Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
A mendicant's declaration of knowledge, of meditative development, or of both together is only as trustworthy as whether they remain mastered by greed, hate, delusion, or any of AN 10.23's other seven items — like a declaration of wealth that proves false the moment payment actually comes due.
Three kinds of declaration, each tested twice
Mahācunda names three claims a mendicant might make: knowing and seeing the teaching, being developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom, or both together — then tests each claim twice, once against being mastered by the ten defilements and once against not being mastered by them, producing six near-identical passages before the discourse's closing simile.
Reusing AN 10.23's tenfold list directly
This discourse doesn't introduce a new list of corruptions; it applies the identical ten items just named at AN 10.23 — greed, hate, delusion, anger, acrimony, disdain, contempt, stinginess, nasty jealousy, and corrupt wishes — as the direct test for whether any of the three declarations actually holds up.
A debt that proves whether wealth claims are genuine
The discourse's closing simile is precise and practical: a penniless person who claims wealth is exposed the moment payment comes due and they cannot produce it, while a genuinely wealthy person always can — the test isn't the claim itself but what happens when reality actually demands proof, exactly paralleling whether a mendicant's spiritual claims hold up against the ten defilements' continued presence or absence.
Key terms
The text
Three declarations, mastered by the ten
§1At one time Venerable Mahācunda was staying in the land of the Cetīs at Sahajāti. There he addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, mendicants!” “Reverend,” they replied. Venerable Mahācunda said this: “Reverends, a mendicant who makes a declaration of knowledge says: ‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching.’ Suppose that greed masters that mendicant and keeps going. Or that hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them: ‘This venerable does not have the understanding that would eliminate greed, so greed masters them and keeps going. They don’t have the understanding that would eliminate hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes master them and keep going.’ A mendicant who makes a declaration of development says: ‘I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’ Suppose that greed masters that mendicant and keeps going. Or that hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them: ‘This venerable does not have the understanding that would eliminate greed, so greed masters them and keeps going. They don’t have the understanding that would eliminate hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes master them and keep going.’ A mendicant who makes a declaration of both knowledge and development says: ‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching. And I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’ Suppose that greed masters that mendicant and keeps going. Or that hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them: ‘This venerable does not have the understanding that would eliminate greed, so greed masters them and keeps going. They don’t have the understanding that would eliminate hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes master them and keep going.’
A poor person's false claim of wealth
§2Suppose a poor, needy, and penniless person was to declare themselves to be rich, affluent, and wealthy. But when it came time to make a payment they weren’t able to come up with any money, grain, silver, or gold. They would know of them: ‘This person declares themselves to be rich, affluent, and wealthy, but they are in fact poor, penniless, and needy.’ Why is that? Because when it came time to make a payment they weren’t able to come up with any money, grain, silver, or gold. In the same way, a mendicant who makes a declaration of knowledge and development says: ‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching. And I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’ Suppose that greed masters that mendicant and keeps going. Or that hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them: ‘This venerable does not have the understanding that would eliminate greed, so greed masters them and keeps going. They don’t have the understanding that would eliminate hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes master them and keep going.’
Three declarations, unmastered by the ten
§3A mendicant who makes a declaration of knowledge says: ‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching.’ Suppose that greed does not master that mendicant and keep going. Or that hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes don’t master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them: ‘This venerable has the understanding that eliminates greed, so greed doesn’t master them and keep going. They have the understanding that eliminates hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … and corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes don’t master them and keep going.’ A mendicant who makes a declaration of development says: ‘I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’ Suppose that greed does not master that mendicant and keep going. Or that hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes don’t master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them: ‘This venerable has the understanding that eliminates greed, so greed doesn’t master them and keep going. They have the understanding that eliminates hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … and corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes don’t master them and keep going.’ A mendicant who makes a declaration of both knowledge and development says: ‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching. And I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’ Suppose that greed does not master that mendicant and keep going. Or that hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes don’t master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them: ‘This venerable has the understanding that eliminates greed, so greed doesn’t master them and keep going. They have the understanding that eliminates hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … and corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes don’t master them and keep going.’
A rich person's genuine claim of wealth
§4Suppose a rich, affluent, and wealthy person was to declare themselves to be rich, affluent, and wealthy. And whenever it came time to make a payment they were able to come up with the money, grain, silver, or gold. They would know of them: ‘This person declares themselves to be rich, affluent, and wealthy, and they are in fact rich, affluent, and wealthy.’ Why is that? Because when it came time to make a payment they were able to come up with the money, grain, silver, or gold. In the same way, a mendicant who makes a declaration of knowledge and development says: ‘I know this teaching, I see this teaching. And I am developed in physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom.’ Suppose that greed does not master that mendicant and keep going. Or that hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … or corrupt wishes don’t master that mendicant and keep going. You should know of them: ‘This venerable has the understanding that eliminates greed, so greed doesn’t master them and keep going. They have the understanding that eliminates hate … delusion … anger … acrimony … disdain … contempt … stinginess … nasty jealousy … and corrupt wishes, so corrupt wishes don’t master them and keep going.’”
Self-check quiz
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