At one time Venerable Mahācunda was staying in the land of the Cetīs at Sahajāti.
There he addressed the mendicants:
“Reverends, mendicants!”
“Reverend,” they replied.
Venerable Mahācunda said this:
“Reverends, a mendicant who makes a declaration of knowledge says:
‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching.’
Suppose that greed masters that mendicant and keeps going.
Or that hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them:
‘This venerable does not have the understanding that would eliminate greed, so greed masters them and keeps going.
They don’t have the understanding that would eliminate hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes master them and keep going.’
A mendicant who makes a declaration of development says:
‘I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’
Suppose that greed masters that mendicant and keeps going.
Or that hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them:
‘This venerable does not have the understanding that would eliminate greed, so greed masters them and keeps going.
They don’t have the understanding that would eliminate hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes master them and keep going.’
A mendicant who makes a declaration of both knowledge and development says:
‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching. And I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’
Suppose that greed masters that mendicant and keeps going.
Or that hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them:
‘This venerable does not have the understanding that would eliminate greed, so greed masters them and keeps going.
They don’t have the understanding that would eliminate hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes master them and keep going.’
Suppose a poor, needy, and penniless person was to declare themselves to be rich, affluent, and wealthy.
But when it came time to make a payment they weren’t able to come up with any money, grain, silver, or gold.
They would know of them:
‘This person declares themselves to be rich, affluent, and wealthy, but they are in fact poor, penniless, and needy.’
Why is that?
Because when it came time to make a payment they weren’t able to come up with any money, grain, silver, or gold.
In the same way, a mendicant who makes a declaration of knowledge and development says:
‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching. And I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’
Suppose that greed masters that mendicant and keeps going.
Or that hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them:
‘This venerable does not have the understanding that would eliminate greed, so greed masters them and keeps going.
They don’t have the understanding that would eliminate hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes master them and keep going.’
A mendicant who makes a declaration of knowledge says:
‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching.’
Suppose that greed does not master that mendicant and keep going.
Or that hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes don’t master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them:
‘This venerable has the understanding that eliminates greed, so greed doesn’t master them and keep going.
They have the understanding that eliminates hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
and corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes don’t master them and keep going.’
A mendicant who makes a declaration of development says:
‘I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’
Suppose that greed does not master that mendicant and keep going.
Or that hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes don’t master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them:
‘This venerable has the understanding that eliminates greed, so greed doesn’t master them and keep going.
They have the understanding that eliminates hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
and corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes don’t master them and keep going.’
A mendicant who makes a declaration of both knowledge and development says:
‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching. And I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’
Suppose that greed does not master that mendicant and keep going.
Or that hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes don’t master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them:
‘This venerable has the understanding that eliminates greed, so greed doesn’t master them and keep going.
They have the understanding that eliminates hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
and corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes don’t master them and keep going.’
Suppose a rich, affluent, and wealthy person was to declare themselves to be rich, affluent, and wealthy.
And whenever it came time to make a payment they were able to come up with the money, grain, silver, or gold.
They would know of them:
‘This person declares themselves to be rich, affluent, and wealthy, and they are in fact rich, affluent, and wealthy.’
Why is that?
Because when it came time to make a payment they were able to come up with the money, grain, silver, or gold.
In the same way, a mendicant who makes a declaration of knowledge and development says:
‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching. And I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’
Suppose that greed does not master that mendicant and keep going.
Or that hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
or corrupt wishes don’t master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them:
‘This venerable has the understanding that eliminates greed, so greed doesn’t master them and keep going.
They have the understanding that eliminates hate …
delusion …
anger …
acrimony …
disdain …
contempt …
stinginess …
nasty jealousy …
and corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes don’t master them and keep going.’”