Thus have I heard: At one time the Lord was staying near Cātumā in the Myrobalan Grove. Now at that time at least five hundred monks, with Sāriputta and Moggallāna at their head had arrived at Cātumā to see the Lord, and there was a loud noise, a great noise as these incoming monks were exchanging greetings with the resident monks, while lodgings were being prepared and bowls and robes were being put away.

Then the Lord addressed the venerable Ānanda, saying: “What, Ānanda, is this loud noise, this great noise, which seems like that of fisherfolk when hauling in a catch?” “Revered sir, these monks, at least five hundred, with Sāriputta and Moggallāna at their head, have arrived at Cātumā to see the Lord, and while the incoming monks are exchanging greetings with the resident monks, while lodgings are being prepared and bowls and robes are being put away, there is a loud noise, a great noise.” “Well then, Ānanda, in my name summon these monks, saying: ‘The Teacher is summoning the venerable ones.’” “Yes, revered sir," and the venerable Ānanda, having answered the Lord in assent, approached these monks; having approached, he spoke thus to these monks: “The Teacher is summoning the venerable ones.” “Yes, your reverence," and these monks, having answered the venerable Ānanda in assent, approached the Lord; having approached, having greeted the Lord, they sat down at a respectful distance.

The Lord spoke thus to these monks as they were sitting down at a respectful distance: “Do not you, monks, think that the loud noise, the great noise is like that of fisherfolk when hauling in a catch?” “Revered sir, at least five hundred monks with Sāriputta and Moggallāna at their head have arrived at Cātumā to see the Lord, and while the incoming monks are exchanging greetings with the resident monks, while lodgings are being prepared and bowls and robes are being put away, there is a loud noise, a great noise.” “Go away, monks, I dismiss you, you should not stay near me.” “Very well, revered sir," and these monks having answered the Lord in assent, having greeted the Lord keeping their right sides towards him, having packed away their lodgings, departed taking their bowls and robes.

Now at that time the Sakyans of Cātumā were assembled in the conference hall on some business or other. The Sakyans of Cātumā saw these monks coming in the distance; having seen them, they approached these monks; having approached, they spoke thus to these monks: “Now, where are you, venerable ones, going?” “Friends, the Order of monks has been dismissed by the Lord.” “Well then, venerable ones, sit down for a moment; perhaps we could reconcile the Lord.” “Very well, friends," these monks answered the Sakyans of Cātumā in assent.

Then the Sakyans of Cātumā approached the Lord; having approached, having greeted the Lord, they sat down at a respectful distance. As they were sitting down at a respectful distance, the Sakyans of Cātumā spoke thus to the Lord: “Revered sir, let the Lord rejoice the Order of monks, let the Lord greet the Order of monks. Revered sir, even as the Order of monks was helped previously by the Lord, so let the Lord help the Order of monks now. There are here, revered sir, new monks, not long gone forth, quite recently come into this Dhamma and Discipline. Not getting a chance to see the Lord, there may be faltering for them, there may be vicissitudes. Even, revered sir, as there may be faltering and vicissitudes for young seeds if they do not get water, even so, revered sir, there are here new monks, not long gone forth, quite recently come into this Dhamma and discipline; if they do not get a chance to see the Lord, there may be faltering for them, there may be vicissitudes. And even, revered sir, as there may be faltering, as there may be vicissitudes for a young calf that does not see its mother, so, revered sir, there are here new monks, not long gone forth, quite recently come into this Dhamma and discipline. Not seeing the Lord, there may be faltering for them, there may be vicissitudes. Revered sir, let the Lord rejoice the Order of monks, let the Lord greet the Order of monks. Revered sir, even as the Order of monks was helped previously by the Lord, so let the Lord help the Order of monks now.”

