Mūsikasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.107

Numbered Discourses 4.107

11. Valāhakavagga

11. Clouds

Mūsikasutta

Mice

“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, mūsikā.

“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of mice.

Katamā catasso?

What four?

Gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā,

One makes a hole but doesn’t live in it,

vasitā no gādhaṁ kattā,

one lives in a hole but doesn’t make it,

neva gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā,

one neither makes a hole nor lives in it, and

gādhaṁ kattā ca vasitā ca—

one both makes a hole and lives in it.

imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso mūsikā.

These are the four kinds of mice.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro mūsikūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

In the same way, these four individuals similar to mice are found in the world.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā,

One makes a hole but doesn’t live in it,

vasitā no gādhaṁ kattā,

one lives in a hole but doesn’t make it,

neva gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā,

one neither makes a hole nor lives in it, and

gādhaṁ kattā ca vasitā ca.

one both makes a hole and lives in it.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gādhaṁ kattā hoti no vasitā?

And how does an individual make a hole but not live in it?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—

It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching—

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

But they don’t really understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gādhaṁ kattā hoti, no vasitā.

That’s how an individual makes a hole but doesn’t live in it.

Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, mūsikā gādhaṁ kattā, no vasitā;

That individual is like a mouse that makes a hole but doesn’t live in it, I say.

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo vasitā hoti, no gādhaṁ kattā?

And how does an individual live in a hole but not make it?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti—

It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching …

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

But they really understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo vasitā hoti, no gādhaṁ kattā.

Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, mūsikā vasitā hoti, no gādhaṁ kattā;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ, puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gādhaṁ kattā hoti no vasitā?

And how does an individual neither make a hole nor live in it?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti—

It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching …

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

Nor do they really understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gādhaṁ kattā hoti, no vasitā.

Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, mūsikā neva gādhaṁ kattā hoti, no vasitā;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gādhaṁ kattā ca hoti vasitā ca?

And how does an individual both make a hole and live in it?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—

It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching …

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

And they really understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gādhaṁ kattā ca hoti vasitā ca.

Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, mūsikā gādhaṁ kattā ca hoti vasitā ca;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro mūsikūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

These four individuals similar to mice are found in the world.”

Sattamaṁ.