The Discourse about Pilindivaccha

ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Rājagahe viharati,
at one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Rājagaha,

Veḷuvane Kalandakanivāpe.
in Bamboo Wood, at the Squirrels' Feeding Place.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā Pilindivaccho
Then at that time venerable Pilindivaccha

bhikkhū vasalavādena Vasalavāda here has to be taken metaphorically to give adequate meaning, I think, but the Commentary takes it quite literally, saying that he addressed monks, saying: Ehi vasala, apehi vasala.⁰¹ samudācarati.
accosted monks with words of contempt.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu,
Then many monks went to the Gracious One,

upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.
and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, they sat down on one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū Bhagavantaṁ etad-avocuṁ:
While sat on one side those monks said this to the Gracious One:

“Āyasmā bhante Pilindivaccho bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācaratī” ti.
“Venerable Pilindivaccha, reverend Sir, accosts monks with words of contempt.”

Atha kho Bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi:
Then the Gracious One addressed a certain monk, (saying):

mama vacanena Pilindivacchaṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantehi:
and with my word address the monk Pilindivaccha, (saying):

‘Satthā taṁ āvuso Pilindivaccha āmantetī’ ” ti.
‘The Teacher, friend Pilindivaccha, calls you.’ ”

“Evaṁ bhante,” ti kho so bhikkhu, Bhagavato paṭissutvā,
“Yes, reverend Sir,” said that monk, and after replying to the Gracious One,

yenāyasmā Pilindivaccho tenupasaṅkami,
he went to venerable Pilindivaccha,

upasaṅkamitvā, āyasmantaṁ Pilindivacchaṁ etad-avoca:
and after going, he said this to venerable Pilindivaccha:

“Satthā taṁ āvuso āmantetī” ti.
“The Teacher, venerable friend, calls you.”

“Evam-āvuso” ti kho āyasmā Pilindivaccho, tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā,
“Yes, friend,” said venerable Pilindivaccha, and after replying to that monk,

upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
after going and worshipping the Gracious One, he sat down on one side.

āyasmantaṁ Pilindivacchaṁ Bhagavā etad-avoca:
the Gracious One said this to venerable Pilindivaccha:

“Saccaṁ kira tvaṁ Vaccha Vaccha is his clan name, Pilindi his personal name.⁰² bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācarasī?” ti.
“Is it true, as it seems, Vaccha, that you accost monks with words of contempt?”

Atha kho Bhagavā āyasmato Pilindivacchassa
^o Then the Gracious One, after applying his mind

pubbenivāsaṁ manasikaritvā, bhikkhū āmantesi:
to venerable Pilindivaccha's previous lives, addressed the monks, (saying):

“Mā kho tumhe bhikkhave Vacchassa bhikkhuno ujjhāyittha,
“You should not be offended, monks, at the monk Vaccha,

na bhikkhave Vaccho dosantaro bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācarati.
it is not with hatred on the inside, monks, that Vaccha accosts the monks with words of contempt.

Vacchassa bhikkhave bhikkhuno pañca jātisatāni
For the monk Vaccha, monks, for five hundred lives has

abbokiṇṇāni brāhmaṇakule paccājātāni,
been reborn in a brāhmaṇa family without interruption,

so tassa vasalavādo dīgharattaṁ samudāciṇṇo,
for a long time he has been one who has accosted (others) with words of contempt,

tenāyaṁ Vaccho bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācaratī” ti.
because of this Vaccha accosted the monks with words of contempt.”

Atha kho Bhagavā, etam-atthaṁ viditvā,
Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it,

tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“Yamhi na māyā vasati na māno,
“In whom dwells no deceit and no conceit,

Yo vītalobho amamo nirāso,
He who is free from lust, unselfish, not yearning,

Panunnakodho abhinibbutatto,
Who has dispelled anger, who is himself completely emancipated,

So brāhmaṇo so samaṇo sa bhikkhū” ti.
He is a brāhmaṇa, he is an ascetic, he is a monk.”