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The monks said to him, “Venerable, do you have a superhuman state?” “Indeed, friend, the Dhamma is to be attained by one who is rightly engaged.” He felt remorse… No offense, monk, for one with no intention to boast. Now at that time, a certain monk was ill. The monks said to him, “Friend, is it bearable? Is it endurable?” “No, friend, it cannot be endured just any which way.” He felt remorse… No offense, monk, for one with no intention to boast. Now at that time, a certain monk was ill. The monks said to him, “Friend, is it bearable? Is it endurable?” “No, friend, it cannot be endured by an ordinary person.” He felt remorse… “What was your intention, monk?” “I had the intention to boast, Blessed One.” “No offense, monk, of a defeat; there is an offense of a serious transgression.” Now at that time, a certain brahmin, having invited the monks, said this: “Come, sirs, "O Arahants!" They felt remorse: "We are not Arahants. This brahmin addresses us with the term 'Arahants.' How should we act?" They reported this matter to the Blessed One. "There is no offense, monks, in speaking out of faith." Now at that time, a certain brahmin invited monks and said: "Sit down, venerable Arahants!" ... "Eat, venerable Arahants!" ... "Be satisfied, venerable Arahants!" ... "Go, venerable Arahants!" They felt remorse: "We are not Arahants. This brahmin addresses us with the term 'Arahants.' How should we act?" They reported this matter to the Blessed One. "There is no offense, monks, in speaking out of faith." Now at that time, a certain monk boasted of a superhuman state to another monk. He also said: "For me too, friend, the defilements are abandoned." He felt remorse... ... "You have incurred an offense, monk, a pārājika." Now at that time, a certain monk boasted of a superhuman state to another monk. He also said: "For me too, friend, these states exist." He felt remorse... ... "You have incurred an offense, monk, a pārājika." Now at that time, a certain monk boasted of a superhuman state to another monk. He praises me. He also said thus: "I too, friend, am seen in those qualities." He felt remorse... "You, monk, have incurred a pārājika offense." At that time, relatives said to a certain monk: "Come, venerable sir, dwell in a house." "It is not possible, friend, for one like me to dwell in a house." He felt remorse... "No offense, monk, if there was no intention to praise oneself." 227. At that time, relatives said to a certain monk: "Come, venerable sir, enjoy sensual pleasures." "Sensual pleasures are closed off to me, friend." He felt remorse... "No offense, monk, if there was no intention to praise oneself." At that time, relatives said to a certain monk: "Do you delight, venerable sir?" "I delight, friend, with the highest delight." He felt remorse. "Those who are disciples of the Blessed One would speak thus! But I am not a disciple of the Blessed One. Have I perhaps incurred a pārājika offense?" He reported this matter to the Blessed One. "What was your intention, monk?" "I had no intention to praise myself, Blessed One." "No offense, monk, if there was no intention to praise oneself." At that time, many monks, having made an agreement, entered the rainy season retreat in a certain dwelling, saying: "Whoever departs first from this dwelling, him we shall know as an Arahant." A certain monk —"Let them know that he is worthy of me," and he first departed from that dwelling. He felt remorse... "You, monk, have fallen into a pārājika offense." 228. [These stories are found in Saṃyutta Nikāya 2.202] At that time, the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Place. At that time, Venerable Lakkhaṇa and Venerable Mahāmoggallāna were dwelling on Vulture Peak Mountain. Then, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, in the forenoon, having dressed, and taking his bowl and robe, approached Venerable Lakkhaṇa; having approached, he said to Venerable Lakkhaṇa: "Come, friend Lakkhaṇa, let us enter Rājagaha for alms." "Yes, friend," Venerable Lakkhaṇa replied to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna. Then, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, as he was descending from Vulture Peak Mountain, in a certain place, revealed a smile. Then, Venerable Lakkhaṇa said to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: "What, friend Moggallāna, is the reason, what is the cause for the appearance of a smile?" "It is not the time, friend Lakkhaṇa, for this question. Ask me this question in the presence of the Blessed One." Then, Venerable Lakkhaṇa and Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, having wandered for alms in Rājagaha, and after their meal, having returned from their alms round, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. To one side Then, seated, indeed, Venerable Lakkhaṇa said to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: "Here, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, descending from Gijjhakūṭa mountain, you smiled in a