This is as I heard from the Blessed One. Those days the Blessed One was living in the province of Sāvatthī, at the Eastern Monastery, called the palace of Migāra’s mother. On a certain uposatha day, the Blessed One was sitting surrounded by the community of monks. Then Venerable Ānanda, when it was late at night, at the end of the first watch, got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, stood facing the Blessed One, worshiping him, and said to him, “Bhante, the night is far advanced. The first watch has ended. The community of monks has been sitting here for a long time. May the Blessed One recite the Pāṭimokkha (monastic codes of discipline) to them.”1 When this was said, the Blessed One remained silent.
Then a second time, when it was late at night, at the end of the middle watch, Venerable Ānanda got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, stood facing the Blessed One, worshiping him, and said to him, “Bhante, the night is far advanced. The second watch has ended. The community of monks has been sitting here for a long time. May the Blessed One recite the Pāṭimokkha to them.” When this was said, the Blessed One remained silent.
Then a third time, when it was late at night, at the end of the last watch, as dawn had arose and the night has ended, Venerable Ānanda got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, stood facing the Blessed One, worshiping him, and said to him, “Bhante, the night is far advanced. The last watch has ended. Dawn has arisen and the night has ended. The community of monks has been sitting here for a long time. May the Blessed One recite the Pāṭimokkha to the community of monks.”
“Ānanda, the gathering isn’t pure.”
Then the thought occurred to Venerable Mahā Moggallāna, “By reading whose mind, did the Blessed One just now say, ‘Ānanda, the gathering isn’t pure’?” So he read the minds of the entire community of monks with his own mind. He saw that person—unvirtuous, evil, corrupted and suspect in his behaviour, hidden in his actions, not a monk though claiming to be one, not leading the holy life though claiming to do so, inwardly rotten, oozing with evil desires, filthy by nature—sitting in the midst of the community of monks. On seeing him, Venerable Mahā Moggallāna got up, went over to that person, and on reaching him said, “Get up, friend. You have been seen by the Blessed One. You have no connection with the community of monks.” Then the person remained silent. A second time Venerable Mahā Moggallāna said, “Get up, friend. You have been seen by the Blessed One. You have no connection with the community of monks.” A third time, Venerable Mahā Moggallāna said, “Get up, friend. You have been seen by the Blessed One. You have no connection with the community of monks.” And for a third time the person remained silent.
Then Venerable Mahā Moggallāna, grabbing that person by the arm, having expelled him through the outside door of the porch and locking the door, approached the Blessed One and said, “I have expelled that person, Bhante. The gathering is now pure. Let the Blessed One recite the Pāṭimokkha to the community of monks.”
“Isn’t it amazing, Moggallāna. Isn’t it astounding, how that worthless man waited until he was grabbed by the arm.” Then the Blessed One addressed the monks, “From now on, I will no longer perform the observance or recite the Pāṭimokkha. From now on, you alone, monks, will perform the observance and recite the Pāṭimokkha. It is impossible, it cannot happen, that a Supreme Buddha would perform the observance or recite the Pāṭimokkha with an impure gathering.
“Monks, there are these eight amazing and astounding qualities of the ocean because of which, as they see them again and again, the asuras take great joy in the ocean. Which eight?
1. “Monks, the ocean has a gradual shelf, a gradual slope, a gradual inclination, with a sudden drop-off only after a long stretch. Monks, the fact that the ocean has a gradual shelf, a gradual slope, a gradual inclination, with a sudden drop-off only after a long stretch, is the first amazing and astounding quality of the ocean because of which, as they see it again and again, the asuras take great joy in the ocean.
2. “Also monks, the ocean is stable and does not overstep its shore. Monks, the fact that the ocean is stable and does not overstep its shore, is the second amazing and astounding quality of the ocean because of which, as they see it again and again, the asuras take great joy in the ocean.
