter and emerge from the cessation of perception and feeling.’
They’re pursued, pressed, and grilled by the Realized One, or by one of his disciples who has the absorptions, and is skilled in attainments, in the minds of others, and in encompassing another’s mind. Grilled in this way they get stuck or lose their way. They fall to ruin and disaster.
The Realized One or one of his disciples encompasses their mind and investigates: ‘Why does this venerable boast and brag about their achievements, saying, “I enter and emerge from the first absorption … and the cessation of perception and feeling.”’
They understand,
‘For a long time this venerable’s deeds have been broken, tainted, spotty, and marred. Their deeds and behavior are inconsistent. This venerable is unethical, and unethical conduct means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.
This venerable is unfaithful, and lack of faith means decline …
This venerable is unlearned and unpracticed, and lack of learning means decline …
This venerable is hard to admonish, and being hard to admonish means decline …
This venerable has bad friends, and bad friends mean decline …
This venerable is lazy, and laziness means decline …
This venerable is unmindful, and unmindfulness means decline …
This venerable is deceptive, and deceitfulness means decline …
This venerable is burdensome, and being burdensome means decline …
This venerable is witless, and lack of wisdom means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’
Suppose one friend was to say to another: ‘My dear, when you need money for some payment, just ask me and I’ll give it.’ Then when some payment falls due, that friend says to their friend: ‘I need some money, my dear. Give me some.’ They’d say: ‘Well then, my dear, dig here.’ So they dig there, but don’t find anything. They’d say: ‘You lied to me, my dear, you spoke hollow words when you told me to dig here.’ They’d say: ‘My dear, I didn’t lie or speak hollow words. Well then, dig here.’ So they dig there as well, but don’t find anything. They’d say: ‘You lied to me, my dear, you spoke hollow words when you said dig here.’ They’d say: ‘My dear, I didn’t lie or speak hollow words. Well then, dig here.’ So they dig there as well, but don’t find anything. They’d say: ‘You lied to me, my dear, you spoke hollow words when you said dig here.’ They’d say: ‘My dear, I didn’t lie or speak hollow words. But I had gone mad, I was out of my mind.’
In the same way, take a mendicant who boasts and brags about their achievements: ‘I enter and emerge from the first absorption … and the cessation of perception and feeling.’
They’re pursued, pressed, and grilled by the Realized One, or by one of his disciples … Grilled in this way they get stuck or lose their way. They fall to ruin and disaster.
The Realized One or one of his disciples encompasses their mind and investigates: ‘Why does this venerable boast and brag about their achievements, saying, “I enter and emerge from the first absorption … and the cessation of perception and feeling.”’
They understand,
‘For a long time this venerable’s deeds have been broken, tainted, spotty, and marred. Their deeds and behavior are inconsistent. This venerable is unethical, and unethical conduct means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.
This venerable is unfaithful …
unlearned and unpracticed …
hard to admonish …
with bad friends …
lazy …
unmindful …
deceptive …
burdensome …
This venerable is witless, and lack of wisdom means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’
It is quite impossible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training without giving up these ten qualities. It is quite possible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training after giving up these ten qualities.”
At one time Venerable Mahākassapa was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. There he addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, mendicants!” “Reverend,” they replied. Venerable Mahākassapa said this:
“Take a mendicant who declares enlightenment: ‘I understand: “Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.”’ They’re pursued, pressed, and grilled by the Realized One, or by one of his disciples who has the absorptions, and is skilled in attainments, in the minds of others, and in encompassing another’s mind. Grilled in this way they get stuck or lose their way. They fall to ruin and disaster.
The Realized One or one of his disciples encompasses their mind and investigates: ‘Why does this venerable declare enlightenment, saying, “I understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place’”?’
They understand,
‘This venerable overestimates themselves and takes that to be the truth. They perceive that they’ve attained what they haven’t attained, done what they haven’t done, and achieved what they haven’t achieved. And they declare enlightenment out of overestimation: “I understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”’
The Realized One or one of his disciples encompasses their mind and investigates: ‘Why does this venerable overestimate themselves and take that to be the truth? Why do they perceive that they’ve attained what they haven’t attained, done what they haven’t done, and achieved what they haven’t achieved? And why do they declare enlightenment out of overestimation: “I understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”’
They understand,
‘This venerable is very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, rehearsing them, mentally scrutinizing them, and penetrating them theoretically. Therefore this venerable overestimates themselves and takes that to be the truth. …’
They understand,
‘This venerable is covetous, and often lives with a heart full of covetousness. But being full of covetousness means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.
This venerable has ill will …
dullness and drowsiness …
restlessness …
doubt …
This venerable relishes work. They love it and like to relish it …
This venerable relishes talk …
sleep …
company …
When there is still more to be done, this venerable stopped half-way after achieving some trifling distinction. But stopping half-way means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’
It is quite impossible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training without giving up these ten qualities. It is quite possible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training after giving up these ten qualities.”
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants concerning the mendicant Kalandaka: “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
“Firstly, a mendicant raises disciplinary issues and doesn’t praise the settling of disciplinary issues. This quality doesn’t conduce to fondness, respect, esteem, harmony, and unity.
Furthermore, a mendicant is not eager to train, and doesn’t praise taking up the training. …
Furthermore, a mendicant has corrupt wishes, and doesn’t praise getting rid of wishes. …
Furthermore, a mendicant is irritable, and doesn’t praise getting rid of anger. …
Furthermore, a mendicant denigrates others, and doesn’t praise getting rid of denigration. …
Furthermore, a mendicant is devious, and doesn’t praise getting rid of deviousness. …
Furthermore, a mendicant is deceitful, and doesn’t praise getting rid of deceitfulness. …