certain place. What, now, friend Moggallāna, is the cause, what is the reason for that smile?" "Here, friend, as I was descending from Gijjhakūṭa mountain, I saw a chain of bones moving through the air. And vultures, and crows, and kites, pursuing it again and again, pecked at it through the spaces between its ribs. It made a painful sound. Then, friend, it occurred to me: 'Oh, how wonderful! Oh, how amazing! Such a being will exist! Such a spirit will exist! Such an acquisition of a self will exist!'" The monks murmured, grumbled, and complained: "Venerable Mahāmoggallāna is speaking of a superhuman state!" Then the Blessed One addressed the monks: "Indeed, monks, the disciples dwell as eyes. Indeed, monks, the disciples dwell as knowledge. For a disciple will know such a thing, or see it, or bear witness to it. That being, monks, was seen by me before. But I did not declare it. If I were to declare it, others would not believe me. For those who would not believe me, it would be for their harm and suffering for a long time. This being, monks, in this very Rājaga..." he was a cow-slaughterer. So by the ripening of that kamma, for many years, for many hundreds of years, for many thousands of years, for many hundreds of thousands of years, having suffered in hell, by the remaining ripening of that very kamma, he experiences such an acquisition of self. True, bhikkhus, Moggallāna spoke. There is no offense, bhikkhus, for Moggallāna. Here, friends, as I was descending from Vulture Peak mountain, I saw a piece of flesh going through the air. Vultures, crows, and kites repeatedly followed it, tearing it apart, dividing it. It made a painful sound... That being, bhikkhus, was a cow-slaughterer right here in Rājagaha... Here, friends, as I was descending from Vulture Peak mountain, I saw a lump of flesh going through the air. Vultures, crows, and kites repeatedly followed it, tearing it apart, dividing it. It made a painful sound... That being, bhikkhus, was a bird-catcher right here in Rājagaha... Here, friends, as I was descending from Vulture Peak mountain, I saw a skinless man going through the air. Vultures, crows, and kites repeatedly followed him, tearing him apart, dividing him. He made a painful sound... That being, bhikkhus, was a sheep-butcher right here in Rājagaha... Here, friends, as I was descending from Vulture Peak mountain, I saw a man with sword-like hair A sword-haired man going through the air. His swords, flying up again and again, fall upon his very body. He makes a loud cry... That being, monks, was a pig butcher right here in Rājagaha... "Here, friends, as I was descending from Vulture Peak mountain, I saw a spear-haired man going through the air. His spears, flying up again and again, fall upon his very body. He makes a loud cry... That being, monks, was a deer hunter right here in Rājagaha... "Here, friends, as I was descending from Vulture Peak mountain, I saw an arrow-haired man going through the air. His arrows, flying up again and again, fall upon his very body. He makes a loud cry... That being, monks, was an executioner right here in Rājagaha... "Here, friends, as I was descending from Vulture Peak mountain, I saw a needle-haired man going through the air. His needles, flying up again and again, fall upon his very body. He makes a loud cry... That being, monks, was a charioteer right here in Rājagaha... "Here, friends, as I was descending from Vulture Peak mountain, I saw a needle-haired man going through the air. His needles, entering his head, come out of his mouth; entering his mouth, come out of his chest; entering his chest, come out of his belly; entering his belly, come out of his thighs; entering his thighs, come out of his shins. and enter the shins, and exit through the feet. He indeed makes a loud cry... That being, O monks, in this very Rājagaha was an informer... "Here, friends, I, descending from Vulture Peak mountain, saw a man with huge testicles going through the air. Even while going, he carries those very testicles on his shoulders. Even while sitting, he sits on those very testicles. Him, vultures, crows, and kites, following again and again, tear apart and divide. He indeed makes a loud cry... That being, O monks, in this very Rājagaha was a village cheat... "Here, friends, I, descending from Vulture Peak mountain, saw a man submerged head-first in a pit of excrement... That being, O monks, in this very Rājagaha was an adulterer... "Here, friends, I, descending from Vulture Peak mountain, saw a man submerged head-first in a pit of excrement, eating excrement with both hands... That being, O monks, in this very Rājagaha was a wicked brahmin. He, in the teaching of Kassapa, the Perfectly Enlightened One, having invited the community of monks for a meal, had troughs filled with excrement, and having announced the time, said this: 'From this, sirs, eat and take away as much as you wish.'"... "Here, friends, I, descending from Vulture Peak mountain, saw a skinless woman going through the air. Her, vultures and cro Some kites,