26. To the Gulissānī （二六）瞿尼师经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was wandering in the city of Rājagṛha, staying in the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove.

At that time, the monk Guṇīśa was also wandering in Rājagṛha, in the Unoccupied Room, joking, arrogant, restless, and forgetful, his mind like a monkey. The monk Guṇīśa came to Rājagṛha for a small matter. At that time, Venerable Śāriputra was with a group of monks, after the midday meal, gathered in the lecture hall for a small matter. The monk Guṇīśa had finished what he was doing in Rājagṛha and went to the lecture hall.

Venerable Śāriputra saw Guṇīśa coming from afar and, because of Guṇīśa, told the monks: "Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to respect and observe it. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned does not respect and observe it, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, does not respect and observe it, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to respect and observe it.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn not to joke and be restless. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned often jokes and is restless, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, often jokes and is restless, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn not to joke and be restless.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn not to engage in animal-like discussions. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned often engages in animal-like discussions, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, often engages in animal-like discussions, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn not to engage in animal-like discussions.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn not to be arrogant and speak little. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned often acts arrogantly and speaks much, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, often acts arrogantly and speaks much, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn not to be arrogant and speak little.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to guard the sense faculties. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned often fails to guard the sense faculties, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, often fails to guard the sense faculties, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to guard the sense faculties.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to eat with moderation. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned greedily eats too much and is not content, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, greedily eats too much and is not content, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to eat with moderation.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to be diligent and not lazy. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned often lacks diligence and is lazy, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, often lacks diligence and is lazy, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to be diligent and not lazy.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to have right mindfulness and right wisdom. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned often lacks right mindfulness and right wisdom, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, often lacks right mindfulness and right wisdom, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to have right mindfulness and right wisdom.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to know the right time and be skillful in timing. He should not enter the village too early to beg for alms, nor should he leave too late. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned enters the village too early to beg for alms and leaves too late, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, enters the village too early to beg for alms and leaves too late, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to know the right time and be skillful in timing.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to know how to sit and be skillful in sitting. He should not force senior monks to sit and be criticized by junior monks. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned forces senior monks to sit and is criticized by junior monks, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, forces senior monks to sit and is criticized by junior monks, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to know how to sit and be skillful in sitting.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to discuss the Vinaya and Abhidharma together. Why? Virtuous ones! When a monk who practices the unconditioned is practicing the unconditioned, someone may come and ask about the Vinaya and Abhidharma. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned does not know how to answer questions about the Vinaya and Abhidharma, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, does not know how to answer questions about the Vinaya and Abhidharma, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to discuss the Vinaya and Abhidharma together.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to discuss the liberation of the breath, the formless attainments, and the transcendence of form together. Why? Virtuous ones! When a monk who practices the unconditioned is practicing the unconditioned, someone may come and ask about the liberation of the breath, the formless attainments, and the transcendence of form. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned does not know how to answer questions about the liberation of the breath, the formless attainments, and the transcendence of form, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, does not know how to answer questions about the liberation of the breath, the formless attainments, and the transcendence of form, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to discuss the liberation of the breath, the formless attainments, and the transcendence of form together.

Virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to discuss the knowledge and vision of the cessation of the contaminants together. Why? Virtuous ones! When a monk who practices the unconditioned is practicing the unconditioned, someone may come and ask about the knowledge and vision of the cessation of the contaminants. Virtuous ones! If a monk who practices the unconditioned does not know how to answer questions about the knowledge and vision of the cessation of the contaminants, he will be criticized and questioned by the monks: 'Why does this virtuous one practice the unconditioned? Because this virtuous one, practicing the unconditioned, does not know how to answer questions about the knowledge and vision of the cessation of the contaminants, he will also be criticized and questioned by the monks when he comes to the assembly.' Therefore, virtuous ones! A monk who practices the unconditioned should learn to discuss the knowledge and vision of the cessation of the contaminants together.

At that time, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana was also in the assembly. Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana said, "Venerable Śāriputra! Is it only monks who practice the unconditioned who should learn these teachings, and not monks in the human realm?"

Venerable Śāriputra replied, "Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Monks who practice the unconditioned should learn these teachings, let alone monks in the human realm."

The two Venerables praised each other's words as excellent. Having heard their discussion, they rose from their seats and departed.

Respect, no frivolous laughter, not like animals, arrogant, guarding the sense faculties, knowing moderation in eating
diligence, right mindfulness and wisdom, knowing the right time, also sitting well, discussing the Vinaya, Abhidharma
and liberation through cessation, and the knowledge of the exhaustion of taints are also like this.