A laywoman should wish for her son to become like the foremost lay disciples Citta and Hatthaka, and if he goes forth, wish that acquisitions, respect, and popularity not come upon him while he is still a trainee.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthi.
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
“Bhikkhus, |acquisitions::gain, money, profit, possessions [lābhā]|, |respect::honor, accolade, reverence [sakkāra]|, and |popularity::fame, praise [siloka]| are vicious, bitter, and severe; they obstruct the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.
saddhā, bhikkhave, upāsikā ekaputtakaṁ piyaṁ manāpaṁ evaṁ sammā āyācamānā āyāceyya: ‘tādiso, tāta, bhavāhi yādiso citto ca gahapati hatthako ca āḷavako’ti. Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvakānaṁ upāsakānaṁ, yadidaṁ citto ca gahapati hatthako ca āḷavako.
Bhikkhus, a |faithful::confident, believing, devoted, trusting [saddhā]| laywoman, imploring her |dear::beloved [piya]| and |pleasing::agreeable, likeable [manāpa]| only son, should rightly implore him thus: ‘Dear, you should become like the householder Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavi’—for, bhikkhus, this is the measure and standard for my lay disciples, namely, the |householder Citta::foremost lay disciple of the Buddha in giving Dhamma discourses [citta]| and |Hatthaka of Āḷavi::foremost lay disciple of the Buddha in maintaining a following through the four means of social cohesion. Read more about him in [AN 8.23 - Paṭhamahatthaka sutta](/an8.23). [hatthaka]|.
Sace kho tvaṁ, tāta, agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajasi; tādiso, tāta, bhavāhi yādisā sāriputtamoggallānāti. Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ, yadidaṁ sāriputtamoggalānā.
‘But if, dear, you go forth from the household life into homelessness, then you should become like Sāriputta and Moggallāna’—for, bhikkhus, this is the measure and standard for my bhikkhu disciples, namely, |Sāriputta::foremost disciple of the Buddha in great wisdom [sāriputta]| and |Moggallāna::foremost disciple of the Buddha in psychic power; lit. Moggallāna the great [moggallāna]|.
Mā ca kho tvaṁ, tāta, sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇātūti.
‘May it not be, dear, that acquisitions, respect, and popularity come upon you while you are still a |trainee::learner, one of the seven stages of a noble person before full awakening [sekha]| whose mind has |not yet reached the goal::not mentally attained, not reached Arahantship [appattamānasa]|.’
Tañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇāti, so tassa hoti antarāyāya.
If, bhikkhus, acquisitions, respect, and popularity come upon a trainee bhikkhu whose mind has not yet reached the goal, that becomes an obstacle for him.
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
Thus, bhikkhus, acquisitions, respect, and popularity are vicious, bitter, and severe; they obstruct the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ pajahissāma, na ca no uppanno lābhasakkārasiloko cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassatī’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will abandon the arisen acquisitions, respect and popularity, and we will not let the arisen acquisitions, respect, and popularity to continue |occupying::obsessing, controlling [pariyādāya]| our minds.’ Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves.”
At Sāvatthi.
“Bhikkhus, |acquisitions::gain, money, profit, possessions [lābhā]|, |respect::honor, accolade, reverence [sakkāra]|, and |popularity::fame, praise [siloka]| are vicious, bitter, and severe; they obstruct the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.
Bhikkhus, a |faithful::confident, believing, devoted, trusting [saddhā]| laywoman, imploring her |dear::beloved [piya]| and |pleasing::agreeable, likeable [manāpa]| only son, should rightly implore him thus: ‘Dear, you should become like the householder Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavi’—for, bhikkhus, this is the measure and standard for my lay disciples, namely, the |householder Citta::foremost lay disciple of the Buddha in giving Dhamma discourses [citta]| and |Hatthaka of Āḷavi::foremost lay disciple of the Buddha in maintaining a following through the four means of social cohesion. Read more about him in [AN 8.23 - Paṭhamahatthaka sutta](/an8.23). [hatthaka]|.
‘But if, dear, you go forth from the household life into homelessness, then you should become like Sāriputta and Moggallāna’—for, bhikkhus, this is the measure and standard for my bhikkhu disciples, namely, |Sāriputta::foremost disciple of the Buddha in great wisdom [sāriputta]| and |Moggallāna::foremost disciple of the Buddha in psychic power; lit. Moggallāna the great [moggallāna]|.
‘May it not be, dear, that acquisitions, respect, and popularity come upon you while you are still a |trainee::learner, one of the seven stages of a noble person before full awakening [sekha]| whose mind has |not yet reached the goal::not mentally attained, not reached Arahantship [appattamānasa]|.’
If, bhikkhus, acquisitions, respect, and popularity come upon a trainee bhikkhu whose mind has not yet reached the goal, that becomes an obstacle for him.
Thus, bhikkhus, acquisitions, respect, and popularity are vicious, bitter, and severe; they obstruct the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will abandon the arisen acquisitions, respect and popularity, and we will not let the arisen acquisitions, respect, and popularity to continue |occupying::obsessing, controlling [pariyādāya]| our minds.’ Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves.”
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
saddhā, bhikkhave, upāsikā ekaputtakaṁ piyaṁ manāpaṁ evaṁ sammā āyācamānā āyāceyya: ‘tādiso, tāta, bhavāhi yādiso citto ca gahapati hatthako ca āḷavako’ti. Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvakānaṁ upāsakānaṁ, yadidaṁ citto ca gahapati hatthako ca āḷavako.
Sace kho tvaṁ, tāta, agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajasi; tādiso, tāta, bhavāhi yādisā sāriputtamoggallānāti. Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ, yadidaṁ sāriputtamoggalānā.
Mā ca kho tvaṁ, tāta, sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇātūti.
Tañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇāti, so tassa hoti antarāyāya.
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ pajahissāma, na ca no uppanno lābhasakkārasiloko cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassatī’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.