7.
The Discourse at Cātumā
157. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Cātumā in the Emblic Myrobalan Grove. Now at that time about five hundred monks headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna had arrived at Cātumā to see the Blessed One. And those visiting monks, exchanging friendly greetings with the resident monks, preparing lodgings, setting in order their bowls and robes, were making loud sounds and great sounds. Then the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Ānanda - "Who are these, Ānanda, making loud sounds and great sounds, like fishermen, methinks, at a fish haul?" "These, venerable sir, are about five hundred monks headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna who have arrived at Cātumā to see the Blessed One. Those visiting monks, exchanging friendly greetings with the resident monks, preparing lodgings, setting in order their bowls and robes, are making loud sounds and great sounds." "Then, Ānanda, in my name address those monks - 'The Teacher calls the venerable ones.'" "Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Ānanda replied to the Blessed One and approached those monks; having approached, he said this to those monks - "The Teacher calls the venerable ones." "Yes, friend," those monks replied to the Venerable Ānanda and approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. To those monks seated to one side, the Blessed One said this - "Why are you, monks, making loud sounds and great sounds, like fishermen, methinks, at a fish haul?" "These, venerable sir, are about five hundred monks headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna who have arrived at Cātumā to see the Blessed One. These visiting monks, exchanging friendly greetings with the resident monks, preparing lodgings, setting in order their bowls and robes, are making loud sounds and great sounds." "Go, monks, I dismiss you; you should not dwell near me." "Yes, venerable sir," those monks replied to the Blessed One, and rising from their seats, having paid respect to the Blessed One, circumambulated him keeping him on their right, set in order their lodgings, and taking their bowls and robes, departed.
158. Now at that time the Sakyans of Cātumā were assembled in the assembly hall on some business. The Sakyans of Cātumā saw those monks coming from afar; having seen them, they approached those monks; having approached, they said this to those monks - "Well then, where are you venerable ones going?" "The Community of monks has been dismissed by the Blessed One, friends." "If so, venerable ones, sit for a moment; perhaps we might be able to reconcile the Blessed One." "Yes, friends," those monks assented to the Sakyans of Cātumā. Then the Sakyans of Cātumā approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Sakyans of Cātumā said this to the Blessed One - "May the Blessed One delight in the Community of monks, venerable sir; may the Blessed One greet the Community of monks, venerable sir. Just as, venerable sir, the Community of monks was formerly helped by the Blessed One, just so may the Blessed One now help the Community of monks. There are here, venerable sir, monks who are new, recently gone forth, newly come to this Teaching and discipline. For them, not obtaining an audience with the Blessed One, there might be alteration, there might be change. Just as, venerable sir, for young seeds not obtaining water, there might be alteration, there might be change; just so, venerable sir, there are here monks who are new, recently gone forth, newly come to this Teaching and discipline; for them, not obtaining an audience with the Blessed One, there might be alteration, there might be change. Just as, venerable sir, for a young calf not seeing its mother, there might be alteration, there might be change; just so, venerable sir, there are here monks who are new, recently gone forth, newly come to this Teaching and discipline; for them, not seeing the Blessed One, there might be alteration, there might be change. May the Blessed One delight in the Community of monks, venerable sir; may the Blessed One greet the Community of monks, venerable sir. Just as, venerable sir, the Community of monks was formerly helped by the Blessed One; just so may the Blessed One now help the Community of monks."
