107. Moggallāna the Accountant (MN107)

Thus I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthi in the Eastern Park in the palace of Migāra’s Mother. Then the divine Moggallāna the Accountant, went to the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him, and when the courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat at one side. When he had done so, he said to the Blessed One:

“Master Gotama, in this palace of Migāra’s Mother there can be seen progressive training, progressive work and progressive practice, down to the last step of the stair, and also in the case of some divines there can be seen progressive training, progressive work and progressive practice, that is to say, in study, and also in the case of other divines there can be seen progressive training… that is to say, in archery, and also in the case of accountants like us who get our living by accountancy, there can be seen progressive training… that is to say, in reckoning—for when we get an apprentice, we first make him count: one one, two twos, three threes, four fours, five fives, six sixes, seven sevens, eight eights, nine nines, ten tens, and we make him count a hundred too—now is it possible, Master Gotama, in the case of this Dhamma and Discipline, to describe progressive training, progressive work and progressive practice, in the same way?”

“It is possible, divine, in the case of this Dhamma and Discipline to describe progressive training, progressive work and progressive practice.

“Just as a skilled tamer of horses, on getting a fine thoroughbred, gives him first exercise with the setting of the mouth, afterwards further exercise, so too, divine, the Tathāgata on getting a man to be tamed, disciplines him first in this way:

“‘Come bhikkhu, be virtuous, restrained with the Pāṭimokkha restraint of the bhikkhus’ Rule, perfect in conduct and resort, and, seeing fear in the slightest fault, train by undertaking the training precepts.’

“As soon as the bhikkhu is virtuous, restrained with the Pāṭimokkha restraint, perfect in conduct and resort, and, seeing fear in the slightest fault, trains himself by undertaking the training precepts, then the Tathāgata disciplines him further:

“‘Come bhikkhu, keep the doors of the faculties guarded. On seeing a form with the eye, apprehend no signs or features through which, if you leave the eye-door unguarded, evil unprofitable dhammas of covetousness and grief might invade you; practise the way of its restraint, guard the eye-faculty, undertake the restraint of the eye-faculty. On hearing a sound with the ear… On smelling an odour with the nose… On tasting a flavour with the tongue… On touching a tangible with the body… On cognizing a dhamma with the mind, apprehend no signs or features through which, if you leave the mind-door unguarded, evil unprofitable dhammas of covetousness and grief might invade you; practise the way of its restraint, guard the mind-faculty, undertake the restraint of the mind-faculty.’

“As soon as the bhikkhu keeps the doors of the faculties guarded, then the Tathāgata disciplines him further:

“‘Come bhikkhu, be one who knows the right amount in eating. Reflecting wisely you should nourish yourself with nutriment neither for amusement nor for intoxication nor for smartening nor for embellishment, but only for the endurance and continuance of this body, for the ending of discomfort, and for assisting the life divine: Thus I shall terminate old feelings without arousing new feelings and blameless, I shall live in comfort and health.’

“As soon as the bhikkhu knows the right amount in eating, then the Tathāgata disciplines him further:

“‘Come bhikkhu, abide devoted to wakefulness. By day while walking and sitting, purify the mind of obstructive dhammas. In the first watch of the night while walking and sitting, purify the mind of obstructive dhammas. In the middle watch of the night, lie down on the right side in the lion’s sleeping pose with one foot overlapping the other, mindful and fully aware, after noting in the mind the time for arising. After rising, in the third watch while walking and sitting, purify the mind of obstructive dhammas.’

“As soon as the bhikkhu is devoted to wakefulness, then the Tathāgata disciplines him further:

“‘Come bhikkhu, be possessed of mindfulness and full awareness. Be one who acts in full awareness when moving forward and moving backward; who acts in full awareness when looking towards and looking away; who acts in full awareness when wearing the patched: cloak, bowl and robes; who acts in full awareness when eating, drinking, chewing and tasting; who acts in full awareness when evacuating the bowels and making water; who acts in full awareness when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking and keeping silent.’

“As soon as the bhikkhu is possessed of mindfulness and full awareness, then the Tathāgata disciplines him further:

“‘Come bhikkhu, resort to a secluded resting place: to a forest, to the root of a tree, to a hill-cleft, to a mountain cave, to a charnel ground, to a woodland solitude, to an open space, to a heap of straw.’

“He resorts to a secluded resting place: to a forest… On return from his alms-round, after his meal, he sits down, folding his legs crosswise, setting his body erect and establishing mindfulness before him. Abandoning covetousness for the world, he abides with his mind free from covetousness. Abandoning ill-will and hatred, he abides with his mind free from ill-will and compassionate to all living beings; he purifies his mind from ill-will and hatred. Abandoning lethargy-and-drowsiness, he abides free from lethargy-and-drowsiness; percipient of light and mindful and fully aware, he purifies his mind from lethargy-and-drowsiness. Abandoning agitation-and-worry, he abides unagitated with a mind calmed in himself; he purifies his mind of agitation-and-worry. Abandoning uncertainty, he abides with uncertainty crossed over, undoubting about profitable dhammas; he purifies his mind of uncertainty.

