[230] Bhikkhus, there are these five great thieves existing and found in the world. Which five?
Here, bhikkhus, it occurs to a certain great thief thus: "When indeed shall I, surrounded by a hundred or a thousand, roam among villages, towns, and royal cities—killing and causing to kill, cutting down and causing to cut down, burning and causing to burn?" And at a later time, surrounded by a hundred or a thousand, he roams among villages, towns, and royal cities—killing and causing to kill, cutting down and causing to cut down, burning and causing to burn. Even so, bhikkhus, it occurs to a certain evil bhikkhu here thus: "When indeed shall I, surrounded by a hundred or a thousand, wander on tour among villages, towns, and royal cities—honored, respected, esteemed, venerated, and revered by householders and by those gone forth alike, a gainer of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick?" And at a later time, surrounded by a hundred or a thousand, he wanders on tour among villages, towns, and royal cities—honored, respected, esteemed, venerated, and revered by householders and by those gone forth alike, a gainer of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick. This, bhikkhus, is the first great thief existing and found in the world.
Furthermore, bhikkhus, here a certain evil bhikkhu, having mastered the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, claims it as his own. This, bhikkhus, is the second great thief existing and found in the world.
Furthermore, bhikkhus, here a certain evil bhikkhu charges one who is pure, one leading the holy life in complete purity, with a groundless breach of the holy life. This, bhikkhus, is the third great thief existing and found in the world.
Furthermore, bhikkhus, here a certain evil bhikkhu, with whatever heavy goods and heavy requisites belong to the Saṅgha—that is to say: a monastery, a monastery site, a dwelling, a dwelling site, a bed, a bench, a mattress, a pillow, a metal pot, a metal jar, a metal bucket, a metal basin, an adze, a hatchet, an axe, a hoe, a chisel, creepers, bamboo, muñja grass, pabbaja reeds, grass, clay, articles of wood, articles of clay—wins over and ingratiates himself with householders by means of them. This, bhikkhus, is the fourth great thief existing and found in the world.
Bhikkhus, in this world with its devas, its Māra, and its Brahmā, in this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and human beings, this one is the supreme great thief: he who lays claim to a non-existent, unreal superhuman state (uttarimanussadhamma). And why is that? Bhikkhus, the country's almsfood has been eaten by you by theft.
He who proclaims himself to be
other than what he really is,
has eaten that food by theft,
like a cheat who wins by fraud.
Many with ochre robes about their necks
are of evil character, unrestrained;
those evil ones, by evil deeds,
are reborn in hell.
Better to eat an iron ball,
red-hot, like a flame of fire,
than that one of bad morals, unrestrained,
should eat the country's almsfood.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.