Katthīsutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahācundo cetīsu viharati sahajātiyaṁ. Tatra kho āyasmā mahācundo bhikkhū āmantesi: “āvuso bhikkhave”ti. “Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato mahācundassa paccassosuṁ. Āyasmā mahācundo etadavoca:

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:

“Idhāvuso, bhikkhu katthī hoti vikatthī adhigamesu: ‘ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipī’ti.

“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.’

Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo samanuyuñjati samanuggāhati samanubhāsati. So tathāgatena vā tathāgatasāvakena vā jhāyinā samāpattikusalena paracittakusalena paracittapariyāyakusalena samanuyuñjiyamāno samanuggāhiyamāno samanubhāsiyamāno irīṇaṁ āpajjati vicinaṁ āpajjati anayaṁ āpajjati byasanaṁ āpajjati anayabyasanaṁ āpajjati.

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.

Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca manasi karoti: ‘kiṁ nu kho ayamāyasmā katthī hoti vikatthī adhigamesu— ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi …pe… ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipī’ti.

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.”’

Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti:

They understand,

‘Dīgharattaṁ kho ayamāyasmā khaṇḍakārī chiddakārī sabalakārī kammāsakārī na santatakārī na santatavutti sīlesu. Dussīlo kho ayamāyasmā. Dussilyaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

‘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.

Assaddho kho pana ayamāyasmā; assaddhiyaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is unfaithful, and lack of faith means decline …

Appassuto kho pana ayamāyasmā anācāro; appasaccaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is unlearned and unpracticed, and lack of learning means decline …

Dubbaco kho pana ayamāyasmā; dovacassatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is hard to admonish, and being hard to admonish means decline …

Pāpamitto kho pana ayamāyasmā; pāpamittatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable has bad friends, and bad friends mean decline …

Kusīto kho pana ayamāyasmā; kosajjaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is lazy, and laziness means decline …

Muṭṭhassati kho pana ayamāyasmā; muṭṭhassaccaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is unmindful, and unmindfulness means decline …

Kuhako kho pana ayamāyasmā; kohaññaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is deceptive, and deceitfulness means decline …

Dubbharo kho pana ayamāyasmā; dubbharatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is burdensome, and being burdensome means decline …

Duppañño kho pana ayamāyasmā; duppaññatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ’.

This venerable is witless, and lack of wisdom means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’

Seyyathāpi, āvuso, sahāyako sahāyakaṁ evaṁ vadeyya: ‘yadā te, samma, dhanena dhanakaraṇīyaṁ assa, yāceyyāsi maṁ dhanaṁ. Dassāmi te dhanan’ti. So kiñcideva dhanakaraṇīye samuppanne sahāyako sahāyakaṁ evaṁ vadeyya: ‘attho me, samma, dhanena. Dehi me dhanan’ti. So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘tena hi, samma, idha khanāhī’ti. So tatra khananto nādhigaccheyya. So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘alikaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca; tucchakaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca—idha khanāhī’ti. So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘nāhaṁ taṁ, samma, alikaṁ avacaṁ, tucchakaṁ avacaṁ. Tena hi, samma, idha khanāhī’ti. So tatrapi khananto nādhigaccheyya. So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘alikaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca, tucchakaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca—idha khanāhī’ti. So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘nāhaṁ taṁ, samma, alikaṁ avacaṁ, tucchakaṁ avacaṁ. Tena hi, samma, idha khanāhī’ti. So tatrapi khananto nādhigaccheyya. So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘alikaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca, tucchakaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca—idha khanāhī’ti. So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘nāhaṁ taṁ, samma, alikaṁ avacaṁ, tucchakaṁ avacaṁ. Api ca ahameva ummādaṁ pāpuṇiṁ cetaso vipariyāyan’ti.

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.’

Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, bhikkhu katthī hoti vikatthī adhigamesu: ‘ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipī’ti.

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.’

Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo samanuyuñjati samanuggāhati samanubhāsati. So tathāgatena vā tathāgatasāvakena vā jhāyinā samāpattikusalena paracittakusalena paracittapariyāyakusalena samanuyuñjiyamāno samanuggāhiyamāno samanubhāsiyamāno irīṇaṁ āpajjati vicinaṁ āpajjati anayaṁ āpajjati byasanaṁ āpajjati anayabyasanaṁ āpajjati.

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.

Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca manasi karoti: ‘kiṁ nu kho ayamāyasmā katthī hoti vikatthī adhigamesu— ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi …pe… ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipī’ti.

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.”’

Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti:

They understand,

‘Dīgharattaṁ kho ayamāyasmā khaṇḍakārī chiddakārī sabalakārī kammāsakārī, na santatakārī na santatavutti sīlesu. Dussīlo kho ayamāyasmā; dussilyaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

‘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.

Assaddho kho pana ayamāyasmā; assaddhiyaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is unfaithful …

Appassuto kho pana ayamāyasmā anācāro; appasaccaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

unlearned and unpracticed …

Dubbaco kho pana ayamāyasmā; dovacassatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

hard to admonish …

Pāpamitto kho pana ayamāyasmā; pāpamittatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

with bad friends …

Kusīto kho pana ayamāyasmā; kosajjaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

lazy …

Muṭṭhassati kho pana ayamāyasmā; muṭṭhassaccaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

unmindful …

Kuhako kho pana ayamāyasmā; kohaññaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

deceptive …

Dubbharo kho pana ayamāyasmā; dubbharatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

burdensome …

Duppañño kho pana ayamāyasmā; duppaññatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ’.

This venerable is witless, and lack of wisdom means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’

So vatāvuso, bhikkhu ‘ime dasa dhamme appahāya imasmiṁ dhammavinaye vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. So vatāvuso, bhikkhu ‘ime dasa dhamme pahāya imasmiṁ dhammavinaye vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjatī”ti. Pañcamaṁ.

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.”