67. Cātumā Sutta

1.Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Cātumā in a myrobalan grove.

2.Now on that occasion five hundred bhikkhus headed by the venerable Sāriputta and the venerable Mahā Moggallāna had come to Cātumā to see the Blessed One. While the visiting bhikkhus were exchanging greetings with the resident bhikkhus, and were preparing resting places and putting away their bowls and outer robes, they were very loud and noisy.

3.Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ānanda thus: “Ānanda, who are these loud and noisy people? One would think they were fishermen hawking fish.”⁶⁸² Kevaṭṭā maññe macchavilope. MA gives two explanations: one favours this rendering, the other suggests “fisherman hauling in fish.”

“Venerable sir, they are five hundred bhikkhus headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna who have come to Cātumā to see the Blessed One. And while the visiting bhikkhus were exchanging greetings with the resident bhikkhus, and were preparing resting places and putting away their bowls and outer robes, they have been very loud and noisy.”

4.“Then, Ānanda, tell those bhikkhus in my name that the Teacher calls the venerable ones.”

“Yes, venerable sir,” he replied, and he went to those bhikkhus and told them: “The Teacher calls the venerable ones.”

“Yes, friend,” they [457] replied, and they went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, sat down at one side. When they had done so, the Blessed One asked them: “Bhikkhus, why are you so loud and noisy? One would think you were fishermen hawking fish.”

“Venerable sir, we are five hundred bhikkhus headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna who have come to Cātumā to see the Blessed One. And it was while we visiting bhikkhus were exchanging greetings with the resident bhikkhus, and were preparing resting places and putting away our bowls and outer robes, that we were very loud and noisy.”

5.“Go, bhikkhus, I dismiss you. You should not live near me.”

“Yes, venerable sir,” they replied, and they rose from their seats, and after paying homage to the Blessed One, keeping him on their right, they put away the things in their resting places, and taking their bowls and outer robes, they departed.

6.Now on that occasion the Sakyans of Cātumā had met together in their assembly hall for some business or other. Seeing the bhikkhus coming in the distance, they went to them and asked: “Where are you going, venerable sirs?”

“Friends, the Sangha of bhikkhus has been dismissed by the Blessed One.”

“Then let the venerable ones be seated awhile. Perhaps we shall be able to restore his confidence.”

“Yes, friends,” they replied.

7.Then the Sakyans of Cātumā went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, they sat down at one side and said:

“Venerable sir, let the Blessed One delight in the Sangha of bhikkhus; venerable sir, let the Blessed One welcome the Sangha of bhikkhus; venerable sir, let the Blessed One help the Sangha of bhikkhus now as he used to help it in the past. Venerable sir, there are new bhikkhus here, just gone forth, recently come to this Dhamma and Discipline. If they get no opportunity to see the Blessed One, there may take place in them some change or alteration. Venerable sir, just as when young seedlings get no water there may take place in them some change or alteration, so too, venerable sir, there are [458] new bhikkhus here, just gone forth, recently come to this Dhamma and Discipline. If they get no opportunity to see the Blessed One, there may take place in them some change or alteration. Venerable sir, just as when a young calf does not see its mother there may take place in it some change or alteration, so too, venerable sir, there are new bhikkhus here, just gone forth, recently come to this Dhamma and Discipline. If they get no opportunity to see the Blessed One, there may take place in them some change or alteration. Venerable sir, let the Blessed One delight in the Sangha of the bhikkhus; venerable sir, let the Blessed One welcome the Sangha of bhikkhus; venerable sir, let the Blessed One help the Sangha of bhikkhus now as he used to help it in the past.”

8.Then the Brahmā Sahampati⁶⁸³ It was the Brahmā Sahampati who entreated the newly enlightened Buddha to teach the Dhamma to the world. See MN 26.20. knew with his mind the thought in the Blessed One’s mind, so just as quickly as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm, he vanished in the Brahma-world and appeared before the Blessed One. Then he arranged his upper robe on one shoulder, and extending his hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, he said:

9.“Venerable sir, let the Blessed One delight in the Sangha of bhikkhus; venerable sir, let the Blessed One welcome the Sangha of bhikkhus;…(as in §7)…[459] now as he used to help it in the past.”

