{"id":"an5.103","title":"A Master Thief","languageCodes":["en","pi"],"languageNotes":{"en":"Bhikkhu Sujato · CC0","pi":"Mahāsaṅgīti edition · SuttaCentral"},"chapters":[{"id":"an5.103","title":"A Master Thief","units":[{"id":"an5.103:0","sourceIds":["an5.103:0.1","an5.103:0.2","an5.103:0.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.103\n11. Phāsuvihāravagga\nMahācorasutta","en":"Numbered Discourses 5.103\n11. Living Comfortably\nA Master Thief"}},{"id":"an5.103:1","sourceIds":["an5.103:1.1","an5.103:1.2","an5.103:1.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati, nillopampi harati, ekāgārikampi karoti, paripanthepi tiṭṭhati.\nKatamehi pañcahi?\nIdha, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito ca hoti, gahananissito ca, balavanissito ca, bhogacāgī ca, ekacārī ca.","en":"“Mendicants, a master thief with five factors breaks into houses, plunders wealth, steals from isolated buildings, and commits highway robbery.\nWhat five?\nA master thief relies on rough ground, on thick cover, and on the powerful; they pay bribes, and they act alone."}},{"id":"an5.103:2","sourceIds":["an5.103:2.1","an5.103:2.2","an5.103:2.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti?\nIdha, bhikkhave, mahācoro nadīviduggaṁ vā nissito hoti pabbatavisamaṁ vā.\nEvaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti.","en":"And how does a master thief rely on rough ground?\nIt’s when a master thief relies on inaccessible riverlands or rugged mountains.\nThat’s how a master thief relies on rough ground."}},{"id":"an5.103:3","sourceIds":["an5.103:3.1","an5.103:3.2","an5.103:3.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti?\nIdha, bhikkhave, mahācoro tiṇagahanaṁ vā nissito hoti rukkhagahanaṁ vā rodhaṁ vā mahāvanasaṇḍaṁ vā.\nEvaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti.","en":"And how does a master thief rely on thick cover?\nIt’s when a master thief relies on thick grass, thick trees, a blind spot, or a large forest grove.\nThat’s how a master thief relies on thick cover."}},{"id":"an5.103:4","sourceIds":["an5.103:4.1","an5.103:4.2","an5.103:4.3","an5.103:4.4","an5.103:4.5","an5.103:4.6"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti?\nIdha, bhikkhave, mahācoro rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattānaṁ vā nissito hoti.\nTassa evaṁ hoti:\n‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti.\nSace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyassa rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti.\nEvaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti.","en":"And how does a master thief rely on the powerful?\nIt’s when a master thief relies on rulers or their chief ministers.\nThey think:\n‘If anyone accuses me of anything, these rulers or their chief ministers will speak in my defense in the case.’\nAnd that’s exactly what happens.\nThat’s how a master thief relies on the powerful."}},{"id":"an5.103:5","sourceIds":["an5.103:5.1","an5.103:5.2","an5.103:5.3","an5.103:5.4","an5.103:5.5","an5.103:5.6"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro bhogacāgī hoti?\nIdha, bhikkhave, mahācoro aḍḍho hoti mahaddhano mahābhogo.\nTassa evaṁ hoti:\n‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ito bhogena paṭisantharissāmī’ti.\nSace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tato bhogena paṭisantharati.\nEvaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro bhogacāgī hoti.","en":"And how does a master thief pay bribes?\nIt’s when a master thief is rich, affluent, and wealthy.\nThey think:\n‘If anyone accuses me of anything, I’ll settle it with a bribe.’\nAnd that’s exactly what happens.\nThat’s how a master thief pays bribes."}},{"id":"an5.103:6","sourceIds":["an5.103:6.1","an5.103:6.2","an5.103:6.3","an5.103:6.4","an5.103:6.5"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro ekacārī hoti?\nIdha, bhikkhave, mahācoro ekakova gahaṇāni kattā hoti.\nTaṁ kissa hetu?\n‘Mā me guyhamantā bahiddhā sambhedaṁ agamaṁsū’ti.\nEvaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro ekacārī hoti.","en":"And how does a master thief act alone?\nIt’s when a master thief carries out robbery all alone.\nWhy is that?\nSo that their secret plans are not leaked to others.\nThat’s how a master thief acts alone."}},{"id":"an5.103:7","sourceIds":["an5.103:7.1"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati nillopampi harati ekāgārikampi karoti paripanthepi tiṭṭhati.","en":"A master thief with these five factors breaks into houses, plunders wealth, steals from isolated buildings, and commits highway robbery."