6.
The Discourse on Hatthisāriputta
60.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana.
Now at that time many elder monks, after the meal, having returned from their alms round, were seated together assembled in the circular pavilion, discussing the higher teaching.
There the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta interrupted the discussion now and then while the elder monks were discussing the higher teaching.
Then the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika said this to the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta -
"Let not the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta interrupt the discussion now and then while the elder monks are discussing the higher teaching; let the Venerable Citta wait for the end of the discussion."
When this was said, the monks who were friends of the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta said this to the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika -
"Let not the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika rebuke the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta; the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta is wise.
The Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta is able to discuss the higher teaching with the elder monks."
"This is difficult to know, friends, by those who do not know the mental disposition of another. Here, friends, a certain person is only so long extremely gentle, extremely humble, extremely at peace, as long as he dwells in dependence on the Teacher or on a certain fellow in the holy life who holds the place of a teacher. But when he withdraws from the Teacher, withdraws from fellows in the holy life who hold the place of a teacher, he dwells in company with monks, nuns, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and disciples of sectarians. For him, dwelling in company, intimate, open, given to talk, lust assails his mind. He, with mind assailed by lust, having rejected the training, returns to the lower life.
"Just as, friends, a corn-eating bull might be bound by a rope or confined in a cattle pen. If anyone, friends, were to say thus - 'This corn-eating bull will never again enter the corn' - would he, speaking thus, speak rightly?" "No indeed, friend." "For there is this possibility, friends, that that corn-eating bull, having broken the rope or having broken through the cattle pen, might again enter the corn. So too, friends, here a certain person is only so long extremely gentle, extremely humble, extremely at peace, as long as he dwells in dependence on the Teacher or on a certain fellow in the holy life who holds the place of a teacher. But when he withdraws from the Teacher, withdraws from fellows in the holy life who hold the place of a teacher, he dwells in company with monks, nuns, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and disciples of sectarians. For him, dwelling in company, intimate, open, given to talk, lust assails his mind. He, with mind assailed by lust, having rejected the training, returns to the lower life.
"But here, friends, a certain person, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, etc. he enters and dwells in the first meditative absorption. He, thinking 'I am an obtainer of the first meditative absorption,' dwells in company with monks, etc. having rejected the training, returns to the lower life. Just as, friends, at a crossroads a rain god raining with large drops might cause the dust to disappear and might produce mud. If anyone, friends, were to say thus - 'Now dust will never again appear at that crossroads' - would he, speaking thus, speak rightly?" "No indeed, friend." "For there is this possibility, friends, that at that crossroads human beings might pass by, or cattle might pass by, or wind and heat might consume the moisture, and then dust might again appear. So too, friends, here a certain person, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, etc. he enters and dwells in the first meditative absorption. He, thinking 'I am an obtainer of the first meditative absorption,' dwells in company with monks, etc. having rejected the training, returns to the lower life.
"But here, friend, a certain person, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, etc. he enters and dwells in the second meditative absorption. He, thinking 'I am one who has attained the second meditative absorption', dwells in company with monks, etc. having rejected the training, returns to the lower life. Just as, friend, not far from a village or a town there might be a great lake. There, when the rain god has rained with large drops, it might cause oysters and shells, gravel and potsherds to disappear. If anyone, friends, were to say thus - 'Now in that lake oysters and shells or gravel and potsherds will never again appear' - would he, speaking thus, speak rightly?" "No indeed, friend." "For there is this possibility, friend, that in that lake human beings might drink, or cattle might drink, or wind and heat might dry up the moisture, and then oysters and shells, gravel and potsherds would again appear. So too, friend, here a certain person, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, etc. he enters and dwells in the second meditative absorption. He, thinking 'I am one who has attained the second meditative absorption', dwells in company with monks, etc. having rejected the training, returns to the lower life.
"But here, friend, a certain person, with the fading away of rapture, etc. he enters and dwells in the third meditative absorption. He, thinking 'I am one who has attained the third meditative absorption', dwells in company with monks, etc. having rejected the training, returns to the lower life. Just as, friend, a man who has eaten sumptuous food would not find food from the previous evening agreeable. If anyone, friends, were to say thus - 'Now food will never again be agreeable to that man' - would he, speaking thus, speak rightly?" "No indeed, friend." "For there is this possibility, friend, that for that man who has eaten sumptuous food, as long as that nutritive essence remains in his body, he will not find other food agreeable. But when that nutritive essence has disappeared, then that food would again be agreeable. So too, friend, here a certain person, with the fading away of rapture, etc. he enters and dwells in the third meditative absorption. He, thinking 'I am one who has attained the third meditative absorption', dwells in company with monks, etc. having rejected the training, returns to the lower life.
"But here, friend, a certain person, with the abandoning of pleasure and with the abandoning of pain, etc. he enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption. He, thinking 'I am one who has attained the fourth meditative absorption', dwells in company with monks, etc. having rejected the training, returns to the lower life. Just as, friend, there might be a lake on a mountain top, sheltered from the wind, without waves. If anyone, friends, were to say thus - 'Now in that lake a wave will never again appear' - would he, speaking thus, speak rightly?" "No indeed, friend." "For there is this possibility, friend, that a severe wind and rain might come from the eastern direction. That would produce a wave in that lake. If it were to come from the western direction, etc. if it were to come from the northern direction... if a severe wind and rain were to come from the southern direction. That would produce a wave in that lake. So too, friend, here a certain person, with the abandoning of pleasure and with the abandoning of pain, etc. he enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption. He, thinking 'I am one who has attained the fourth meditative absorption', dwells in company with monks, etc. having rejected the training, returns to the lower life.
"But here, friend, a certain person, through inattention to all signs, enters and dwells in the signless concentration of mind. He, thinking 'I am an obtainer of the signless concentration of mind,' dwells in company with monks, nuns, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and disciples of sectarians. For him, dwelling in company, intimate, open, given to talk, lust assails his mind. He, with mind assailed by lust, having rejected the training, returns to the lower life. Just as, friend, a king or a king's chief minister, travelling on the highway with a fourfold army, might take up residence for one night in a certain jungle thicket. There, by the sound of elephants, the sound of horses, the sound of chariots, the sound of infantry, the sound of drums, tabors, conches, and cymbals, the sound of crickets would disappear. If anyone, friends, were to say thus - 'Now in that jungle thicket the sound of crickets will never appear again' - would he, speaking thus, speak rightly?" "No indeed, friend." "There is this possibility, friend, that that king or king's chief minister might depart from that jungle thicket, and then the sound of crickets would appear again. So too, friend, here a certain person, through inattention to all signs, enters and dwells in the signless concentration of mind. He, thinking 'I am an obtainer of the signless concentration of mind,' dwells in company with monks, nuns, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and disciples of sectarians. For him, dwelling in company, intimate, open, given to talk, lust assails his mind. He, with mind assailed by lust, having rejected the training, returns to the lower life."
Then the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta, at a later time, having rejected the training, returned to the lower life. Then the monks who were friends of Citta Hatthisāriputta approached the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika; having approached, they said this to the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika - "Did the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika encompass with his mind the mind of Citta Hatthisāriputta and know - 'Citta Hatthisāriputta is an obtainer of these and these abiding attainments, and yet, having rejected the training, he will return to the lower life'; or did deities report this matter - 'Citta Hatthisāriputta, venerable sir, is an obtainer of these and these abiding attainments, and yet, having rejected the training, he will return to the lower life'?" "I have encompassed with my mind and known, friend - 'Citta Hatthisāriputta is an obtainer of these and these abiding attainments, and yet, having rejected the training, he will return to the lower life.' Deities also reported this matter to me - 'Citta Hatthisāriputta, venerable sir, is an obtainer of these and these abiding attainments, and yet, having rejected the training, he will return to the lower life.'"
Then the monks who were friends of Citta Hatthisāriputta approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One - "Citta Hatthisāriputta, venerable sir, is an obtainer of these and these abiding attainments, and yet, having rejected the training, he has returned to the lower life." "Citta, monks, will not long remember renunciation."
Then Citta Hatthisāriputta soon shaved off his hair and beard, put on ochre robes, and went forth from home into homelessness. Then dwelling alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent, and resolute, the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta soon realised for himself, with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life for the sake of which sons of good family rightly go forth from home into homelessness; and, having entered upon it, he dwelt in it. He directly knew: "Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being." And the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta became one of the Worthy Ones. The sixth.