[98] On one occasion the Venerable Uttara was dwelling at Mahisavatthu, on Saṅkheyyaka Mountain, at Vaṭṭajālikā. There the Venerable Uttara addressed the bhikkhus (bhikkhu): "It is good, friends, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews his own failure (attavipatti). It is good, friends, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews the failure of others (paravipatti). It is good, friends, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews his own success (attasampatti). It is good, friends, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews the success of others (parasampatti)."
Now on that occasion the great king Vessavaṇa was going from the northern quarter to the southern quarter on some business or other. The great king Vessavaṇa heard the Venerable Uttara teaching the Dhamma to the bhikkhus at Mahisavatthu, on Saṅkheyyaka Mountain, at Vaṭṭajālikā, thus: "It is good, friends, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews his own failure. It is good, friends, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews the failure of others. It is good, friends, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews his own success. It is good, friends, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews the success of others." Then, just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, the great king Vessavaṇa vanished from Mahisavatthu, from Saṅkheyyaka Mountain, from Vaṭṭajālikā, and appeared among the Tāvatiṃsa devas. Then the great king Vessavaṇa approached Sakka, lord of devas, and having approached, said to Sakka, lord of devas: "Please know, dear sir, that this Venerable Uttara is teaching the Dhamma to the bhikkhus at Mahisavatthu, on Saṅkheyyaka Mountain, at Vaṭṭajālikā, thus: 'It is good, friends, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews his own failure … reviews the success of others.'"
Then, just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, Sakka, lord of devas, vanished from among the Tāvatiṃsa devas and appeared at Mahisavatthu, on Saṅkheyyaka Mountain, at Vaṭṭajālikā, in the presence of the Venerable Uttara. Then Sakka, lord of devas, approached the Venerable Uttara; having approached and paid homage to the Venerable Uttara, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, Sakka, lord of devas, said to the Venerable Uttara: "Is it true, Bhante, that the Venerable Uttara teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhus thus: 'It is good, friends, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews his own failure … reviews the success of others'?" "It is so, lord of devas." "But, Bhante, is this the Venerable Uttara's own inspiration (paṭibhāṇa), or is it the word of that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Enlightened One?"
"Well then, lord of devas, I shall give you a simile; for by means of a simile some wise persons here understand the meaning of what is said. Suppose, lord of devas, there were a great heap of grain not far from a village or town, and a great crowd of people were carrying grain away from it on their bodies, on their heads, at their hips, and in their cupped hands. If, lord of devas, someone were to approach that great crowd of people and ask them thus: 'From where are you bringing this grain?' — answering in what way, lord of devas, would that great crowd of people, answering rightly, answer?" "Bhante, that great crowd of people, answering rightly, would answer: 'We are bringing it from that great heap of grain.'" "So too, lord of devas, whatever is well spoken is all the word of that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Enlightened One. Drawing upon it again and again from that, we speak that grain."
"It is wonderful, Bhante! It is marvellous, Bhante! How well this has been said by the Venerable Uttara: 'Whatever is well spoken is all the word of that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Enlightened One. Drawing upon it again and again from that, we speak that grain.' On one occasion, Bhante Uttara, the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha, on Gijjhakūṭa Mountain, not long after Devadatta had departed. There the Blessed One, with reference to Devadatta, addressed the bhikkhus: 'It is good, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews his own failure. It is good, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu from time to time reviews the failure of others, his own success, and the success of others. Overcome and with mind obsessed by eight bad qualities (asaddhamma), bhikkhus, Devadatta is bound for the plane of deprivation, bound for hell, to remain there for an eon, incurable. By what eight? Overcome and with mind obsessed by gain, bhikkhus, Devadatta is bound for the plane of deprivation, bound for hell, to remain there for an eon, incurable; by loss, bhikkhus; by fame, bhikkhus; by disrepute, bhikkhus; by honor, bhikkhus; by lack of honor, bhikkhus; by evil desire, bhikkhus; by evil friendship, bhikkhus — overcome and with mind obsessed, Devadatta is bound for the plane of deprivation, bound for hell, to remain there for an eon, incurable. Overcome and with mind obsessed by these eight bad qualities, bhikkhus, Devadatta is bound for the plane of deprivation, bound for hell, to remain there for an eon, incurable. It is good, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu should dwell having repeatedly overcome arisen gain; that he should dwell having repeatedly overcome arisen loss, arisen fame, arisen disrepute, arisen honor, arisen lack of honor, arisen evil desire, and arisen evil friendship.
'And for the sake of what benefit, bhikkhus, should a bhikkhu dwell having repeatedly overcome arisen gain; should he dwell having repeatedly overcome arisen loss, arisen fame, arisen disrepute, arisen honor, arisen lack of honor, arisen evil desire, and arisen evil friendship? For in one who dwells without having overcome arisen gain, bhikkhus, taints (āsava) productive of distress and fever might arise; but in one who dwells having overcome arisen gain, those taints productive of distress and fever do not occur. For in one who dwells without having overcome arisen loss, arisen fame, arisen disrepute, arisen honor, arisen lack of honor, arisen evil desire, and arisen evil friendship, bhikkhus, taints productive of distress and fever might arise; but in one who dwells having overcome arisen evil friendship, those taints productive of distress and fever do not occur. It is for the sake of this benefit, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu should dwell having repeatedly overcome arisen gain; that he should dwell having repeatedly overcome arisen loss, arisen fame, arisen disrepute, arisen honor, arisen lack of honor, arisen evil desire, and arisen evil friendship. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: "We will dwell having repeatedly overcome arisen gain; we will dwell having repeatedly overcome arisen loss, arisen fame, arisen disrepute, arisen honor, arisen lack of honor, arisen evil desire, and arisen evil friendship." Thus, bhikkhus, should you train.'
"To this extent, Bhante Uttara, among human beings there are four assemblies — bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, laymen, and laywomen — yet this exposition of the Dhamma is not established anywhere [among them]. May the Venerable Uttara learn this exposition of the Dhamma, Bhante; may the Venerable Uttara master this exposition of the Dhamma, Bhante; may the Venerable Uttara retain this exposition of the Dhamma, Bhante. This exposition of the Dhamma, Bhante, is beneficial; it is fundamental to the holy life."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.