[331] 60. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Bārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Now on that occasion a number of elder bhikkhus (bhikkhu), having returned from their alms round after the meal, were sitting assembled together in the round pavilion, giving a talk on the higher Dhamma (abhidhammakathā). And there the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta, while the elder bhikkhus were giving the talk on the higher Dhamma, kept interrupting their talk. Then the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika said to the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta: "The Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta, while the elder bhikkhus are giving a talk on the higher Dhamma, keeps interrupting their talk. Let the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta wait until the talk is concluded."
When this was said, the bhikkhus who were friends of the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta said to the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika: "The Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika too disparages the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta. The Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta is wise; the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta is capable of giving a talk on the higher Dhamma with the elder bhikkhus." "This is hard to know, friends, for those who do not know the ways of another's mind (cetopariyāya).
"Here, friends, some person is gentle in the extreme, humble in the extreme, calm in the extreme, so long as he dwells relying upon the Teacher or upon some fellow practitioner of the holy life standing in the position of a teacher. But when he departs from the Teacher, departs from those fellow practitioners standing in the position of a teacher, he dwells in association with bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and disciples of sectarians. As he dwells in association, unrestrained, unguarded, devoted to talk, lust corrupts his mind (citta). With a mind corrupted by lust, he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life.
"Suppose, friends, an ox accustomed to eating the crops were bound with a rope or confined in a pen. Would one, friends, be speaking rightly who should say: 'Now this crop-eating ox will never again go down into the crops'?" "Surely not, friend. It is possible that that crop-eating ox, having broken the rope or burst through the pen, would go down into the crops once again." "Just so, friends, some person here is gentle in the extreme, humble in the extreme, calm in the extreme, so long as he dwells relying upon the Teacher or upon some fellow practitioner of the holy life standing in the position of a teacher. But when he departs from the Teacher, departs from those fellow practitioners standing in the position of a teacher, he dwells in association with bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and disciples of sectarians. As he dwells in association, unrestrained, unguarded, devoted to talk, lust corrupts his mind. With a mind corrupted by lust, he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life.
"Here again, friends, some person, quite secluded from sensual pleasures … enters and dwells in the first jhāna. Thinking, 'I am a gainer of the first jhāna,' he dwells in association with bhikkhus … he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life. Suppose, friends, at a great crossroads a rain of thick drops, pouring down, were to make the dust vanish and make mud appear. Would one, friends, be speaking rightly who should say: 'Now dust will never again appear at that crossroads'?" "Surely not, friend. It is possible that people would pass along that crossroads, or cattle and livestock would pass along it, or wind and sun would exhaust the moisture, and then dust would appear once again." "Just so, friends, some person here, quite secluded from sensual pleasures … enters and dwells in the first jhāna. Thinking, 'I am a gainer of the first jhāna,' he dwells in association with bhikkhus … he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life.
"Here again, friends, some person, with the subsiding of thought and examination … enters and dwells in the second jhāna. Thinking, 'I am a gainer of the second jhāna,' he dwells in association with bhikkhus … he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life. Suppose, friends, not far from a village or a town there were a great pond, and a rain of thick drops falling there were to make both the oyster shells and mussel shells and the gravel and pebbles disappear. Would one, friends, be speaking rightly who should say: 'Now oyster shells and mussel shells, gravel and pebbles, will never again appear in that pond'?" "Surely not, friend. It is possible that people would drink from that pond, or cattle and livestock would drink from it, or wind and sun would exhaust the moisture, and then both the oyster shells and mussel shells and the gravel and pebbles would appear once again." "Just so, friends, some person here, with the subsiding of thought and examination … enters and dwells in the second jhāna. Thinking, 'I am a gainer of the second jhāna,' he dwells in association with bhikkhus … he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life.
