Thus I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapindika’s Park.

Now on that occasion the venerable Moliya Phagguna was associating over much with the bhikkhunis. He was associating so much with bhikkhunis that if any bhikkhu in his presence spoke dispraise of those bhikkhunis, he would be angry and displeased and would rebuke him, and if any bhikkhu in those bhikkhunis’ presence spoke dispraise of the venerable Moliya Phagguna, they would be angry and displeased and would rebuke him, so much was the venerable Moliya Phagguna associating with bhikkhunis.

Then a certain bhikkhu went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side. When he had done so, he recounted what was taking place.

Then the Blessed One addressed a certain bhikkhu thus: “Come, bhikkhu, tell the bhikkhu Moliya Phagguna in my name that the Teacher calls him.”

“Yes, venerable sir,” the bhikkhu replied and he went to the venerable Moliya Phagguna and told him: “Friend, the Teacher calls you.”

“Yes, friend,” he replied, and he went to the Blessed One and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side. When he had done so, the Blessed One asked him:

“Phagguna, is it true, as it seems, that you are associating over much with bhikkhunis, that you are associating so much with bhikkhunis that if any bhikkhu in your presence speaks dispraise of those bhikkhunis, you are angry and displeased and rebuke him, and that if any bhikkhu in those bhikkhunis’ presence speaks dispraise of you, they are angry and displeased and rebuke him, so much are you associating, it seems, with bhikkhunis?”

“Yes, venerable sir.”

“Phagguna, are you not a clansman who has gone forth out of faith from the home life into homelessness?”

“Yes, venerable sir.”

“Phagguna, it is not proper for you, as a clansman gone forth out of faith from the home life into homelessness to associate over much with bhikkhunis. Therefore if anyone in your presence speaks dispraise of those bhikkhunis you should abandon any wish and any thoughts based on the home life. And herein you should train thus: ‘My mind will be unaffected, and I shall utter no bad words, and I shall abide compassionate for welfare, with a mind of loving-kindness and no inner hate’; you should train thus, Phagguna.

“Therefore, if anyone in your presence gives those bhikkhunis a blow with his hand or a blow with a clod or a blow with a stick or a blow with a knife, you should abandon any wish and any thoughts based on the home life… you should train thus, Phagguna.

“Therefore, if anyone in your presence speaks dispraise, you should abandon… you should train thus, Phagguna.

“Therefore if anyone should give you a blow with the hand… with a clod… a stick… a knife, you should abandon any wish and any thoughts based on the home life. And herein you should train thus: ‘My mind will be unaffected, and I shall utter no bad words, and I shall abide compassionate for welfare, with a mind of loving-kindness and no inner hate’; you should train thus, Phagguna.”

Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus, there was an occasion when the bhikkhus satisfied my mind. I addressed the bhikkhus thus: ‘Bhikkhus, I eat food at a single sitting. By doing so I perceive little affliction, little ailment, and also lightness, strength and a comfortable abiding’. And I had no need to keep on instructing those bhikkhus: I had only to arouse mindfulness in them.

“Suppose there were a chariot on even ground at the four crossroads, harnessed to thoroughbreds, waiting with whips lying ready, so that a skilled trainer, driver of horses to be tamed, might mount, and, taking the reins in his hand, drive out and back by any road in any way he liked, so too I had no need… I had only to arouse mindfulness in them.

“Therefore, bhikkhus, abandon what is unprofitable and devote yourselves to what is profitable, for that is how you will come to growth, increase and fulfilment in this Dhamma and Discipline.

“Suppose there were a big sala-tree grove near a village or town, and it was choked with castor-oil weeds, and some man appeared, seeking its benefit, its surcease of bondage, and he cut down and threw out the crooked saplings that robbed the sap, and he cleaned up the interior of the grove, and he tended the straight well-formed saplings, so that the sala-tree grove later on came to growth, increase and fulfilment; so too, bhikkhus, abandon what is unprofitable… fulfilment in this Dhamma and Discipline.

