AN 8:7 · About Devadatta (Devadatta Sutta)
On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Rājagaha on Vulture Peak Mountain, not long after Devadatta’s departure. There, referring to Devadatta, he addressed the monks: “Monks, it’s good for a monk periodically to have reflected on his own failings. It’s good for a monk periodically to have reflected on the failings of others. It’s good for a monk periodically to have reflected on his own attainments. It’s good for a monk periodically to have reflected on the attainments of others.
“Conquered by eight untrue dhammas, his mind overcome, Devadatta is headed for a state of deprivation, headed for hell, there to stay for an eon, incurable. Which eight?
“Conquered by material gain, his mind overcome, Devadatta is headed for a state of deprivation, headed for hell, there to stay for an eon, incurable.
“Conquered by lack of material gain.…
“Conquered by status.…
“Conquered by lack of status.…
“Conquered by offerings.…
“Conquered by lack of offerings.…
“Conquered by evil ambition.…
“Conquered by evil friendship, his mind overcome, Devadatta is headed for a state of deprivation, headed for hell, there to stay for an eon, incurable.
“Monks, it’s good for a monk to keep conquering again & again any arisen material gain. It’s good for a monk to keep conquering again & again any arisen lack of material gain… any arisen status… any arisen lack of status… any arisen offerings… any arisen lack of offerings… any arisen evil ambition… any arisen evil friendship.
“And for what compelling reason should a monk keep conquering again & again any arisen material gain… any arisen evil friendship? Because when one dwells not having conquered any arisen material gain, effluents arise, along with vexations & fevers. But when one dwells having conquered any arisen material gain, those effluents, vexations, & fevers are not.
[Similarly with any arisen lack of material gain, any arisen status, any arisen lack of status, any arisen offerings, any arisen lack of offerings, any arisen evil ambition, & any arisen evil friendship.]
“It’s for this compelling reason that a monk should keep conquering again & again any arisen material gain… any arisen evil friendship.
“Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves: ‘We will keep conquering again & again any arisen material gain… any arisen lack of material gain… any arisen status… any arisen lack of status… any arisen offerings… any arisen lack of offerings… any arisen evil ambition… any arisen evil friendship.’ That’s how you should train yourselves.”
See also: SN 17:3; SN 17:5; SN 17:8; AN 4:178; AN 6:60; Iti 81
Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).
