100(10)Kakudha
Thus have I heard.
The opening story,together with the discourse on the five kinds of teachers,is at Vin II 185-87.On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Kosambi in Ghosita's Park.Now on that occasion Kakudha the Koliyan son,the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna's attendant,had recently died and been reborn among a certain group of mind-made [deities].
Manomayam kayam upapanno.The mind-made deities are those reborn in the form realm through the power of their past attainment of the jhānas.
His body was two or three times the size of the fields of a Magadhan village,
but he did not obstruct either himself or others with that body.
The word for"body"here is attabhavapatilabha.I take patilabhato be merely an idiomatic adjunct and do not think it adds anything to the meaning.Mp glosses as sarirapatilabho,which supports my supposition that the simple physical body is intended here.The expression attabhavapatilabha occurs in 4:171,where it designates the entire typology of a living being.In that text it cannot be construed narrowly as the physical body,since it also encompasses"the devas of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception,"who lack physical bodies.
On the size of his body,the text reads dve va tini va magadhikanigamakkhettāni.On gamakkhetta Brahmali writes:"This word also occurs at MN I 10,1:ekam gamakkhettam upanissaya viharama,and atMNII167,27:amhakam gamakkhettam agacchanti.From these passages it seems quite clear to me that gamakkhetta refers to a village together with all its fields"(private communication).The figures for length given by Mp suggest that his body was 3-4.5miles or 5-7 km tall.
Then the young deva Kakudha approached the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna,
paid homage to him,stood to one side,
and[123]said to him:
"Bhante,such a desire arose in Devadatta:
I will take charge of the Sangha of bhikkhus.'
And together with the arising of this thought,Devadatta lost that psychic potency."
The text says tassā iddhiyā,"that psychic potency."not tassa iddhiyā,"his psychic potency."The pronoun refers to a psychic power already mentioned,yet the sutta does not make clear what It is.The context is provided by Vin.II184,33-185,21,where Deva-datta exercises the psychic power of transforming himself into a young boy wearing a girdle of snakes.He used this power to impress Prince Ajatasattu and win his support.Thereupon Deva-datta thought to wrest control of the Sangha from the Buddha, whereupon he lost that psychic potency.
This is what the young deva Kakudha said.
He then paid homage to the Venerable Mahāmoggallana,circumambulated him keeping the right side toward him,and disappeared right there.
Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna approached the Blessed
One,
paid homage to him,sat down to oneside,
and reported all that had happened.
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[The Blessed One said:]"But,Moggallana,have you encompassed his mind with your mind and understood of the young deva Kakudha:
'Whatever the young deva Kakudha says is all true and not otherwise'?"
"Yes,Bhante."
...
"Take note of this statement,Moggallāna!
Now that foolishman will,of his own accord,expose himself.
"There are,Moggallāna,these five kinds of teachers found in the world.
What five?[124]
(1)"Here,some teacher whose behavior is unpurified claims:'I am one whose behavior is purified.'My behavior is purified,cleansed,undefiled.'
His disciples know him thus:
"This honorable teacher,though of unpurified behavior,claims:"I am one whose behavior is purified.My behavior is purified,cleansed,undefiled."
Now he would not like it if we were to report this to the laypeople.
How can we treat him in a way that he would not like?
Further,he is honored with robes,almsfood,lodg-ings,and medicines and provisions for the sick.
A person will be known by what he himself does.
Yam tumo karissati tumo'va tena pannayissati.PED.explains the
stem tuma as"most likely apostrophe form of atuma=atta,Skt
atman seIf."Mp paraphrases:"One will be known by the action
that one does"(yarn esa karissati,eso'va tena kammena pakato
bhavissati).
His disciples cover up such a teacher with respect to his behavior,
and such a teacher expects to be covered up by his disciples with respect to his behavior.
(2)"Again,some teacher whose livelihood is unpurified claims:'I am one whose livelihood is purified.My livelihoodis purified,cleansed,undefiled.'
His disciples know him thus:
'This honorable teacher,though of unpurified livelihood,claims:"I am one whose livelihood is purified.My livelihood is purified,cleansed,undefiled."
