English
Those monks who are not free from passion, for them at that time there is indeed fear, there is terror, there is hair standing on end. But those monks who are free from passion, for them at that time there is no fear, there is no terror, there is no hair standing on end. Then Migalaṇḍika, the young novice, deprived even one monk of life in a single day, deprived even two monks of life in a single day, deprived even three monks of life in a single day, deprived even four monks of life in a single day, deprived even five monks of life in a single day, deprived even ten monks of life in a single day, deprived even twenty monks of life in a single day, deprived even thirty monks of life in a single day, deprived even forty monks of life in a single day, deprived even fifty monks of life in a single day, deprived even sixty monks of life in a single day. 164. Then the Blessed One, after the passing of half a month, having risen from seclusion, addressed the venerable Ānanda: "What, Ānanda, is the Sangha of monks so diminished?" "Indeed, venerable sir, the Blessed One speaks in many ways about impurity to the monks, speaks in praise of impurity, speaks in praise of the development of impurity, repeatedly speaks in praise of the attainment of impurity. And those monks, venerable sir, (thinking) 'The Blessed One indeed speaks in many ways about impurity, speaks in praise of impurity, speaks in praise of the development of impurity, repeatedly speaks in praise of the attainment of impurity..." "This one speaks of beauty," they, in many ways, devoted to the practice of impurity, dwell. They are disgusted, ashamed, and loathe their own bodies. Just as a woman or a man, young, youthful, fond of adornment, having bathed their head, would be disgusted, ashamed, and loathe a snake carcass, or a dog carcass, or a human carcass tied around their neck; even so, those monks, disgusted, ashamed, and loathing their own bodies, deprive themselves of life, and deprive each other of life. They even approach a hunter, a pseudo-monk, and say this: "Good sir, friend, deprive us of life. This bowl and robe will be yours." Then, venerable sir, the hunter, the pseudo-monk, bribed with bowls and robes, deprived even one monk of life in a single day... ...he deprived even sixty monks of life in a single day. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would teach another method, so that this community of monks might settle down in another way." "Then, Ananda, gather all the monks who dwell near Vesali in the assembly hall." "Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Ananda replied to the Blessed One, and having gathered all the monks who dwelt near Vesali in the assembly hall, he approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he said to the Blessed One: "The community of monks is assembled, venerable sir; now, venerable sir, the Blessed One may do as he pleases." He considers it enough. Then indeed the Blessed One approached the service hall; having approached, he sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down indeed, the Blessed One addressed the monks – "This too, monks, is the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, developed, made much of, both peaceful and sublime, and unadulterated, and a pleasant abiding. It makes the evil unwholesome states that arise again and again disappear and subside on the spot. Just as, monks, in the last month of summer, the dust and dirt that has risen, a great unseasonal cloud makes it disappear and subside on the spot; even so indeed, monks, the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, developed, made much of, both peaceful and sublime, and unadulterated, and a pleasant abiding, makes the evil unwholesome states that arise again and again disappear and subside on the spot. How, monks, is the concentration of mindfulness of breathing developed? How is it made much of, both peaceful and sublime, and unadulterated, and a pleasant abiding, so that it makes the evil unwholesome states that arise again and again disappear and subside on the spot? Here, monks, a monk, gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, having set his body upright, having established mindfulness in front of him. He breathes in mindfully, he breathes out mindfully. Breathing in long, he understands, "I breathe in long." Breathing out long, he understands, "I breathe out long." Breathing in short, he understands, "I breathe in short." Breathing out short, or Breathing in short, I know I breathe in short. Breathing out short, I know I breathe out short. I train myself, I shall breathe in, experiencing the whole body. I train myself, I shall breathe out, experiencing the whole body. I train myself, I shall breathe in, calming the bodily formation. I train myself, I shall breathe out, calming the bodily formation. I train myself, I shall breathe in, experiencing rapture. I train myself, I shall breathe out, experiencing rapture. I train myself, I shall breathe