At Kusinārā Kusinārasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Kusinārā, in the Forest of Offerings. Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kusinārāyaṁ viharati baliharaṇe vanasaṇḍe. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “Mendicants!” “bhikkhavo”ti.

“Venerable sir,” they replied. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. The Buddha said this: Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Mendicants, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should first check five things in themselves and establish five things in themselves. “Codakena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ paccavekkhitvā pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetvā paro codetabbo. What five things should they check in themselves? Katame pañca dhammā ajjhattaṁ paccavekkhitabbā? A mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this: Codakena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena evaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ: ‘Is my bodily behavior pure? Do I have pure bodily behavior that is impeccable and irreproachable? ‘parisuddhakāyasamācāro nu khomhi, parisuddhenamhi kāyasamācārena samannāgato acchiddena appaṭimaṁsena. Is this thing found in me or not?’ Saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no’ti? If it’s not, there will be people who say: No ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu parisuddhakāyasamācāro hoti parisuddhena kāyasamācārena samannāgato acchiddena appaṭimaṁsena, tassa bhavanti vattāro: ‘Come on, venerable, train your own bodily behavior first.’ ‘iṅgha tāva āyasmā kāyikaṁ sikkhassū’ti, itissa bhavanti vattāro.

Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this: Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, codakena bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena evaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ: ‘Is my verbal behavior pure? Do I have pure verbal behavior that is impeccable and irreproachable? ‘parisuddhavacīsamācāro nu khomhi, parisuddhenamhi vacīsamācārena samannāgato acchiddena appaṭimaṁsena. Is this thing found in me or not?’ Saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no’ti? If it’s not, there will be people who say: No ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu parisuddhavacīsamācāro hoti parisuddhena vacīsamācārena samannāgato acchiddena appaṭimaṁsena, tassa bhavanti vattāro: ‘Come on, venerable, train your own verbal behavior first.’ ‘iṅgha tāva āyasmā vācasikaṁ sikkhassū’ti, itissa bhavanti vattāro.

Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this: Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, codakena bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena evaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ: ‘Is my heart established in love for my spiritual companions, without resentment? ‘mettaṁ nu kho me cittaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ sabrahmacārīsu anāghātaṁ. Is this thing found in me or not?’ Saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no’ti? If it’s not, there will be people who say: No ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno mettaṁ cittaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ hoti sabrahmacārīsu anāghātaṁ, tassa bhavanti vattāro: ‘Come on, venerable, establish your heart in love for your spiritual companions first.’ ‘iṅgha tāva āyasmā sabrahmacārīsu mettaṁ cittaṁ upaṭṭhāpehī’ti, itissa bhavanti vattāro.

Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this: Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, codakena bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena evaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ: ‘Am I very learned, remembering and keeping what I’ve learned? These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. Am I very learned in such teachings, remembering them, rehearsing them, mentally scrutinizing them, and penetrating them theoretically? ‘bahussuto nu khomhi sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpā me dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā. Is this thing found in me or not?’ Saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no’ti? If it’s not, there will be people who say: No ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahussuto hoti sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpāssa dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā, tassa bhavanti vattāro: ‘Come on, venerable, memorize the scriptures first.’ ‘iṅgha tāva āyasmā āgamaṁ pariyāpuṇassū’ti, itissa bhavanti vattāro.

Furthermore, a mendicant who wants to accuse another should check this: Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, codakena bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena evaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ: ‘Have both monastic codes been passed down to me in detail, well analyzed, well mastered, and well evaluated in both the rules and accompanying material? ‘ubhayāni kho pana me pātimokkhāni vitthārena svāgatāni honti suvibhattāni suppavattīni suvinicchitāni suttaso anubyañjanaso. Is this thing found in me or not?’ Saṁvijjati nu kho me eso dhammo udāhu no’ti? If it’s not, and if they are unable to respond when asked “Venerable, where was this spoken by the Buddha?” there will be people who say: No ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ubhayāni pātimokkhāni vitthārena svāgatāni honti suvibhattāni suppavattīni suvinicchitāni suttaso anubyañjanaso, ‘idaṁ panāyasmā, kattha vuttaṁ bhagavatā’ti, iti puṭṭho na sampāyissati. Tassa bhavanti vattāro: ‘Come on, venerable, train in the monastic code first.’ ‘iṅgha tāva āyasmā vinayaṁ sikkhassū’ti, itissa bhavanti vattāro. These are the five things they should check in themselves. Ime pañca dhammā ajjhattaṁ paccavekkhitabbā.

What five things should they establish in themselves? Katame pañca dhammā ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetabbā? ‘I will speak at the right time, not at the wrong time. ‘Kālena vakkhāmi, no akālena; I will speak truthfully, not falsely. bhūtena vakkhāmi, no abhūtena; I will speak gently, not harshly. saṇhena vakkhāmi, no pharusena; I will speak beneficially, not harmfully. atthasaṁhitena vakkhāmi, no anatthasaṁhitena; I will speak lovingly, not from secret hate.’ mettacitto vakkhāmi, no dosantaro’ti—These are the five things they should establish in themselves. ime pañca dhammā ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetabbā. A mendicant who wants to accuse another should first check these five things in themselves and establish these five things in themselves.” Codakena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā paraṁ codetukāmena ime pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ paccavekkhitvā ime pañca dhamme ajjhattaṁ upaṭṭhāpetvā paro codetabbo”ti.