The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [177]
3. “How, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu not practise the way proper to the recluse? For so long as a bhikkhu who is covetous has not abandoned covetousness, who has a mind of ill will has not abandoned ill will, who is angry has not abandoned anger, who is resentful has not abandoned resentment, who is contemptuous has not abandoned contempt, who is insolent has not abandoned insolence, who is envious has not abandoned envy, who is avaricious has not abandoned avarice, who is fraudulent has not abandoned fraud, who is deceitful has not abandoned deceit, who has evil wishes has not abandoned evil wishes, who has wrong view has not abandoned wrong view,423 for so long he does not practise the way proper to the recluse, I say, because of his failure to abandon these stains for the recluse, these faults for the recluse, these dregs for the recluse, which are grounds for rebirth in a state of deprivation and whose results are to be experienced in an unhappy destination.
4. “Suppose the weapon called a mataja, well whetted on both edges, were enclosed and encased in a patchwork sheath. I say that such a bhikkhu’s going forth is comparable to that.
5. “I do not say that the recluse’s status comes about in a patchwork-cloak wearer through the mere wearing of the patchwork cloak, nor in a naked ascetic through mere nakedness, nor in one caked with dust and dirt through being caked with dust and dirt, nor in a ritualistic bather through mere ritualistic bathing, nor in a tree-root dweller through mere [282] dwelling at the root of a tree, nor in an open-air dweller through mere dwelling in the open air, nor in a practitioner of continuous standing through mere continuous standing, nor in a taker of food at stated intervals through mere taking of food at stated intervals, nor in a reciter of incantations through mere recitation of incantations; nor do I say that the recluse’s status comes about in a matted-hair ascetic through mere wearing of the hair matted.
6. “Bhikkhus, if through the mere wearing of the patchwork cloak a patchwork-cloak wearer who was covetous abandoned covetousness, who had a mind of ill will abandoned ill will… who had wrong view abandoned wrong view, then his friends and companions, his kinsmen and relatives, would make him a patchwork-cloak wearer as soon as he was born and have him undertake the patchwork-cloak wearing thus: ‘Come, my dear, be a patchwork-cloak wearer so that, by the mere wearing of the patchwork-cloak, when you are covetous you will abandon covetousness, when you have a mind of ill will you will abandon ill will…when you have wrong view you will abandon wrong view.’ But I see here a patchwork-cloak wearer who is covetous, who has a mind of ill will…who has wrong view; and that is why I do not say that the recluse’s status comes about in a patchwork-cloak wearer through the mere wearing of the patchwork cloak.
“If through mere nakedness a naked ascetic who was covetous abandoned covetousness…If through mere dust and dirt…If through mere ritualistic bathing…If through mere dwelling at the root of a tree…If through mere dwelling in the open air…If through mere continuous standing…If through mere taking of food at stated intervals…If through mere recitation of incantations…If through mere wearing of the hair matted…[283]…and that is why I do not say that the recluse’s status comes about in a matted-hair ascetic through the mere wearing of the hair matted.
7. “How, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu practise the way proper to the recluse? When any bhikkhu who was covetous has abandoned covetousness, who had a mind of ill will has abandoned ill will, who was angry has abandoned anger, who was resentful has abandoned resentment, who was contemptuous has abandoned contempt, who was insolent has abandoned insolence, who was envious has abandoned