The Explanation on the FesteringAvassutapariyāyasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery.Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme. Now at that time a new town hall had recently been constructed for the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu. It had not yet been occupied by an ascetic or brahmin or any human at all.Tena kho pana samayena kāpilavatthavānaṁ sakyānaṁ navaṁ santhāgāraṁ acirakāritaṁ hoti anajjhāvuṭṭhaṁ samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā kenaci vā manussabhūtena.

Then the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,Atha kho kāpilavatthavā sakyā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho kāpilavatthavā sakyā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “Sir, a new town hall has recently been constructed for the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu. It has not yet been occupied by an ascetic or brahmin or any human at all.“idha, bhante, kāpilavatthavānaṁ sakyānaṁ navaṁ santhāgāraṁ acirakāritaṁ anajjhāvuṭṭhaṁ samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā kenaci vā manussabhūtena. May the Buddha be the first to use it,Taṁ, bhante, bhagavā paṭhamaṁ paribhuñjatu. and only then will the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu use it.Bhagavatā paṭhamaṁ paribhuttaṁ pacchā kāpilavatthavā sakyā paribhuñjissanti. That would be for the lasting welfare and happiness of the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu.”Tadassa kāpilavatthavānaṁ sakyānaṁ dīgharattaṁ hitāya sukhāyā”ti. The Buddha consented with silence.Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.

Knowing that the Buddha had consented, the Sakyans rose from their seats, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on their right. Then they went to the new town hall, where they spread carpets all over, prepared seats, set up a water jar, and placed an oil lamp. Then they went back to the Buddha and told him of their preparations, saying,Atha kho kāpilavatthavā sakyā bhagavato adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā yena navaṁ santhāgāraṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā sabbasanthariṁ santhāgāraṁ santharitvā āsanāni paññāpetvā udakamaṇikaṁ patiṭṭhāpetvā telappadīpaṁ āropetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “Please, sir, come at your convenience.”Yassadāni, bhante, bhagavā kālaṁ maññatī”ti.

Then the Buddha robed up and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the new town hall together with the Saṅgha of mendicants. Having washed his feet, he entered the town hall and sat against the central column facing east.Atha kho bhagavā nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya saddhiṁ bhikkhusaṅghena yena navaṁ santhāgāraṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā pāde pakkhāletvā santhāgāraṁ pavisitvā majjhimaṁ thambhaṁ nissāya puratthābhimukho nisīdi. The Saṅgha of mendicants also washed their feet, entered the town hall, and sat against the west wall facing east, with the Buddha right in front of them.Bhikkhusaṅghopi kho pāde pakkhāletvā santhāgāraṁ pavisitvā pacchimaṁ bhittiṁ nissāya puratthābhimukho nisīdi bhagavantaṁyeva purakkhatvā. The Sakyans of Kapilavatthu also washed their feet, entered the town hall, and sat against the east wall facing west, with the Buddha right in front of them.Kāpilavatthavā sakyā pāde pakkhāletvā santhāgāraṁ pavisitvā puratthimaṁ bhittiṁ nissāya pacchimābhimukhā nisīdiṁsu bhagavantaṁyeva purakkhatvā. The Buddha spent much of the night educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the Sakyans with a Dhamma talk. Then he sent them off, saying,Atha kho bhagavā kāpilavatthave sakye bahudeva rattiṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassetvā samādapetvā samuttejetvā sampahaṁsetvā uyyojesi: “The night is getting late, Gotamas.“abhikkantā kho, gotamā, ratti. Please go at your convenience.”Yassadāni kālaṁ maññathā”ti.

“Yes, sir,” replied the Sakyans. They got up from their seat, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on their right, before leaving.“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho kāpilavatthavā sakyā bhagavato paṭissutvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkamiṁsu.