159. Then Brahmā Sahampati, having known with his mind the reflection in the mind of the Blessed One - just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, even so - having vanished from the Brahma world, appeared before the Blessed One. Then Brahmā Sahampati, having arranged his upper robe on one shoulder, having extended joined palms in salutation towards the Blessed One, said this to the Blessed One - "May the Blessed One delight in the Community of monks, venerable sir; may the Blessed One greet the Community of monks, venerable sir. Just as, venerable sir, the Community of monks was formerly helped by the Blessed One; just so may the Blessed One now help the Community of monks. There are here, venerable sir, monks who are new, recently gone forth, newly come to this Teaching and discipline; for them, not obtaining an audience with the Blessed One, there might be alteration, there might be change. Just as, venerable sir, for young seeds not obtaining water, there might be alteration, there might be change; just so, venerable sir, there are here monks who are new, recently gone forth, newly come to this Teaching and discipline; for them, not obtaining an audience with the Blessed One, there might be alteration, there might be change. Just as, venerable sir, for a young calf not seeing its mother, there might be alteration, there might be change; just so, venerable sir, there are here monks who are new, recently gone forth, newly come to this Teaching and discipline; for them, not seeing the Blessed One, there might be alteration, there might be change. May the Blessed One delight in the Community of monks, venerable sir; may the Blessed One greet the Community of monks, venerable sir. Just as, venerable sir, the Community of monks was formerly helped by the Blessed One; just so may the Blessed One now help the Community of monks."
160. The Sakyans of Cātumā and Brahmā Sahampati were able to inspire confidence in the Blessed One with the simile of the seed and the simile of the young plant. Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna addressed the monks: "Rise, friends, take your bowls and robes. The Blessed One has been inspired to confidence by the Sakyans of Cātumā and by Brahmā Sahampati with the simile of the seed and the simile of the young plant." "Yes, friend," those monks replied to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, and rising from their seats, taking their bowls and robes, they approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. To the Venerable Sāriputta seated to one side, the Blessed One said this: "What occurred to you, Sāriputta, when the Community of monks was dismissed by me?" "Thus indeed, venerable sir, it occurred to me: 'The Community of monks has been dismissed by the Blessed One. Now the Blessed One will dwell living at ease, devoted to pleasant abiding in the present life; we too will now dwell living at ease, devoted to pleasant abiding in the present life.'" "Wait, Sāriputta, wait, Sāriputta, for pleasant abiding in the present life." Then the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: "What occurred to you, Moggallāna, when the Community of monks was dismissed by me?" "Thus indeed, venerable sir, it occurred to me: 'The Community of monks has been dismissed by the Blessed One. Now the Blessed One will dwell living at ease, devoted to pleasant abiding in the present life; and now the Venerable Sāriputta and I will look after the Community of monks.'" "Good, good, Moggallāna! For either I, Moggallāna, should look after the Community of monks, or Sāriputta and Moggallāna."
161. Then the Blessed One addressed the monks: "Monks, there are these four dangers to be expected for one entering the water. What are the four? The danger of waves, the danger of crocodiles, the danger of whirlpools, the danger of fierce fish - These, monks, are the four dangers to be expected for one entering the water. Just so, monks, there are these four dangers to be expected for certain persons here who have gone forth from home into homelessness in this Teaching and discipline. What are the four? The danger of waves, the danger of crocodiles, the danger of whirlpools, the danger of fierce fish.
162. "And what, monks, is the danger of waves? Here, monks, a certain son of good family has gone forth with faith from home into homelessness - 'I am overcome by birth, by ageing, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by sufferings, by displeasures, by anguishes, overcome by suffering, afflicted by suffering; perhaps the ending of this whole mass of suffering might be discerned.' Him, having thus gone forth, his fellow monks in the holy life exhort and instruct - 'Thus you should step forward, thus you should step back, thus you should look ahead, thus you should look around, thus you should bend, thus you should stretch, thus you should wear the double robe, bowl and robes.' He thinks thus: 'Formerly, when we were living the household life, we used to exhort others, we used to instruct others. But these, who are like our sons, methinks, who are like our grandsons, methinks, think they should exhort us, think they should instruct us.' He rejects the training and returns to the lower life. This is called, monks, one who, frightened by the danger of waves, has rejected the training and returned to the lower life. 'Danger of waves', monks, is a designation for wrath and anguish.
