9. Theravagga
9. Senior Mendicants
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Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākassapo rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
At one time Venerable Mahākassapa was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.
‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.
‘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.”’
Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo samanuyuñjati samanuggāhati samanubhāsati.
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.
So tathāgatena vā tathāgatasāvakena vā jhāyinā samāpattikusalena paracittakusalena paracittapariyāyakusalena samanuyuñjiyamāno samanuggāhiyamāno samanubhāsiyamāno irīṇaṁ āpajjati vicinaṁ āpajjati anayaṁ āpajjati byasanaṁ āpajjati anayabyasanaṁ āpajjati.
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:
The Realized One or one of his disciples encompasses their mind and investigates:
khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.
“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.’?”’
Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti:
They understand,
‘Adhimāniko kho ayamāyasmā adhimānasacco, appatte pattasaññī, akate katasaññī, anadhigate adhigatasaññī.
‘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.
khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.
“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.’”’
Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca manasi karoti:
The Realized One or one of his disciples encompasses their mind and investigates:
‘kiṁ nu kho ayamāyasmā nissāya adhimāniko adhimānasacco, appatte pattasaññī, akate katasaññī, anadhigate adhigatasaññī.
‘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?
khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.
“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.’”’
Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti:
They understand,
‘Bahussuto kho pana ayamāyasmā sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpāssa dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā.
‘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.
Tasmā ayamāyasmā adhimāniko adhimānasacco, appatte pattasaññī, akate katasaññī, anadhigate adhigatasaññī.
Therefore this venerable overestimates themselves and takes that to be the truth. …’
Adhimānena aññaṁ byākaroti—
khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.
Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti:
They understand,
abhijjhāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā bahulaṁ viharati.
and often lives with a heart full covetousness.
Abhijjhāpariyuṭṭhānaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.
Being full of covetousness means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.
byāpādapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā bahulaṁ viharati.
Byāpādapariyuṭṭhānaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.
thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā bahulaṁ viharati.
Thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhānaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.
uddhaccapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā bahulaṁ viharati.
Uddhaccapariyuṭṭhānaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.
vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā bahulaṁ viharati.
Vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhānaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.
Kammārāmo kho pana ayamāyasmā kammarato kammārāmataṁ anuyutto.
This venerable relishes work. They love it and like to relish it …
Kammārāmatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.
Bhassārāmo kho pana ayamāyasmā bhassarato bhassārāmataṁ anuyutto.
This venerable relishes talk …
Bhassārāmatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.
Niddārāmatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.
Saṅgaṇikārāmatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.
Sati kho pana ayamāyasmā uttari karaṇīye oramattakena visesādhigamena antarā vosānaṁ āpanno.
When there is still more to be done, this venerable stopped half-way after achieving some trifling distinction.
Antarā vosānagamanaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ’.
Stopping half-way 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.
It is quite impossible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training without giving up these ten qualities.
So vatāvuso, bhikkhu ‘ime dasa dhamme pahāya imasmiṁ dhammavinaye vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjatī”ti.
It is quite possible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training after giving up these ten qualities.”
Chaṭṭhaṁ.