Then, not long after the Sakyans had left, the Buddha addressed Venerable Mahāmoggallāna,Atha kho bhagavā acirapakkantesu kāpilavatthavesu sakyesu āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ āmantesi: “Moggallāna, the Saṅgha of mendicants is rid of dullness and drowsiness.“vigatathinamiddho kho, moggallāna, bhikkhusaṅgho. Give them some Dhamma talk as you feel inspired.Paṭibhātu taṁ, moggallāna, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammī kathā. My back is sore,Piṭṭhi me āgilāyati; I’ll stretch it.”tamahaṁ āyamissāmī”ti.

“Yes, sir,” Mahāmoggallāna replied.“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavato paccassosi. And then the Buddha spread out his outer robe folded in four and laid down in the lion’s posture—on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other—mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up.Atha kho bhagavā catugguṇaṁ saṅghāṭiṁ paññapetvā dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṁ kappesi, pāde pādaṁ accādhāya, sato sampajāno uṭṭhānasaññaṁ manasi karitvā.

There Venerable Mahāmoggallāna addressed the mendicants:Tatra kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhikkhū āmantesi: “Reverends, mendicants!”“āvuso bhikkhave”ti.

“Reverend,” they replied.“Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa paccassosuṁ. Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this:Āyasmā mahāmoggallāno etadavoca:

“I will teach you the explanation of the festering and the not festering.“avassutapariyāyañca vo, āvuso, desessāmi, anavassutapariyāyañca. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Yes, reverend,” they replied.“Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa paccassosuṁ. Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this:Āyasmā mahāmoggallāno etadavoca:

“And how is someone festering?“Kathaṁ, āvuso, avassuto hoti?

Take a mendicant who sees a sight with their eyes. If it’s pleasant they hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant they dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body unestablished and their heart stunted.Idhāvuso, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā piyarūpe rūpe adhimuccati, appiyarūpe rūpe byāpajjati, anupaṭṭhitakāyassatī viharati parittacetaso, And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without remainder.tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti …pe…

They hear a sound … smell an odor … taste a flavor … feel a touch …jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …pe… know an idea with their mind. If it’s pleasant they hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant they dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body unestablished and their heart stunted.manasā dhammaṁ viññāya piyarūpe dhamme adhimuccati, appiyarūpe dhamme byāpajjati, anupaṭṭhitakāyassatī ca viharati parittacetaso, And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without remainder.tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.

This is called a mendicant who is festering when it comes to sights known by the eye,Ayaṁ vuccati, āvuso, bhikkhu avassuto cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu …pe… sounds … smells … tastes … touches …avassuto jivhāviññeyyesu rasesu …pe… ideas known by the mind.avassuto manoviññeyyesu dhammesu.

When a mendicant lives like this, if Māra comes at them through the eye he finds a vulnerability and gets an opportunity.Evaṁvihāriñcāvuso, bhikkhuṁ cakkhuto cepi naṁ māro upasaṅkamati labhateva māro otāraṁ, labhati māro ārammaṇaṁ …pe… If Māra comes at them through the ear … nose … tongue … body …jivhāto cepi naṁ māro upasaṅkamati, labhateva māro otāraṁ, labhati māro ārammaṇaṁ …pe… mind he finds a vulnerability and gets an opportunity.manato cepi naṁ māro upasaṅkamati, labhateva māro otāraṁ, labhati māro ārammaṇaṁ.

Suppose there was a house made of reeds or straw that was dried up, withered, and decrepit.Seyyathāpi, āvuso, naḷāgāraṁ vā tiṇāgāraṁ vā sukkhaṁ kolāpaṁ terovassikaṁ. If a person came to it with a burning grass torch from the east,Puratthimāya cepi naṁ disāya puriso ādittāya tiṇukkāya upasaṅkameyya, labhetheva aggi otāraṁ, labhetha aggi ārammaṇaṁ; west,pacchimāya cepi naṁ disāya puriso ādittāya tiṇukkāya upasaṅkameyya …pe… north,uttarāya cepi naṁ disāya …pe… south,dakkhiṇāya cepi naṁ disāya …pe… below,heṭṭhimato cepi naṁ …pe… above,uparimato cepi naṁ … or from anywhere, the fire would find a vulnerability, it would get an opportunity.yato kutoci cepi naṁ puriso ādittāya tiṇukkāya upasaṅkameyya, labhetheva aggi otāraṁ labhetha aggi ārammaṇaṁ.

