Overestimation Adhimānasutta

At one time Venerable Mahākassapa was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākassapo rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. There he addressed the mendicants: Tatra kho āyasmā mahākassapo bhikkhū āmantesi: “Reverends, mendicants!” “āvuso bhikkhave”ti.

“Reverend,” they replied. “Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato mahākassapassa paccassosuṁ. Venerable Mahākassapa said this: Āyasmā mahākassapo etadavoca:

“Take a mendicant who declares enlightenment: “Idhāvuso, bhikkhu aññaṁ byākaroti: ‘I understand: “Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.”’ ‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’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 declare enlightenment, saying, ‘kiṁ nu kho ayamāyasmā aññaṁ byākaroti—“I understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’?”’ khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.

They understand, Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti: ‘This venerable overestimates themselves and takes that to be the truth. They perceive that they’ve attained what they haven’t attained, done what they haven’t done, and achieved what they haven’t achieved. ‘Adhimāniko kho ayamāyasmā adhimānasacco, appatte pattasaññī, akate katasaññī, anadhigate adhigatasaññī. And they declare enlightenment out of overestimation: Adhimānena aññaṁ byākaroti—

“I understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”’ khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.

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 overestimate themselves and take that to be the truth? Why do they perceive that they’ve attained what they haven’t attained, done what they haven’t done, and achieved what they haven’t achieved? ‘kiṁ nu kho ayamāyasmā nissāya adhimāniko adhimānasacco, appatte pattasaññī, akate katasaññī, anadhigate adhigatasaññī. And why do they declare enlightenment out of overestimation: Adhimānena aññaṁ byākaroti—

“I understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”’ khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.

They understand, Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti: ‘This venerable is very learned, remembering and keeping what they’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. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, rehearsing them, mentally scrutinizing them, and penetrating them theoretically. ‘Bahussuto kho pana ayamāyasmā sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpāssa dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā. Therefore this venerable overestimates themselves and takes that to be the truth. …’ Tasmā ayamāyasmā adhimāniko adhimānasacco, appatte pattasaññī, akate katasaññī, anadhigate adhigatasaññī. Adhimānena aññaṁ byākaroti—khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.

They understand, Tamenaṁ tathāgato vā tathāgatasāvako vā jhāyī samāpattikusalo paracittakusalo paracittapariyāyakusalo evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāti: ‘This venerable is covetous, ‘Abhijjhālu kho pana ayamāyasmā; and often lives with a heart full covetousness. abhijjhāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā bahulaṁ viharati. Being full of covetousness means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One. Abhijjhāpariyuṭṭhānaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable has ill will … Byāpanno kho pana ayamāyasmā; byāpādapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā bahulaṁ viharati. Byāpādapariyuṭṭhānaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

dullness and drowsiness … Thinamiddho kho pana ayamāyasmā; thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā bahulaṁ viharati. Thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhānaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

restlessness … Uddhato kho pana ayamāyasmā; uddhaccapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā bahulaṁ viharati. Uddhaccapariyuṭṭhānaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

doubt … Vicikiccho kho pana ayamāyasmā; vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā bahulaṁ viharati. Vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhānaṁ kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable relishes work. They love it and like to relish it … Kammārāmo kho pana ayamāyasmā kammarato kammārāmataṁ anuyutto. Kammārāmatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

This venerable relishes talk … Bhassārāmo kho pana ayamāyasmā bhassarato bhassārāmataṁ anuyutto. Bhassārāmatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

sleep … Niddārāmo kho pana ayamāyasmā niddārato niddārāmataṁ anuyutto. Niddārāmatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

company … Saṅgaṇikārāmo kho pana ayamāyasmā saṅgaṇikarato saṅgaṇikārāmataṁ anuyutto. Saṅgaṇikārāmatā kho pana tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye parihānametaṁ.

When there is still more to be done, this venerable stopped half-way after achieving some trifling distinction. Sati kho pana ayamāyasmā uttari karaṇīye oramattakena visesādhigamena antarā vosānaṁ āpanno. Stopping half-way means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’ Antarā vosānagamanaṁ 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.