163. "And what, monks, is the danger of crocodiles? Here, monks, a certain son of good family has gone forth with faith from home into homelessness - 'I am overcome by birth, by ageing, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by sufferings, by displeasures, by anguishes, overcome by suffering, afflicted by suffering; perhaps the ending of this whole mass of suffering might be discerned.' Him, having thus gone forth, his fellow monks in the holy life exhort and instruct - 'This should be eaten by you, this should not be eaten by you; this should be consumed by you, this should not be consumed by you; this should be tasted by you, this should not be tasted by you; this should be drunk by you, this should not be drunk by you; what is allowable should be eaten by you, what is not allowable should not be eaten by you; what is allowable should be consumed by you, what is not allowable should not be consumed by you; what is allowable should be tasted by you, what is not allowable should not be tasted by you; what is allowable should be drunk by you, what is not allowable should not be drunk by you; at the proper time it should be eaten by you, at the improper time it should not be eaten by you; at the proper time it should be consumed by you, at the improper time it should not be consumed by you; at the proper time it should be tasted by you, at the improper time it should not be tasted by you; at the proper time it should be drunk by you, at the improper time it should not be drunk by you.' He thinks thus: 'Formerly, when we were living the household life, whatever we wished, that we ate; whatever we did not wish, that we did not eat; whatever we wished, that we consumed; whatever we did not wish, that we did not consume; whatever we wished, that we tasted; whatever we did not wish, that we did not taste; whatever we wished, that we drank; whatever we did not wish, that we did not drink; we ate what was allowable and we ate what was not allowable; we consumed what was allowable and we consumed what was not allowable; we tasted what was allowable and we tasted what was not allowable; we drank what was allowable and we drank what was not allowable; we ate at the proper time and we ate at the improper time; we consumed at the proper time and we consumed at the improper time; we tasted at the proper time and we tasted at the improper time; we drank at the proper time and we drank at the improper time. Whatever excellent solid and soft food faithful householders give us during the day at the improper time, these ones, methinks, are putting an obstruction over our mouths.' He rejects the training and returns to the lower life. This is called, monks, one who, frightened by the danger of crocodiles, has rejected the training and returned to the lower life. 'Danger of crocodiles', monks, is a designation for gluttony.
164. "And what, monks, is the danger of whirlpools? Here, monks, a certain son of good family has gone forth with faith from home into homelessness - 'I am overcome by birth, by ageing, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by sufferings, by displeasures, by anguishes, overcome by suffering, afflicted by suffering; perhaps the ending of this whole mass of suffering might be discerned.' Having thus gone forth, in the earlier period of the day, having dressed, taking his bowl and robe, he enters a village or a market town for almsfood. With body unguarded, with speech unguarded, with mindfulness not established, with faculties unrestrained, he there sees a householder or a householder's son endowed and furnished with the five types of sensual pleasure, indulging himself. He thinks thus: 'Formerly, when we were living the household life, we were endowed and furnished with the five types of sensual pleasure, we indulged ourselves. There are indeed wealth in my family. It is possible both to enjoy wealth and to make merit.' He rejects the training and returns to the lower life. This is called, monks, one who, frightened by the danger of whirlpools, has rejected the training and returned to the lower life. 'Danger of whirlpools', monks, is a designation for these five types of sensual pleasure.
165. "And what, monks, is the danger of fierce fish? Here, monks, a certain son of good family has gone forth with faith from home into homelessness - 'I am overcome by birth, by ageing, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by sufferings, by displeasures, by anguishes, overcome by suffering, afflicted by suffering; perhaps the ending of this whole mass of suffering might be discerned.' Having thus gone forth, in the earlier period of the day, having dressed, taking his bowl and robe, he enters a village or a market town for almsfood. With body unguarded, with speech unguarded, with mindfulness not established, with faculties unrestrained, he there sees a woman improperly dressed or improperly clothed. Having seen a woman improperly dressed or improperly clothed, lust assails his mind. He, with mind assailed by lust, having rejected the training, returns to the lower life. This is called, monks, one who, frightened by the danger of fierce fish, has rejected the training and returned to the lower life. 'Danger of fierce fish', monks, is a designation for womankind. These, monks, are the four dangers to be expected for certain persons here who have gone forth from home into homelessness in this Teaching and discipline."
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse at Cātumā is concluded as seventh.