- Numbered Discourses 4.107 Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.107
- 11. Clouds 11. Valāhakavagga
Mice Mūsikasutta
“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of mice. “Catasso imā, bhikkhave, mūsikā. What four? Katamā catasso?
- One makes a hole but doesn’t live in it, Gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā,
- one lives in a hole but doesn’t make it, vasitā no gādhaṁ kattā,
- one neither makes a hole nor lives in it, and neva gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā,
- one both makes a hole and lives in it. gādhaṁ kattā ca vasitā ca—
These are the four kinds of mice. imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso mūsikā. In the same way, these four individuals similar to mice are found in the world. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro mūsikūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What four? Katame cattāro?
- One makes a hole but doesn’t live in it, Gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā,
- one lives in a hole but doesn’t make it, vasitā no gādhaṁ kattā,
- one neither makes a hole nor lives in it, and neva gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā,
- one both makes a hole and lives in it. gādhaṁ kattā ca vasitā ca.
And how does an individual make a hole but not live in it? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gādhaṁ kattā hoti no vasitā? It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching—Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. But they don’t really understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. That’s how an individual makes a hole but doesn’t live in it. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gādhaṁ kattā hoti, no vasitā. That individual is like a mouse that makes a hole but doesn’t live in it, I say. Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, mūsikā gādhaṁ kattā, no vasitā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.
And how does an individual live in a hole but not make it? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo vasitā hoti, no gādhaṁ kattā? It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching … Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. But they really understand: ‘This is suffering’ … So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo vasitā hoti, no gādhaṁ kattā. Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, mūsikā vasitā hoti, no gādhaṁ kattā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ, puggalaṁ vadāmi.
And how does an individual neither make a hole nor live in it? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gādhaṁ kattā hoti no vasitā? It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching … Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Nor do they really understand: ‘This is suffering’ … So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gādhaṁ kattā hoti, no vasitā. Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, mūsikā neva gādhaṁ kattā hoti, no vasitā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.
And how does an individual both make a hole and live in it? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gādhaṁ kattā ca hoti vasitā ca? It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching … Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. And they really understand: ‘This is suffering’ … So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gādhaṁ kattā ca hoti vasitā ca. Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, mūsikā gādhaṁ kattā ca hoti vasitā ca; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.
These four individuals similar to mice are found in the world.” Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro mūsikūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.
Sattamaṁ.