A Dung Beetle Mīḷhakasutta

At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim … “Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.

Suppose there was a dung-eating beetle full of dung, stuffed with dung, and before her was a huge pile of dung. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mīḷhakā gūthādī gūthapūrā puṇṇā gūthassa. Purato cassa mahāgūthapuñjo. She’d look down on other beetles, thinking: Sā tena aññā mīḷhakā atimaññeyya: ‘For I am a dung-eating beetle full of dung, stuffed with dung, and before me is a huge pile of dung.’ ‘ahamhi gūthādī gūthapūrā puṇṇā gūthassa, purato ca myāyaṁ mahāgūthapuñjo’ti.

In the same way, take a certain mendicant whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by possessions, honor, and popularity. They robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter the village or town for alms. Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bhikkhu lābhasakkārasilokena abhibhūto pariyādiṇṇacitto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisati. There they eat as much as they like, get invited back tomorrow, and have plenty of almsfood. So tattha bhuttāvī ca hoti yāvadattho, nimantito ca svātanāya, piṇḍapāto cassa pūro. When they get back to the monastery, they boast in the middle of a group of mendicants: So ārāmaṁ gantvā bhikkhugaṇassa majjhe vikatthati: ‘I ate as much as I liked, got invited back tomorrow, and had plenty of almsfood. I get robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. But these other mendicants have little merit or significance, so they don’t get these things.’ ‘bhuttāvī camhi yāvadattho, nimantito camhi svātanāya, piṇḍapāto ca myāyaṁ pūro, lābhī camhi cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ, ime panaññe bhikkhū appapuññā appesakkhā na lābhino cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānan’ti. With a mind overcome and overwhelmed by possessions, honor, and popularity, they look down on other good-hearted mendicants. So tena lābhasakkārasilokena abhibhūto pariyādiṇṇacitto aññe pesale bhikkhū atimaññati. This will be for their lasting harm and suffering. Tañhi tassa, bhikkhave, moghapurisassa hoti dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya.

So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …” Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.