Cātumasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 67

At Cātumā · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘mayaṁ kho pubbe agāriyabhūtā samānā yaṁ icchāma taṁ khādāma, yaṁ na icchāma na taṁ khādāma; yaṁ icchāma taṁ bhuñjāma, yaṁ na icchāma na taṁ bhuñjāma; yaṁ icchāma taṁ sāyāma, yaṁ na icchāma na taṁ sāyāma; yaṁ icchāma taṁ pivāma, yaṁ na icchāma na taṁ pivāma;
kappiyampi khādāma, akappiyampi khādāma; kappiyampi bhuñjāma, akappiyampi bhuñjāma; kappiyampi sāyāma, akappiyampi sāyāma; kappiyampi pivāma, akappiyampi pivāma; kālepi khādāma, vikālepi khādāma; kālepi bhuñjāma vikālepi bhuñjāma; kālepi sāyāma, vikālepi sāyāma; kālepi pivāma, vikālepi pivāma.
Yampi no saddhā gahapatikā divā vikāle paṇītaṁ khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyaṁ denti tatthapime mukhāvaraṇaṁ maññe karontī’ti.
So sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattati.

They think: ‘Formerly, as laypeople, we used to eat, consume, taste, and drink what we wanted, not what we didn’t want. We ate and drank both allowable and unallowable things, at the right time and the wrong time. And these faithful householders give us delicious fresh and cooked foods at the wrong time of day. But these guys imagine they can gag our mouths!’ They resign the training and return to a lesser life.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, kumbhīlabhayassa bhīto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvatto.
‘Kumbhīlabhayan’ti kho, bhikkhave, odarikattassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

This is called one who resigns the training and returns to a lesser life because they’re afraid of the danger of gharials. ‘Danger of gharials’ is a term for gluttony.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, āvaṭṭabhayaṁ?
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco kulaputto saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti:
‘otiṇṇomhi jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto;
appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethā’ti.
So evaṁ pabbajito samāno pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisati.
Arakkhiteneva kāyena arakkhitāya vācāya anupaṭṭhitāya satiyā asaṁvutehi indriyehi so tattha passati gahapatiṁ vā gahapatiputtaṁ vā pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitaṁ samaṅgībhūtaṁ paricārayamānaṁ.
Tassa evaṁ hoti:
‘mayaṁ kho pubbe agāriyabhūtā samānā pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitā samaṅgībhūtā paricārimhā.
Saṁvijjanti kho pana me kule bhogā.
Sakkā bhoge ca bhuñjituṁ puññāni ca kātun’ti.
So sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattati.

And what, mendicants, is the danger of whirlpools? It’s when a gentleman has gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness, thinking: ‘I’m swamped by rebirth, old age, and death; by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. I’m swamped by suffering, mired in suffering. Hopefully I can make an end to this entire mass of suffering.’ When they’ve gone forth, they robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter a village or town for alms without guarding body, speech, and mind, without establishing mindfulness, and without restraining the sense faculties. There they see a householder or their child amusing themselves, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation. They think: ‘Formerly, as laypeople, we amused ourselves, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation. And it’s true that my family is wealthy. I can both enjoy my wealth and make merit.’ They resign the training and return to a lesser life.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, āvaṭṭabhayassa bhīto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvatto.
‘Āvaṭṭabhayan’ti kho, bhikkhave, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

This is called one who resigns the training and returns to a lesser life for fear of the danger of whirlpools. ‘Danger of whirlpools’ is a term for the five kinds of sensual stimulation.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, susukābhayaṁ?
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco kulaputto saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti:
‘otiṇṇomhi jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto;
appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethā’ti.
So evaṁ pabbajito samāno pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya gāmaṁ vā nigamaṁ vā piṇḍāya pavisati.
Arakkhiteneva kāyena arakkhitāya vācāya anupaṭṭhitāya satiyā asaṁvutehi indriyehi so tattha passati mātugāmaṁ dunnivatthaṁ vā duppārutaṁ vā.
Tassa mātugāmaṁ disvā dunnivatthaṁ vā duppārutaṁ vā rāgo cittaṁ anuddhaṁseti.
So rāgānuddhaṁsena cittena sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattati.
Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, susukābhayassa bhīto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvatto.
‘Susukābhayan’ti kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

And what, mendicants, is the danger of sharks? It’s when a gentleman has gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness, thinking: ‘I’m swamped by rebirth, old age, and death; by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. I’m swamped by suffering, mired in suffering. Hopefully I can make an end to this entire mass of suffering.’ When they’ve gone forth, they robe up in the morning and, taking their bowl and robe, enter a village or town for alms without guarding body, speech, and mind, without establishing mindfulness, and without restraining the sense faculties. There they see a lady scantily clad, with revealing clothes. Lust infects their mind, so they resign the training and return to a lesser life. This is called one who resigns the training and returns to a lesser life for fear of the danger of sharks. ‘Danger of sharks’ is a term for ladies.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri bhayāni, idhekacce puggale imasmiṁ dhammavinaye agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajite pāṭikaṅkhitabbānī”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.
Cātumasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ sattamaṁ.

These are the four dangers that an individual who gone forth from the lay life to homelessness in this teaching and training should anticipate.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

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