3. “Also monks, the ocean does not keep a dead body. Any dead body in the ocean gets quickly washed to the shore and thrown up on dry land. Monks, the fact the ocean does not keep a dead body and any dead body in the ocean gets quickly washed to the shore and thrown up on dry land, is the third amazing and astounding quality of the ocean because of which, as they see it again and again, the asuras take great joy in the ocean.
4. “Also monks, whatever great rivers there are–such as the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī–on reaching the ocean, give up their former names and are simply called the ‘ocean’. Monks, the fact that whatever great rivers there are–such as the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī–on reaching the ocean, give up their former names and are simply called the ‘ocean’, is the fourth amazing and astounding quality of the ocean because of which, as they see it again and again, the asuras take great joy in the ocean.
5. “Also monks, though the rivers of the world pour into the ocean, and rains fall from the sky, no increase or decrease in the ocean for those reasons can be seen. Monks, the fact that the rivers of the world pour into the ocean, and rains fall from the sky, no increase or decrease in the ocean for those reasons can be seen, is the fifth amazing and astounding quality of the ocean because of which, as they see it again and again, the asuras take great joy in the ocean.
6. “Also monks, the ocean has a single taste, the taste of salt. Monks, the fact that the ocean has a single taste, the taste of salt, is the sixth amazing and astounding quality of the ocean because of which, as they see it again and again, the asuras take great joy in the ocean.
7. “Also monks, the ocean has many treasures: pearls, sapphires, lapis lazuli, shells, quartz, coral, silver, gold, rubies, and cat’s eyes. Monks, the fact that the ocean has many treasures: pearls, sapphires, lapis lazuli, shells, quartz, coral, silver, gold, rubies, and cat’s eyes, is the seventh amazing and astounding quality of the ocean because of which, as they see it again and again, the asuras take great joy in the ocean.
8. “Also monks, the ocean is the home of such mighty beings as these: whales, whale-eaters, and whale-eater-eaters; asuras, nāgas, and gandhabbas. There are beings in the ocean one thousand kilometers long, two thousand… three thousand… four thousand… five thousand kilometers long. The fact that the ocean is the home of such mighty beings as these: whales, whale-eaters, and whale-eater-eaters; asuras, nāgas, and gandhabbas and there are beings in the ocean one thousand kilometers long, two thousand… three thousand… four thousand… five thousand kilometers long, is the eighth amazing and astounding quality of the ocean because of which, as they see it again and again, the asuras take great joy in the ocean.
“These are the eight amazing and astounding qualities of the ocean because of which, as they see them again and again, the asuras take great joy in the ocean.
“In the same way, monks, there are eight amazing and astounding qualities of this Dhamma path because of which, as they see them again and again, the monks take great joy in this Dhamma path. Which eight?
1. “Just as the ocean has a gradual shelf, a gradual slope, a gradual inclination, with a sudden drop-off only after a long stretch, in the same way, this Dhamma path has a gradual training, a gradual process, a gradual practice. One attains enlightenment through a gradual path. Monks, the fact that this Dhamma path has a gradual training, a gradual performance, a gradual practice and one attains enlightenment through a gradual path, is the first amazing and astounding quality of this Dhamma path because of which, as they see it again and again, the monks take great joy in this Dhamma path.
2. Also monks, just as the ocean is stable and does not overstep its shore, in the same way, my disciples even for the sake of their lives, do not break precepts that have been set by me. Monks, the fact that this Dhamma path has disciples that even for the sake of their lives, do not break precepts that have been set by me, is the second amazing and astounding quality of this Dhamma path because of which, as they see it again and again, the monks take great joy in this Dhamma path.
3. Also monks, just as the ocean does not keep a dead body–any dead body in the ocean gets quickly washed to the shore and thrown up on dry land–in the same way, if a person is unvirtuous, evil, corrupted and suspect in his behaviour, hidden in his actions, not a monk though claiming to be one, not leading the holy life though claiming to do so, inwardly rotten, oozing with desire, filthy by nature–the community has no connection with him. Having quickly gathered together, they suspend him from the community. Even though he may be sitting in the midst of the community of monks, he is far from the community, and the community far from him. The fact that in this Dhamma path if a person is unvirtuous, evil, corrupted and suspect in his behaviour, hidden in his actions, not a monk though claiming to be one, not leading the holy life though claiming to do so, inwardly rotten, oozing with desire, filthy by nature–the community has no connection with him. Having quickly gathered together, they suspend him from the community. Even though he may be sitting in the midst of the community of monks, he is far from the community, and the community far from him, is the third amazing and astounding quality of this Dhamma path because of which, as they see it again and again, the monks take great joy in this Dhamma path.