Now he would not like it if we were to report this to the laypeople.
How can we treat him in away that he would not like?
Further,he is honored with robes,almsfood,lodgings,and medicines and provisions for the sick.
A person will be known by what he himself does.'
His disciples cover up such a teacher with respect to his livelihood,
and such a teacher expects to be covered up by his disciples with respect to his livelihood.
(3)"Again,some teacher whose Dhamma teaching is unpurified claims:'I am one whose Dhamma teaching is purified.My Dhamma teaching is purified,cleansed,undefiled.'
His disciples know him thus:
"This honorable teacher,though of unpurified Dhamma teaching,[125]claims:"I am one whose Dhamma teaching is purified.My Dhamma teaching is purified,cleansed,undefiled."
Now he would not like it if we were to report this to the laypeople.
How can we treat him in a way that he would not like?
Further,he is honored with robes,almsfood,lodgings,and medicines and provisions for the sick.
A person will be known by what he himself does.'
His disciples cover up such a teacher with respect to his Dhamma teaching;
and such a teacher expects to be covered up by his disciples with respect to his Dhamma teaching.
(4)"Again,some teacher whose explanations are unpurified
Aparisuddhaveyyakarano.Mp does not comment.Presumably,this refers to his explanation of a point in his teaching or his reply to a question.claims:'I am one whose explanations are purified.My explanations are purified,cleansed,undefiled.'
His disciples know him thus:
"This honorable teacher,though giving unpurified explanations,claims:"I am one whose explanations are purified.My explanations are purified,cleansed,undefiled."
Now he would not like it if we were to report this to the laypeople.
How can we treat him in a way that he would not like?
Further,he is honored with robes,almsfood,lodgings,and medicines and provisions for the sick.
A person will be known by what he himself does.'
His disciples cover up such a teacher with respect to his explanations,
and such a teacher expects to be covered up by his disciples with respect to his explanations.
(5)"Again,some teacher whose knowledge and vision are unpurified claims:'I am one whose knowledge and vision are purified.My knowledge and vision are purified,cleansed,undefiled.'
His disciples know him thus:
'This honorable teacher,though of unpurified knowledge and vision,claims:"I am one whose knowledge and vision are purified.My knowledge and vision are purified,cleansed,undefiled."
Now he would not like it if we were to report this to the laypeople.
How can we treat him in a way that he would not like?[126]
Further,he is honored with robes,almsfood,lodgings,and medicines and provisions for the sick.
A person will be known by what he himself does.'
His disciples cover up such a teacher with respect to his knowledge and vision,
and such a teacher expects to be covered up by his disciples with respect to his knowledge and vision.
"These are five kinds of teachers found in the world.
(1)"But,Moggallāna,I am one whose behavior is purified
and I claim:I am one whose behavior is purified.My behavior
is purified,cleansed,undefiled.'
My disciples do not cover me
up with respect to my behavior,and I do not expect to be cov-
ered up by my disciples with respect to my behavior.
(2)I am
one whose livelihood is purified and I claim:'I am one whose
livelihood is purified.My livelihood is purified,cleansed,undefiled.'
My disciples do not cover me up with respect to my livelihood,and I do not expect tobe covered up by my disciples with
respect to my livelihood.
(3)I am one whose Dhamma teaching is purified and I claim:'I am one whose Dhamma teaching is purified.My Dhamma teaching is purified,cleansed,
undefiled.'
My disciples do not cover me up with respect to
my Dhamma teaching,and I do not expect to be covered up
by my disciples with respect to my Dhamma teaching.
(4)I
am one whose explanations are purified and I claim:I am one
whose explanations are purified.My explanations are purified,
cleansed,undefiled.'
My disciples do not cover me up with
respect to my explanations,and I do not expect to be covered
up by my disciples with respect to my explanations.
(5)I am
one whose knowledge and vision are purified and I claim:'I am
one whose knowledge and vision are purified.My knowledge
and vision are purified,cleansed,undefiled.'
My disciples do
not cover me up with respect to my knowledge and vision,and
I do not expect to be covered up by my disciples with respect to my knowledge and vision."[127]