"Here again, friends, some person, with the fading away of rapture (pīti) … enters and dwells in the third jhāna. Thinking, 'I am a gainer of the third jhāna,' he dwells in association with bhikkhus … he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life. Suppose, friends, food left overnight would not appeal to a man who has eaten fine food. Would one, friends, be speaking rightly who should say: 'Now food will never again appeal to that man'?" "Surely not, friend. Other food will not appeal to that man who has eaten fine food so long as its nutritive essence remains in his body; but when that nutritive essence disappears, then that food would appeal to him once again." "Just so, friends, some person here, with the fading away of rapture … enters and dwells in the third jhāna. Thinking, 'I am a gainer of the third jhāna,' he dwells in association with bhikkhus … he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life.
"Here again, friends, some person, with the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain … enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. Thinking, 'I am a gainer of the fourth jhāna,' he dwells in association with bhikkhus … he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life. Suppose, friends, in a mountain glen there were a lake, sheltered from the wind, free from waves. Would one, friends, be speaking rightly who should say: 'Now a wave will never again appear in that lake'?" "Surely not, friend. It is possible that a violent storm of wind and rain coming from the eastern quarter would raise a wave in that lake; one coming from the western quarter … coming from the northern quarter, coming from the southern quarter, a violent storm of wind and rain would raise a wave in that lake." "Just so, friends, some person here, with the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain … enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. Thinking, 'I am a gainer of the fourth jhāna,' he dwells in association with bhikkhus … he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life.
"Here again, friends, some person, through non-attention to all signs, enters and dwells in the signless concentration of mind (animitta cetosamādhi). Thinking, 'I am a gainer of the signless concentration of mind,' he dwells in association with bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and disciples of sectarians. As he dwells in association, unrestrained, unguarded, devoted to talk, lust corrupts his mind. With a mind corrupted by lust, he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life. Suppose, friends, a king or a royal minister, travelling along a highway with a fourfold army, were to come to spend one night in a certain forest grove, and there, because of the sound of elephants, the sound of horses, the sound of chariots, the sound of infantry, and the resounding din of drums, kettledrums, conchs, and lutes, the sound of the crickets would disappear. Would one be speaking rightly, friends, who should say: 'Now the sound of the crickets will never again appear in that forest grove'?" "Surely not, friend. It is possible that when that king or royal minister has departed from that forest grove, the sound of the crickets would appear once again." "Just so, friends, some person here, through non-attention to all signs, enters and dwells in the signless concentration of mind. Thinking, 'I am a gainer of the signless concentration of mind,' he dwells in association with bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and disciples of sectarians. As he dwells in association, unrestrained, unguarded, devoted to talk, lust corrupts his mind. With a mind corrupted by lust, he gives up the training and reverts to the lower life."
Then, at a later time, the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta gave up the training and reverted to the lower life. Then the bhikkhus who were friends of Citta Hatthisāriputta approached the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika, and having approached, they said to the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika: "Did the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika know Citta Hatthisāriputta, having encompassed his mind with his own mind, thus: 'Citta Hatthisāriputta is a gainer of such and such meditative dwellings and attainments, and yet he will give up the training and revert to the lower life'? Or did deities report this matter: 'Venerable sir, Citta Hatthisāriputta is a gainer of such and such meditative dwellings and attainments, and yet he will give up the training and revert to the lower life'?" "Friends, having encompassed his mind with my own mind, I knew of Citta Hatthisāriputta: 'He is a gainer of such and such meditative dwellings and attainments, and yet he will give up the training and revert to the lower life.' And deities too reported this matter to me: 'Venerable sir, Citta Hatthisāriputta is a gainer of such and such meditative dwellings and attainments, and yet he will give up the training and revert to the lower life.'" Then the bhikkhus who were friends of Citta Hatthisāriputta approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, those bhikkhus said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, Citta Hatthisāriputta was a gainer of such and such meditative dwellings and attainments, and yet he has given up the training and reverted to the lower life." "Bhikkhus, it will not be long before Citta remembers renunciation (nekkhamma)."
Then, not long afterwards, Citta Hatthisāriputta shaved off his hair and beard, put on the ochre robes, and went forth from the household life into homelessness. Then the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta, dwelling alone, withdrawn, heedful, ardent (ātāpī), and resolute, before long realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the household life into homelessness, and having entered upon it, he dwelled therein. He directly knew: "Birth (jāti) is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to this state of being." And the Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta became one of the arahants.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.