“Formerly, bhikkhus, in this same Sāvatthi there was a housewife called Vedehikā. And the good name of Mistress Vedehikā had spread thus: ‘Mistress Vedehikā is kind, Mistress Videhika is gentle, Mistress Vedehikā is demure’.

“Now Mistress Vedehikā had a maid called Kāli, who was clever, nimble and neat in her work.

“The maid Kāli thought: ‘My lady’s good name has spread thus: “Mistress Vedehikā is kind, Mistress Vedehikā is gentle, Mistress Vedehikā is demure”. How is it, now, while she does not show anger, is it nevertheless actually present in herself, or is it absent? Or else is it just because my work is neat that my lady shows no anger though it is actually present in herself? Suppose I test my lady?’

“So the maid Kāli got up when it was day. Then Mistress Vedehikā said: ‘Hey, Kāli!’

“‘What is it, madam?’

“‘What is the matter that you get up when it is day?’

“‘Nothing is the matter, madam.’

“‘Nothing is the matter, you wicked girl, yet you get up when it is day!’ and she was angry and displeased, and she scowled.

“Then the maid Kāli thought: ‘The fact is that while my lady does not show anger, it is actually present in herself, not absent; and it is just because my work is neat that my lady shows no anger though it is actually present in herself, not absent. Suppose I test my lady a little more?’

“So the maid Kāli got up when it was later in the day. Then Mistress Vedehikā said: ‘Hey, Kāli!’

“‘What is it, madam?’

“‘What is the matter that you get up when it is day?’

“‘Nothing is the matter, madam.’

“‘Nothing is the matter, you wicked girl, yet you get up when it is day!’ and she was angry and displeased, and she spoke words of displeasure.

“Then the maid Kāli thought: ‘The fact is that while my lady does not show anger, it is actually present in herself, not absent; and it is just because my work is neat that my lady shows no anger though it is actually present in herself not absent. Suppose I test my lady a little more?’

“So the maid Kāli got up when it was still later in the day. Then Mistress Vedehikā said: ‘Hey, Kāli!’

“‘What is it, madam?’

“‘What is the matter that you get up when it is day?’

“‘Nothing is the matter, madam.’

“‘Nothing is the matter, you wicked girl, yet you get up later in the day!’ and she was angry and displeased, and she took a rolling-pin and gave her a blow and broke her head.

“Then the maid Kāli, with blood running from her broken head, denounced her mistress to the neighbours: ‘See, ladies, the Kind One’s work! See, ladies, the Gentle One’s work! See, ladies, the Demure One’s work! See how angry and displeased she was with her only maid for getting up when it was day, and how she took a rolling-pin and gave her a blow on the head!’

“Then later on the bad name of Mistress Vedehikā spread thus: ‘Mistress Vedehikā is rough, Mistress Vedehikā is violent, Mistress Vedehikā is merciless.’

“So too, bhikkhus, some bhikkhu is quite kind, quite gentle, quite demure, so long as no disagreeable words touch him. But it is as soon as disagreeable words touch him that a bhikkhu needs to appear kind and gentle and demure. I do not call a bhikkhu easy to correct, who is only easy to correct by reason of the robes, alms-food, resting-place, and the requisite of medicine as cure for the sick, that he gets. Why is that? Because that bhikkhu is not easy to correct when he gets no robes, alms-food, resting-place, and the requisite of medicine as cure for the sick.

“But when a bhikkhu is easy to correct since he honours, respects and reveres only the Dhamma, him I call easy to correct. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: ‘We shall be easy to correct, honouring, respecting and revering only the Dhamma’; you should train thus.

“Bhikkhus, there are these five courses of speech that others may use when they address you: their speech may be timely or untimely, true or untrue, gentle or harsh, connected with good or with harm, accompanied by a mind of loving-kindness or by inner hate.

