1At one time the Buddha was staying near Benares, in the deer park at Isipatana.

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Benares for alms. While the Buddha was walking for alms near the cow-hitching place at the wavy leaf fig, he saw a disgruntled monk who was looking for pleasure in external things, unmindful, without situational awareness or immersion, with straying mind and undisciplined faculties.

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2-4The Buddha said to him: “Monk, don’t be bitter. If you’re bitter, corrupted by the stench of rotting flesh, flies will, without a doubt, plague and infest you.”

Hearing this advice of the Buddha, that monk was struck with a sense of urgency.

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Then, after the meal, on his return from alms-round, the Buddha told the mendicants what had happened. …

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When he said this, one of the mendicants asked the Buddha:

“Sir, what is this ‘bitterness’? What is the ‘stench of rotting flesh’? And what are the ‘flies’?”

5“Desire is bitterness; ill will is the stench of rotting flesh; and bad, unskillful thoughts are the flies. If you’re bitter, corrupted by the stench of rotting flesh, flies will, without a doubt, plague and infest you.

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6When your eyes and ears are unguarded,
and you’re not restrained in your sense faculties,
flies — those lustful thoughts —
will plague you.

7A mendicant who’s bitter,
corrupted by the stench of rotting flesh,
is far from being extinguished,
anguish is their lot.

8Whether in village or wilderness,
if they don’t find serenity in themselves,
the fool, void of wisdom,
is honored only by flies.

9But those who have ethics,
lovers of wisdom and peace,
they, being peaceful, sleep well,
since they’ve got rid of the flies.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye.

Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya bārāṇasiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Addasā kho bhagavā goyogapilakkhasmiṁ piṇḍāya caramāno aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ rittassādaṁ bāhirassādaṁ muṭṭhassatiṁ asampajānaṁ asamāhitaṁ vibbhantacittaṁ pākatindriyaṁ. Disvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: 

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2"Mā kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, attānaṁ kaṭuviyamakāsi. Taṁ vata, bhikkhu, kaṭuviyakataṁ attānaṁ āmagandhena avassutaṁ makkhikā nānupatissanti nānvāssavissantīti, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjatī"ti.

Atha kho so bhikkhu bhagavatā iminā ovādena ovadito saṁvegamāpādi.

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Atha kho bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto bhikkhū āmantesi: 

3"Idhāhaṁ, bhikkhave, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya bārāṇasiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁ. Addasaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, goyogapilakkhasmiṁ piṇḍāya caramāno aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ rittassādaṁ bāhirassādaṁ muṭṭhassatiṁ asampajānaṁ asamāhitaṁ vibbhantacittaṁ pākatindriyaṁ. Disvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ: 

4‘Mā kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, attānaṁ kaṭuviyamakāsi. Taṁ vata bhikkhu kaṭuviyakataṁ attānaṁ āmagandhena avassutaṁ makkhikā nānupatissanti nānvāssavissantīti, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjatī’ti. Atha kho, bhikkhave, so bhikkhu mayā iminā ovādena ovadito saṁvegamāpādī"ti.

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Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

"Kiṁ nu kho, bhante, kaṭuviyaṁ? Ko āmagandho? Kā makkhikā"ti?

5"Abhijjhā kho, bhikkhu, kaṭuviyaṁ; byāpādo āmagandho; pāpakā akusalā vitakkā makkhikā. Taṁ vata, bhikkhu, kaṭuviyakataṁ attānaṁ āmagandhena avassutaṁ makkhikā nānupatissanti nānvāssavissantīti, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjatīti.

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6Aguttaṁ cakkhusotasmiṁ,
indriyesu asaṁvutaṁ;
Makkhikānupatissanti,
saṅkappā rāganissitā.

7Kaṭuviyakato bhikkhu,
āmagandhe avassuto;
Ārakā hoti nibbānā,
vighātasseva bhāgavā.

8Gāme vā yadi vāraññe,
aladdhā samathamattano;
Pareti bālo dummedho,
makkhikāhi purakkhato.

9Ye ca sīlena sampannā,
paññāyūpasameratā;
Upasantā sukhaṁ senti,
nāsayitvāna makkhikā"ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.