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6. Connected Discourses on Gains and Homage 1. The First Chapter 1. The Terrible Sutta 157. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus." "Venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "Terrible, bhikkhus, are gains, homage, and fame; bitter, harsh, an obstacle to the attainment of the unsurpassed security from bondage. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will abandon gains, homage, and fame that have arisen, and gains, homage, and fame that have arisen will not take hold of our minds.’ Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves." First. 2. The Hook Sutta 158. Dwelling at Sāvatthī... "Terrible, bhikkhus, are gains, homage, and fame; bitter, harsh, an obstacle to the attainment of the unsurpassed security from bondage. Just as, bhikkhus, a fisherman might cast a baited hook into a deep pool of water. Then some fish, greedy for bait, would swallow it. Thus, bhikkhus, that fish, having swallowed the hook, has fallen into misfortune for the fisherman, has fallen into ruin, to be dealt with as the fisherman pleases." "The fisherman, bhikkhus, is a designation for Māra, the Evil One. The hook, bhikkhus, is a designation for gains, homage, and fame. Whatever bhikkhu, bhikkhus, enjoys and delights in gains, homage, and fame that have arisen, this bhikkhu, bhikkhus, is called 'one who has swallowed the hook,' fallen into misfortune for Māra, fallen into ruin, to be dealt with as the Evil One pleases. So terrible, bhikkhus, are gains, homage, and fame; bitter, harsh, an obstacle to the attainment of the unsurpassed security from bondage. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will abandon gains, homage, and fame that have arisen, and gains, homage, and fame that have arisen will not take hold of our minds.’ Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves." Resides at Savatthi… “Terrible, monks, is gain, honor, and fame… for attainment. Formerly, monks, in a certain water-pool, a great family of tortoises had long resided. Then, monks, a certain tortoise said to another tortoise: ‘Do not, dear tortoise, go to that place.’ Indeed, monks, that tortoise went to that place. A hunter pierced it with a dart. Then, monks, that tortoise approached the other tortoise. Indeed, monks, that tortoise saw the other tortoise coming from afar. Seeing that tortoise, it said to it: ‘Surely you did not, dear tortoise, go to that place?’ ‘Indeed I did, dear tortoise, go to that place.’ ‘Surely you are, dear tortoise, unwounded, unharmed?’ ‘I am unwounded, dear tortoise, unharmed, but this string is attached to my back.’ ‘Indeed you are, dear tortoise, wounded, indeed harmed. For by this string, dear tortoise, your fathers and grandfathers met with ruin, met with disaster. Go now, dear tortoise, you are no longer one of us.’” “Hunter, monks, is a designation for Māra, the Evil One. Dart, monks, is a designation for gain, honor, and fame. String, monks, is a designation for delight and lust. Whoever, monks, a monk, enjoys and desires arisen gain, honor, and fame – this monk, monks, is called greedy for the dart, fallen into ruin, fallen into disaster, to be dealt with as the Evil One wishes. So terrible, monks, is gain, honor, and fame… Thus, monks, you should train.” The Third. Resides at Savatthi… “Terrible, monks, is gain, honor, and fame… the world… (etc.) …for attainment. Just as, monks, a long-haired sheep might enter a thicket of thorns. It would get caught here and there, it would be entangled here and there, it would be snared here and there, it would come to ruin and disaster here and there. Even so, monks, some monk here, overwhelmed by gain, honor, and fame, with his mind consumed, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, enters a village or town for alms. He gets caught here and there, he is entangled here and there, he is snared here and there, he comes to ruin and disaster here and there. So terrible, monks, is gain, honor, and fame… (etc.) … Thus, monks, you should train yourselves.” The Fourth. 5. The Dung-Beetle Sutta 161. Residing at Sāvatthī… (etc.) … “Terrible, monks, is gain, honor, and fame… (etc.) … for attainment. Just as, monks, a dung-beetle, a dung-eater, full of dung, brimming with dung. And in front of it is a great pile of dung. It would despise another dung-beetle because of that— ‘I am a dung-eater, full of dung, brimming with dung, and this great pile of dung is in front of me.’ Even so, monks, some monk here, overwhelmed by gain, honor, and fame, with his mind consumed, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, enters a village or town for alms. He has eaten his fill, he is invited for tomorrow, and his alms-bowl is full. He goes to the monastery and boasts in the midst of the community of monks— ‘I have eaten my fill, I am invited for tomorrow, and this alms-bowl of mine is full, I am a recipient of robes, alms-food, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, such as medicines. But these other monks have little merit, have little influence, are not recipients of robes, alms-food, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, such as medicines.’ He, overwhelmed by gain, honor, and fame, with his mind consumed, despises other virtuous monks… He discerns. Indeed, that for that foolish person, monks, is for long-term harm and suffering. So terrible, indeed, monks, is gain, honor, and fame... ...Thus, monks, you should train. The Fifth. 6. The Discourse on the Thunderbolt 162. (The Buddha) was dwelling at Savatthi... ...'Terrible, monks, is gain, honor, and fame... ...for attainment. Monks, let no thunderbolt wheel come! Let gain, honor, and fame not reach any trainee whose mind has not attained! Indeed, monks, 'thunderbolt wheel' is a designation for gain, honor, and fame. So terrible, indeed, monks, is gain, honor, and fame... ...Thus, monks, you should train. The Sixth. 7. The Discourse on the Smeared (Arrow) 163. (The Buddha) was dwelling at Savatthi... ...'Terrible, monks, is gain, honor, and fame... ...for attainment. Whom, monks, let gain, honor, and fame reach, piercing with a poisoned, barbed dart, a trainee whose mind has not attained (the goal)? "Dart," monks, is indeed a designation for gain, honor, and fame. So fierce, monks, is gain, honor, and fame... ...Thus, monks, you should train. The Seventh. 8. The Jackal Discourse 164. Dwelling at Savatthi... ...Fierce, monks, is gain, honor, and fame... ...for attainment. "Did you hear, monks, in the last watch of the night, an old jackal howling?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Indeed, monks, that old jackal is afflicted with a disease called 'itch'. He finds no delight in a burrow, no delight at the foot of a tree, no delight in the open air; wherever he goes, wherever he stands, wherever he sits, wherever he lies down; there he meets with misfortune and ruin. Just so, monks, here some monk, overcome by gain, honor, and fame, with his mind consumed, finds no delight in an empty dwelling, no delight at the foot of a tree, no delight in the open air; wherever he goes, wherever he stands, wherever he sits, wherever he lies down; there he meets with misfortune and ruin. So fierce, monks, is gain, honor, and fame... ...Thus, monks, you should train." The Eighth. 9. The Verambha Discourse 165. Dwelling at Savatthi... ...Fierce, monks, is gain, honor, and fame... ...for attainment. Monks, above, in the sky, winds called Verambhā blow. A bird that goes there, these Verambhā winds toss it about. Tossed by the Verambhā winds, its feet go one way, its wings go another, its head goes another, its body goes another. Just so, monks, here, a certain monk, overwhelmed by gain, honor, and fame, his mind consumed, in the forenoon, having dressed, taking his bowl and robe, enters a village or town for alms, with an unguarded body, with unguarded speech, with an unguarded mind, with mindfulness unestablished, with senses unrestrained. There he sees a woman ill-dressed or ill-covered. Seeing that woman ill-dressed or ill-covered, lust assails his mind. With his mind assailed by lust, he renounces the training and returns to a lower state. His robes are taken by some, his bowl by others, his sitting cloth by others, his needle case by others, just like the bird tossed by the Verambhā winds. So terrible, monks, is gain, honor, and fame… …Thus, monks, you should train yourselves. The Ninth. 10. The Discourse with Verses Residing at Sāvatthī… …“Terrible, monks, is gain, honor, and fame… …for attainment. Here, monks, I see a certain person overwhelmed by honor, his mind consumed, after the breaking up of the body, after death, reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. But here, monks, I see a certain person overwhelmed by dishonor, his mind consumed, after the breaking up of the body, after death, reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. But here, monks, I see a certain person overwhelmed by both honor and dishonor, his mind consumed, after the breaking up of the body, after death, reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. So terrible, monks, , monks, gain, honor, and fame…pe… thus, monks, you should train. This the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this – Whose, when honored, and when dishonored, both; Concentration does not waver, who dwells immeasurably. That meditator, constantly, subtle, a discerning insight-practitioner; Delighting in the destruction of clinging, they call a good person. the tenth; The First Chapter. Its summary – Harsh, hook, turtle, long-haired, and excrement; Thunderbolt, pierced, jackal, with Veramba, with verses. 2. The Second Chapter 1. The Discourse on the Gold Bowl 167. Dwelling at Savatthi…pe… ‘‘Harsh, monks, is gain, honor, and fame…pe… for attainment.