}},{"id":"an5.103:8","sourceIds":["an5.103:8.1","an5.103:8.2","an5.103:8.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavati.\nKatamehi pañcahi?\nIdha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito ca hoti, gahananissito ca, balavanissito ca, bhogacāgī ca, ekacārī ca.","en":"In the same way, when a bad mendicant has five qualities, they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness.\nWhat five?\nA bad mendicant relies on rough ground, on thick cover, and on the powerful; they pay bribes, and they act alone."}},{"id":"an5.103:9","sourceIds":["an5.103:9.1","an5.103:9.2","an5.103:9.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti?\nIdha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, visamena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, visamena manokammena samannāgato hoti.\nEvaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti.","en":"And how does a bad mendicant rely on rough ground?\nIt’s when a bad mendicant has unethical conduct by way of body, speech, and mind.\nThat’s how a bad mendicant relies on rough ground."}},{"id":"an5.103:10","sourceIds":["an5.103:10.1","an5.103:10.2","an5.103:10.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti?\nIdha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu micchādiṭṭhiko hoti antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgato.\nEvaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti.","en":"And how does a bad mendicant rely on thick cover?\nIt’s when a bad mendicant has wrong view, he’s attached to an extremist view.\nThat’s how a bad mendicant relies on thick cover."}},{"id":"an5.103:11","sourceIds":["an5.103:11.1","an5.103:11.2","an5.103:11.3","an5.103:11.4","an5.103:11.5","an5.103:11.6"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti?\nIdha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattānaṁ vā nissito hoti.\nTassa evaṁ hoti:\n‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti.\nSace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyassa rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti.\nEvaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti.","en":"And how does a bad mendicant rely on the powerful?\nIt’s when a bad mendicant relies on rulers or their chief ministers.\nThey think:\n‘If anyone accuses me of anything, these rulers or their chief ministers will speak in my defense in the case.’\nAnd that’s exactly what happens.\nThat’s how a bad mendicant relies on the powerful."}},{"id":"an5.103:12","sourceIds":["an5.103:12.1","an5.103:12.2","an5.103:12.3","an5.103:12.4","an5.103:12.5","an5.103:12.6"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu bhogacāgī hoti?\nIdha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu lābhī hoti cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānaṁ.\nTassa evaṁ hoti:\n‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ito lābhena paṭisantharissāmī’ti.\nSace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tato lābhena paṭisantharati.\nEvaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu bhogacāgī hoti.","en":"And how does a bad mendicant pay bribes?\nIt’s when a bad mendicant receives robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.\nThey think:\n‘If anyone accuses me of anything, I’ll settle it with a bribe.’\nAnd that’s exactly what happens.\nThat’s how a bad mendicant pays bribes."}},{"id":"an5.103:13","sourceIds":["an5.103:13.1","an5.103:13.2","an5.103:13.3","an5.103:13.4"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu ekacārī hoti?\nIdha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu ekakova paccantimesu janapadesu nivāsaṁ kappeti.\nSo tattha kulāni upasaṅkamanto lābhaṁ labhati.\nEvaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu ekacārī hoti.","en":"And how does a bad mendicant act alone?\nIt’s when a bad mendicant dwells alone in the borderlands.\nThey visit families there to acquire material things.\nThat’s how a bad mendicant acts alone."}},{"id":"an5.103:14","sourceIds":["an5.103:14.1","an5.103:14.2"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavatī”ti.\nTatiyaṁ.","en":"When a bad mendicant possesses these five qualities, they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness.”"}}]}],"sourceRevision":"afdafa92450cfe7573b280da50382888323666d2","sourceUrl":"https://suttacentral.net/an5.103/en/sujato","licence":"CC0 1.0","licenceUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/","editionNote":"Full supplied source file; inherited abbreviations are preserved. Not a reconstructed expansion of every repetition. No Malay or Mandarin translation is implied."}