Then Brahmā Sahampati, knowing by mind the reasoning in the Lord's mind, as a strong man might stretch forth his bent arm or might bend back his outstretched arm, even so, vanishing from the Brahma-world he appeared before the Lord. Then Brahmā Sahampati, arranging his outer robe over one shoulder, saluting the Lord with joined palms, spoke thus to the Lord: “Revered sir, let the Lord rejoice the Order of monks, let the Lord greet the Order of monks. Revered sir, even as the Order of monks was helped previously by the Lord, so let the Lord help the Order of monks now. There are here, revered sir, new monks, not long gone forth, quite recently come into this Dhamma and Discipline. Not getting a chance to see the Lord, there may be faltering for them, there may be vicissitudes. Even, revered sir, as there may be faltering and vicissitudes for young seeds, if they do not get water, even so, revered sir, there are here new monks, not long gone forth, quite recently come into this Dhamma and discipline; if they do not get a chance to see the Lord, there may be faltering for them, there may be vicissitudes. And even, revered sir, as there may be faltering, as there may be vicissitudes for a young calf that does not see its mother, so, revered sir, there are here new monks, not long gone forth, quite recently come into this Dhamma and discipline. Not seeing the Lord, there may be faltering for them, there may be vicissitudes. Revered sir, let the Lord rejoice the Order of monks, let the Lord greet the Order of monks. Revered sir, even as the Order of monks was helped previously by the Lord, so let the Lord help the Order of monks now.”

The Sakyans of Cātumā and Brahmā Sahampati were able to reconcile the Lord by the analogy of the seeds and the analogy of the young (calf). Then the venerable Moggallāna the Great addressed the monks, saying: “Arise, your reverences, pick up your bowls and robes, the Lord has been reconciled by the Sakyans of Cātumā and by Brahmā Sahampati with the analogy of the seeds and the analogy of the young (calf).” “Yes, your reverence," and these monks, having answered the venerable Moggallāna the Great in assent, rising from their seats, taking their bowls and robes, approached the Lord; having approached, having greeted the Lord, they sat down at a respectful distance.

The Lord spoke thus to the venerable Sāriputta as he was sitting down at a respectful distance: “What did you, Sāriputta, think when the Older of monks was dismissed by me?” “When the Order of monks was dismissed by the Lord, I, revered sir, thought: ‘The Lord is now unconcerned, he will abide intent on abiding in ease here and now. We too, unconcerned now, will abide intent on abiding in ease here and now.’” “Do you wait, Sāriputta, do you wait, Sāriputta. Sāriputta, never let such a thought arise in you again.”

Then the Lord addressed the venerable Moggallāna the Great, saying: “What did you, Moggallāna, think when the Order of monks was dismissed by me?” “When the Order of monks was dismissed by the Lord, I, revered sir, thought: ‘The Lord is now unconcerned, he will abide intent on abiding in ease here and now, I and the venerable Sāriputta will now lead the Order of monks.’” “It is good, Moggallāna, it is good. For either I, Moggallāna, could lead the Order of monks, or Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”

Then the Lord addressed the Order of monks, saying: “Monks, these four perils for one going down to the water are to be expected. What four?

Peril of waves, peril of crocodiles, peril of whirlpools, peril of fierce fishes. These are the four perils to be expected for one going down to the water. Similarly, monks, four perils are to be expected for some persons here who have gone forth from home into homelessness in this Dhamma and Discipline. What four? Peril of waves, peril of crocodiles, peril of whirlpools, peril of fierce fishes.

[1] And what, monks, is the peril of waves? Here, monks, some young man of family, gone forth from home into homelessness through faith, thinks: ‘Although I am oppressed by birth, ageing, dying, by grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation and despair, oppressed by anguish, overcome by anguish, yet perhaps some ending of this whole mass of anguish may be seen.’ His fellow Brahma-farers exhort and instruct him who has thus gone forth: ‘Thus should you go out, thus should you return, thus should you look in front, thus should you look round, thus should you bend out (your arm), thus should you bend it back, thus should you carry your outer cloak, your bowl and robe.’ If it occurs to him: ‘While I was formerly in the household state, we used to exhort and instruct others, but these who seem like our sons, who seem like our grandsons, think that they should exhort and instruct us’—then, disavowing the training, he returns to the low life of the world. This one, monks, who disavows the training and returns to the low life of the world is called one who is scared by the peril of waves. ‘The peril of waves,’ monks, is a synonym for angry wrath.

