1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Bārāṇasī at the deer park in Isipatana. Then, in the morning, the Blessed One dressed, took his bowl and robe, and entered Bārāṇasī for alms. While walking for alms near the cattle-yoking fig tree, [n.592] Goyogapilakkhasmiṁ. Mp: "Near the fig tree that had grown up at the place for selling cattle." PED explains pilakkha as a wavy-leaved fig tree. the Blessed One saw a dissatisfied bhikkhu, seeking gratification outwardly, [n.593] Rittassādaṁ bāhirassādaṁ. Mp: "Dissatisfied: lacking the pleasure of the jhānas. [Seeking] gratification outwardly: the gratification of sensual pleasure." The Chinese parallel, SĀ 1081 (T II 283a20 – 283b26) says (at 283a23) that "he had given rise to an unwholesome thought connected with evil craving" (). muddle-minded, without clear comprehension, unconcentrated, with a wandering mind and loose sense faculties. Having seen him, he said to that bhikkhu:

2"Bhikkhu, bhikkhu! Do not pollute yourself. [n.594] Mā kho tvaṁ attānaṁ kaṭuviyam akāsi. Mp glosses kaṭuviyaṁ simply as ucchiṭṭhaṁ, "left over" food, without further explanation. DOP defines the word as "what is left over; (what is) polluted, impure." It is inevitable, bhikkhu, that flies will pursue and attack one who has polluted himself and been tainted by a stench." [n.595] Be āmagandhena; Ce and Ee āmagandhe. See Āmagandha-sutta, Sn 239–52. Mp: "The foul odour consisting in anger."

Then, being exhorted thus by the Blessed One, that bhikkhu acquired a sense of urgency. [n.596] Saṁvegamāpādi. Mp: "He became a stream-enterer." The suttas normally use a stock formula to indicate attainment of stream-entry, but nothing of this formula is found in the present text.

When the Blessed One had walked for alms in Bārāṇasī, after his meal, when he had returned from his alms round, he addressed the bhikkhus:

3"Bhikkhus, this morning I dressed, took my bowl and robe, and entered Bārāṇasī for alms. While walking for alms near the cattle-yoking fig tree, I saw a dissatisfied bhikkhu seeking gratification outwardly, muddle-minded, without clear comprehension, unconcentrated, with a wandering mind and loose sense faculties. Having seen him, I said to that bhikkhu:

4‘Bhikkhu, bhikkhu! Do not pollute yourself. It is inevitable, bhikkhu, that flies will pursue and attack one who has polluted himself and been tainted by a stench.’ Then, being exhorted thus by me, that bhikkhu acquired a sense of urgency."

When this was said, a certain bhikkhu asked the Blessed One: "What, Bhante, is meant by ‘pollution’? What is the ‘stench’? And what are the ‘flies’?"

5(1) "Longing, bhikkhu, is what is meant by ‘pollution.’ (2) Ill will is the ‘stench.’ (3) Bad unwholesome thoughts are the ‘flies.’ It is inevitable that flies will pursue and attack one who has polluted himself and been tainted by a stench."

6The flies—thoughts based on lust—
will run in pursuit of one
unrestrained in the sense faculties,
unguarded in the eye and ear.

7A bhikkhu who is polluted,
tainted by a stench,
is far from nibbāna
and reaps only distress.

8Whether in the village or the forest,
the unwise foolish person,
not having gained peace for himself,
goes around followed by flies. [n.597] Ce reads pāda b aladdhā samamattano; Be aladdhā samathamattano; Ee sammamattano. I prefer the Ce reading. All three editions read the verb in pāda c as pareti, which Mp glosses with gacchati.

9But those accomplished in virtuous behavior
who delight in wisdom and peace,
those peaceful ones live happily,
having destroyed the flies. [n.598] Nāsayitvāna makkhikā. The absolutive is from the verb nāseti, "to destroy."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye. Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya bārāṇasiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Addasā kho bhagavā goyogapilakkhasmiṁ piṇḍāya caramāno aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ rittassādaṁ bāhirassādaṁ muṭṭhassatiṁ asampajānaṁ asamāhitaṁ vibbhantacittaṁ pākatindriyaṁ. Disvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:

2"Mā kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, attānaṁ kaṭuviyamakāsi. Taṁ vata, bhikkhu, kaṭuviyakataṁ attānaṁ āmagandhena avassutaṁ makkhikā nānupatissanti nānvāssavissantīti, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjatī"ti.

Atha kho so bhikkhu bhagavatā iminā ovādena ovadito saṁvegamāpādi.

Atha kho bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto bhikkhū āmantesi:

3"Idhāhaṁ, bhikkhave, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya bārāṇasiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁ. Addasaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, goyogapilakkhasmiṁ piṇḍāya caramāno aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ rittassādaṁ bāhirassādaṁ muṭṭhassatiṁ asampajānaṁ asamāhitaṁ vibbhantacittaṁ pākatindriyaṁ. Disvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ:

4‘Mā kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, attānaṁ kaṭuviyamakāsi. Taṁ vata bhikkhu kaṭuviyakataṁ attānaṁ āmagandhena avassutaṁ makkhikā nānupatissanti nānvāssavissantīti, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjatī’ti. Atha kho, bhikkhave, so bhikkhu mayā iminā ovādena ovadito saṁvegamāpādī"ti. Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Kiṁ nu kho, bhante, kaṭuviyaṁ? Ko āmagandho? Kā makkhikā"ti?

5"Abhijjhā kho, bhikkhu, kaṭuviyaṁ; byāpādo āmagandho; pāpakā akusalā vitakkā makkhikā. Taṁ vata, bhikkhu, kaṭuviyakataṁ attānaṁ āmagandhena avassutaṁ makkhikā nānupatissanti nānvāssavissantīti, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjatīti.

6Aguttaṁ cakkhusotasmiṁ,
indriyesu asaṁvutaṁ;
Makkhikānupatissanti,
saṅkappā rāganissitā.

7Kaṭuviyakato bhikkhu,
āmagandhe avassuto;
Ārakā hoti nibbānā,
vighātasseva bhāgavā.

8Gāme vā yadi vāraññe,
aladdhā samathamattano;
Pareti bālo dummedho,
makkhikāhi purakkhato.

9Ye ca sīlena sampannā,
paññāyūpasameratā;
Upasantā sukhaṁ senti,
nāsayitvāna makkhikā"ti.

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Chaṭṭhaṁ.