A Master ThiefMahācorasutta

“Mendicants, a master thief with five factors breaks into houses, plunders wealth, steals from isolated buildings, and commits highway robbery.“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati, nillopampi harati, ekāgārikampi karoti, paripanthepi tiṭṭhati. What five?Katamehi pañcahi? A master thief relies on rough ground, on thick cover, and on the powerful; they pay bribes, and they act alone.Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito ca hoti, gahananissito ca, balavanissito ca, bhogacāgī ca, ekacārī ca.

And how does a master thief rely on rough ground?Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti? It’s when a master thief relies on inaccessible riverlands or rugged mountains.Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro nadīviduggaṁ vā nissito hoti pabbatavisamaṁ vā. That’s how a master thief relies on rough ground.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti.

And how does a master thief rely on thick cover?Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti? It’s when a master thief relies on thick grass, thick trees, a blind spot, or a large forest grove.Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro tiṇagahanaṁ vā nissito hoti rukkhagahanaṁ vā rodhaṁ vā mahāvanasaṇḍaṁ vā. That’s how a master thief relies on thick cover.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti.

And how does a master thief rely on the powerful?Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti? It’s when a master thief relies on rulers or their chief ministers.Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattānaṁ vā nissito hoti. They think:Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘If anyone accuses me of anything, these rulers or their chief ministers will speak in my defense in the case.’‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti. And that’s exactly what happens.Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyassa rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti. That’s how a master thief relies on the powerful.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti.

And how does a master thief pay bribes?Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro bhogacāgī hoti? It’s when a master thief is rich, affluent, and wealthy.Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro aḍḍho hoti mahaddhano mahābhogo. They think:Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘If anyone accuses me of anything, I’ll settle it with a bribe.’‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ito bhogena paṭisantharissāmī’ti. And that’s exactly what happens.Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tato bhogena paṭisantharati. That’s how a master thief pays bribes.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro bhogacāgī hoti.

And how does a master thief act alone?Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro ekacārī hoti? It’s when a master thief carries out robbery all alone.Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro ekakova gahaṇāni kattā hoti. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? So that their secret plans are not leaked to others.‘Mā me guyhamantā bahiddhā sambhedaṁ agamaṁsū’ti. That’s how a master thief acts alone.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro ekacārī hoti.

A master thief with these five factors breaks into houses, plunders wealth, steals from isolated buildings, and commits highway robbery.Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati nillopampi harati ekāgārikampi karoti paripanthepi tiṭṭhati.

In the same way, when a bad mendicant has five qualities, they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness.Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavati. What five?Katamehi pañcahi? A bad mendicant relies on rough ground, on thick cover, and on the powerful; they pay bribes, and they act alone.Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito ca hoti, gahananissito ca, balavanissito ca, bhogacāgī ca, ekacārī ca.

And how does a bad mendicant rely on rough ground?Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti? It’s when a bad mendicant has unethical conduct by way of body, speech, and mind.Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, visamena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, visamena manokammena samannāgato hoti. That’s how a bad mendicant relies on rough ground.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti.

And how does a bad mendicant rely on thick cover?Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti? It’s when a bad mendicant has wrong view, he’s attached to an extremist view.Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu micchādiṭṭhiko hoti antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgato. That’s how a bad mendicant relies on thick cover.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti.

And how does a bad mendicant rely on the powerful?Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti? It’s when a bad mendicant relies on rulers or their chief ministers.Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattānaṁ vā nissito hoti. They think:Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘If anyone accuses me of anything, these rulers or their chief ministers will speak in my defense in the case.’‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti. And that’s exactly what happens.Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyassa rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti. That’s how a bad mendicant relies on the powerful.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti.

And how does a bad mendicant pay bribes?Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu bhogacāgī hoti? It’s when a bad mendicant receives robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu lābhī hoti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ. They think:Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘If anyone accuses me of anything, I’ll settle it with a bribe.’‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ito lābhena paṭisantharissāmī’ti. And that’s exactly what happens.Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tato lābhena paṭisantharati. That’s how a bad mendicant pays bribes.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu bhogacāgī hoti.

And how does a bad mendicant act alone?Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu ekacārī hoti? It’s when a bad mendicant dwells alone in the borderlands.Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu ekakova paccantimesu janapadesu nivāsaṁ kappeti. They visit families there to acquire material things.So tattha kulāni upasaṅkamanto lābhaṁ labhati. That’s how a bad mendicant acts alone.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu ekacārī hoti.

When a bad mendicant possesses these five qualities, they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness.”Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavatī”ti.