AN 8.20

Uposathasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati pubbārāme migāramātupāsāde. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā tadahuposathe bhikkhusaṅghaparivuto nisinno hoti. Atha kho āyasmā ānando abhikkantāya rattiyā, nikkhante paṭhame yāme, uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantā, bhante, ratti, nikkhanto paṭhamo yāmo, ciranisinno bhikkhusaṅgho. Uddisatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhūnaṁ pātimokkhan”ti.

Sabbath

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery. Now, at that time it was the sabbath, and the Buddha was sitting surrounded by the Saṅgha of monks. And then, as the night was getting late, in the first watch of the night, Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha and said, “Sir, the night is getting late. It is the first watch of the night, and the Saṅgha of monks has been sitting long. Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the monks.”

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā tuṇhī ahosi. Dutiyampi kho āyasmā ānando abhikkantāya rattiyā, nikkhante majjhime yāme, uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantā, bhante, ratti, nikkhanto majjhimo yāmo, ciranisinno bhikkhusaṅgho. Uddisatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhūnaṁ pātimokkhan”ti. Dutiyampi kho bhagavā tuṇhī ahosi. Tatiyampi kho āyasmā ānando abhikkantāya rattiyā, nikkhante pacchime yāme, uddhaste aruṇe, nandimukhiyā rattiyā uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantā, bhante, ratti, nikkhanto pacchimo yāmo, uddhastaṁ aruṇaṁ, nandimukhī ratti; ciranisinno bhikkhusaṅgho. Uddisatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhūnaṁ pātimokkhan”ti. “Aparisuddhā, ānanda, parisā”ti.

But when he said this, the Buddha kept silent. For a second time, as the night was getting late, in the middle watch of the night, Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha and said, “Sir, the night is getting late. It is the middle watch of the night, and the Saṅgha of monks has been sitting long. Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the monks.” But for a second time the Buddha kept silent. For a third time, as the night was getting late, in the last watch of the night, as dawn stirred, bringing joy to the night, Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha and said, “Sir, the night is getting late. It is the last watch of the night and dawn stirs, bringing joy to the night. And the Saṅgha has been sitting long. Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the monks.” “Ānanda, the assembly is not pure.”

Atha kho āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa etadahosi: “kaṁ nu kho bhagavā puggalaṁ sandhāya evamāha: ‘aparisuddhā, ānanda, parisā’”ti? Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno sabbāvantaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ cetasā ceto paricca manasākāsi. Addasā kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ puggalaṁ dussīlaṁ pāpadhammaṁ asuciṁ saṅkassarasamācāraṁ paṭicchannakammantaṁ assamaṇaṁ samaṇapaṭiññaṁ abrahmacāriṁ brahmacāripaṭiññaṁ antopūtiṁ avassutaṁ kasambujātaṁ majjhe bhikkhusaṅghassa nisinnaṁ; disvāna uṭṭhāyāsanā yena so puggalo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ puggalaṁ etadavoca: “uṭṭhehāvuso, diṭṭhosi bhagavatā. Natthi te bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ saṁvāso”ti.

Then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna thought, “Who is the Buddha talking about?” Then he focused on encompassing the minds of everyone in the Saṅgha. He saw that unethical individual, of bad qualities, filthy, with suspicious behavior, underhand, no true ascetic or spiritual practitioner—though claiming to be one—rotten inside, festering, and depraved, sitting in the middle of the Saṅgha. When he saw him he rose from his seat, went up to him and said, “Get up, reverend. The Buddha has seen you. You can’t live in communion with the monks.”

Evaṁ vutte, so puggalo tuṇhī ahosi. Dutiyampi kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ puggalaṁ etadavoca: “uṭṭhehāvuso, diṭṭhosi bhagavatā. Natthi te bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ saṁvāso”ti. Dutiyampi kho so puggalo tuṇhī ahosi. Tatiyampi kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ puggalaṁ etadavoca: “uṭṭhehāvuso, diṭṭhosi bhagavatā. Natthi te bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ saṁvāso”ti. Tatiyampi kho so puggalo tuṇhī ahosi.

But when he said this, that individual kept silent. For a second time and a third time, he asked that monk to leave. But for a third time that individual kept silent.

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ puggalaṁ bāhāyaṁ gahetvā bahidvārakoṭṭhakā nikkhāmetvā sūcighaṭikaṁ datvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “nikkhāmito so, bhante, puggalo mayā. Parisuddhā parisā. Uddisatu, bhante, bhagavā bhikkhūnaṁ pātimokkhan”ti. “Acchariyaṁ, moggallāna, abbhutaṁ, moggallāna. Yāva bāhā gahaṇāpi nāma so moghapuriso āgamissatī”ti.

Then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna took that individual by the arm, ejected him out the gate, and bolted the door. Then he went up to the Buddha, and said to him, “I have ejected that individual. The assembly is pure. Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the monks.” “It’s incredible, Moggallāna, it’s amazing, how that futile man waited to be taken by the arm!”

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “tumheva dāni, bhikkhave, uposathaṁ kareyyātha, pātimokkhaṁ uddiseyyātha. Na dānāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ajjatagge uposathaṁ karissāmi, pātimokkhaṁ uddisissāmi. Aṭṭhānametaṁ, bhikkhave, anavakāso yaṁ tathāgato aparisuddhāya parisāya pātimokkhaṁ uddiseyya.

