Samyutta Nikaya XVII.5
Pilahaka Sutta
The Dung Beetle
Dwelling at Savatthi. "Monks, gains, offerings, & fame are a cruel thing, a harsh, bitter obstacle to the attainment of the unexcelled rest from bondage.
Suppose there were a beetle, a dung-eater, full of dung, gorged with dung, with a huge pile of dung in front of him. He, because of that, would look down on other
beetles: 'Yes, sirree! I am a dung-eater, full of dung, gorged with dung, with a huge pile of dung in front of me!' In the same way, there is the case where a certain monk -- conquered by gains,
offerings, & fame, his mind consumed -- puts on his robes and, carrying his bowl & outer robe, goes into a village or town for alms. Having eaten there as much as he likes -- full of
almsfood & invited again for the next day -- he goes to the monastery and, in the midst of a group of monks, boasts, 'I have eaten as much as I like, I am full of almsfood & have been
invited again for tomorrow. I am a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medicinal requisites for curing illness. These other monks, though, have next to no merit, next to no influence.
They aren't recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medicinal requisites for curing illness.' Conquered by gains, offerings, & fame, his mind consumed, he looks down on other
well-behaved monks. That will be for this worthless man's long-term suffering & harm. That's how cruel gains, offerings, & fame are: a harsh, bitter obstacle to the attainment of the
unexcelled rest from bondage.
"Thus you should train yourselves: 'We will put aside any gains, offerings, & fame that have arisen; and we will not let any gains, offerings, & fame that have arisen keep our minds
consumed.' That's how you should train yourselves."
Source: ATI - For Free Distribution Only, as a Gift of Dhamma.