4. Also monks, just as whatever great rivers there are–such as the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū, the Mahī–on reaching the ocean, give up their former names and are simply called the ‘ocean’, in the same way, when members of the four castes–royals, brahmins, merchants, and workers–become monks in this Dhamma path taught by the Supreme Buddha, they give up their former names and clans and are simply called ‘monks’ or ‘sons of the Sakyan Sage’. The fact that in this Dhamma path when members of the four castes–royals, brahmins, merchants, and workers–become monks in this Dhamma path taught by the Supreme Buddha, they give up their former names and clans and are simply called ‘monks’ or ‘sons of the Sakyan Sage’, is the fourth amazing and astounding quality of this Dhamma path because of which, as they see it again and again, the monks take great joy in this Dhamma path.
5. Also monks, just as the rivers of the world pour into the ocean, and rains fall from the sky, no increase or decrease in the ocean for those reasons can be seen, in the same way, although many monks attain parinibbāna2, no increase or decrease in nibbāna can be seen. The fact that in this Dhamma path although many monks attain parinibbāna, no increase or decrease in nibbāna can be seen, is the fifth amazing and astounding quality of this Dhamma path because of which, as they see it again and again, the monks take great joy in this Dhamma path.
6. Also monks, just as the ocean has a single taste, the taste of salt, in the same way, this Dhamma path has a single taste, the taste of liberation. The fact that this Dhamma path has a single taste, the taste of liberation, is the sixth amazing and astounding quality of this Dhamma path because of which, as they see it again and again, the monks take great joy in this Dhamma path.
7. Also monks, just as the ocean has many treasures–pearls, sapphires, lapis lazuli, shells, quartz, coral, silver, gold, rubies, and cat’s eyes–in the same way, this Dhamma path has many treasures–the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic powers, the five spiritual faculties, the five spiritual powers, the seven factors for enlightenment, the noble eightfold path.The fact that this Dhamma path has many treasures–the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic powers, the five spiritual faculties, the five spiritual powers, the seven factors for enlightenment, the noble eightfold pat– is the seventh amazing and astounding quality of this Dhamma path because of which, as they see it again and again, the monks take great joy in this Dhamma path.
8. Also monks, just as the ocean is the home of such mighty beings as these–whales, whale-eaters, and whale-eater-eaters; asuras, nāgas, and gandhabbas–there are beings in the ocean one thousand kilometers long, two thousand… three thousand… four thousand… five thousand kilometers long– in the same way, this Dhamma path is the home of such mighty beings as these–stream-enterers and those practicing to realize the stage of stream-entry; once-returners and those practicing to realize the stage of once-returning; non-returners and those practicing to realize the stage of non-returning; arahants and those practicing for arahantship. The fact that this Dhamma path is the home of such mighty beings as these–stream-enterers and those practicing to realize the stage of stream-entry; once-returners and those practicing to realize the stage of once-returning; non-returners and those practicing to realize the stage of non-returning; arahants and those practicing for arahantship–is the eighth amazing and astounding quality of this Dhamma path because of which, as they see it again and again, the monks take great joy in this Dhamma path.
“These are the eight amazing and astounding qualities of this Dhamma path because of which, as they see them again and again, the monks take great joy in this Dhamma path.”
Then, on realizing the purity of honest life, the Blessed One spoke the following inspired verse:
“Evil desires rain down
when wrongdoing is concealed.
Evil desires do not rain down
when wrongdoing is revealed.
Therefore, reveal the concealed wrongdoings.
As a result evil desires will not rain down.”