“Having abandoned these five hindrances, imperfections of mind that weaken understanding, quite secluded from sensual desires, secluded from unprofitable dhammas, he enters on and abides in the first jhāna… with happiness and bodily pleasure born of seclusion. Again, with the stilling of initial and sustained application… second jhāna… with happiness and pleasure born of concentration. Again with the fading as well of happiness… third jhāna… ‘He has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity and is mindful’. Again, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain… fourth jhāna… and has purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.

“This is my instruction to those bhikkhus who are in the higher training, abiding with minds as yet unattained, aspiring to the supreme surcease of bondage. But these dhammas conduce both to a pleasant abiding here and now and to mindfulness and full awareness for those bhikkhus who are Arahants with taints exhausted, who have lived the life, done what was to be done, laid down the burden, reached the highest goal, destroyed the fetters of being, who are liberated through rightly knowing.”

When this was said, the accountant Moggallāna of the divine caste said to the Blessed One: “But do all Master Gotama’s disciples when thus advised and thus instructed by him, attain the supreme goal, Nibbāna, or do some not attain it?”

“When thus advised and instructed, divine, some of my disciples attain the supreme goal, Nibbāna, and some do not.”

“Master Gotama, since there is Nibbāna, and there is the path leading to Nibbāna, and there is Master Gotama as guide, what is the cause, what is the reason why, when Master Gotama’s disciples are thus advised and instructed by him, some attain the supreme goal, Nibbāna, and some do not?”

“Now as to that, divine, I will ask you a question in return; answer it as you like. How do you conceive this: you are familiar with the road that leads to Rājagaha?”

“Yes, Master Gotama, I am familiar with the road that leads to Rājagaha”

“How do you conceive this, divine: Suppose a man came who wanted to go to Rājagaha, and he approached you and said: ‘Venerable sir, I want to go to Rājagaha; show me the road to Rājagaha.’ Then you told him: ‘Now, good man, this road goes to Rājagaha. Follow it for a while and you will see a certain village, follow it for a while and you will see a certain town, follow it for a while and you will see Rājagaha with its parks and groves and lands and lakes.’ Then having been thus advised and instructed by you, he took a wrong road and went to the west: and then a second man approached you and said: ‘Venerable sir, I want to go to Rājagaha, show me the road to Rājagaha.’ Then you told him: ‘Now, good man, this road goes to Rājagaha. Follow it for a while and you will see a certain village, follow it for a while and you will see a certain town, follow it for a while and you will see Rājagaha with its fair parks and groves and lands and lakes.’ Then having been thus advised and instructed by you, he got safely to Rājagaha. Now, divine, since there is Rājagaha, and there is the path leading to Rājagaha, and there is yourself as guide, what is the cause, what is the reason why, when they have been thus advised and instructed by you, one man takes a wrong road and goes to the west and one gets safely to Rājagaha?”

“What have I to do with that, Master Gotama? I am one who shows the way.”

“So too, divine, there is Nibbāna, and the path leading to Nibbāna, and there is myself as guide, yet when my disciples are thus advised and instructed by me some attain the supreme goal, Nibbāna, and some do not. What have I to do with that, divine? A Tathāgata is one who shows the way.”

When this was said, the accountant Moggallāna of the divine caste said to the Blessed One: “There are persons who are faithless and go forth from the home life into homelessness not out of faith but seeking a livelihood, who are fraudulent, deceitful, treacherous, haughty, hollow and personally vain, rough-tongued, loose-spoken, unguarded in their faculties, ignorant of the right amount in eating, undevoted to wakefulness, unconcerned with monkhood, not greatly respectful of training, busy, careless, forward in erring, neglectful of seclusion, idle, wanting in energy, forgetful, not fully aware, unconcentrated, with minds astray, devoid of understanding and drivelling—Master Gotama does not abide with such as these.

“But there are clansmen who go forth out of faith from the home life into homelessness, who are not fraudulent or deceitful or treacherous or haughty or personally vain or rough-tongued or loose-spoken, who are guarded in their faculties, aware of the right amount in eating, devoted to wakefulness, concerned with monkhood, greatly respectful of training, not busy, not careless, neglectful of erring, forward in seclusion, energetic, self-endeavouring, established in mindfulness, fully aware, concentrated, with unified minds, endowed with understanding, not drivelling—Master Gotama abides with such as these.

“Just as black orris root is reckoned the best of root perfumes and red sandal is reckoned the best of wood perfumes and jasmine is reckoned the best of flower perfumes, so too, Master Gotama’s advice is supreme among the Dhammas of today.

“Magnificent, Master Gotama; magnificent Master Gotama! The Dhamma has been made clear in many ways by Master Gotama, as though he were righting the overthrown, revealing the hidden, showing the way to one who is lost, holding up a lamp in the darkness for those with eyes to see forms. I go to Master Gotama for refuge, and to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha. From today let Master Gotama accept me as a follower who has gone to him for refuge for life.”

This is an excerpt from A Treasury of the Buddha's Words, a collection of suttas from the Majjhima Nikāya translated by Ven. Nyanamoli Thera and edited by Khantipalo Bhikkhu in 1977.

It was printed in Thailand by Mahāmakut Rājavidyālaya Press for free distribution.