Aṅguttara Nikāya
Chakka Nipāta
V. Dhammika vagga

The Book of the Sixes

Chapter V: Dhammika

Mahā Cunda Suttaṃ

Sutta 46

Mahā Cunda

[252]

Thus have I heard:

Once the venerable Mahā Cunda¹ was staying among the Cetis²
at Sahajāti.³
and there he spoke to the monks, saying:

"Monks, reverend sirs!'

'Reverend sir!' they rejoined;
and the venerable Mahā Cunda said:

'There are some monks,
Dhamma-zealots,⁴
who blame musers, saying:

"These fellows say:

'We are musers, we are musers!'

They muse and are bemused!⁵

And what do they muse about;
what good is their musing;
how muse they?"

Thereat neither the Dhamma-zealots
nor the musers are pleased;
nor have they fared onwards
for the weal of many folk,
for their happiness,
their good,
nor for the weal and happiness
of devas and men.

■

And there are some monks,
musers,
who blame Dhamma-zealots,
saying:

"These fellows say:

'We are Dhamma-zealots, we are Dhamma-zealots!'

They are puffed up,
proud,
excitable fellows,
mouthy speechifiers,
forgetful of mindfulness,
lacking self-possession
and composure,
with their thoughts a-wander
and their sense-governance rude.⁶

And what is their Dhamma zeal;
what good is their Dhamma zeal;
how are they zealous in Dhamma?"

There, too, neither the musers
nor the Dhamma-zealots are pleased;
nor have they fared onwards
for the weal of many folk,
for their happiness,
their good,
nor for the weal and happiness
of devas and men.

■

And there are some Dhamma-zealots
who just praise Dhamma-zealots;
who praise not musers.

There, too, neither Dhamma-zealots
nor musers are pleased;
nor have they fared onwards
for the weal of many folk,
for their happiness,
their good,
nor for the weal and happiness
of devas and men.

■

And there are some musers
who just praise musers;
who praise not Dhamma-zealots.

There, too, neither musers
nor Dhamma-zealots are pleased;
nor have they fared [253] onwards
for the weal of many folk,
for their happiness,
their good,
nor for the weal and happiness
of devas and men.

Wherefore, sirs, you should train yourselves thus:

"Being Dhamma-zealots,
we will praise musers.

Thus should you train yourselves, reverend sirs.

And why?

Verily, sirs, these wondrous persons
are hardly found in the world -
they who live
with their whole being
in tune with the deathless.⁷

■

And you should train yourselves thus, reverend sirs:

Being musers,
we will praise Dhamma-zealots.

Thus should you train yourselves, reverend sirs.

And why?

Verily, sirs, these wondrous persons
are hardly found in the world -
they who with insight
penetrate and see
the deep way of the goal'⁸

¹ Sāriputta's younger brother; see Brethr. 119; above IV, § 17.

² Buddh. India, 26. Pronounced Che-ti (Chay-tee).

³ Comy. simply nigame; it was on the Ganges and was where Revata met the elders concerning the ten Vajjian heresies, Vin ii, 300 (Vin. Texts, iii, 396); Mvaṅsa trsl. 22; C.H.I. i, 214. Cf. A. v, 41 for another talk by Maha Cunda there.

⁴ Dhamma-yogā bhikkhū.

⁵ Jhāyanti pajjhāyanti. Comy. Upasagga-vasena vaḍḍhitāni.

⁶ Pākaṭ'indriyā.

⁷ Ye amataṃ dhātuṃ kāyena phusitva viharanti. Lit. 'live having touched with the body (or by act) the deathless conditions.'