Aṅguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
IX: Thera-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
IX: The Elders
Sutta 85
Katthi Suttaɱ
The Boaster
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
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[1] THUS have I heard:
Once the venerable Cunda the Great[1] was staying among the Cetī at Sahajātī.
On that occasion he addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks, your reverences."
"Yes, your reverence,"
replied those monks to the venerable Cunda the Great,
who said:
"In this matter, your reverences, suppose a monk is a boaster[2]
and garrulous about his own attainments, thus:
'I have attained the first musing and can emerge[3] therefrom.'
■
[158] 'I can [107] attain the second musing[ed1] and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the third musing and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the fourth musing and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the sphere of infinity of space and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the sphere of infinity of consciousness and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the sphere of nothingness and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the sphere of neither-perception-nor-not-perception and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the sphere wherein perception-and-feeling are ended, and can emerge therefrom.'
§
Then the Wayfarer
or a Wayfarer's disciple
who is a muser,
skilled in attaining (musing),
skilled in reading others' hearts,
skilled in reading the habit of others' hearts,
closely examines,
questions
and talks with him.
■
He, thus closely examined,
questioned
and talked with
by the Wayfarer
or a disciple of the Wayfarer,
who is a muser,
skilled in attaining (musing),
skilled in reading others' hearts,
skilled in reading the habit of others' hearts,
-he comes to a desert (so to speak),
he comes to a jungle,
he comes to an ill pass,
to ruin,
to an ill pass and ruin alike.
■
For the Wayfarer or Wayfarer's disciple,
who is a muser,
skilled in attaining (musing),
skilled in reading others' hearts,
skilled in reading the habit of others' hearts,
reading his heart with his own thus ponders:
'How is it that this worthy is a boaster and garrulous about his own attainments, so as to say:
■
"I have attained the first musing and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the second musing and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the third musing and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the fourth musing and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the sphere of infinity of space and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the sphere of infinity of consciousness and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the sphere of nothingness and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the sphere of neither-perception-nor-not-perception and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the sphere wherein perception-and-feeling are ended, and can emerge therefrom"'?
§
Then the Wayfarer
or a Wayfarer's disciple
who is a muser,
skilled in attaining (musing),
skilled in reading others' hearts,
skilled in reading the habit of others' hearts,
reading his heart with his own, comes to know:
'For many a day
this worthy has been one
whose deeds are incongruous,
inconsistent,
shady
and spotted.
■
His deeds,
his habits
are not consistent with good morals.
■
This worthy is immoral,
and immorality like this
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
Moreover this worthy is an unbeliever,
and unbelief
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
[159] He is of little learning,
and little learning
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He is foul-spoken,
and foul speech
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He has wicked friends,
and wicked friendship
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He is slothful,
and sloth
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He is of muddled wits,
and muddled wits
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He is a fraud,
and fraudulence
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He is not forbearing,[4]
and not-forbearance
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
This worthy is weak in wisdom,
and weak wisdom
means waning in this Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.'
§
Suppose, your reverences, a friend should say to his friend:
[108] 'When you are in need of money, old man,
you will ask me for money
and I will give it you.'
The latter, when need of money arises,
says to the former:
'I need money, old man.
Give me money.'
The other replies:
'Then dig here, old man.'
He digs there but finds no money,
and says to the other:
'You told me a lie.
You gave me empty words in saying:
"Dig here."
The other replies:
'No I told you no lie,
I gave you not empty words;
so dig you here.'
He does so,
but finds no money,
and again reproaches his friend with falsehood.
Again the friend denies it,
[160] saying:
'I told you no lie.
I gave you not empty words,
but I was out of my mind;
I was distracted.'[5]
§
Just in the same way,
your reverences,
suppose a monk is a boaster
and garrulous about his own attainments, thus:
'I have attained the first musing and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the second musing and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the third musing and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the fourth musing and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the sphere of infinity of space and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the sphere of infinity of consciousness and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the sphere of nothingness and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the sphere of neither-perception-nor-not-perception and can emerge therefrom.'
■
'I can attain the sphere wherein perception-and-feeling are ended, and can emerge therefrom.'
§
Then the Wayfarer
or a Wayfarer's disciple
who is a muser,
skilled in attaining (musing),
skilled in reading others' hearts,
skilled in reading the habit of others' hearts,
closely examines,
questions
and talks with him.
■
He, thus closely examined,
questioned
and talked with
by the Wayfarer
or a disciple of the Wayfarer,
who is a muser,
skilled in attaining (musing),
skilled in reading others' hearts,
skilled in reading the habit of others' hearts,
-he comes to a desert (so to speak),
he comes to a jungle,
he comes to an ill pass,
to ruin,
to an ill pass and ruin alike.
§
For the Wayfarer or Wayfarer's disciple,
who is a muser,
skilled in attaining (musing),
skilled in reading others' hearts,
skilled in reading the habit of others' hearts,
reading his heart with his own thus ponders:
How is it that this worthy is a boaster and garrulous about his own attainments, so as to say:
■
"I have attained the first musing and can emergetherefrom."
■
"I can attain the second musing and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the third musing and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the fourth musing and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the sphere of infinity of space and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the sphere of infinity of consciousness and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the sphere of nothingness and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the sphere of neither-perception-nor-not-perception and can emerge therefrom."
■
"I can attain the sphere wherein perception-and-feeling are ended, and can emerge therefrom"'?
§
Then the Wayfarer
or a Wayfarer's disciple
who is a muser
skilled in attaining (musing),
skilled in reading others' hearts,
skilled in reading the habit of others' hearts,
reading his heart with his own, comes to know:
'For many a day
this worthy has been one
whose deeds are incongruous,
inconsistent,
shady
and spotted.
■
His deeds,
his habits
are not consistent with good morals.
■
This worthy is immoral,
and immorality like this
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
Moreover this worthy is an unbeliever,
and unbelief
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He is of little learning,
and little learning
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He is foul-spoken,
and foul speech
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He has wicked friends,
and wicked friendship
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He is slothful,
and sloth
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He is of muddled wits,
and muddled wits
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He is a fraud,
and fraudulence
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
He is not forbearing,
and not-forbearance
means waning in the Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.
■
This worthy is weak in wisdom,
and weak wisdom
means waning in this Dhamma-discipline
proclaimed by the Wayfarer.'
§
Indeed, monks, if he abandon not these ten qualities
[161] there is no possibility for a monk to reach increase,
growth
and maturity
in this Dhamma-discipline.
But if he abandon these ten qualities
there is the possibility for a monk to reach increase,
growth
and maturity
in this Dhamma-discipline."
[1] At § 24 and G.S. iii, 252 (about musing) he speaks to the monks at the same place.
[2] Katthī seems not to occur elsewhere. The strengthened form in negative is at Sn. 850; MP. 414. Here Comy. says kathana-sīlo, vivaṭaɱ katheti.
[3] 'Emergence' is said to mean the power to return to normal consciousness at a given predetermined moment. Cf. Path of Purity, iii, 870.
[4] Dubbhara; cf. A. iv, 280.
[5] Cf. S. i, 126; G.S. ii, 90, ummādaɱ vā pāpuṇeyya citta-vikkhepaɱ vā; here cetoso vipariyāyaɱ. Below, § 8. For Samma cf. G.S. i, 211 n.[?]
[ed1] Woodward omits from this list the second through 'infinity of consciousness'. Terms are taken from his translation of AN 10.99 where he translates āyatana as 'plane', and n'eva-saññā-nāsaññāyatanaɱ as 'neither-consciousness-nor-unconsciousness' and saññāvedayitanirodhaɱ as 'the ending of consciousness and feeling'.
