an.8.20 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

Uposatha

On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Migāramātā’s Mansion in the Eastern Park. Now on that occasion, on the day of the uposatha, the Blessed One was sitting surrounded by the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Then, as the night advanced, when the first watch passed, the Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, reverently saluted the Blessed One, and said to him: “Bhante, the night has advanced; the first watch has passed; the Saṅgha of bhikkhus has been sitting for a long time. Let the Blessed One recite the Pātimokkha to the bhikkhus.” When this was said, the Blessed One was silent.

As the night advanced still further, when the middle watch passed, the Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat a second time, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, reverently saluted the Blessed One, and said to him: “Bhante, the night has advanced still further; the middle watch has passed; the Saṅgha of bhikkhus has been sitting for a long time. Bhante, let the Blessed One recite the Pātimokkha to the bhikkhus.” A second time the Blessed One was silent.

As the night advanced still further, when the last watch passed, when dawn arrived and a rosy tint appeared on the horizon, the Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat a third time, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, reverently saluted the Blessed One, and said to him: “Bhante, the night has advanced still further; the last watch has passed; dawn has arrived and a rosy tint has appeared on the horizon; the Saṅgha of bhikkhus has been sitting for a long time. Let the Blessed One recite the Pātimokkha to the bhikkhus.”

“This assembly, Ānanda, is impure.”

Then it occurred to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: “What person was the Blessed One referring to when he said: ‘This assembly, Ānanda, is impure’?” Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna fixed his attention on the entire Saṅgha of bhikkhus, encompassing their minds with his own mind. He then saw that person sitting in the midst of the Saṅgha of bhikkhus: one who was immoral, of bad character, impure, of suspect behavior, secretive in his actions, not an ascetic though claiming to be one, not a celibate though claiming to be one, inwardly rotten, corrupt, depraved. Having seen him, he rose from his seat, went up to that person, and said to him: “Get up, friend. The Blessed One has seen you. You cannot live in communion with the bhikkhus.” When this was said, that person remained silent.

A second time … A third time the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said to that person: “Get up, friend. The Blessed One has seen you. You cannot live in communion with the bhikkhus.” A third time that person remained silent.

Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna grabbed that person by the arm, evicted him through the outer gatehouse, and bolted the door. Then he returned to the Blessed One and said to him: “I have evicted that person, Bhante. The assembly is pure. Let the Blessed One recite the Pātimokkha to the bhikkhus.”

“It’s astounding and amazing, Moggallāna, how that hollow man waited until he was grabbed by the arm.” Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Now, bhikkhus, you yourselves should conduct the uposatha and recite the Pātimokkha. From today onward, I will no longer do so. It is impossible and inconceivable that the Tathāgata could conduct the uposatha and recite the Pātimokkha in an impure assembly.

“The asuras, bhikkhus, see these eight astounding and amazing qualities in the great ocean because of which they take delight in it. What eight?

(1) “The great ocean, bhikkhus, slants, slopes, and inclines gradually, not dropping off abruptly. This is the first astounding and amazing quality that the asuras see in the great ocean because of which they take delight in it….

All as in 8:19, but addressed to the bhikkhus.

(8) “Again, the great ocean is the abode of great beings … … five hundred yojanas long. This is the eighth astounding and amazing quality that the asuras see in the great ocean because of which they take delight in it.

“These, bhikkhus, are the eight astounding and amazing qualities that the asuras see in the great ocean because of which they take delight in it. So too, the bhikkhus see eight astounding and amazing qualities in this Dhamma and discipline because of which they take delight in it. What eight?

(1) “Just as, bhikkhus, the great ocean slants, slopes, and inclines gradually, not dropping off abruptly, so too, in this Dhamma and discipline penetration to final knowledge occurs by gradual training, gradual activity, and gradual practice, not abruptly. This is the first astounding and amazing quality that the bhikkhus see in this Dhamma and discipline because of which they take delight in it….

All as in 8:19, but addressed to the bhikkhus.

(8) “Just as the great ocean is the abode of great beings … five hundred yojanas long, so too, this Dhamma and discipline is the abode of great beings: the stream-enterer, the one practicing for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry … the arahant, the one practicing for arahantship. This is the eighth astounding and amazing quality that the bhikkhus see in this Dhamma and discipline because of which they take delight in it.

“These, bhikkhus, are the eight astounding and amazing qualities that the bhikkhus see in this Dhamma and discipline because of which they take delight in it.”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

Sabbath

This is the first thing the demons love about the ocean.
The ocean gradually slants, slopes, and inclines, with no abrupt precipice.

What eight?
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the Eastern Monastery, the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother.
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 got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms toward the Buddha and said,
“Sir, the night is getting late. It is the first watch of the night, and the Saṅgha has been sitting long.
Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the mendicants.”
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 got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms toward the Buddha and said,
“Sir, the night is getting late. It is the middle watch of the night, and the Saṅgha has been sitting long.
Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the mendicants.”
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 got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined 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 mendicants.”
“Ānanda, the assembly is not pure.”
Then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna thought,
“Who is the Buddha talking about?”

Then he focused on comprehending the minds of everyone in the Saṅgha.
He saw that unethical person, of bad qualities, filthy, with suspicious behavior, underhand, no true ascetic or spiritual practitioner—though claiming to be one—rotten inside, corrupt, and depraved, sitting in the middle of the Saṅgha.
When he saw him he got up 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 mendicants.”
But when he said this, that person kept silent.
For a second time

and a third time,
he asked that monk to leave.

But for a third time that person kept silent.
Then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna took that person 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 person.
The assembly is pure.
Please, sir, may the Buddha recite the monastic code to the mendicants.”
“It’s incredible, Moggallāna, it’s amazing,
how that silly man waited to be taken by the arm!”
Then the Buddha said to the mendicants:
“Now, mendicants, 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, mendicants, it can’t happen that a Realized One could recite the monastic code in an impure assembly.
Seeing these eight incredible and amazing things the demons love the ocean.
(Expand in detail as in the previous sutta.)
Furthermore, many great beings live in the ocean, such as leviathans, leviathan-gulpers, leviathan-gulper-gulpers, demons, dragons, and fairies. 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 demons love about the ocean.
Seeing these eight incredible and amazing things the demons love the ocean.
In the same way, seeing eight incredible and amazing things, mendicants, 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, demons, dragons, and fairies. 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.”