91 (1) Accomplishments (1)
“Bhikkhus, there are these five accomplishments. What five? Accomplishment in faith, accomplishment in virtuous behavior, accomplishment in learning, accomplishment in generosity, and accomplishment in wisdom. These are the five accomplishments.” [119]
92 (2) Accomplishments (2)
“Bhikkhus, there are these five accomplishments. What five? Accomplishment in virtuous behavior, accomplishment in concentration, accomplishment in wisdom, accomplishment in liberation, and accomplishment in the knowledge and vision of liberation. These are the five accomplishments.”
93 (3) Declarations
“Bhikkhus, there are these five declarations of final knowledge.1098 What five? (1) One declares final knowledge because of one’s dullness and stupidity; (2) one declares final knowledge because one has evil desires and is motivated by desire; (3) one declares final knowledge because one is mad and mentally deranged; (4) one declares final knowledge because one overrates oneself; and (5) one correctly declares final knowledge. These are the five declarations of final knowledge.”
94 (4) Dwelling at Ease
“Bhikkhus, there are these five kinds of dwelling at ease. What five? (1) Here, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna … (2) … the second jhāna … (3) … the third jhāna … (4) … the fourth jhāna. (5) With the destruction of the taints, he has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it. These are the five kinds of dwelling at ease.”
95 (5) The Unshakable
“Bhikkhus, possessing five things, a bhikkhu in no long time penetrates to the unshakable.1099 What five? [120] Here, a bhikkhu has attained the analytical knowledge of meaning, the analytical knowledge of the Dhamma, the analytical knowledge of language, and the analytical knowledge of discernment; and he reviews the extent to which his mind is liberated. Possessing these five things, a bhikkhu in no long time penetrates to the unshakable.”
“Bhikkhus, possessing five things, a bhikkhu pursuing mindfulness of breathing in no long time penetrates to the unshakable. What five? (1) Here, a bhikkhu has few undertakings, few tasks, is easy to support, and is easily contented with the requisites of life. (2) He eats little and is intent on abstemiousness regarding food. (3) He is seldom drowsy and is intent on vigilance. (4) He has learned much, remembers what he has learned, and accumulates what he has learned. Those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, which proclaim the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life—such teachings as these he has learned much of, retained in mind, recited verbally, mentally investigated, and penetrated well by view. (5) He reviews the extent to which his mind is liberated. Possessing these five things, a bhikkhu pursuing mindfulness of breathing in no long time penetrates to the unshakable.”
97 (7) Talk
“Bhikkhus, possessing five things, a bhikkhu developing mindfulness of breathing in no long time penetrates to the unshakable. What five? (1) Here, a bhikkhu has few undertakings … (2) He eats little … (3) He is seldom drowsy … [121] (4) He gets to hear at will, without trouble or difficulty, talk concerned with the austere life that is conducive to opening up the heart, that is, talk on fewness of desires, on contentment, on solitude, on not getting bound up [with others], on arousing energy, on virtuous behavior, on concentration, on wisdom, on liberation, on the knowledge and vision of liberation. (5) He reviews the extent to which his mind is liberated. Possessing these five things, a bhikkhu developing mindfulness of breathing in no long time penetrates to the unshakable.”
98 (8) A Forest Dweller
“Bhikkhus, possessing five things, a bhikkhu cultivating mindfulness of breathing in no long time penetrates to the unshakable. What five? (1) Here, a bhikkhu has few undertakings … (2) He eats little … (3) He is seldom drowsy … (4) He is a forest dweller who resorts to remote lodgings. (5) He reviews the extent to which his mind is liberated. Possessing these five things, a bhikkhu cultivating mindfulness of breathing in no long time penetrates to the unshakable.”
99 (9) The Lion
“Bhikkhus, in the evening the lion, the king of beasts, comes out from his lair, stretches his body, surveys the four quarters all around, and roars his lion’s roar three times. Then he sets out in search of game.
(1) “If he gives a blow to an elephant, he always gives the blow respectfully, not disrespectfully.1100 (2) If he gives a blow to a buffalo … (3) … to a cow … (4) … to a leopard … (5) If he gives a blow [122] to any smaller animals, even a hare or a cat, he gives the blow respectfully, not disrespectfully. For what reason? [Thinking:] ‘Let my training not be lost.’
