[85] On one occasion the Venerable Mahācunda was dwelling among the Cetis at Sahajāti. There the Venerable Mahācunda addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, bhikkhus!" "Friend," those bhikkhus replied to the Venerable Mahācunda. The Venerable Mahācunda said this:
"Here, friends, a bhikkhu is a boaster, a braggart about his attainments: 'I attain the first jhāna and I also emerge from it; I attain the second jhāna and I also emerge from it; I attain the third jhāna and I also emerge from it; I attain the fourth jhāna and I also emerge from it; I attain the sphere of the infinity of space (ākāsānañcāyatana) and I also emerge from it; I attain the sphere of the infinity of consciousness (viññāṇañcāyatana) and I also emerge from it; I attain the sphere of nothingness (ākiñcaññāyatana) and I also emerge from it; I attain the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception (nevasaññānāsaññāyatana) and I also emerge from it; I attain the cessation of perception and feeling (saññāvedayitanirodha) and I also emerge from it.'
"The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments (samāpatti), skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of others' minds, questions him, interrogates him, and cross-examines him. Being questioned, interrogated, and cross-examined by the Tathāgata, or by a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of others' minds, he falls into barrenness, falls into destitution, falls into calamity, falls into disaster, falls into calamity and disaster. The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of others' minds, having encompassed his mind with his own mind, attends to him thus: 'How is it that this venerable one is a boaster, a braggart about his attainments: "I attain the first jhāna and I also emerge from it … I attain the cessation of perception and feeling and I also emerge from it"?' The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of others' minds, having encompassed his mind with his own mind, understands him thus: 'For a long time this venerable one has been one whose conduct is broken, whose conduct is torn, whose conduct is blotched, whose conduct is mottled, one who does not act consistently, who does not behave consistently with regard to virtuous conduct; this venerable one is immoral—and immorality is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is without faith, of improper conduct—and lack of faith is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is of little learning, of improper conduct—and being of little learning is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is difficult to correct, of improper conduct—and being difficult to correct is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one has evil friends—and having evil friends is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is lazy—and laziness is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is of muddled mindfulness—and muddled mindfulness is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is a deceiver—and deceitfulness is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is difficult to support—and being difficult to support is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is of weak wisdom—and weak wisdom is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata.'
"Suppose, friends, one friend should say to a friend: 'My dear, whenever there is some business for you that must be done with money, you should inform me, and I will give you money.' Then, when some business requiring money had arisen, that friend would say to his friend: 'I have need of money, my dear; give me money.' The other would say: 'In that case, my dear, dig here.' Digging there, he would find nothing. He would say: 'You spoke falsely to me, my dear; you spoke emptily to me, my dear, saying, "Dig here."' The other would say: 'I did not speak falsely to you, my dear; I did not speak emptily. So then, my dear, dig here.' Digging there too, he would find nothing. He would say: 'You spoke falsely to me, my dear; you spoke emptily to me, my dear, saying, "Dig here."' The other would say: 'I did not speak falsely to you, my dear; I did not speak emptily. So then, my dear, dig here.' Digging there too, he would find nothing. He would say: 'You spoke falsely to me, my dear; you spoke emptily to me, my dear, saying, "Dig here."' The other would say: 'I did not speak falsely to you, my dear; I did not speak emptily; rather, it is I myself who have gone mad—a derangement of mind.'
"Even so, friends, a bhikkhu is a boaster, a braggart about his attainments: 'I attain the first jhāna and I also emerge from it; I attain the second jhāna and I also emerge from it; I attain the third jhāna and I also emerge from it; I attain the fourth jhāna and I also emerge from it; I attain the sphere of the infinity of space and I also emerge from it; I attain the sphere of the infinity of consciousness and I also emerge from it; I attain the sphere of nothingness and I also emerge from it; I attain the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception and I also emerge from it; I attain the cessation of perception and feeling and I also emerge from it.' The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of others' minds, questions him, interrogates him, and cross-examines him. Being questioned, interrogated, and cross-examined by the Tathāgata, or by a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of others' minds, he falls into barrenness, falls into destitution, falls into calamity, falls into disaster, falls into calamity and disaster. The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of others' minds, having encompassed his mind with his own mind, attends to him thus: 'How is it that this venerable one is a boaster, a braggart about his attainments: "I attain the first jhāna and I also emerge from it … I attain the cessation of perception and feeling and I also emerge from it"?' The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of others' minds, having encompassed his mind with his own mind, understands him thus: 'For a long time this venerable one has been one whose conduct is broken, whose conduct is torn, whose conduct is blotched, whose conduct is mottled, one who does not act consistently, who does not behave consistently with regard to virtuous conduct; this venerable one is immoral—and immorality is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is without faith—and lack of faith is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is of little learning, of improper conduct—and being of little learning is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is difficult to correct—and being difficult to correct is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one has evil friends—and having evil friends is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is lazy—and laziness is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is of muddled mindfulness—and muddled mindfulness is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is a deceiver—and deceitfulness is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is difficult to support—and being difficult to support is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is of weak wisdom—and weak wisdom is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata.'
"That a bhikkhu, friends, without having abandoned these ten things, will come to growth, increase, and abundance in this Dhamma and Discipline—this is impossible. That a bhikkhu, having abandoned these ten things, will come to growth, increase, and abundance in this Dhamma and Discipline—this is possible."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.