[2] And what, monks, is the peril of crocodiles? Here, monks, some young man of family who has gone forth from home into homelessness through faith, thinks: ‘Although I am oppressed by birth, ageing, dying, by grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation and despair, oppressed by anguish, overcome by anguish, yet perhaps some ending of this whole mass of anguish may be seen.’ His fellow Brahma-farers exhort and instruct him who has thus gone forth: ‘This can be eaten by you, this cannot be eaten by you, this can be partaken of by you, this cannot be partaken of by you, this can be savoured by you, this cannot be savoured by you, this can be drunk by you, this cannot be drunk by you; you should eat what is allowable, you should not eat what is not allowable, you should partake of what is allowable, you should not partake of what is not allowable, you should savour what is allowable, you should not savour what is not allowable, you should drink what is allowable, you should not drink what is not allowable; you should eat at the right time, you should not eat at the wrong time, you should partake of at the right time, you should not partake of at the wrong time, you should savour at the right time, you should not savour at the wrong time, you should drink at the right time, you should not drink at the wrong time.’ If it occurs to him ‘Formerly when I was in the household state we ate what we liked, we did not eat what we did not like, we partook of what we liked, we did not partake of what we did not like, we savoured what we liked, we did not savour what we did not like, we drank what we liked, we did not drink what we did not like; we ate what was allowable and we ate what was not allowable, we partook of what was allowable and we partook of what was not allowable, we savoured what was allowable and we savoured what was not allowable, we drank what was allowable and we drank what was not allowable; we ate at the right time and we ate at the wrong time, we partook of at the right time and we partook of at the wrong time, we savoured at the right time and we savoured at the wrong time, we drank at the right time and we drank at the wrong time. But when those householders who have faith give us sumptuous foods, solid and soft, at a wrong time, during the day, it seems as if they are putting restraint over the mouth’—and disavowing the training, he returns to the low life of the world. This one, monks, who disavowing the training, returns to the low life of the world, is called one who is scared by the peril of crocodiles. ‘The peril of crocodiles,’ monks, is a synonym for gluttony.

[3] And what, monks, is the peril of whirlpools? Here, monks, some young man of family who has gone forth from home into homelessness through faith, thinks: ‘I am oppressed by birth, ageing, dying, by grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation and despair, oppressed by anguish, overcome by anguish, yet perhaps some ending of this whole mass of anguish may be seen.’ He, gone forth thus, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, enters a village or market town for almsfood unguarded as to his body, unguarded as to his speech, mindfulness not set up, the sense-organs uncontrolled. He there sees a householder or a householder's son indulging in and provided with the five strands of sense-pleasures, and finding delight in them. If it occurs to him; ‘Formerly while we were in the household state, indulging in and provided with the five strands of sense-pleasures, we found delight in them. As there is wealth in my home, it is possible both to enjoy wealth and to do meritorious things,’ he, disavowing the training, returns to the low life of the world. This one, monks who, disavowing the training, returns to the low life of the world, is called one who is scared of the peril of whirlpools. ‘The peril of whirlpools,’ monks, is a synonym for the five strands of sense-pleasures.

[4] And what, monks, is the peril of fierce fishes? Here, monks, some young man of family who has gone forth from home into homelessness through faith, thinks: ‘I am oppressed by birth, ageing, dying, by grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation and despair, oppressed by anguish, overcome by anguish, yet perhaps some ending of this whole mass of anguish may be seen.’ He, gone forth thus, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, enters a village or a market town for almsfood unguarded in his body, unguarded in his speech, mindfulness not set up, the sense-organs uncontrolled. He sees a woman there who is improperly dressed or improperly clothed. When he has seen that woman who is improperly dressed or improperly clothed, passion corrupts his mind, and with his mind corrupted by passion, disavowing the training he returns to the low life of the world. This one, monks, who disavowing the training, returns to the low life of the world, is called one who is scared by the peril of fierce fishes. ‘The peril of fierce fishes,’ monks, is a synonym for women.

These monks, are the four perils to be expected for some persons here who have gone forth from home into homelessness in this Dhamma and Discipline.”

Thus spoke the Lord. Delighted, these monks rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Discourse at Cātumā: The Seventh