10.The Sakyans of Cātumā and the Brahmā Sahampati were able to restore the Blessed One’s confidence with the similes of the seedlings and the young calf.

11.Then the venerable Mahā Moggallāna addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Get up, friends, take your bowls and outer robes. The Blessed One’s confidence has been restored by the Sakyans of Cātumā and the Brahmā Sahampati with the similes of the seedlings and the young calf.”

12.“Yes, friend,” they replied and, getting up from their seats, taking their bowls and outer robes, went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, sat down at one side. The Blessed One then asked the venerable Sāriputta: “What did you think, Sāriputta, when the Sangha of bhikkhus was dismissed by me?”

“Venerable sir, I thought thus: ‘The Sangha of bhikkhus has been dismissed by the Blessed One. The Blessed One will now abide inactive, devoted to pleasant abiding here and now; and we too shall now abide inactive, devoted to pleasant abiding here and now.’”

“Stop, Sāriputta, stop! Such a thought should not be entertained by you again.”⁶⁸⁴ MA: In this case Ven. Sāriputta erred in not recognising his responsibility, for the Sangha is the responsibility of the two great elders. Thus the Buddha rebuked him but commended Ven. Moggall̄na, who recognised his responsibility.

13.Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Mahā Moggallāna: “What did you think, Moggallāna, when the Sangha of bhikkhus was dismissed by me?”

“Venerable sir, I thought thus: ‘The Sangha of bhikkhus has been dismissed by the Blessed One. The Blessed One will now abide inactive, devoted to pleasant abiding here and now. Now the venerable Sāriputta and I shall look after the Sangha of bhikkhus.’”

“Good, good, Moggallāna! Either I shall look after the Sangha of bhikkhus or Sāriputta and Moggallāna shall do so.”

14.Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus:

“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of fears to be expected by those who go down to the water.⁶⁸⁵ MA: The Buddha undertook this teaching to show that there are four fears (or dangers, bhaya) in his Dispensation. Those who can overcome these four fears will become established in the Dispensation, the others will not become established. What are the four? They are: fear of waves, fear of crocodiles, fear of whirlpools, and fear of sharks. These are the four kinds of fears to be expected by those who go down to the water.

15.“So too, bhikkhus, there are four kinds of fears to be expected by certain persons who have gone forth from the home life into homelessness in this Dhamma and Discipline. What are [460] the four? They are: fear of waves, fear of crocodiles, fear of whirlpools, and fear of sharks.

16.“What, bhikkhus, is fear of waves? Here some clansman goes forth out of faith from the home life into homelessness, considering: ‘I am a victim of birth, ageing, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; I am a victim of suffering, a prey to suffering. Surely an ending of this whole mass of suffering can be known.’ Then, after he has gone forth thus, his companions in the holy life advise and instruct him thus: ‘You should move to and fro thus; you should look ahead and look away thus; you should flex and extend the limbs thus; you should wear the patched cloak, bowl, and robes thus.’ Then he thinks: ‘Formerly, when we were in the home life, we advised and instructed others, and now these [bhikkhus], who seem like they might be our sons or our grandsons, think that they can advise and instruct us.’ And so he forsakes the training and reverts to the low life. He is called one who has forsaken the training and reverted to the low life because he was frightened by the fear of waves. Now ‘fear of waves’ is a designation for anger and irritation.