In the same way, when a mendicant lives like this, if Māra comes at them through the eye he finds a vulnerability and gets an opportunity.Evameva kho, āvuso, evaṁvihāriṁ bhikkhuṁ cakkhuto cepi naṁ māro upasaṅkamati, labhateva māro otāraṁ, labhati māro ārammaṇaṁ …pe… If Māra comes at them through the ear … nose … tongue … body …jivhāto cepi naṁ māro upasaṅkamati …pe… mind he finds a vulnerability and gets an opportunity.manato cepi naṁ māro upasaṅkamati, labhateva māro otāraṁ, labhati māro ārammaṇaṁ.

When a mendicant lives like this, they’re mastered by sights,Evaṁvihāriñcāvuso, bhikkhuṁ rūpā adhibhaṁsu, na bhikkhu rūpe adhibhosi; sounds,saddā bhikkhuṁ adhibhaṁsu, na bhikkhu sadde adhibhosi; smells,gandhā bhikkhuṁ adhibhaṁsu, na bhikkhu gandhe adhibhosi; tastes,rasā bhikkhuṁ adhibhaṁsu, na bhikkhu rase adhibhosi; touches,phoṭṭhabbā bhikkhuṁ adhibhaṁsu, na bhikkhu phoṭṭhabbe adhibhosi; and ideas, they don’t master these things.dhammā bhikkhuṁ adhibhaṁsu, na bhikkhu dhamme adhibhosi.

This is called a mendicant who has been mastered by sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. They’re mastered, not a master. Bad, unskillful qualities have mastered them, which are corrupting, leading to future lives, hurtful, and resulting in suffering and future rebirth, old age, and death.Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, bhikkhu rūpādhibhūto, saddādhibhūto, gandhādhibhūto, rasādhibhūto, phoṭṭhabbādhibhūto, dhammādhibhūto, adhibhūto, anadhibhū, adhibhaṁsu naṁ pāpakā akusalā dhammā saṅkilesikā ponobhavikā sadarā dukkhavipākā āyatiṁ jātijarāmaraṇiyā.

That’s how someone is festering.Evaṁ kho, āvuso, avassuto hoti.

And how is someone not festering?Kathañcāvuso, anavassuto hoti?

Take a mendicant who sees a sight with their eyes. If it’s pleasant they don’t hold on to it, and if it’s unpleasant they don’t dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body established and a limitless heart.Idhāvuso, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā piyarūpe rūpe nādhimuccati, appiyarūpe rūpe na byāpajjati, upaṭṭhitakāyassati ca viharati appamāṇacetaso, And they truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without remainder.tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti …pe…

They hear a sound … smell an odor … taste a flavor … feel a touch …jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …pe… know an idea with their mind. If it’s pleasant they don’t hold on to it, and if it’s unpleasant they don’t dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body established and a limitless heart.manasā dhammaṁ viññāya piyarūpe dhamme nādhimuccati, appiyarūpe dhamme na byāpajjati, upaṭṭhitakāyassati ca viharati appamāṇacetaso, And they truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without remainder.tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.

This is called a mendicant who is not festering when it comes to sights known by the eye,Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, bhikkhu anavassuto cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu …pe… sounds … smells … tastes … touches … ideas known by the mind.anavassuto manoviññeyyesu dhammesu.

