English
I, when the training rule was being laid down by the Blessed One, when the community of bhikkhus was undertaking the training, showed a lack of enthusiasm. For that, venerable sir, may the Blessed One accept my transgression as a transgression, for future restraint. Indeed, Bhaddāli, a transgression came upon you, like a fool, like one deluded, like one unskillful, that you, when a training rule was being laid down by me, when the community of bhikkhus was undertaking the training, showed a lack of enthusiasm. 136. What do you think, Bhaddāli? Suppose there were a bhikkhu here, liberated in both ways, and I were to say to him: ‘Come, bhikkhu, step into the mud for me’. Would he step in, or would he bend his body away, or would he say ‘no’? No, venerable sir. What do you think, Bhaddāli? Suppose there were a bhikkhu here, liberated by wisdom... a body-witness... one attained to view... liberated by faith... a Dhamma-follower... a faith-follower, and I were to say to him: ‘Come, bhikkhu, step into the mud for me’. Would he step in, or would he bend his body away, or would he say ‘no’? No, venerable sir. What do you think, Bhaddāli? Were you, Bhaddāli, at that time, liberated in both ways, or liberated by wisdom, or a body-witness, or one attained to view, or liberated by faith, or a Dhamma-follower, or a faith-follower? No, venerable sir. Were you not, Bhaddāli, at that time, empty, hollow, and at fault? Yes, venerable sir. A transgression came upon me, venerable sir, like a fool, like one deluded, like one unskillful, that I, when the training rule was being laid down by the Blessed One, when the community of bhikkhus was undertaking the training, showed a lack of enthusiasm. For that, venerable sir, may the Blessed One accept my transgression as a transgression, for future restraint. Indeed, Bhaddāli, a transgression came upon you, like a fool, like one deluded, like one unskillful, that you, when a training rule was being laid down by me, when the community of bhikkhus was undertaking the training, showed a lack of enthusiasm. you confessed. And since you, Bhaddāli, seeing your transgression as a transgression, rectify it according to the Dhamma, we accept that from you. This is growth, Bhaddāli, in the discipline of the Noble One, that one who sees a transgression as a transgression and rectifies it according to the Dhamma, attains restraint in the future." 137. "Here, Bhaddāli, some monk is one who does not fully complete the training in the Teacher's Dispensation. He thinks: 'What if I were to resort to a secluded dwelling—a forest, a root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw? Perhaps I might realize a superior human state, a distinction of noble knowledge and vision.' So he resorts to a secluded dwelling—a forest, a root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw. As he dwells thus secluded, the Teacher censures him, discerning fellow monks censure him after investigation, devas censure him, and his own self censures him. Being censured by the Teacher, censured by discerning fellow monks after investigation, censured by devas, and censured by his own self, he does not realize a superior human state, a distinction of noble knowledge and vision. What is the reason for this? For it is so, Bhaddāli, for one who does not fully complete the training in the Teacher's Dispensation. 138. "But here, Bhaddāli, some monk is one who fully completes the training in the Teacher's Dispensation. He thinks: 'What if I were to resort to a secluded dwelling—a forest, a root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw? Perhaps I might realize a superior human state, a distinction of noble knowledge and vision.' So he resorts to a secluded dwelling—a forest, a root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw. As he dwells thus secluded, the Teacher does not censure him, discerning fellow monks do not censure him after investigation, devas do not censure him, and his own self does not censure him. Being not censured by the Teacher, not censured by discerning fellow monks after investigation, not censured by devas, and not censured by his own self, he realizes a superior human state, a distinction of noble knowledge and vision. What is the reason for this? For it is so, Bhaddāli, for one who fully completes the training in the Teacher's Dispensation. He is not blamed, nor do discerning fellow monks blame him, nor do devas blame him, nor does he blame himself. He is not blamed by the Teacher, not blamed by discerning fellow monks, not blamed by devas, not blamed by himself, he realizes a superior human state, a noble distinction of knowledge and vision. He, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first jhana, accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, born of seclusion, filled with rapture and pleasure. For what reason? For thus it is, Bhaddāli, for one who fulfills the training in the Teacher's dispensation. 139. Furthermore, Bhaddāli, a monk, with the calming of applied thought and sustained thought, with inner tranquility and unification of mind, enters and dwells in the second jhana, which is without applied thought and sustained thought, born of concentration, filled with rapture and pleasure. For what reason? For thus it is, Bhaddāli, for one who fulfills the training in the Teacher's dispensation. Furthermore, Bhaddāli, a monk, with the fading of rapture, dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending, and experiences pleasure with the body, that of which the noble ones declare: 'He dwells in equanimity, mindful, and at ease', enters and dwells in the third jhana. For what reason? For thus it is, Bhaddāli, for one who fulfills the training in the Teacher's dispensation. Furthermore, Bhaddāli, a monk, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the disappearance of former joy and sorrow, enters and dwells in the fourth jhana, which is neither painful nor pleasant, and is purified by equanimity and mindfulness. For what reason? For thus it is, Bhaddāli, for one who fulfills the training in the Teacher's dispensation. With his mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilements, pliable, workable, steady, attained to imperturbability, he directs his mind to the knowledge of recollecting past lives. He recollects his manifold past lives that is – one birth, two births… and so forth… thus he recollects his manifold past lives, with their aspects and details. For what reason? For thus it is, Bhaddāli, for one who fully practices the training in the Teacher’s Dispensation. With his mind thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, without blemish, rid of defilements, malleable, workable, steadfast, immovable, he directs his mind to the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. With the divine eye, purified and surpassing human sight, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands them according to their kamma. ‘Indeed, these beings, endowed with misconduct in body… and so forth… have reappeared in a state of woe, in hell. Or these beings, endowed with good conduct in body… and so forth… have reappeared in a good destination, in the heavenly world.’ Thus with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human sight… and so forth… he understands beings according to their kamma. For what reason? For thus it is, Bhaddāli, for one who fully practices the training in the Teacher’s Dispensation. With his mind thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, without blemish, rid of defilements, malleable, workable, steadfast, immovable, he directs his mind to the knowledge of the destruction of the taints. He understands ‘This is suffering’ as it really is. He understands ‘This is the origin of suffering’ as it really is. He understands ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ as it really is. He understands ‘This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering’ as it really is. He understands ‘These are the taints’ as it really is. He understands ‘This is the origin of the taints’ as it really is. He understands ‘This is the cessation of the taints’ as it really is. He understands ‘This is the path leading to the cessation of the taints’ as it really is. For him, thus knowing, thus seeing, his mind is liberated from the taint of sensual desire, his mind is liberated from the taint of becoming, his mind is liberated from the taint of ignorance. When liberated, there is the knowledge: ‘Liberated.’ He understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, This is to be done, Nothing else for this state of being, he knows. For what reason is that? For thus, Bhaddāli, it is, as one who fully practices the training in the Teacher's Dispensation. 140. When this was said, Venerable Bhaddāli said to the Blessed One: "What, indeed, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause, by which some monk here is dealt with forcefully, forcefully? And what, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause, by which some monk here is not dealt with so forcefully, forcefully?" "Here, Bhaddāli, some monk is frequently offending, abundant in offenses. When spoken to by the monks, he responds with something else, diverts the conversation outwards, displays anger, ill-will, and displeasure, does not behave properly, does not soften his stance, does not make amends, does not say, 'I will do what makes the Saṅgha pleased.' There, Bhaddāli, it occurs to the monks: 'Indeed, friends, this monk is frequently offending, abundant in offenses. When spoken to by the monks, he responds with something else, diverts the conversation outwards,