17.“What, bhikkhus, is fear of crocodiles? Here some clansman goes forth out of faith from the home life into homelessness, considering: ‘I am a victim of birth, ageing, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; I am a victim of suffering, a prey to suffering. Surely an ending of this whole mass of suffering can be known.’ Then, after he has gone forth thus, his companions in the holy life advise and instruct him thus: ‘This can be consumed by you, this cannot be consumed by you; this can be eaten by you, this cannot be eaten by you; this can be tasted by you, this cannot be tasted by you; this can be drunk by you, this cannot be drunk by you.⁶⁸⁶ Pali uses two distinct words signifying different types of food: khādaniya, “food to be consumed,” includes all varieties of vegetables, nuts, fruits, yams, etc.; bhojanı̄ya, “food to be eaten,” includes food made of grain, meat, and fish. Things to be tasted (ssāyitabba) would include light refreshments. You can consume what is allowable, you cannot consume what is not allowable; you can eat what is allowable, you cannot eat what is not allowable; you can taste what is allowable, you cannot taste what is not allowable; you can drink what is allowable, you cannot drink what is not allowable. You can consume food within the proper time, you cannot consume food outside the proper time; you can eat within the proper time, you cannot eat outside the proper time; you can taste food within the proper time, you cannot taste food outside the proper time; you can drink within the proper time, you cannot drink outside the proper time.’⁶⁸⁷ The proper time is from dawn to noon, beyond which only liquids may be drunk. [461]

“Then he thinks: ‘Formerly, when we were in the home life, we consumed what we liked and did not consume what we did not like; we ate what we liked and did not eat what we did not like; we tasted what we liked and did not taste what we did not like; we drank what we liked and did not drink what we did not like. We consumed what was allowable and what was not allowable; we ate what was allowable and what was not allowable; we tasted what was allowable and what was not allowable; we drank what was allowable and what was not allowable. We consumed food within the proper time and outside the proper time; we ate within the proper time and outside the proper time; we tasted food within the proper time and outside the proper time; we drank within the proper time and outside the proper time. Now, when faithful householders give us good food of various kinds during the day outside the proper time, it seems these [bhikkhus] put a muzzle on our mouths.’ And so he forsakes the training and reverts to the low life. He is called one who has forsaken the training and reverted to the low life because he was frightened by the fear of crocodiles. Now ‘fear of crocodiles’ is a designation for gluttony.

18.“What, bhikkhus, is fear of whirlpools? Here some clansman goes forth out of faith from the home life into homelessness, considering: ‘I am a victim of birth, ageing, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; I am a victim of suffering, a prey to suffering. Surely an ending of this whole mass of suffering can be known.’ Then, after he has gone forth thus, when it is morning he dresses, and taking his bowl and outer robe, he goes into a village or town for alms with his body unguarded, with his speech unguarded, with mindfulness unestablished, and with sense faculties unrestrained. He sees some householder there or householder’s son furnished and endowed with the five cords of sensual pleasure enjoying himself with them. He considers thus: ‘Formerly, when we were in the home life, we were furnished and endowed with the five cords of sensual pleasure and we enjoyed ourselves with them. My family has wealth; I can both enjoy wealth and make merit.’ And so he forsakes the training and reverts to the low life. He is called one who has forsaken the training and reverted to the low life because he was frightened by the fear of whirlpools. Now ‘fear of whirlpools’ is a designation for the five cords of sensual pleasure.

19.“What, bhikkhus, is fear of sharks? Here [462] some clansman goes forth out of faith from the home life into homelessness, considering: ‘I am a victim of birth, ageing, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; I am a victim of suffering, a prey to suffering. Surely an ending of this whole mass of suffering can be known.’ Then, after he has gone forth thus, when it is morning he dresses, and taking his bowl and outer robe, he goes into a village or town for alms with his body unguarded, with his speech unguarded, with mindfulness unestablished, and with sense faculties unrestrained. He sees a woman there lightly clothed, lightly dressed. When he sees such a woman, lust infects his mind. Because his mind has been infected by lust, he forsakes the training and reverts to the low life. He is called one who has forsaken the training and reverted to the low life because he was frightened by the fear of sharks. Now ‘fear of sharks’ is a designation for women.

20.“Bhikkhus, these are the four kinds of fears to be expected by certain persons who have gone forth from the home life into homelessness in this Dhamma and Discipline.”

That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.