Tipitaka » Sutta
Pitaka » Samyutta Nikaya » Context
of this sutta
- Samyutta Nikaya XVII.5
- Pilahaka Sutta
- The Dung Beetle
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
Dwelling at Savatthi. "Monks, gains, offerings, & fame
are a cruel thing, a harsh, bitter obstacle to the attainment of the unexcelled rest from
bondage. Suppose there were a beetle, a dung-eater, full of dung,
gorged with dung, with a huge pile of dung in front of him. He, because of that, would
look down on other beetles: 'Yes, sirree! I am a dung-eater, full of dung, gorged with
dung, with a huge pile of dung in front of me!' In the same way, there is the case where a
certain monk -- conquered by gains, offerings, & fame, his mind consumed -- puts on
his robes and, carrying his bowl & outer robe, goes into a village or town for alms.
Having eaten there as much as he likes -- full of almsfood & invited again for the
next day -- he goes to the monastery and, in the midst of a group of monks, boasts, 'I
have eaten as much as I like, I am full of almsfood & have been invited again for
tomorrow. I am a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medicinal requisites for
curing illness. These other monks, though, have next to no merit, next to no influence.
They aren't recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medicinal requisites for curing
illness.' Conquered by gains, offerings, & fame, his mind consumed, he looks down on
other well-behaved monks. That will be for this worthless man's long-term suffering &
harm. That's how cruel gains, offerings, & fame are: a harsh, bitter obstacle to the
attainment of the unexcelled rest from bondage.
"Thus you should train yourselves: 'We will put aside any gains, offerings, &
fame that have arisen; and we will not let any gains, offerings, & fame that have
arisen keep our minds consumed.' That's how you should train yourselves."