9.
The Discourse on Goliyāni
173. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground. Now at that time a monk named Goliyāni, a forest-dweller of coarse conduct, had come into the midst of the Community on some business. There the Venerable Sāriputta, referring to the monk Goliyāni, addressed the monks -
"Friends, a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community should be respectful and deferential towards his fellows in the holy life. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community is disrespectful and not deferential towards his fellows in the holy life, there are those who will say of him: 'What is the use of this venerable forest-dweller's dwelling alone in the forest at his own pleasure, since this venerable one is disrespectful and not deferential towards his fellows in the holy life?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community should be respectful and deferential towards his fellows in the holy life.
"Friends, a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community should be skilled in seats - 'Thus I will not sit encroaching upon elder monks, and I will not prevent junior monks from a seat.' If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community is not skilled in seats, there are those who will say of him: 'What is the use of this venerable forest-dweller's dwelling alone in the forest at his own pleasure, since this venerable one is not skilled in seats?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community should be skilled in seats.
"Friends, a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community should know even the fundamentals of conduct. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community does not know even the fundamentals of conduct, there are those who will say of him: 'What is the use of this venerable forest-dweller's dwelling alone in the forest at his own pleasure, since this venerable one does not know even the fundamentals of conduct?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community should know even the fundamentals of conduct.
"Friends, a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community should not enter the village too early nor return too late in the day. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community enters the village too early and returns too late in the day, there are those who will say of him: 'What is the use of this venerable forest-dweller's dwelling alone in the forest at his own pleasure, since this venerable one enters the village too early and returns too late in the day?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community should not enter the village too early, nor return too late in the day.
"Friends, a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community should not visit families before the meal or after the meal. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community visits families before the meal and after the meal, there are those who will say of him: 'Surely this venerable forest-dweller, while dwelling alone in the forest at his own pleasure, has cultivated wandering at improper times, and this occurs to him even when he has come to the Community' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk who has come to the Community and is dwelling in the Community should not visit families before the meal or after the meal.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, having gone to the monastic community, dwelling in the monastic community, should be unagitated and steadfast. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk, having gone to the monastic community, dwelling in the monastic community, is agitated and fickle, there will be those who speak of him. 'Surely this venerable forest-dweller, dwelling alone in the forest with independent dwelling, has cultivated restlessness and fickleness, and this occurs to him even when he has gone to the monastic community' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk, having gone to the monastic community, dwelling in the monastic community, should be unagitated and steadfast.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, having gone to the monastic community, dwelling in the monastic community, should be not garrulous and not of loose speech. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk, having gone to the monastic community, dwelling in the monastic community, is garrulous and of loose speech, there will be those who speak of him. 'What then is the benefit of this venerable forest-dweller's dwelling alone in the forest with independent dwelling, when this venerable one is garrulous and of loose speech?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk, having gone to the monastic community, dwelling in the monastic community, should be not garrulous and not of loose speech.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, having gone to the monastic community, dwelling in the monastic community, should be easy to admonish and a good friend. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk, having gone to the monastic community, dwelling in the monastic community, is difficult to admonish and an evil friend, there will be those who speak of him. 'What then is the benefit of this venerable forest-dweller's dwelling alone in the forest with independent dwelling, when this venerable one is difficult to admonish and an evil friend?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk, having gone to the monastic community, dwelling in the monastic community, should be easy to admonish and a good friend.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, should be one with guarded doors in the sense faculties. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk is one with unguarded doors in the sense faculties, there will be those who speak of him. 'What then is the benefit of this venerable forest-dweller's dwelling alone in the forest with independent dwelling, when this venerable one has unguarded doors in the sense faculties?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk should be one with guarded doors in the sense faculties.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, should be one who knows moderation in food. If, friends, a forest-dweller does not know moderation in food, there will be those who speak of him. 'What then is the benefit of this venerable forest-dweller's dwelling alone in the forest with independent dwelling, when this venerable one does not know moderation in food?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk should be one who knows moderation in food.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, should be devoted to wakefulness. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk is not devoted to wakefulness, there will be those who speak of him. 'What then is the benefit of this venerable forest-dweller's dwelling alone in the forest with independent dwelling, when this venerable one is not devoted to wakefulness?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk should be devoted to wakefulness.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, should be one putting forth strenuous energy. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk is lazy, there will be those who speak of him. 'What then is the use of this venerable one's forest-dwelling, living alone in the forest at his own will, when this venerable one is lazy?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk should be one putting forth strenuous energy.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, should be one having established mindfulness. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk is unmindful, there will be those who speak of him. 'What then is the use of this venerable one's forest-dwelling, living alone in the forest at his own will, when this venerable one is unmindful?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk should be one having established mindfulness.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, should be concentrated. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk is unconcentrated, there will be those who speak of him. 'What then is the use of this venerable one's forest-dwelling, living alone in the forest at his own will, when this venerable one is unconcentrated?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk should be concentrated.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, should be wise. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk is unwise, there will be those who speak of him. 'What then is the use of this venerable one's forest-dwelling, living alone in the forest at his own will, when this venerable one is unwise?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk should be wise.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, should make exertion in the higher teaching and higher discipline. There are, friends, those who ask a forest-dwelling monk questions about the higher teaching and higher discipline. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk, when asked a question about the higher teaching and higher discipline, does not give a proper account, there will be those who speak of him. 'What then is the use of this venerable one's forest-dwelling, living alone in the forest at his own will, when this venerable one, asked a question about the higher teaching and higher discipline, does not give a proper account?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk should make exertion in the higher teaching and higher discipline.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friends, should make exertion regarding those peaceful deliverances that, having gone beyond material form, are immaterial. There are, friends, those who ask a forest-dwelling monk questions about those peaceful deliverances that, having gone beyond material form, are immaterial. If, friends, a forest-dwelling monk, when asked a question about those peaceful deliverances that, having gone beyond material form, are immaterial, does not give a proper account, there will be those who speak of him. 'What then is the use of this venerable one's forest-dwelling, living alone in the forest at his own will, when this venerable one, asked a question about those peaceful deliverances that, having gone beyond material form, are immaterial, does not give a proper account?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk should make exertion regarding those peaceful deliverances that, having gone beyond material form, are immaterial.
"A forest-dwelling monk, friend, should make exertion in super-human achievement. There are, friend, those who ask a forest-dwelling monk questions about super-human achievement. If, friend, a forest-dwelling monk, when asked a question about super-human achievement, does not give a proper account, there will be those who say of him: 'What then is the use of this venerable forest-dweller's independent dwelling alone in the forest, when this venerable one does not know that purpose for which he went forth?' - there are those who will say of him. Therefore a forest-dwelling monk should make exertion in super-human achievement."
When this was said, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this to the Venerable Sāriputta - "Should these qualities be undertaken and practised only by a forest-dwelling monk, friend Sāriputta, or also by one dwelling near a village?" "These qualities should be undertaken and practised by a forest-dwelling monk too, friend Moggallāna, how much more by one dwelling near a village."
The Discourse on Goliyāni is concluded as ninth.