Advice (3rd)Tatiyaovādasutta

Near Rājagaha, in the squirrels’ feeding ground.Rājagahe kalandakanivāpe. Then Venerable Mahākassapa went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

“Kassapa, advise the mendicants!“ovada, kassapa, bhikkhū; Give them a Dhamma talk!karohi, kassapa, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiṁ kathaṁ. Either you or I should advise the mendicantsAhaṁ vā, kassapa, bhikkhūnaṁ ovadeyyaṁ tvaṁ vā; and give them a Dhamma talk.”ahaṁ vā bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiṁ kathaṁ kareyyaṁ tvaṁ vā”ti.

“Sir, the mendicants these days are hard to admonish, having qualities that make them hard to admonish. They’re impatient, and don’t take instruction respectfully.”“Dubbacā kho, bhante, etarahi bhikkhū, dovacassakaraṇehi dhammehi samannāgatā, akkhamā, appadakkhiṇaggāhino anusāsanin”ti.

“Kassapa, that’s because formerly the senior mendicants lived in the wilderness, ate only almsfood, wore rag robes, and owned just three robes; and they praised these things. They were of few wishes, content, secluded, aloof, and energetic; and they praised these things.“Tathā hi pana, kassapa, pubbe therā bhikkhū āraññikā ceva ahesuṁ āraññikattassa ca vaṇṇavādino, piṇḍapātikā ceva ahesuṁ piṇḍapātikattassa ca vaṇṇavādino, paṁsukūlikā ceva ahesuṁ paṁsukūlikattassa ca vaṇṇavādino, tecīvarikā ceva ahesuṁ tecīvarikattassa ca vaṇṇavādino, appicchā ceva ahesuṁ appicchatāya ca vaṇṇavādino, santuṭṭhā ceva ahesuṁ santuṭṭhiyā ca vaṇṇavādino, pavivittā ceva ahesuṁ pavivekassa ca vaṇṇavādino, asaṁsaṭṭhā ceva ahesuṁ asaṁsaggassa ca vaṇṇavādino, āraddhavīriyā ceva ahesuṁ vīriyārambhassa ca vaṇṇavādino.

The senior mendicants invite such a mendicant to a seat, saying:Tatra yo hoti bhikkhu āraññiko ceva āraññikattassa ca vaṇṇavādī, piṇḍapātiko ceva piṇḍapātikattassa ca vaṇṇavādī, paṁsukūliko ceva paṁsukūlikattassa ca vaṇṇavādī, tecīvariko ceva tecīvarikattassa ca vaṇṇavādī, appiccho ceva appicchatāya ca vaṇṇavādī, santuṭṭho ceva santuṭṭhiyā ca vaṇṇavādī, pavivitto ceva pavivekassa ca vaṇṇavādī, asaṁsaṭṭho ceva asaṁsaggassa ca vaṇṇavādī, āraddhavīriyo ceva vīriyārambhassa ca vaṇṇavādī, taṁ therā bhikkhū āsanena nimantenti: ‘Welcome, mendicant! What is this mendicant’s name? This mendicant is good-natured; he really wants to train. Please, mendicant, here, take a seat.’‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko nāmāyaṁ bhikkhu, bhaddako vatāyaṁ bhikkhu, sikkhākāmo vatāyaṁ bhikkhu; ehi, bhikkhu, idaṁ āsanaṁ nisīdāhī’ti.

Then the junior mendicants think:Tatra, kassapa, navānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ hoti: ‘It seems that when a mendicant lives in the wilderness … and is energetic, and praises these things, senior mendicants invite them to a seat …’‘yo kira so hoti bhikkhu āraññiko ceva āraññikattassa ca vaṇṇavādī, piṇḍapātiko ceva …pe… paṁsukūliko ceva … tecīvariko ceva … appiccho ceva … santuṭṭho ceva … pavivitto ceva … asaṁsaṭṭho ceva … āraddhavīriyo ceva vīriyārambhassa ca vaṇṇavādī, taṁ therā bhikkhū āsanena nimantenti— They practice accordingly.Te tathattāya paṭipajjanti; That is for their lasting welfare and happiness.tesaṁ taṁ hoti dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāya.

But these days, Kassapa, the senior mendicants don’t live in the wilderness … and aren’t energetic; and they don’t praise these things.Etarahi pana, kassapa, therā bhikkhū na ceva āraññikā na ca āraññikattassa vaṇṇavādino, na ceva piṇḍapātikā na ca piṇḍapātikattassa vaṇṇavādino, na ceva paṁsukūlikā na ca paṁsukūlikattassa vaṇṇavādino, na ceva tecīvarikā na ca tecīvarikattassa vaṇṇavādino, na ceva appicchā na ca appicchatāya vaṇṇavādino, na ceva santuṭṭhā na ca santuṭṭhiyā vaṇṇavādino, na ceva pavivittā na ca pavivekassa vaṇṇavādino, na ceva asaṁsaṭṭhā na ca asaṁsaggassa vaṇṇavādino, na ceva āraddhavīriyā na ca vīriyārambhassa vaṇṇavādino.

When a mendicant is well-known and famous, a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick, senior mendicants invite them to a seat:Tatra yo hoti bhikkhu ñāto yasassī lābhī cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ taṁ therā bhikkhū āsanena nimantenti: ‘Welcome, mendicant! What is this mendicant’s name? This mendicant is good-natured; he’s fond of his fellow monks. Please, mendicant, here, take a seat.’‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko nāmāyaṁ bhikkhu, bhaddako vatāyaṁ bhikkhu, sabrahmacārikāmo vatāyaṁ bhikkhu; ehi, bhikkhu, idaṁ āsanaṁ nisīdāhī’ti.

Then the junior mendicants think:Tatra, kassapa, navānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ hoti: ‘It seems that when a mendicant is well-known and famous, a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick, senior mendicants invite them to a seat …’‘yo kira so hoti bhikkhu ñāto yasassī lābhī cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ taṁ therā bhikkhū āsanena nimantenti— They practice accordingly.Te tathattāya paṭipajjanti. That is for their lasting harm and suffering.Tesaṁ taṁ hoti dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya. And if it could ever be rightly said thatYañhi taṁ, kassapa, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: spiritual practitioners have been imperiled by the peril of a spiritual practitioner, and vanquished by the vanquishing of a spiritual practitioner, it is these days that this could be rightly said.”‘upaddutā brahmacārī brahmacārūpaddavena abhipatthanā brahmacārī brahmacāriabhipatthanenā’ti, etarahi taṁ, kassapa, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘upaddutā brahmacārī brahmacārūpaddavena abhipatthanā brahmacārī brahmacāriabhipatthanenā’”ti.