When a mendicant lives like this, if Māra comes at them through the eye he doesn’t find a vulnerability or get an opportunity.Evaṁvihāriñcāvuso, bhikkhuṁ cakkhuto cepi naṁ māro upasaṅkamati, neva labhati māro otāraṁ, na labhati māro ārammaṇaṁ …pe… If Māra comes at them through the ear … nose … tongue … body …jivhāto cepi naṁ māro upasaṅkamati …pe… mind he doesn’t find a vulnerability or get an opportunity.manato cepi naṁ māro upasaṅkamati, neva labhati māro otāraṁ, na labhati māro ārammaṇaṁ.

Suppose there was a bungalow or hall made of thick clay with its plaster still wet.Seyyathāpi, āvuso, kūṭāgāraṁ vā sālā vā bahalamattikā addāvalepanā. If a person came to it with a burning grass torch from the east,Puratthimāya cepi naṁ disāya puriso ādittāya tiṇukkāya upasaṅkameyya, neva labhetha aggi otāraṁ, na labhetha aggi ārammaṇaṁ …pe… west,pacchimāya cepi naṁ … north,uttarāya cepi naṁ … south,dakkhiṇāya cepi naṁ … below,heṭṭhimato cepi naṁ … above,uparimato cepi naṁ … or from anywhere, the fire wouldn’t find a vulnerability, it would get no opportunity.yato kutoci cepi naṁ puriso ādittāya tiṇukkāya upasaṅkameyya, neva labhetha aggi otāraṁ, na labhetha aggi ārammaṇaṁ.

In the same way, when a mendicant lives like this, if Māra comes at them through the eye he doesn’t find a vulnerability or get an opportunity.Evameva kho, āvuso, evaṁvihāriṁ bhikkhuṁ cakkhuto cepi naṁ māro upasaṅkamati, neva labhati māro otāraṁ, na labhati māro ārammaṇaṁ …pe… If Māra comes at them through the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind he doesn’t find a vulnerability or get an opportunity.manato cepi naṁ māro upasaṅkamati, neva labhati māro otāraṁ, na labhati māro ārammaṇaṁ.

When a mendicant lives like this, they master sights,Evaṁvihārī cāvuso, bhikkhu rūpe adhibhosi, na rūpā bhikkhuṁ adhibhaṁsu; sounds,sadde bhikkhu adhibhosi, na saddā bhikkhuṁ adhibhaṁsu; smells,gandhe bhikkhu adhibhosi, na gandhā bhikkhuṁ adhibhaṁsu; tastes,rase bhikkhu adhibhosi, na rasā bhikkhuṁ adhibhaṁsu; touches,phoṭṭhabbe bhikkhu adhibhosi, na phoṭṭhabbā bhikkhuṁ adhibhaṁsu; and ideas, they’re not mastered by these things.dhamme bhikkhu adhibhosi, na dhammā bhikkhuṁ adhibhaṁsu.

This is called a mendicant who has mastered sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. They’re a master, not mastered. Bad, unskillful qualities have been mastered by them, which are corrupting, leading to future lives, hurtful, and resulting in suffering and future rebirth, old age, and death.Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, bhikkhu rūpādhibhū, saddādhibhū, gandhādhibhū, rasādhibhū, phoṭṭhabbādhibhū, dhammādhibhū, adhibhū, anadhibhūto, adhibhosi te pāpake akusale dhamme saṅkilesike ponobhavike sadare dukkhavipāke āyatiṁ jātijarāmaraṇiye.

That’s how someone is not festering.”Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anavassuto hotī”ti.

Then the Buddha got up and said to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna:Atha kho bhagavā uṭṭhahitvā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ āmantesi:

“Good, good, Moggallāna!“sādhu sādhu, moggallāna. It’s good that you’ve taught this explanation of the festering and the not festering.”Sādhu kho tvaṁ, moggallāna, bhikkhūnaṁ avassutapariyāyañca anavassutapariyāyañca abhāsī”ti.

That is what Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said,Idamavoca āyasmā mahāmoggallāno. and the Teacher concurred.Samanuñño satthā ahosi. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what Mahāmoggallāna said.Attamanā te bhikkhū āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.