A Boaster Katthīsutta

At one time Venerable Mahācunda was staying in the land of the Cetīs at Sahajāti. Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahācundo cetīsu viharati sahajātiyaṁ. There he addressed the mendicants: Tatra kho āyasmā mahācundo bhikkhū āmantesi: “Reverends, mendicants!” “āvuso bhikkhave”ti.

“Reverend,” they replied. “Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato mahācundassa paccassosuṁ. Venerable Mahācunda said this: Āyasmā mahācundo etadavoca:

“Take a mendicant who boasts and brags about their achievements: “Idhāvuso, bhikkhu katthī hoti vikatthī adhigamesu: ‘I enter and emerge from the first absorption, the second absorption, the third absorption, and the fourth absorption. And I enter and emerge from the dimensions of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, and neither perception nor non-perception. And I enter and emerge from the cessation of perception and feeling.’ ‘ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipī’ti.

They’re pursued, pressed, and grilled by the Realized One, or by one of his disciples who has the absorptions, and is skilled in attainments, in the minds of others, and in encompassing another’s mind. Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo samanuyuñjati samanuggāhati samanubhāsati. Grilled in this way they get stuck or lose their way. They fall to ruin and disaster. So tathāgatena vā tathāgatasāvakena vā jhāyinā samāpattikusalena paracittakusalena paracittapariyāyakusalena samanuyuñjiyamāno samanuggāhiyamāno samanubhāsiyamāno irīṇaṁ āpajjati vicinaṁ āpajjati anayaṁ āpajjati byasanaṁ āpajjati anayabyasanaṁ āpajjati.

The Realized One or one of his disciples encompasses their mind and investigates: Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca manasi karoti: ‘Why does this venerable boast and brag about their achievements, saying, ‘kiṁ nu kho ayamāyasmā katthī hoti vikatthī adhigamesu—“I enter and emerge from the first absorption … ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi …pe… and the cessation of perception and feeling.”’ ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipī’ti.

They understand, Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti: ‘For a long time this venerable’s deeds have been broken, tainted, spotty, and marred. Their deeds and behavior are inconsistent. ‘Dīgharattaṁ kho ayamāyasmā khaṇḍakārī chiddakārī sabalakārī kammāsakārī na santatakārī na santatavutti sīlesu. This venerable is unethical, Dussīlo kho ayamāyasmā. and unethical conduct means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One. Dussilyaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is unfaithful, Assaddho kho pana ayamāyasmā; and lack of faith means decline … assaddhiyaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is unlearned and unpracticed, Appassuto kho pana ayamāyasmā anācāro; and lack of learning means decline … appasaccaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is hard to admonish, Dubbaco kho pana ayamāyasmā; and being hard to admonish means decline … dovacassatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable has bad friends, Pāpamitto kho pana ayamāyasmā; and bad friends mean decline … pāpamittatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is lazy, Kusīto kho pana ayamāyasmā; and laziness means decline … kosajjaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is unmindful, Muṭṭhassati kho pana ayamāyasmā; and unmindfulness means decline … muṭṭhassaccaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is deceptive, Kuhako kho pana ayamāyasmā; and deceitfulness means decline … kohaññaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is burdensome, Dubbharo kho pana ayamāyasmā; and being burdensome means decline … dubbharatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is witless, Duppañño kho pana ayamāyasmā; and lack of wisdom means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’ duppaññatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ’.

