Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.44
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 10.44
5. Akkosavagga
5. Abuse
Kusinārasutta
At Kusinārā
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kusinārāyaṁ viharati baliharaṇe vanasaṇḍe.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Kusinārā, in the Forest of Offerings.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Mendicants!”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.
Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:
“Codakena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ paccavekkhitvā pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetvā paro codetabbo.
“Mendicants, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should first check five things in themselves and establish five things in themselves.
Katame pañca dhammā ajjhattaṁ paccavekkhitabbā?
What five things should they check in themselves?
Codakena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena evaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ:
A mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this:
‘parisuddhakāyasamācāro nu khomhi, parisuddhenamhi kāyasamācārena samannāgato acchiddena appaṭimaṁsena.
‘Is my bodily behavior pure? Do I have pure bodily behavior that is impeccable and irreproachable?
Saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no’ti?
Is this thing found in me or not?’
No ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu parisuddhakāyasamācāro hoti parisuddhena kāyasamācārena samannāgato acchiddena appaṭimaṁsena, tassa bhavanti vattāro:
If it’s not, there will be people who say:
‘iṅgha tāva āyasmā kāyikaṁ sikkhassū’ti, itissa bhavanti vattāro.
‘Come on, venerable, train your own bodily behavior first.’
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, codakena bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena evaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ:
Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this:
‘parisuddhavacīsamācāro nu khomhi, parisuddhenamhi vacīsamācārena samannāgato acchiddena appaṭimaṁsena.
‘Is my verbal behavior pure? Do I have pure verbal behavior that is impeccable and irreproachable?
Saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no’ti?
Is this thing found in me or not?’
No ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu parisuddhavacīsamācāro hoti parisuddhena vacīsamācārena samannāgato acchiddena appaṭimaṁsena, tassa bhavanti vattāro:
If it’s not, there will be people who say:
‘iṅgha tāva āyasmā vācasikaṁ sikkhassū’ti, itissa bhavanti vattāro.
‘Come on, venerable, train your own verbal behavior first.’
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, codakena bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena evaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ:
Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this:
‘mettaṁ nu kho me cittaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ sabrahmacārīsu anāghātaṁ.
‘Is my heart established in love for my spiritual companions, without resentment?
Saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no’ti?
Is this thing found in me or not?’
No ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno mettaṁ cittaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ hoti sabrahmacārīsu anāghātaṁ, tassa bhavanti vattāro:
If it’s not, there will be people who say:
‘iṅgha tāva āyasmā sabrahmacārīsu mettaṁ cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpehī’ti, itissa bhavanti vattāro.
‘Come on, venerable, establish your heart in love for your spiritual companions first.’
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, codakena bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena evaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ:
Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this:
‘bahussuto nu khomhi sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpā me dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā.
‘Am I very learned, remembering and keeping what I’ve learned? These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Am I very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reinforcing them by recitation, mentally scrutinizing them, and comprehending them theoretically?
Saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no’ti?
Is this thing found in me or not?’
No ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahussuto hoti sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpāssa dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā, tassa bhavanti vattāro:
If it’s not, there will be people who say:
‘iṅgha tāva āyasmā āgamaṁ pariyāpuṇassū’ti, itissa bhavanti vattāro.
‘Come on, venerable, memorize the scriptures first.’
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, codakena bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena evaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ:
Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this:
‘ubhayāni kho pana me pātimokkhāni vitthārena svāgatāni honti suvibhattāni suppavattīni suvinicchitāni suttaso anubyañjanaso.
‘Have both monastic codes been passed down to me in detail, well analyzed, well mastered, and well evaluated in both the rules and accompanying material?
Saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no’ti?
Is this thing found in me or not?’
No ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ubhayāni pātimokkhāni vitthārena svāgatāni honti suvibhattāni suppavattīni suvinicchitāni suttaso anubyañjanaso, ‘idaṁ panāyasmā, kattha vuttaṁ bhagavatā’ti, iti puṭṭho na sampāyissati.
If it’s not, and if they are unable to respond when asked “Venerable, where was this spoken by the Buddha?” there will be people who say:
Tassa bhavanti vattāro:
‘iṅgha tāva āyasmā vinayaṁ sikkhassū’ti, itissa bhavanti vattāro.
‘Come on, venerable, train in the monastic code first.’
Ime pañca dhammā ajjhattaṁ paccavekkhitabbā.
These are the five things they should check in themselves.
Katame pañca dhammā ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetabbā?
What five things should they establish in themselves?
‘Kālena vakkhāmi, no akālena;
‘I will speak at the right time, not at the wrong time.
bhūtena vakkhāmi, no abhūtena;
I will speak truthfully, not falsely.
saṇhena vakkhāmi, no pharusena;
I will speak gently, not harshly.
atthasaṁhitena vakkhāmi, no anatthasaṁhitena;
I will speak beneficially, not harmfully.
mettacitto vakkhāmi, no dosantaro’ti—
I will speak lovingly, not from secret hate.’
ime pañca dhammā ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetabbā.
These are the five things they should establish in themselves.
Codakena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena ime pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ paccavekkhitvā ime pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetvā paro codetabbo”ti.
A mendicant who wants to accuse another should first check these five things in themselves and establish these five things in themselves.”
Catutthaṁ.