Pākatindriyasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā bhikkhū kosalesu viharanti aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe uddhatā unnaḷā capalā mukharā vikiṇṇavācā muṭṭhassatino asampajānā asamāhitā vibbhantacittā pākatindriyā. Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ anukampikā atthakāmā te bhikkhū saṁvejetukāmā yena te bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā te bhikkhū gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

At one time several mendicants were staying in the Kosalan lands in a certain forest grove. They were haughty, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, loose-tongued, unmindful, lacking situational awareness and immersion, with straying minds and undisciplined faculties. The deity haunting that forest had sympathy for those mendicants, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached those mendicants wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:

“Sukhajīvino pure āsuṁ, bhikkhū gotamasāvakā; Anicchā piṇḍamesanā, anicchā sayanāsanaṁ; Loke aniccataṁ ñatvā, dukkhassantaṁ akaṁsu te.

“The mendicants used to live happily, as disciples of Gotama. Desireless they sought alms; desireless they used their lodgings. Knowing that the world was impermanent they made an end of suffering.

Dupposaṁ katvā attānaṁ, gāme gāmaṇikā viya; Bhutvā bhutvā nipajjanti, parāgāresu mucchitā.

But now they’ve made themselves hard to look after, like chiefs in a village. They eat and eat and then lie down, unconscious in the homes of others.

Saṅghassa añjaliṁ katvā, idhekacce vadāmahaṁ; Apaviddhā anāthā te, yathā petā tatheva te.

Having raised my cupped palms to the Saṅgha, I speak here only about certain people. They’re dregs, with no protector, just like those who have passed away.

Ye kho pamattā viharanti, te me sandhāya bhāsitaṁ; Ye appamattā viharanti, namo tesaṁ karomahan”ti.

I’m speaking about those who live negligently. To those who live diligently I pay homage.”

Atha kho te bhikkhū tāya devatāya saṁvejitā saṁvegamāpādunti.

Impelled by that deity, those mendicants were struck with a sense of urgency.