Suppose one friend was to say to another: Seyyathāpi, āvuso, sahāyako sahāyakaṁ evaṁ vadeyya: ‘My dear, when you need money for some payment, just ask me and I’ll give it.’ ‘yadā te, samma, dhanena dhanakaraṇīyaṁ assa, yāceyyāsi maṁ dhanaṁ. Dassāmi te dhanan’ti. Then when some payment falls due, that friend says to their friend: ‘I need some money, my dear. Give me some.’ So kiñcideva dhanakaraṇīye samuppanne sahāyako sahāyakaṁ evaṁ vadeyya: ‘attho me, samma, dhanena. Dehi me dhanan’ti. They’d say: So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘Well then, my dear, dig here.’ So they dig there, but don’t find anything. ‘tena hi, samma, idha khanāhī’ti. So tatra khananto nādhigaccheyya. They’d say: So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘You lied to me, my dear, you spoke hollow words when you told me to dig here.’ ‘alikaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca; tucchakaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca—idha khanāhī’ti. They’d say: So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘My dear, I didn’t lie or speak hollow words. Well then, dig here.’ ‘nāhaṁ taṁ, samma, alikaṁ avacaṁ, tucchakaṁ avacaṁ. Tena hi, samma, idha khanāhī’ti. So they dig there as well, but don’t find anything. So tatrapi khananto nādhigaccheyya. They’d say: So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘You lied to me, my dear, you spoke hollow words when you said dig here.’ ‘alikaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca, tucchakaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca—idha khanāhī’ti. They’d say: So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘My dear, I didn’t lie or speak hollow words. Well then, dig here.’ ‘nāhaṁ taṁ, samma, alikaṁ avacaṁ, tucchakaṁ avacaṁ. Tena hi, samma, idha khanāhī’ti. So they dig there as well, but don’t find anything. So tatrapi khananto nādhigaccheyya. They’d say: So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘You lied to me, my dear, you spoke hollow words when you said dig here.’ ‘alikaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca, tucchakaṁ maṁ, samma, avaca—idha khanāhī’ti. They’d say: So evaṁ vadeyya: ‘My dear, I didn’t lie or speak hollow words. But I had gone mad, I was out of my mind.’ ‘nāhaṁ taṁ, samma, alikaṁ avacaṁ, tucchakaṁ avacaṁ. Api ca ahameva ummādaṁ pāpuṇiṁ cetaso vipariyāyan’ti.

In the same way, take a mendicant who boasts and brags about their achievements: Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, bhikkhu katthī hoti vikatthī adhigamesu: ‘I enter and emerge from the first absorption … and the cessation of perception and feeling.’ ‘ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipi, ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipī’ti.

They’re pursued, pressed, and grilled by the Realized One, or by one of his disciples … Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo samanuyuñjati samanuggāhati samanubhāsati. Grilled in this way they get stuck or lose their way. They fall to ruin and disaster. So tathāgatena vā tathāgatasāvakena vā jhāyinā samāpattikusalena paracittakusalena paracittapariyāyakusalena samanuyuñjiyamāno samanuggāhiyamāno samanubhāsiyamāno irīṇaṁ āpajjati vicinaṁ āpajjati anayaṁ āpajjati byasanaṁ āpajjati anayabyasanaṁ āpajjati.

The Realized One or one of his disciples encompasses their mind and investigates: Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca manasi karoti: ‘Why does this venerable boast and brag about their achievements, saying, ‘kiṁ nu kho ayamāyasmā katthī hoti vikatthī adhigamesu—“I enter and emerge from the first absorption … ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ samāpajjāmipi …pe… and the cessation of perception and feeling.”’ ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmipi vuṭṭhahāmipī’ti.

They understand, Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti: ‘For a long time this venerable’s deeds have been broken, tainted, spotty, and marred. Their deeds and behavior are inconsistent. ‘Dīgharattaṁ kho ayamāyasmā khaṇḍakārī chiddakārī sabalakārī kammāsakārī, na santatakārī na santatavutti sīlesu. This venerable is unethical, Dussīlo kho ayamāyasmā; and unethical conduct means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One. dussilyaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is unfaithful … Assaddho kho pana ayamāyasmā; assaddhiyaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

unlearned and unpracticed … Appassuto kho pana ayamāyasmā anācāro; appasaccaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

hard to admonish … Dubbaco kho pana ayamāyasmā; dovacassatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

with bad friends … Pāpamitto kho pana ayamāyasmā; pāpamittatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

lazy … Kusīto kho pana ayamāyasmā; kosajjaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

unmindful … Muṭṭhassati kho pana ayamāyasmā; muṭṭhassaccaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

deceptive … Kuhako kho pana ayamāyasmā; kohaññaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

burdensome … Dubbharo kho pana ayamāyasmā; dubbharatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable is witless, Duppañño kho pana ayamāyasmā; and lack of wisdom means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’ duppaññatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ’.

It is quite impossible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training without giving up these ten qualities. So vatāvuso, bhikkhu ‘ime dasa dhamme appahāya imasmiṁ dhammavinaye vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. It is quite possible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training after giving up these ten qualities.” So vatāvuso, bhikkhu ‘ime dasa dhamme pahāya imasmiṁ dhammavinaye vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjatī”ti.