Verses on Dhamma 6.2: 2. Assajipunabbasukavatthu

6.2.p1

Ovadeyyānusāseyyāti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto assajipunabbasukabhikkhū ārabbha kathesi. Desanā pana kīṭāgirismiṃ samuṭṭhitā.

*Let a man admonish and instruct*. This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the Assajipunabbasuka monks. But the story begins at Kiṭāgiri.

6.2.p2

Te kira dve bhikkhū kiñcāpi aggasāvakānaṃ saddhivihārikā, alajjino pana ahesuṃ pāpabhikkhū. Te pāpakehi attano parivārehi pañcahi bhikkhusatehi saddhiṃ kīṭāgirismiṃ viharantā ‘‘mālāvacchaṃ ropentipi ropāpentipī’’tiādikaṃ (pārā. 431; cūḷava. 21) nānappakāraṃ anācāraṃ karontā kuladūsakakammaṃ katvā tato uppannehi paccayehi jīvikaṃ kappentā taṃ āvāsaṃ pesalānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ anāvāsaṃ akaṃsu. Satthā taṃ pavattiṃ sutvā tesaṃ pabbājanīyakammakaraṇatthāya saparivāre dve aggasāvake āmantetvā ‘‘gacchatha, sāriputtā, tesu ye tumhākaṃ vacanaṃ na karonti, tesaṃ pabbājanīyakammaṃ karotha, ye pana karonti, te ovadatha anusāsatha. Ovadanto hi anusāsanto apaṇḍitānaṃyeva appiyo hoti amanāpo, paṇḍitānaṃ pana piyo hoti manāpo’’ti anusandhiṃ ghaṭetvā dhammaṃ desento imaṃ gāthamāha –

These monks, we are told, were two pupils of the Chief Disciples, but in spite of that fact were shameless and wicked. While they were in residence at Kiṭāgiri with their retinues of five hundred monks, they planted and caused to be planted flowering trees and were guilty of all manner of misconduct besides. They violated homes and procured thence the monastic requisites on which they lived. They rendered that monastery uninhabitable for the amiable monks.

Hearing of their doings, the Teacher determined to expel them from the Order. For this purpose he summoned the two Chief Disciples, together with their retinues, and said to them, "Expel those who will not obey your commands, but admonish and instruct those who will obey. He who admonishes and instructs is hated by those that lack wisdom, but is loved and cherished by the wise." And joining the connection and instructing them in the Law, he pronounced the following Stanza,

6.2.77

‘‘Ovadeyyānusāseyya, asabbhā ca nivāraye;
Satañhi so piyo hoti, asataṃ hoti appiyo’’ti.

77. Let a man admonish and instruct, and forbid what is improper;
For if he do so, he will be loved by the good, but hated by the wicked.

6.2.77_2

Tattha ovadeyyāti uppanne vatthusmiṃ vadanto ovadati nāma, anuppanne vatthusmiṃ ‘‘ayasopi te siyā’’tiādivasena anāgataṃ dassento anusāsati nāma. Sammukhā vadanto ovadati nāma, parammukhā dūtaṃ vā sāsanaṃ vā pesento anusāsati nāma. Sakiṃ vadanto ovadati nāma, punappunaṃ vadanto anusāsati nāma. Ovadanto eva vā anusāsati nāmāti evaṃ ovadeyya anusāseyya. Asabbhā cāti akusaladhammā ca nivāreyya, kusaladhamme patiṭṭhāpeyyāti attho. Satañhi so piyo hotīti so evarūpo puggalo buddhādīnaṃ sappurisānaṃ piyo hoti. Ye pana adiṭṭhadhammā avitiṇṇaparalokā āmisacakkhukā jīvikatthāya pabbajitā, tesaṃ asataṃ so ovādako anusāsako, ‘‘‘na tvaṃ amhākaṃ upajjhāyo, na ācariyo, kasmā amhe ovadasī’ti evaṃ mukhasattīhi vijjhantānaṃ appiyo hotī’’ti.

6.2.77_3

Desanāvasāne bahū sotāpattiphalādīni pāpuṇiṃsūti. Sāriputtamoggallānāpi tattha gantvā te bhikkhū ovadiṃsu anusāsiṃsu. Tesu ekacce ovādaṃ sampaṭicchitvā sammā vattiṃsu, ekacce vibbhamiṃsu, ekacce pabbājanīyakammaṃ pāpuṇiṃsūti.

Sāriputta and Moggallāna went there and admonished and instructed those monks. Some of them received the admonitions of the Elders and corrected their behavior, others returned to the house-life, while still others were expelled from the Order.

6.2.77_4

Assajipunabbasukavatthu dutiyaṃ.