“The lion, bhikkhus, is a designation for the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One. When the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma to an assembly, this is his lion’s roar. (1) If the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma to bhikkhus, he teaches it respectfully, not disrespectfully. (2) If the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma to bhikkhunīs … (3) … to male lay followers … (4) … to female lay followers, he teaches it respectfully, not disrespectfully. (5) If the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma to worldlings, even to food-carriers and hunters,1101 he teaches it respectfully, not disrespectfully. For what reason? Because the Tathāgata has respect for the Dhamma, reverence for the Dhamma.”
100 (10) Kakudha
Thus have I heard.1102 On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Kosambī in Ghosita’s Park. Now on that occasion Kakudha the Koliyan son, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna’s attendant, had recently died and been reborn among a certain group of mind-made [deities].1103 His body was two or three times the size of the fields of a Magadhan village, but he did not obstruct either himself or others with that body.1104
Then the young deva Kakudha approached the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, paid homage to him, stood to one side, and [123] said to him: “Bhante, such a desire arose in Devadatta: ‘I will take charge of the Saṅgha of bhikkhus.’ And together with the arising of this thought, Devadatta lost that psychic potency.”1105 This is what the young deva Kakudha said. He then paid homage to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, circumambulated him keeping the right side toward him, and disappeared right there.
Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported all that had happened. [The Blessed One said:] “But, Moggallāna, have you encompassed his mind with your mind and understood of the young deva Kakudha: ‘Whatever the young deva Kakudha says is all true and not otherwise’?”
“Yes, Bhante.”
“Take note of this statement, Moggallāna! Now that foolish man will, of his own accord, expose himself.
“There are, Moggallāna, these five kinds of teachers found in the world. What five? [124]
(1) “Here, some teacher whose behavior is unpurified claims: ‘I am one whose behavior is purified. My behavior is purified, cleansed, undefiled.’ His disciples know him thus: ‘This honorable teacher, though of unpurified behavior, claims: “I am one whose behavior is purified. My behavior is purified, cleansed, undefiled.” Now he would not like it if we were to report this to the laypeople. How can we treat him in a way that he would not like? Further, he is honored with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and provisions for the sick. A person will be known by what he himself does.’1106 His disciples cover up such a teacher with respect to his behavior, and such a teacher expects to be covered up by his disciples with respect to his behavior.
(2) “Again, some teacher whose livelihood is unpurified claims: ‘I am one whose livelihood is purified. My livelihood is purified, cleansed, undefiled.’ His disciples know him thus: ‘This honorable teacher, though of unpurified livelihood, claims: “I am one whose livelihood is purified. My livelihood is purified, cleansed, undefiled.” Now he would not like it if we were to report this to the laypeople. How can we treat him in a way that he would not like? Further, he is honored with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and provisions for the sick. A person will be known by what he himself does.’ His disciples cover up such a teacher with respect to his livelihood, and such a teacher expects to be covered up by his disciples with respect to his livelihood.
(3) “Again, some teacher whose Dhamma teaching is unpurified claims: ‘I am one whose Dhamma teaching is purified. My Dhamma teaching is purified, cleansed, undefiled.’ His disciples know him thus: ‘This honorable teacher, though of unpurified Dhamma teaching, [125] claims: “I am one whose Dhamma teaching is purified. My Dhamma teaching is purified, cleansed, undefiled.” Now he would not like it if we were to report this to the laypeople. How can we treat him in a way that he would not like? Further, he is honored with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and provisions for the sick. A person will be known by what he himself does.’ His disciples cover up such a teacher with respect to his Dhamma teaching, and such a teacher expects to be covered up by his disciples with respect to his Dhamma teaching.
(4) “Again, some teacher whose explanations are unpurified1107 claims: ‘I am one whose explanations are purified. My explanations are purified, cleansed, undefiled.’ His disciples know him thus: ‘This honorable teacher, though giving unpurified explanations, claims: “I am one whose explanations are purified. My explanations are purified, cleansed, undefiled.” Now he would not like it if we were to report this to the laypeople. How can we treat him in a way that he would not like? Further, he is honored with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and provisions for the sick. A person will be known by what he himself does.’ His disciples cover up such a teacher with respect to his explanations, and such a teacher expects to be covered up by his disciples with respect to his explanations.
(5) “Again, some teacher whose knowledge and vision are unpurified claims: ‘I am one whose knowledge and vision are purified. My knowledge and vision are purified, cleansed, undefiled.’ His disciples know him thus: ‘This honorable teacher, though of unpurified knowledge and vision, claims: “I am one whose knowledge and vision are purified. My knowledge and vision are purified, cleansed, undefiled.” Now he would not like it if we were to report this to the laypeople. How can we treat him in a way that he would not like? [126] Further, he is honored with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and provisions for the sick. A person will be known by what he himself does.’ His disciples cover up such a teacher with respect to his knowledge and vision, and such a teacher expects to be covered up by his disciples with respect to his knowledge and vision.
