Ovādasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 16.6

Linked Discourses 16.6

1. Kassapavagga

1. Kassapa

Ovādasutta

Advice

Rājagahe veḷuvane.

Near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove.

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

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

“ovada, kassapa, bhikkhū;

“Kassapa, advise the mendicants!

karohi, kassapa, bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiṁ kathaṁ.

Give them a Dhamma talk!

Ahaṁ vā, kassapa, bhikkhū ovadeyyaṁ tvaṁ vā;

Either you or I should advise the mendicants

ahaṁ vā bhikkhūnaṁ dhammiṁ kathaṁ kareyyaṁ tvaṁ vā”ti.

and give them a Dhamma talk.”

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

“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.

Idhāhaṁ, bhante, addasaṁ bhaṇḍañca nāma bhikkhuṁ ānandassa saddhivihāriṁ abhijikañca nāma bhikkhuṁ anuruddhassa saddhivihāriṁ aññamaññaṁ sutena accāvadante:

Take the monk named Bhaṇḍa, Ānanda’s protégé. He’s been competing in studies with the monk named Abhiñjika, Anuruddha’s protégé. They say:

‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’”ti.

‘Come on, monk, who can speak more? Who can speak better? Who can speak longer?’”

Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi:

So the Buddha addressed one of the monks,

“ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena bhaṇḍañca bhikkhuṁ ānandassa saddhivihāriṁ abhijikañca bhikkhuṁ anuruddhassa saddhivihāriṁ āmantehi:

“Please, monk, in my name tell the monk named Bhaṇḍa, Ānanda’s protégé, and the monk named Abhiñjika, Anuruddha’s protégé that

‘satthā āyasmante āmantetī’”ti.

the Teacher summons them.”

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

“Yes, sir,” that monk replied. He went to those monks and said,

“satthā āyasmante āmantetī”ti.

“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, reverend,” 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:

“Is it really true, monks, that you’ve been competing in studies, saying:

‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’”ti?

‘Come on, monk, who can speak more? Who can speak better? Who can speak longer?’”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.

“Yes, sir.”

“Kiṁ nu kho me tumhe, bhikkhave, evaṁ dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānātha:

“Have you ever known me to teach the Dhamma like this:

‘etha tumhe, bhikkhave, aññamaññaṁ sutena accāvadatha—

‘Please mendicants, compete in studies to

ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’”ti?

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:

“If you’ve never known me to teach the Dhamma like this, what then do you know and see, you futile men, that after going forth in such a well explained teaching and training you’d compete in studies to

‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’”ti.

see who can speak more and better and longer?”

Atha kho te bhikkhū bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

Then those monks bowed with their heads to the Buddha’s feet and said,

“accayo no, bhante, accagamā, yathābāle yathāmūḷhe yathāakusale, ye mayaṁ evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā aññamaññaṁ sutena accāvadimha:

“We 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

‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’ti.

see who can speak more and better and longer.

Tesaṁ no, bhante, bhagavā accayaṁ accayato paṭiggaṇhātu āyatiṁ saṁvarāyā”ti.

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:

“Indeed, monks, you made a mistake. It was foolish, stupid, and unskillful of you to act in that way.

‘ehi, bhikkhu, ko bahutaraṁ bhāsissati, ko sundarataraṁ bhāsissati, ko cirataraṁ bhāsissatī’ti.

Yato ca kho tumhe, bhikkhave, accayaṁ accayato disvā yathādhammaṁ paṭikarotha, taṁ vo mayaṁ paṭiggaṇhāma.

But since you have recognized your mistake for what it is, and have dealt with it properly, I accept it.

Vuddhi hesā, bhikkhave, ariyassa vinaye yo accayaṁ accayato disvā yathādhammaṁ paṭikaroti āyatiñca saṁvaraṁ āpajjatī”ti.

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.