sutta » an » an5 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.103

Mahācorasutta

A Master Thief

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati, nillopampi harati, ekāgārikampi karoti, paripanthepi tiṭṭhati.
“Mendicants, a master thief with five factors breaks into houses, plunders wealth, steals from isolated buildings, and commits highway robbery.

Katamehi pañcahi?
What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito ca hoti, gahananissito ca, balavanissito ca, bhogacāgī ca, ekacārī ca.
A master thief relies on rough ground, on thick cover, and on powerful individuals; they pay bribes, and they act alone.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti?
And how does a master thief rely on rough ground?

Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro nadīviduggaṁ vā nissito hoti pabbatavisamaṁ vā.
It’s when a master thief relies on inaccessible riverlands or rugged mountains.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti.
That’s how a master thief relies on rough ground.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti?
And how does a master thief rely on thick cover?

Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro tiṇagahanaṁ vā nissito hoti rukkhagahanaṁ vā rodhaṁ vā mahāvanasaṇḍaṁ vā.
It’s when a master thief relies on thick grass, thick trees, a blind spot, or a large forest grove.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti.
That’s how a master thief relies on thick cover.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti?
And how does a master thief rely on powerful individuals?

Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattānaṁ vā nissito hoti.
It’s when a master thief relies on rulers or their chief ministers.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
They think:

‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti.
‘If anyone accuses me of anything, these rulers or their chief ministers will speak in my defense in the case.’

Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyassa rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti.
And that’s exactly what happens.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti.
That’s how a master thief relies on powerful individuals.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro bhogacāgī hoti?
And how does a master thief pay bribes?

Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro aḍḍho hoti mahaddhano mahābhogo.
It’s when a master thief is rich, affluent, and wealthy.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
They think:

‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ito bhogena paṭisantharissāmī’ti.
‘If anyone accuses me of anything, I’ll settle it with a bribe.’

Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tato bhogena paṭisantharati.
And that’s exactly what happens.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro bhogacāgī hoti.
That’s how a master thief pays bribes.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro ekacārī hoti?
And how does a master thief act alone?

Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro ekakova gahaṇāni kattā hoti.
It’s when a master thief carries out robbery all alone.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

‘Mā me guyhamantā bahiddhā sambhedaṁ agamaṁsū’ti.
So that their secret plans are not leaked to others.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro ekacārī hoti.
That’s how a master thief acts alone.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati nillopampi harati ekāgārikampi karoti paripanthepi tiṭṭhati.
A master thief with these five factors breaks into houses, plunders wealth, steals from isolated buildings, and commits highway robbery.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavati.
In the same way, when a bad mendicant has five qualities, they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they create much wickedness.

Katamehi pañcahi?
What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito ca hoti, gahananissito ca, balavanissito ca, bhogacāgī ca, ekacārī ca.
A bad mendicant relies on rough ground, on thick cover, and on powerful individuals; they pay bribes, and they act alone.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti?
And how does a bad mendicant rely on rough ground?

Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, visamena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, visamena manokammena samannāgato hoti.
It’s when a bad mendicant has unethical conduct by way of body, speech, and mind.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti.
That’s how a bad mendicant relies on rough ground.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti?
And how does a bad mendicant rely on thick cover?

Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu micchādiṭṭhiko hoti antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgato.
It’s when a bad mendicant has wrong view, he’s attached to an extremist view.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti.
That’s how a bad mendicant relies on thick cover.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti?
And how does a bad mendicant rely on powerful individuals?

Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattānaṁ vā nissito hoti.
It’s when a bad mendicant relies on rulers or their chief ministers.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
They think:

‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti.
‘If anyone accuses me of anything, these rulers or their chief ministers will speak in my defense in the case.’

Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyassa rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti.
And that’s exactly what happens.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti.
That’s how a bad mendicant relies on powerful individuals.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu bhogacāgī hoti?
And how does a bad mendicant pay bribes?

Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu lābhī hoti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ.
It’s when a bad mendicant receives robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
They think:

‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ito lābhena paṭisantharissāmī’ti.
‘If anyone accuses me of anything, I’ll settle it with a bribe.’

Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tato lābhena paṭisantharati.
And that’s exactly what happens.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu bhogacāgī hoti.
That’s how a bad mendicant pays bribes.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu ekacārī hoti?
And how does a bad mendicant act alone?

Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu ekakova paccantimesu janapadesu nivāsaṁ kappeti.
It’s when a bad mendicant dwells alone in the borderlands.

So tattha kulāni upasaṅkamanto lābhaṁ labhati.
They visit families there to acquire material things.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu ekacārī hoti.
That’s how a bad mendicant acts alone.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavatī”ti.
When a bad mendicant has these five qualities, they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they create much wickedness.”

Tatiyaṁ.