“These are five kinds of teachers found in the world.
(1) “But, Moggallāna, I am one whose behavior is purified and I claim: ‘I am one whose behavior is purified. My behavior is purified, cleansed, undefiled.’ My disciples do not cover me up with respect to my behavior, and I do not expect to be covered up by my disciples with respect to my behavior. (2) I am one whose livelihood is purified and I claim: ‘I am one whose livelihood is purified. My livelihood is purified, cleansed, undefiled.’ My disciples do not cover me up with respect to my livelihood, and I do not expect to be covered up by my disciples with respect to my livelihood. (3) I am one whose Dhamma teaching is purified and I claim: ‘I am one whose Dhamma teaching is purified. My Dhamma teaching is purified, cleansed, undefiled.’ My disciples do not cover me up with respect to my Dhamma teaching, and I do not expect to be covered up by my disciples with respect to my Dhamma teaching. (4) I am one whose explanations are purified and I claim: ‘I am one whose explanations are purified. My explanations are purified, cleansed, undefiled.’ My disciples do not cover me up with respect to my explanations, and I do not expect to be covered up by my disciples with respect to my explanations. (5) I am one whose knowledge and vision are purified and I claim: ‘I am one whose knowledge and vision are purified. My knowledge and vision are purified, cleansed, undefiled.’ My disciples do not cover me up with respect to my knowledge and vision, and I do not expect to be covered up by my disciples with respect to my knowledge and vision.” [127]
1098 Aññābyākaraṇāni. Mp: “Declarations of arahantship.”
1099 Akuppaṃ. Probably meaning akuppā cetovimutti, unshakable liberation of mind. Mp identifies this with arahantship.
1100 Sakkaccaññeva deti no asakkaccaṃ. Mp: “He gives the blow without despising, without transgressing; he does not do so despising and transgressing.”
1101 Annabhāranesādānaṃ. Mp glosses annabhārā as beggars (yācakā) and nesādā as fowlers (sākuṇikā).
1102 The opening story, together with the discourse on the five kinds of teachers, is at Vin II 185–87.
1103 Manomayaṃ kāyaṃ upapanno. The mind-made deities are those reborn in the form realm through the power of their past attainment of the jhānas.
1104 The word for “body” here is attabhāvapaṭilābha. I take paṭilābha to be merely an idiomatic adjunct and do not think it adds anything to the meaning. Mp glosses as sarīrapaṭilābho, which supports my supposition that the simple physical body is intended here. The expression attabhāvapaṭilābha occurs in 4:171, where it designates the entire typology of a living being. In that text it cannot be construed narrowly as the physical body, since it also encompasses “the devas of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception,” who lack physical bodies.
On the size of his body, the text reads dve vā tīṇi vā māgadhikāni gāmakkhettāni. On gāmakkhetta Brahmāli writes: “This word also occurs at MN III 10,11: ekaṃ gāmakkhettaṃ upanissāya viharāma, and at MN II 167,27: amhākaṃ gāmakkhettaṃ āgacchanti. From these passages it seems quite clear to me that gāmakkhetta refers to a village together with all its fields” (private communication). The figures for length given by Mp suggest that his body was 3–4.5 miles or 5–7 km tall.
1105 The text says tassā iddhiyā, “that psychic potency,” not tassa iddhiyā, “his psychic potency.” The pronoun refers to a psychic power already mentioned, yet the sutta does not make clear what it is. The context is provided by Vin II 184,33–185,21, where Devadatta exercises the psychic power of transforming himself into a young boy wearing a girdle of snakes. He used this power to impress Prince Ajātasattu and win his support. Thereupon Devadatta thought to wrest control of the Saṅgha from the Buddha, whereupon he lost that psychic potency.
1106 Yaṃ tumo karissati tumo’va tena paññāyissati. PED explains the stem tuma as “most likely apostrophe form of ātuma = attā, Skt ātman self.” Mp paraphrases: “One will be known by the action that one does” (yaṃ esa karissati, eso’va tena kammena pākaṭo bhavissati).
1107 Aparisuddhaveyyākaraṇo. Mp does not comment. Presumably, this refers to his explanation of a point in his teaching or his reply to a question.