Numbered Discourses 10
9. Senior Mendicants
85. A Boaster
At one time Venerable Mahācunda was staying in the land of the Cetis 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 engaged, pressed, and examined 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 the ways of another’s mind. Pressed in this way they get stuck or lose their way. They come to ruin and disaster.
The Realized One or one of his disciples comprehends 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.”’
‘For a long time this venerable’s deeds have been corrupt, flawed, blemished, and tainted. 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 uneducated and unpracticed, and lack of learning means decline …
This venerable is hard to correct, and being hard to correct 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 hard to look after, and being hard to look after 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 friend, 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 friend. Give me some.’ They’d say: ‘Well then, my dear friend, dig here.’ So they dig there, but don’t find anything. They’d say: ‘You lied to me, my dear friend, you spoke baselessly when you told me to dig here.’ They’d say: ‘My dear friend, I didn’t lie or speak baselessly. Well then, dig here.’ So they dig there as well, but don’t find anything. They’d say: ‘You lied to me, my dear friend, you spoke baselessly when you said dig here.’ They’d say: ‘My dear friend, I didn’t lie or speak baselessly. Well then, dig here.’ So they dig there as well, but don’t find anything. They’d say: ‘You lied to me, my dear friend, you spoke baselessly when you said dig here.’ They’d say: ‘My dear friend, I didn’t lie or speak baselessly. 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 engaged, pressed, and examined by the Realized One, or by one of his disciples … Pressed in this way they get stuck or lose their way. They come to ruin and disaster.
The Realized One or one of his disciples comprehends 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.”’
‘For a long time this venerable’s deeds have been corrupt, flawed, blemished, and tainted. 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 …
This venerable is witless, and lack of wisdom means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’
It’s not possible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training without giving up these ten qualities. It is possible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training after giving up these ten qualities.”