in, experiencing pleasure. I train myself, I shall breathe out, experiencing pleasure. I train myself, I shall breathe in, experiencing the mental formation. I train myself, I shall breathe out, experiencing the mental formation. I train myself, I shall breathe in, calming the mental formation. I train myself, I shall breathe out, calming the mental formation. I train myself, I shall breathe in, experiencing the mind. I train myself, I shall breathe out, experiencing the mind. I train myself, I shall breathe in, gladdening the mind. I train myself, I shall breathe out, gladdening the mind. I train myself, I shall breathe in, concentrating the mind. I train myself, I shall breathe out, concentrating the mind. I train myself, I shall breathe in, liberating the mind. I train myself, I shall breathe out, liberating the mind. I train myself, I shall breathe in, contemplating impermanence. I train myself, I shall breathe out, contemplating impermanence. I train myself, I shall breathe in, contemplating fading away. I train myself, I shall breathe out, contemplating fading away. I train myself, I shall breathe in, contemplating cessation. I train myself, I shall breathe out, contemplating cessation. I train myself, I shall breathe in, contemplating relinquishment. I train myself, I shall breathe out, contemplating relinquishment. Thus developed, monks, thus often practiced, this mindfulness of breathing concentration is peaceful and sublime, unadulterated and pleasant, and it makes evil unwholesome states that have arisen vanish and subside on the spot. 166. Then, on that occasion, on that account, the Blessed One convened the assembly of monks and questioned the monks: – “Is it true, monks, that monks deprive themselves of life, and deprive each other of life, and approach a young ascetic, a mere boy, and say this: ‘Good, friend, deprive us of life, this bowl and robe will be yours’?” “It is true, Blessed One.” The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked them: “It is not fitting, monks, it is not suitable, it is not proper, it is not the way of a recluse, it is not allowable, it should not be done by those monks. How can those monks, monks, deprive themselves of life, and deprive each other of life, and approach a young ascetic, a mere boy, and say this: ‘Good, friend, deprive us of life, this bowl and robe will be yours’? This, monks, is not for the conversion of the unconverted… And thus, monks, you should recite this rule of training: 167. “Whatever monk intentionally deprives a human being of life, or searches for a weapon for him, he also is defeated, he is not in communion.” Thus this rule of training was laid down by the Blessed One for the monks. 168. Now at that time a certain lay follower was ill. His wife was beautiful, attractive, charming. The group of six monks were infatuated with that woman. Then it occurred to the group of six monks: “If, friends, that lay follower lives, we will not get that woman.” Let us go. Come, friends, let us describe the death of that lay follower. Then the group-of-six monks went to where that lay follower was; having approached, they said to that lay follower: "You, indeed, lay follower, have done good, have done skillful deeds, have done what protects from fear, have done no evil, have done no cruelty, have done no wrong. Good has been done by you, evil has not been done by you. What is this wretched, evil life to you! Death is better for you than life. When you pass away from here, with the breaking up of the body, after death, you will reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world. There, endowed and fully equipped with the five heavenly sense-pleasures, you will enjoy yourself." 169. Then that lay follower – "Indeed, the venerable ones spoke the truth. For I have done good, have done skillful deeds, have done what protects from fear, have done no evil, have done no cruelty, have done no wrong. Good has been done by me, evil has not been done by me. What is this wretched, evil life to me! Death is better for me than life. When I pass away from here, with the breaking up of the body, after death, I will reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world. There, endowed and fully equipped with the five heavenly sense-pleasures, I will enjoy myself," so he ate unsuitable foods, and consumed unsuitable edibles, and tasted unsuitable savories, and drank unsuitable drinks. As he ate unsuitable foods, and consumed unsuitable edibles, and tasted unsuitable savories, and drank unsuitable drinks, a severe illness arose... He became ill. He, by that very illness, passed away. His wife complained, grumbled, criticized: "Shameless are these Sakyan recluses, immoral, liars. They indeed claim to be righteous, equanimous, chaste, truthful, virtuous, of good conduct! There is no recluseship for them, there is no holy life for them, lost is their recluseship, lost is their holy life, whence their recluseship, whence their holy life, gone are they from recluseship,