[110] (20) On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in the Eastern Park, in the mansion of Migāra's mother. Now on that occasion, on that uposatha day, the Blessed One was seated surrounded by the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Then, when the night was far advanced and the first watch had passed, the Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms in reverence toward the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, the night is far advanced; the first watch has passed; the Saṅgha of bhikkhus has been sitting long. Venerable sir, let the Blessed One recite the Pātimokkha to the bhikkhus." When this was said, the Blessed One remained silent.
A second time, when the night was far advanced and the middle watch had passed, the Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms in reverence toward the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, the night is far advanced; the middle watch has passed; the Saṅgha of bhikkhus has been sitting long. Venerable sir, let the Blessed One recite the Pātimokkha to the bhikkhus." A second time the Blessed One remained silent.
A third time, when the night was far advanced and the last watch had passed, when dawn had risen and the night wore a face of gladness, the Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms in reverence toward the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, the night is far advanced; the last watch has passed; dawn has risen and the night wears a face of gladness; the Saṅgha of bhikkhus has been sitting long. Venerable sir, let the Blessed One recite the Pātimokkha to the bhikkhus." "The assembly is not pure, Ānanda."
Then it occurred to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: "With reference to what person did the Blessed One say, 'The assembly is not pure, Ānanda'?" Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, encompassing with his own mind the minds of the entire Saṅgha of bhikkhus, attended to them. The Venerable Mahāmoggallāna saw that person — immoral, of evil character, of impure and suspect conduct, concealing his deeds, no ascetic though claiming to be an ascetic, not living the holy life though claiming to live the holy life, inwardly rotten, oozing with lust, of a rubbish-like nature — seated in the midst of the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Having seen him, he rose from his seat, approached that person, and said to that person: "Rise, friend. You have been seen by the Blessed One. There is no communion (saṃvāsa) for you with the bhikkhus." When this was said, that person remained silent. A second time the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said to that person: "Rise, friend. You have been seen by the Blessed One. There is no communion for you with the bhikkhus." A second time that person remained silent. A third time the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said to that person: "Rise, friend. You have been seen by the Blessed One. There is no communion for you with the bhikkhus." A third time that person remained silent. Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna took that person by the arm, ejected him beyond the outer gatehouse, and bolted the door; then he approached the Blessed One and said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, that person has been ejected by me. The assembly is pure. Venerable sir, let the Blessed One recite the Pātimokkha to the bhikkhus."
"It is astonishing, Moggallāna! It is marvellous, Moggallāna! — that that hollow man (moghapurisa) should have waited even until he was taken by the arm!" Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Now, bhikkhus, you yourselves should perform the uposatha; you yourselves should recite the Pātimokkha. From this day forward, bhikkhus, I shall not recite the Pātimokkha. It is impossible, bhikkhus, there is no occasion, that the Tathāgata should recite the Pātimokkha in an impure assembly.
"Bhikkhus, there are these eight astonishing and marvellous qualities in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean. What eight? Bhikkhus, the great ocean slopes gradually, inclines gradually, shelves gradually, with no abrupt precipice. That the great ocean slopes gradually, inclines gradually, shelves gradually, with no abrupt precipice — this, bhikkhus, is the first astonishing and marvellous quality in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean. [The detail is to be expanded as in the preceding sutta] … Furthermore, bhikkhus, the great ocean is the abode of great beings: therein are these beings — the timi, the timiṅgala, the timiramiṅgala, asuras, nāgas, and gandhabbas; there are in the great ocean individual bodies even a hundred yojanas in extent … even five hundred yojanas in extent. That the great ocean is the abode of great beings: therein are these beings — the timi, the timiṅgala, the timiramiṅgala, asuras, nāgas, and gandhabbas; there are in the great ocean individual bodies even a hundred yojanas in extent … even five hundred yojanas in extent — this, bhikkhus, is the eighth astonishing and marvellous quality in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean. These, bhikkhus, are the eight astonishing and marvellous qualities in the great ocean, seeing which again and again the asuras delight in the great ocean.
"Bhikkhus, in this Dhamma and Discipline there are these eight astonishing and marvellous qualities, seeing which again and again bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline. What eight? Just as, bhikkhus, the great ocean slopes gradually, inclines gradually, shelves gradually, with no abrupt precipice, even so, bhikkhus, in this Dhamma and Discipline there is gradual training, gradual doing, gradual practice; there is no penetration to final knowledge (aññā) all at once. That in this Dhamma and Discipline there is gradual training, gradual doing, gradual practice, with no penetration to final knowledge all at once — this, bhikkhus, is the first astonishing and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline. … Just as, bhikkhus, the great ocean is the abode of great beings: therein are these beings — the timi, the timiṅgala, the timiramiṅgala, asuras, nāgas, and gandhabbas; there are in the great ocean individual bodies even a hundred yojanas in extent … even five hundred yojanas in extent — even so, bhikkhus, this Dhamma and Discipline is the abode of great beings: therein are these beings — the stream-enterer (sotāpanna), the one practising for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry, … the arahant, the one practising for arahantship. That this Dhamma and Discipline is the abode of great beings: therein are these beings — the stream-enterer, the one practising for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry, … the arahant, the one practising for arahantship — this, bhikkhus, is the eighth astonishing and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which again and again bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline. These, bhikkhus, are the eight astonishing and marvellous qualities, seeing which again and again bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline."
The Great Chapter, the second.
Its summary (uddāna):
Verañjā, the lion, the thoroughbreds, with the wild colt, and the stains,
the messengers and the two on bondage, Pahārāda, and the Uposatha.
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The Chapter on Householders, the third.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.