Cullavagga, Khandaka 1, Chapter 32

1. Now at that time the Blessed Buddha was staying at Sāvatthi, in the Jetavana, the grove of Anāthapiṇḍika. And at that time a certain Bhikkhu by name Ariṭṭha, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor^[1], had fallen into a sinful belief of this kind; (that is to say), 'In this wise do I understand the Dhamma preached by the Blessed One, that to him who practises those things which have been declared by the Blessed One to be impediments^[2], there will arise no impediment sufficient (to prevent his acquiring spiritual gifts)^[3].'

Now many Bhikkhus heard that Ariṭṭha, who had formerly (&c., as before, down to:) to be impediments. And those Bhikkhus went up to the place where Ariṭṭha the Bhikkhu, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, was; and on arriving there they asked Ariṭṭha the Bhikkhu, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, 'Is it true, friend Ariṭṭha, as they say, that you have fallen into a sinful belief (&c., as above, down to) spiritual gifts?'

'Certainly^[4]! I do so understand the Dhamma preached by the Blessed One (&c., as before):

2. 'Say not so, friend Ariṭṭha. Bear not false-witness against the Blessed One. For neither is it seemly to bring a false accusation against the Blessed One, nor could the Blessed One have spoken so. By many a figure, friend Ariṭṭha, have the things which are impediments been declared to be impediments by the Blessed One, and also to be sufficient to prevent him who cultivates them (from attaining to spiritual gifts)^[5]. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be of short taste^[6], full of pain, and full of despair, things wherein the danger is great. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be like the bones of a skeleton, full of pain, and full of despair, things wherein the danger is great. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be like lumps of raw meat, full (&c., as before, down to:) is great. Lusts have been declared by the Blessed One to be like torches made of a wisp of hay . . . ., like a pit full of live coals^[7] . . . ., like the visions of a dream . . . ., like a beggar's portion . . . ., like the fruits of trees . . . ., like the sword and the slaughter-house . . . ., like darts and clubs . . . ., like snakes and creeping things, full of pain, and full of despair, things wherein the danger is great.'

Yet notwithstanding that Bhikkhu Ariṭṭha, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, when thus being addressed by the Bhikkhus, remained steadfastly adhering, in the very same way, and with violence, to that sinful doctrine, declaring, 'Verily I do so understand the Dhamma preached by the Blessed One (&c., as before, in § 1).'

3. Then since those Bhikkhus were unable to move Ariṭṭha the Bhikkhu, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, from that sinful doctrine, they went up to the place where the Blessed One was; and when they had come there, they told this thing to the Blessed One.

And the Blessed One on that occasion, and in that connection, convened a meeting of the Bhikkhusaṃgha, and asked Ariṭṭha the Bhikkhu, who had formerly been a vulture tormentor, 'Is it true, as they say, Ariṭṭha, that you have fallen into a sinful doctrine of such a kind (&c., as before, in § 1)?'

'Certainly, Lord! I do so understand (&c., as before, in § 1).'

'How can you, O foolish one, so understand the Dhamma preached by me? Have I not, by many a figure, O foolish one, declared the things which are impediments to be impediments, and sufficient to prevent him who cultivates them (from attaining to spiritual gifts)? Have not lusts been by me declared to be of short taste (&c., as above, down to:) like snakes and creeping things, full of danger, full of despair, things wherein the danger is great? Yet now you, O foolish one, by your having grasped that doctrine wrongly^[8], are not only bearing false-witness against us, but you are also rooting yourself up, and are giving rise to much demerit, the which will be to you for a long time for an evil and a woe. This will not conduce, O foolish one, either to the conversion of the unconverted, or to the increase of the converted; but rather to those who are unconverted not being converted, and to the turning back of those who have been converted^[9].'

When he had thus rebuked him, and had delivered a religious discourse, he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said: Let therefore the Saṃgha, O Bhikkhus, carry out against Ariṭṭha the Bhikkhu, who was formerly a vulture tormentor, the Ukkhepaniyakamma, for not renouncing a sinful doctrine, to the intent that he shall not eat or dwell together with the Saṃgha.'

4. 'Now thus, O Bhikkhus, should it be carried out. In the first place the Bhikkhu Ariṭṭha ought to be warned [&c., as in chapter 25, down to the end of the Kammavācā, including the supplementary sentence as to the proclamation].'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

In his commentary on the Pācittiya, quoted by Oldenberg in his note on this passage, Buddhaghosa explains this expression to mean 'born in a family of vulture slayers.' This does not, help us much, vulture slaying as a regular occupation being somewhat incomprehensible, and not referred to elsewhere. Whatever its meaning, the occupation referred to is perhaps the origin of, or should at least be compared with, the statement of Ktesias (circa B.C. 400) in his 'Indika' (ed. C. Müller, Fragment xiii), that the Indians used not dogs but vultures, which they trained for that purpose, in hunting hares and foxes. Lassen in his 'Indische Alterthumskunde,' II, 638, 639, thinks this statement not incredible, very fairly comparing the use of falcons in Europe in the Middle Ages. It is not impossible that the correct rendering here should be 'vulture-catcher,' or 'vulture-trainer;' but we prefer to be literal.

[2]:

The only one of such things (Dhammā) known to us elsewhere in the Vinaya Piṭaka itself is deliberate falsehood. This is stated in Mahāvagga II, 3, 3 to be an impediment, which is explained by the Old Commentator, at Mahāvagga II, 3, 7, to mean an impediment to the attainment of the Ghānas, and other things of similar nature.

[3]:

This is word for word the same speech as that which is condemned in the 68th and 70th Pācittiyas.

[4]:

Byā is only known to us as an intensive particle occurring in passages like the present one.

[5]:

So far this section is word for word the same as the 68th and the 70th Pācittiyas.

[6]:

Quoted at Dhammapada, ver. 186.

[7]:

Jātaka I, 231, 232.

[8]:

Compare Mahā-parinibbāna Sutta IV, 8-11.

[9]:

Up to this point the whole chapter recurs as the Introductory Story in the Sutta-vibhaṅga on the 68th Pācittiya.