Saṁyutta Nikāya 16.6

The Related Suttas Collection 16.6

1. Kassapavagga

1. Kassapa

Ovādasutta

Advice

Rājagahe veḷuvane. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

Near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove. Then Venerable Mahākassapa went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

“ovada, kassapa, bhikkhū; karohi, kassapa, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiṁ kathaṁ. Ahaṁ vā, kassapa, bhikkhū ovadeyyaṁ tvaṁ vā; ahaṁ vā bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiṁ kathaṁ kareyyaṁ tvaṁ vā”ti.

“Kassapa, advise the bhikkhus! Give them a Dhamma talk! Either you or I should advise the bhikkhus and give them a Dhamma talk.”

“Dubbacā kho, bhante, etarahi bhikkhū, dovacassakaraṇehi dhammehi samannāgatā, akkhamā, appadakkhiṇaggāhino anusāsaniṁ.

“Sir, the bhikkhus these days are hard to admonish, having qualities that make them hard to admonish. They’re impatient, and don’t take instruction respectfully.

Idhāhaṁ, bhante, addasaṁ bhaṇḍañca¹ nāma bhikkhuṁ ānandassa saddhivihāriṁ abhijikañca nāma bhikkhuṁ anuruddhassa saddhivihāriṁ aññamaññaṁ sutena accāvadante: ‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’”ti.

Take the monk called Bhaṇḍa, Ānanda’s pupil. He’s been competing in studies with the monk called Abhiñjika, Anuruddha’s pupil. They say: ‘Come on, monk, who can recite more? Who can recite better? Who can recite longer?’”

Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi: “ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena bhaṇḍañca bhikkhuṁ ānandassa saddhivihāriṁ abhijikañca bhikkhuṁ anuruddhassa saddhivihāriṁ āmantehi: ‘satthā āyasmante āmantetī’”ti.

So the Buddha addressed a certain monk, “Please, monk, in my name tell the monk called Bhaṇḍa, Ānanda’s pupil, and the monk called Abhiñjika, Anuruddha’s pupil that the teacher summons them.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato paṭissutvā yena te bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā te bhikkhū etadavoca: “satthā āyasmante āmantetī”ti.

“Yes, sir,” that monk replied. He went to those monks and said, “Venerables, the teacher summons you.”

“Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinne kho te bhikkhū bhagavā etadavoca:

“Yes, friend,” those monks replied. They went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to them:

“saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, aññamaññaṁ sutena accāvadatha: ‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’”ti?

“Is it really true, monks, that you’ve been competing in studies, saying: ‘Come on, monk, who can recite more? Who can recite better? Who can recite longer?’”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.

“Yes, sir.”

“Kiṁ nu kho me tumhe, bhikkhave, evaṁ dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānātha: ‘etha tumhe, bhikkhave, aññamaññaṁ sutena accāvadatha—ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’”ti?

“Have you ever known me to teach the Dhamma like this: ‘Please bhikkhus, compete in studies to see who can recite more and better and longer’?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“No, sir.”

“No ce kira me tumhe, bhikkhave, evaṁ dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānātha, atha kiñcarahi tumhe, moghapurisā, kiṁ jānantā kiṁ passantā evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā aññamaññaṁ sutena accāvadatha: ‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’”ti.

“If you’ve never known me to teach the Dhamma like this, then what exactly do you know and see, you foolish men, that after going forth in such a well explained teaching and training you’d compete in studies to see who can recite more and better and longer?”

Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “accayo no, bhante, accagamā, yathābāle yathāmūḷhe yathāakusale, ye mayaṁ evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā aññamaññaṁ sutena accāvadimha: ‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’ti. Tesaṁ no, bhante, bhagavā accayaṁ accayato paṭiggaṇhātu āyatiṁ saṁvarāyā”ti.

Then those monks bowed with their heads at the Buddha’s feet and said, “We have made a mistake, sir. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of us in that after going forth in such a well explained teaching and training we competed in studies to see who can recite more and better and longer. Please, sir, accept our mistake for what it is, so we will restrain ourselves in future.”

“Taggha tumhe, bhikkhave, accayo accagamā yathābāle yathāmūḷhe yathāakusale, ye tumhe evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā aññamaññaṁ sutena accāvadittha: ‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’ti. Yato ca kho tumhe, bhikkhave, accayaṁ accayato disvā yathādhammaṁ paṭikarotha, taṁ vo mayaṁ² paṭiggaṇhāma. Vuddhi hesā, bhikkhave, ariyassa vinaye yo accayaṁ accayato disvā yathādhammaṁ paṭikaroti āyatiñca saṁvaraṁ āpajjatī”ti.

“Indeed, monks, you made a mistake. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of you to act in that way. But since you have recognized your mistake for what it is, and have dealt with it properly, I accept it. For it is growth in the training of the Noble One to recognize a mistake for what it is, deal with it properly, and commit to restraint in the future.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.