“When others address you, their speech may be timely or untimely; when others address you, their speech may be true or untrue; when others address you, their speech may be gentle or harsh; when others address you, their speech may be connected with good or with harm; when others address you, their speech may be accompanied by a mind of loving-kindness or by inner hate. Herein, bhikkhus, you should train thus: ‘Our minds will remain unaffected, and we shall utter no bad words and we shall abide compassionate for welfare with a mind of loving-kindness and no inner hate. We shall abide with a mind of loving-kindness extending to that person, and we shall abide with an abundant, exalted, measureless mind of loving-kindness, without hostility or ill-will, extending over the all-encompassing world universe as its supporting object.’ That is how you should train.

“Bhikkhus, suppose a man came with a hoe and a basket and said: ‘I shall make this Great Earth to be without earth’ and he dug here and there, and strewed here and there, and spat here and there, and made water here and there, saying: ‘Be without earth, be without earth’. How do you conceive this, bhikkhus, would that man make this Great Earth to be without earth?”

“No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because this Great Earth is deep and immense: it cannot possibly be made to be without earth thus. Eventually the man would reap weariness and disappointment.”

“So too, bhikkhus, there are these five courses of speech… (repeat para. 11)… or by inner hate.

“Herein, bhikkhus, you should train thus: ‘Our minds will be unaffected… (repeat para. 12)… as its supporting object. You should train thus.

“Bhikkhus, suppose a man came with crimson- lake or turmeric or indigo or cramine and said: ‘I shall draw pictures, I shall make pictures appear, on this empty space’. How do you conceive this, bhikkhus, would that man draw pictures, would he make pictures appear, on that empty space?”

“No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because that empty space is formless and invisible; he cannot possibly draw pictures, make pictures appear there thus. Eventually the man would reap weariness and disappointment.”

“So too, bhikkhus, there are these five courses of speech… inner hate.

“Herein, bhikkhus… you should train thus.

“Suppose bhikkhus, a man came with a burning grass-torch and said: ‘I shall warm up, I shall heat up, the River Ganges with this burning grass-torch’. How do you conceive this, bhikkhus, would that man warm up, would he heat up, the River Ganges with the burning grass-torch?”

“No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because the River Ganges is deep and immense; it cannot possibly be warmed up, heated up, with a burning grass-torch. Eventually the man would reap weariness and disappointment.”

“So too, bhikkhus, there are these five courses of speech… inner hate.

“Herein, bhikkhus… you should train thus.

“Bhikkhus, suppose there were a cat -skin bag that was rubbed, well-rubbed, thoroughly well-rubbed, soft, silky, rid of rustling, rid of crackling, and a man came with a stick or a potsherd and said: ‘There is this cat -skin bag that is rubbed… and rid of crackling: I shall make it rustle, I shall make it crackle’. How do you conceive this, bhikkhus, would that man make it rustle or make it crackle with the stick or the potsherd?”

“No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because that cat -skin bag, being rubbed… rid of crackling, cannot possibly be made to rustle or made to crackle with the stick or the potsherd. Eventually that man would reap weariness and disappointment.”

“So too, bhikkhus, there are these five courses of speech… inner hate.

“Herein, bhikkhus… you should train thus.

“Even were bandits savagely to sever you limb from limb with a two-handled saw, he who entertained hate in his heart on that account would not be one who carried out my teaching. Now this is how you should train herein: ‘Our minds will remain unaffected, and we shall utter no bad words, and we shall abide compassionate for welfare with a mind of loving-kindness and no inner hate. We shall abide with a mind of loving-kindness extending to that person, and we shall abide with an abundant, exalted, mind of loving-kindness, without hostility or ill-will, extending over the all-encompassing world as its supporting object.’ That is how you should train yourselves.

“And, bhikkhus, you should keep this instruction of the Simile of the Saw constantly in mind.

“Bhikkhus, do you see the course of speech, trivial or gross, that you could not endure?”

“No, venerable sir.”

“Therefore, bhikkhus, you should keep this instruction of the Simile of the Saw constantly in mind. That will be long for your welfare and happiness.”

That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and they delighted in the Blessed One’s words.