English
Who will speak more beautifully? Who will speak longer?' For us, venerable sir, may the Blessed One accept this offense as an offense, for future restraint." "Indeed, bhikkhus, an offense has come upon you, like fools, like deluded ones, like unskillful ones, you who, having gone forth in such a well-proclaimed Dhamma and Vinaya, have spoken to each other with words, saying: 'Come, bhikkhu, who will speak more? Who will speak more beautifully? Who will speak longer?' But since you, bhikkhus, having seen the offense as an offense, make amends according to the Dhamma, we accept that from you. This is growth, bhikkhus, in the Noble Discipline, when one, having seen an offense as an offense, makes amends according to the Dhamma, and undertakes future restraint." The Sixth. 7. The Second Discourse on Admonition 150. He was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove. Then the Venerable Mahākassapa approached the Blessed One... When the Venerable Mahākassapa was seated to one side, the Blessed One said this to him: "Admonish the bhikkhus, Kassapa; give the bhikkhus a Dhamma talk, Kassapa. Either I, Kassapa, might admonish the bhikkhus, or you might; either I might give the bhikkhus a Dhamma talk, or you might." "Difficult to admonish, venerable sir, are the bhikkhus nowadays, endowed with qualities that make them difficult to admonish, impatient, not taking instruction respectfully. Whoever, venerable sir, has no faith in wholesome states, has no shame in wholesome qualities, no moral dread in wholesome qualities, no energy in wholesome qualities, no wisdom in wholesome qualities, for him, whatever night or day comes, decline alone is to be expected in wholesome qualities, not growth. Just as, venerable sir, for the moon in the dark fortnight, whatever night or day comes, it wanes in color, it wanes in orb, it wanes in radiance, it wanes in ascent and circumference. Even so, venerable sir, for whosoever has no faith in wholesome qualities, no moral shame, no moral dread, no energy, no wisdom in wholesome qualities, for him, whatever night or day comes, decline alone is to be expected in wholesome qualities, not growth. ‘A person without faith,’ venerable sir, this is a decline; ‘a person without moral shame,’ venerable sir, this is a decline; ‘a person without moral dread,’ venerable sir, this is a decline; ‘a lazy person,’ venerable sir, this is a decline; ‘a foolish person,’ venerable sir, this is a decline; ‘an angry person,’ venerable sir, this is a decline; ‘a resentful person,’ venerable sir, this is a decline; ‘there are no monastics to advise,’ venerable sir, this is a decline. For whosoever, venerable sir, has faith in wholesome qualities, has moral shame in wholesome qualities, has moral dread in wholesome qualities, has energy in wholesome qualities, has wisdom in wholesome qualities, for him, whatever night or day comes, growth alone is to be expected in wholesome qualities, not decline. Just as, venerable sir, for the moon in the bright fortnight, whatever night or day comes, it waxes in color, it waxes in orb, it waxes in radiance, it waxes in ascent and circumference. Even so, venerable sir, for whosoever has faith in wholesome qualities, has moral shame, has moral dread, has energy, has wisdom in wholesome qualities, For him, as night or day comes, growth is to be expected in wholesome qualities, not decline. ‘A person of faith,’ Venerable Sir, ‘this is no decline.’ ‘A person of shame,’ Venerable Sir, ‘this is no decline.’ ‘A person of dread of wrongdoing,’ Venerable Sir, ‘this is no decline.’ ‘A person of aroused energy,’ Venerable Sir, ‘this is no decline.’ ‘A person of wisdom,’ Venerable Sir, ‘this is no decline.’ ‘A person without anger,’ Venerable Sir, ‘this is no decline.’ ‘A person without resentment,’ Venerable Sir, ‘this is no decline.’ ‘There are monks who advise,’ Venerable Sir, ‘this is no decline.’ Good, good, Kassapa. For whosoever, Kassapa, has no faith in wholesome qualities, has no shame, has no dread of wrongdoing, has no energy, has no wisdom in wholesome qualities, for him, as night or day comes, decline is to be expected in wholesome qualities, not growth. Just as, Kassapa, for the moon in the dark half, as night or day comes, it wanes in splendor, it wanes in size. Even so, Kassapa, for whosoever has no faith in wholesome qualities, has no shame, has no dread of wrongdoing, has no energy, has no wisdom in wholesome qualities, for him, as night or day comes, decline is to be expected in wholesome qualities, not growth. ‘A person without faith,’ Kassapa, ‘this is decline.’ ‘Shameless,’ Kassapa, ‘this is decline.’ ‘Without dread of wrongdoing,’ Kassapa, ‘this is decline.’ ‘Lazy,’ Kassapa, ‘this is decline.’ ‘Unwise,’ Kassapa, ‘this is decline.’ ‘Angry,’ Kassapa, ‘this is decline.’ ‘A person who harbors resentment,’ Kassapa, ‘this is decline.’ ‘There are no monks to advise,’ Kassapa, ‘this is decline.’ For whosoever, Kassapa, has faith in wholesome qualities, has shame, has dread of wrongdoing, has energy, has wisdom in wholesome qualities, for him, as night or day comes, growth is to be expected in wholesome qualities, not decline. Just as, Kassapa, for the bright half... When the moon is waxing, whatever night or day comes, it grows in color, it grows in orb, it grows in radiance, it grows in ascent and circumference. In the same way, Kassapa, for whosoever has faith in wholesome qualities, has shame, has fear of wrongdoing, has energy, has wisdom in wholesome qualities, whatever night or day comes, growth alone is to be expected in wholesome qualities, not decline. "'A person of faith,' Kassapa, this is not decline. 'One with shame,' 'one with fear of wrongdoing,' 'one with aroused energy,' 'one with wisdom,' 'one without anger,' 'a person without resentment,' Kassapa, this is not decline. 'There are monastics who give advice,' Kassapa, this is not decline." The seventh. 8. The Third Discourse on Advice At Rājagaha, in the Kalandaka Nivāpa. Then Venerable Mahākassapa approached the Blessed One. Having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. As Venerable Mahākassapa was sitting to one side, the Blessed One said this to him: "Advise the monastics, Kassapa; give a Dhamma talk to the monastics, Kassapa. Either I, Kassapa, might advise the monastics, or you; either I might give a Dhamma talk to the monastics, or you." "Indeed, Venerable Sir, the monastics nowadays are difficult to admonish, endowed with qualities that make them difficult to admonish, impatient, not accepting instruction respectfully." "That is so, Kassapa. For in the past, the elder monastics were forest dwellers, and praised forest dwelling; they were alms-food eaters, and praised alms-food eating; they were rag-robe wearers, and praised rag-robe wearing; they were triple-robed, and praised being triple-robed; they were of few wishes, and praised having few wishes; they were content, and praised contentment; they were secluded, and praised seclusion; they were not entangled, and praised not being entangled... and praisers of non-association, they were energetic, and praisers of the arousal of energy. There, whatever monk is a forest-dweller and praises forest-dwelling, an alms-gatherer and praises alms-gathering, a rag-robe wearer and praises wearing rag-robes, a three-robed wearer and praises wearing three robes, of few wishes and praises having few wishes, content and praises contentment, secluded and praises seclusion, unassociated and praises non-association, energetic and praises the arousal of energy, him the elder monks invite with a seat – 'Come, monk, who is this monk? Truly this monk is good! Truly this monk is eager to train! Come, monk, sit on this seat!' There, Kassapa, to nine monks it occurs thus – 'Indeed, whatever monk is a forest-dweller and praises forest-dwelling, an alms-gatherer and praises... a rag-robe wearer... a three-robed wearer... of few wishes... content... secluded... unassociated... energetic and praises the arousal of energy, him the elder monks invite with a seat – Come, monk, who is this monk? Truly this monk is good! Truly this monk is eager to train! Come, monk, sit on this seat!' They practice for that state; for them that is for long-term welfare and happiness. But nowadays, Kassapa, the elder monks are neither forest-dwellers nor praisers of forest-dwelling, neither alms-gatherers nor praisers of alms-gathering, neither rag-robe wearers nor praisers of wearing rag-robes, neither three-robed wearers nor praisers of wearing three robes, neither of few wishes nor praisers of having few wishes, neither content nor praisers of contentment, neither secluded nor praisers of seclusion. They praise good qualities, but they are not unassociated, nor do they praise non-association. They are not energetic, nor do they praise the arousal of energy. Now, whatever monk there is, who is known, famous, and obtains robes, almsfood, lodgings, requisites for the sick, medicines, and other necessities, him the elder monks invite with a seat: 'Come, monk, who is this monk? This monk is excellent, this monk is dear to his fellow practitioners; come, monk, sit on this seat!' There, Kassapa, to the new monks it occurs thus: 'Indeed, whatever monk is known, famous, obtaining robes, almsfood, lodgings, requisites for the sick, medicines, and other necessities, him the elder monks invite with a seat: "Come, monk, who is this monk? This monk is excellent, this monk is dear to his fellow practitioners; come, monk, sit on this seat!"' They practice for that state. For them, that is for long-term harm and suffering. Indeed, Kassapa, if one were to speak rightly, one would say: 'The practitioners of the holy life are afflicted by the affliction of the holy life, the practitioners of the holy life are overcome by the overcoming of the holy life.' Now, Kassapa, if one were to speak rightly, one would say: