6.
The Discourse on Overestimation
86.
On one occasion the Venerable Mahākassapa was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground.
There the Venerable Mahākassapa addressed the monks -
"Friends, monks!"
"Friend," those monks assented to the Venerable Mahākassapa.
The Venerable Mahākassapa said this -
"Here, friend, a monk declares the final liberating knowledge: 'I understand: ‘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.' Him the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, a meditator skilled in attainment, skilled in another's mind, skilled in the method of another's mind, cross-questions, asks for reasons, and admonishes. He, being cross-questioned, asked for reasons, and admonished by the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, a meditator skilled in attainment, skilled in another's mind, skilled in the method of another's mind, comes to barrenness, comes to confusion, comes to calamity, comes to disaster, comes to calamity and disaster.
"Him the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, a meditator skilled in attainment, skilled in another's mind, skilled in the method of another's mind, having encompassed his mind with his mind, attends thus: 'Why indeed does this venerable one declare the final liberating knowledge: "I understand: ‘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."'
"Him the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, a meditator skilled in attainment, skilled in another's mind, skilled in the method of another's mind, having encompassed his mind with his mind, understands thus:
'This venerable one has overestimation, holds overestimation as truth, perceiving as attained what is not attained, perceiving as done what is not done, perceiving as reached what is not reached. Through overestimation he declares the final liberating knowledge - "I understand: ‘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."'
"Him the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, a meditator skilled in attainment, skilled in another's mind, skilled in the method of another's mind, having encompassed his mind with his mind, attends thus: 'In dependence on what indeed is this venerable one one who has overestimation, holds overestimation as truth, perceiving as attained what is not attained, perceiving as done what is not done, perceiving as reached what is not reached. Through overestimation he declares the final liberating knowledge - "I understand: ‘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."'
"Him the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, a meditator skilled in attainment, skilled in another's mind, skilled in the method of another's mind, having encompassed his mind with his mind, understands thus:
'This venerable one is very learned, remembering what has been learnt, having great accumulation of learning; whatever teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing, that reveal the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure - such teachings are very learned by him, retained, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view. Therefore this venerable one has overestimation, holds overestimation as truth, perceiving as attained what is not attained, perceiving as done what is not done, perceiving as reached what is not reached. Through overestimation he declares the final liberating knowledge - "I understand: ‘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."'
"Him the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, a meditator skilled in attainment, skilled in another's mind, skilled in the method of another's mind, having encompassed his mind with his mind, understands thus:
'This venerable one is covetous; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by covetousness. Prepossession by covetousness in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'This venerable one is angry; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by anger. Prepossession by anger in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'This venerable one is affected by sloth and torpor; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by sloth and torpor. Prepossession by sloth and torpor in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'This venerable one is agitated; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by restlessness. Prepossession by restlessness in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'This venerable one has sceptical doubt; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by sceptical doubt. Prepossession by sceptical doubt in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'This venerable one delights in work, is devoted to work, is given to delight in work. Taking pleasure in work in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'This venerable one delights in talk, is devoted to talk, is given to delight in talk. Taking pleasure in talk in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'This venerable one delights in sleep, is devoted to sleep, is given to delight in sleep. Taking pleasure in sleep in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'This venerable one delights in company, is devoted to company, is given to delight in company. Taking pleasure in company in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'When there is still more to be done, this venerable one has stopped midway with a trifling specific attainment. Stopping midway in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.'
"Indeed, friends, that a monk without abandoning these ten qualities will attain growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline - this is impossible. Indeed, friends, that a monk by abandoning these ten qualities will attain growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline - this is possible." The sixth.