The Cat

I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anathapindika in Jeta's grove in Sàvatthi.

At that time a certain monk was engaged with the business of families too long. Then other monks said to him: "Friend, do not be engaged with the business of families for such a long time."

He did not take that advice and did not stop it.

Then many monks approached the Blessed One, worshipped and sat on a side.

Sitting on a side those monks said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, a certain monk is engaged in the business of families too much. We told him friend, do not be engaged in the business of families too much, he did not take the advice and did not stop it."

"Monks, in the past there was a cat who tracked weak mice at the edge of rubbish heaps and dust heaps, thinking. `When these weak mice come for food, I will get at them and eat them then and there.'

"Then, monks, the weak mice came for food and the cat ate them completely. It ate the mice and their entrails as a result it met death or unpleasantness close to death.

"In the same manner, monks, a certain monk wearing robes in the morning and taking bowl and robes enters a certain village or hamlet for alms food not protected in the body, in words and the mind.

"There he sees a woman not well dressed and not well covered and his mind is overwhelmed with greed. With a mind overwhelmed with greed he comes to death or deathly unpleasantness.

"Monks, in the dispensation of the noble ones death is a synonym for the monk's stepping down from the holy life. Deathly unpleasantness is a synonym for falling to some offence, for which he has to make amends by some declared suitable means.

"Therefore, monks, you should train thus: `We will enter a village or hamlet for alms food, with our body, words and mind protected, mindfulness established and with controlled mental faculties.'

Monks you should train thus."