Devadatta’s Failure Devadattavipattisutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain, not long after Devadatta had left. Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate acirapakkante devadatte. There the Buddha spoke to the mendicants about Devadatta: Tatra bhagavā devadattaṁ ārabbha bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Mendicants, it’s good for a mendicant to check their own failings from time to time. “sādhu, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kālena kālaṁ attavipattiṁ paccavekkhitā hoti. It’s good for a mendicant to check the failings of others from time to time. Sādhu, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kālena kālaṁ paravipattiṁ paccavekkhitā hoti. It’s good for a mendicant to check their own successes from time to time. Sādhu, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kālena kālaṁ attasampattiṁ paccavekkhitā hoti. It’s good for a mendicant to check the successes of others from time to time. Sādhu, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kālena kālaṁ parasampattiṁ paccavekkhitā hoti. Overcome and overwhelmed by eight things that oppose the true teaching, Devadatta is going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable. Aṭṭhahi, bhikkhave, asaddhammehi abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto devadatto āpāyiko nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekiccho.

What eight? Katamehi aṭṭhahi? Overcome and overwhelmed by gain … Lābhena hi, bhikkhave, abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto devadatto āpāyiko nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekiccho. loss … Alābhena, bhikkhave …pe… fame … yasena, bhikkhave … disgrace … ayasena, bhikkhave … honor … sakkārena, bhikkhave … dishonor … asakkārena, bhikkhave … corrupt wishes … pāpicchatāya, bhikkhave … bad friendship, Devadatta is going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable. pāpamittatāya, bhikkhave, abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto devadatto āpāyiko nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekiccho. Overcome and overwhelmed by these eight things that oppose the true teaching, Devadatta is going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi asaddhammehi abhibhūto pariyādinnacitto devadatto āpāyiko nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekiccho.

It’s good for a mendicant, whenever they encounter it, to overcome gain … Sādhu, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ lābhaṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya vihareyya, loss … uppannaṁ alābhaṁ …pe… fame … uppannaṁ yasaṁ … disgrace … uppannaṁ ayasaṁ … honor … uppannaṁ sakkāraṁ … dishonor … uppannaṁ asakkāraṁ … corrupt wishes … uppannaṁ pāpicchataṁ … bad friendship. uppannaṁ pāpamittataṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya vihareyya.

What advantage does a mendicant gain by overcoming these eight things? Kiñca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca uppannaṁ lābhaṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya vihareyya, uppannaṁ alābhaṁ …pe… uppannaṁ yasaṁ … uppannaṁ ayasaṁ … uppannaṁ sakkāraṁ … uppannaṁ asakkāraṁ … uppannaṁ pāpicchataṁ … uppannaṁ pāpamittataṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya vihareyya?

The distressing and feverish defilements that might arise in someone who lives without overcoming these eight things do not arise when they have overcome them. Yaṁ hissa, bhikkhave, uppannaṁ lābhaṁ anabhibhuyya viharato uppajjeyyuṁ āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, uppannaṁ lābhaṁ abhibhuyya viharato evaṁsa te āsavā vighātapariḷāhā na honti. Yaṁ hissa, bhikkhave, uppannaṁ alābhaṁ …pe… uppannaṁ yasaṁ … uppannaṁ ayasaṁ … uppannaṁ sakkāraṁ … uppannaṁ asakkāraṁ … uppannaṁ pāpicchataṁ … uppannaṁ pāpamittataṁ anabhibhuyya viharato uppajjeyyuṁ āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, uppannaṁ pāpamittataṁ abhibhuyya viharato evaṁsa te āsavā vighātapariḷāhā na honti. This is the advantage that a mendicant gains by overcoming these eight things. Idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca uppannaṁ lābhaṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya vihareyya, uppannaṁ alābhaṁ …pe… uppannaṁ yasaṁ … uppannaṁ ayasaṁ … uppannaṁ sakkāraṁ … uppannaṁ asakkāraṁ … uppannaṁ pāpicchataṁ … uppannaṁ pāpamittataṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya vihareyya.

So, mendicants, you should train like this: Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘Whenever we encounter it, we will overcome gain … ‘uppannaṁ lābhaṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya viharissāma, loss … uppannaṁ alābhaṁ …pe… fame … uppannaṁ yasaṁ … disgrace … uppannaṁ ayasaṁ … honor … uppannaṁ sakkāraṁ … dishonor … uppannaṁ asakkāraṁ … corrupt wishes … uppannaṁ pāpicchataṁ … bad friendship.’ uppannaṁ pāpamittataṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya viharissāmā’ti. That’s how you should train.” Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.