Aṅguttara Nikāya — Discursos Numerados — 10.85 — A Boaster

1At one time Venerable Mahācunda was staying in the land of the Cetīs at Sahajāti. There he addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, mendicants!”

2“Reverend,” they replied. Venerable Mahācunda said this:

3“Take a mendicant who boasts and brags about their achievements: ‘I enter and emerge from the first absorption, the second absorption, the third absorption, and the fourth absorption. And I enter and emerge from the dimensions of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, and neither perception nor non-perception. And I enter and emerge from the cessation of perception and feeling.’

4They’re pursued, pressed, and grilled by the Realized One, or by one of his disciples who has the absorptions, and is skilled in attainments, in the minds of others, and in encompassing another’s mind. Grilled in this way they get stuck or lose their way. They fall to ruin and disaster.

5The Realized One or one of his disciples encompasses their mind and investigates: ‘Why does this venerable boast and brag about their achievements, saying, “I enter and emerge from the first absorption … and the cessation of perception and feeling.”’

6They understand, ‘For a long time this venerable’s deeds have been broken, tainted, spotty, and marred. Their deeds and behavior are inconsistent. This venerable is unethical, and unethical conduct means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.

7This venerable is unfaithful, and lack of faith means decline …

8This venerable is unlearned and unpracticed, and lack of learning means decline …

9This venerable is hard to admonish, and being hard to admonish means decline …

10This venerable has bad friends, and bad friends mean decline …

11This venerable is lazy, and laziness means decline …

12This venerable is unmindful, and unmindfulness means decline …

13This venerable is deceptive, and deceitfulness means decline …

14This venerable is burdensome, and being burdensome means decline …

15This venerable is witless, and lack of wisdom means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’

16Suppose one friend was to say to another: ‘My dear, when you need money for some payment, just ask me and I’ll give it.’ Then when some payment falls due, that friend says to their friend: ‘I need some money, my dear. Give me some.’ They’d say: ‘Well then, my dear, dig here.’ So they dig there, but don’t find anything. They’d say: ‘You lied to me, my dear, you spoke hollow words when you told me to dig here.’ They’d say: ‘My dear, I didn’t lie or speak hollow words. Well then, dig here.’ So they dig there as well, but don’t find anything. They’d say: ‘You lied to me, my dear, you spoke hollow words when you said dig here.’ They’d say: ‘My dear, I didn’t lie or speak hollow words. Well then, dig here.’ So they dig there as well, but don’t find anything. They’d say: ‘You lied to me, my dear, you spoke hollow words when you said dig here.’ They’d say: ‘My dear, I didn’t lie or speak hollow words. But I had gone mad, I was out of my mind.’

17In the same way, take a mendicant who boasts and brags about their achievements: ‘I enter and emerge from the first absorption … and the cessation of perception and feeling.’

18They’re pursued, pressed, and grilled by the Realized One, or by one of his disciples … Grilled in this way they get stuck or lose their way. They fall to ruin and disaster.

19The Realized One or one of his disciples encompasses their mind and investigates: ‘Why does this venerable boast and brag about their achievements, saying, “I enter and emerge from the first absorption … and the cessation of perception and feeling.”’

20They understand, ‘For a long time this venerable’s deeds have been broken, tainted, spotty, and marred. Their deeds and behavior are inconsistent. This venerable is unethical, and unethical conduct means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.

21This venerable is unfaithful …

22unlearned and unpracticed …

23hard to admonish …

24with bad friends …

25lazy …

26unmindful …

27deceptive …

28burdensome …

29This venerable is witless, and lack of wisdom means decline in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.’

30It is quite impossible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training without giving up these ten qualities. It is quite possible for a mendicant to achieve growth, improvement, or maturity in this teaching and training after giving up these ten qualities.”