Then the Buddha said to the monks: “Now, monks, you should perform the sabbath and recite the monastic code. From this day forth, I will not perform the sabbath or recite the monastic code. It’s impossible, monks, it can’t happen that a Realized One could recite the monastic code in an impure assembly.

Aṭṭhime, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde acchariyā abbhutā dhammā, ye disvā disvā asurā mahāsamudde abhiramanti. Katame aṭṭha? Mahāsamuddo, bhikkhave, anupubbaninno anupubbapoṇo anupubbapabbhāro, na āyatakeneva papāto. Yampi, bhikkhave, mahāsamuddo anupubbaninno anupubbapoṇo anupubbapabbhāro, na āyatakeneva papāto; ayaṁ, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde paṭhamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo, yaṁ disvā disvā asurā mahāsamudde abhiramanti (yathā purime tathā vitthāro.) …pe…

Seeing these eight incredible and amazing things the titans love the ocean. What eight? The ocean gradually slants, slopes, and inclines, with no abrupt precipice. This is the first thing the titans love about the ocean. (Tell in full as in the previous discourse.)

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, mahāsamuddo mahataṁ bhūtānaṁ āvāso. Tatrime bhūtā—timi timiṅgalo timirapiṅgalo asurā nāgā gandhabbā. Vasanti mahāsamudde yojanasatikāpi attabhāvā …pe… pañcayojanasatikāpi attabhāvā. Yampi, bhikkhave, mahāsamuddo mahataṁ bhūtānaṁ āvāso; tatrime bhūtā—timi timiṅgalo timirapiṅgalo asurā nāgā gandhabbā; vasanti mahāsamudde yojanasatikāpi attabhāvā …pe… pañcayojanasatikāpi attabhāvā; ayaṁ, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde aṭṭhamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo, yaṁ disvā disvā asurā mahāsamudde abhiramanti. Ime kho, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde aṭṭha acchariyā abbhutā dhammā, yaṁ disvā disvā asurā mahāsamudde abhiramanti.

Furthermore, many great beings live in the ocean, such as leviathans, leviathan-gulpers, leviathan-gulper-gulpers, titans, dragons, and centaurs. In the ocean there are life-forms a hundred leagues long, or even two hundred, three hundred, four hundred, or five hundred leagues long. This is the eighth thing the titans love about the ocean. Seeing these eight incredible and amazing things the titans love the ocean.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭha imasmiṁ dhammavinaye acchariyā abbhutā dhammā, ye disvā disvā bhikkhū imasmiṁ dhammavinaye abhiramanti. Katame aṭṭha? Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahāsamuddo anupubbaninno anupubbapoṇo anupubbapabbhāro, na āyatakeneva papāto; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye anupubbasikkhā anupubbakiriyā anupubbapaṭipadā, na āyatakeneva aññāpaṭivedho. Yampi, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye anupubbasikkhā anupubbakiriyā anupubbapaṭipadā, na āyatakeneva aññāpaṭivedho; ayaṁ, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye paṭhamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo, yaṁ disvā disvā bhikkhū imasmiṁ dhammavinaye abhiramanti …pe… seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahāsamuddo mahataṁ bhūtānaṁ āvāso; tatrime bhūtā—timi timiṅgalo timirapiṅgalo asurā nāgā gandhabbā, vasanti mahāsamudde yojanasatikāpi attabhāvā …pe… pañcayojanasatikāpi attabhāvā; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, ayaṁ dhammavinayo mahataṁ bhūtānaṁ āvāso. Tatrime bhūtā—sotāpanno sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanno …pe… arahā arahattāya paṭipanno. Yampi, bhikkhave, ayaṁ dhammavinayo mahataṁ bhūtānaṁ āvāso; tatrime bhūtā—sotāpanno sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanno …pe… arahā arahattāya paṭipanno; ayaṁ, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye aṭṭhamo acchariyo abbhuto dhammo, yaṁ disvā disvā bhikkhū imasmiṁ dhammavinaye abhiramanti. Ime kho, bhikkhave, imasmiṁ dhammavinaye aṭṭha acchariyā abbhutā dhammā, ye disvā disvā bhikkhū imasmiṁ dhammavinaye abhiramantī”ti.

In the same way, seeing eight incredible and amazing things, monks, the mendicants love this teaching and training. What eight? The ocean gradually slants, slopes, and inclines, with no abrupt precipice. In the same way in this teaching and training the penetration to enlightenment comes from gradual training, progress, and practice, not abruptly. This is the first thing the mendicants love about this teaching and training. … Many great beings live in the ocean, such as leviathans, leviathan-gulpers, leviathan-gulper-gulpers, titans, dragons, and centaurs. In the ocean there are life-forms a hundred leagues long, or even two hundred, three hundred, four hundred, or five hundred leagues long. In the same way, great beings live in this teaching and training, and these are those beings. The stream-enterer and the one practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry. The once-returner and the one practicing to realize the fruit of once-return. The non-returner and the one practicing to realize the fruit of non-return. The perfected one, and the one practicing for perfection. This is the eighth thing the mendicants love about this teaching and training. Seeing these eight incredible and amazing things, the mendicants love this teaching and training.”