By Mahācunda Mahācundasutta

So I have heard. Evaṁ me sutaṁ—At one time Venerable Mahācunda was staying in the land of the Cetis at Sahajāti. ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahācundo cetīsu viharati sayaṁjātiyaṁ. 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 case where mendicants who practice discernment of principles rebuke mendicants who practice absorption: “Idhāvuso, dhammayogā bhikkhū jhāyī bhikkhū apasādenti: ‘They say, “We practice absorption meditation! We practice absorption meditation!” And they meditate and concentrate and contemplate and ruminate. ‘ime pana jhāyinomhā, jhāyinomhāti jhāyanti pajjhāyanti nijjhāyanti avajjhāyanti. Why do they practice absorption meditation? In what way do they practice absorption meditation? How do they practice absorption meditation?’ Kimime jhāyanti, kintime jhāyanti, kathaṁ ime jhāyantī’ti? In this case the mendicants who practice discernment of principles are not inspired, and the mendicants who practice absorption are not inspired. And they’re not acting for the welfare and happiness of the people, for the people, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans. Tattha dhammayogā ca bhikkhū nappasīdanti, jhāyī ca bhikkhū nappasīdanti, na ca bahujanahitāya paṭipannā honti bahujanasukhāya bahuno janassa atthāya hitāya sukhāya devamanussānaṁ.

Now, take a case where mendicants who practice absorption meditation rebuke mendicants who practice discernment of principles: Idha panāvuso, jhāyī bhikkhū dhammayoge bhikkhū apasādenti: ‘They say, “We practice discernment of principles! We practice discernment of principles!” But they’re restless, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, loose-tongued, unmindful, lacking situational awareness and immersion, with straying minds and undisciplined faculties. ‘ime pana dhammayogamhā, dhammayogamhāti uddhatā unnaḷā capalā mukharā vikiṇṇavācā muṭṭhassatī asampajānā asamāhitā vibbhantacittā pākatindriyā. Why do they practice discernment of principles? In what way do they practice discernment of principles? How do they practice discernment of principles?’ Kimime dhammayogā, kintime dhammayogā, kathaṁ ime dhammayogā’ti? In this case the mendicants who practice absorption are not inspired, and the mendicants who practice discernment of principles are not inspired. And they’re not acting for the welfare and happiness of the people, for the people, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans. Tattha jhāyī ca bhikkhū nappasīdanti, dhammayogā ca bhikkhū nappasīdanti, na ca bahujanahitāya paṭipannā honti bahujanasukhāya bahuno janassa atthāya hitāya sukhāya devamanussānaṁ.

Now, take a case where mendicants who practice discernment of principles praise only others like them, not mendicants who practice absorption. Idha panāvuso, dhammayogā bhikkhū dhammayogānaññeva bhikkhūnaṁ vaṇṇaṁ bhāsanti, no jhāyīnaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ vaṇṇaṁ bhāsanti. In this case the mendicants who practice discernment of principles are not inspired, and the mendicants who practice absorption are not inspired. And they’re not acting for the welfare and happiness of the people, for the people, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans. Tattha dhammayogā ca bhikkhū nappasīdanti, jhāyī ca bhikkhū nappasīdanti, na ca bahujanahitāya paṭipannā honti bahujanasukhāya bahuno janassa atthāya hitāya sukhāya devamanussānaṁ.

And take a case where mendicants who practice absorption praise only others like them, not mendicants who practice discernment of principles. Idha panāvuso, jhāyī bhikkhū jhāyīnaññeva bhikkhūnaṁ vaṇṇaṁ bhāsanti, no dhammayogānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ vaṇṇaṁ bhāsanti. In this case the mendicants who practice absorption are not inspired, and the mendicants who practice discernment of principles are not inspired. And they’re not acting for the welfare and happiness of the people, for the people, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans. Tattha jhāyī ca bhikkhū nappasīdanti, dhammayogā ca bhikkhū nappasīdanti, na ca bahujanahitāya paṭipannā honti bahujanasukhāya bahuno janassa atthāya hitāya sukhāya devamanussānaṁ.

So you should train like this: Tasmātihāvuso, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘As mendicants who practice discernment of principles, we will praise mendicants who practice absorption.’ ‘dhammayogā samānā jhāyīnaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ vaṇṇaṁ bhāsissāmā’ti. That’s how you should train. Evañhi vo, āvuso, sikkhitabbaṁ. Why is that? Taṁ kissa hetu? Because it’s rare to find such incredible individuals in the world who have direct meditative experience of the element free of death. Acchariyā hete, āvuso, puggalā dullabhā lokasmiṁ, ye amataṁ dhātuṁ kāyena phusitvā viharanti.

So you should train like this: Tasmātihāvuso, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘As mendicants who practice absorption, we will praise mendicants who practice discernment of principles.’ ‘jhāyī samānā dhammayogānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ vaṇṇaṁ bhāsissāmā’ti. That’s how you should train. Evañhi vo, āvuso, sikkhitabbaṁ. Why is that? Taṁ kissa hetu? Because it’s incredibly rare to find individuals in the world who see the meaning of a deep saying with penetrating wisdom.” Acchariyā hete, āvuso, puggalā dullabhā lokasmiṁ ye gambhīraṁ atthapadaṁ paññāya ativijjha passantī”ti.