Mūsikasutta — Reader

Mice

Mūsikasutta

“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of mice. What four? One makes a hole but doesn’t live in it, one lives in a hole but doesn’t make it,

“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, mūsikā. Katamā catasso? Gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā, vasitā no gādhaṁ kattā,

one neither makes a hole nor lives in it, and one both makes a hole and lives in it. These are the four kinds of mice. In the same way, these four individuals similar to mice are found in the world.

neva gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā, gādhaṁ kattā ca vasitā ca— imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso mūsikā. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro mūsikūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

What four? One makes a hole but doesn’t live in it, one lives in a hole but doesn’t make it, one neither makes a hole nor lives in it, and

Katame cattāro? Gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā, vasitā no gādhaṁ kattā, neva gādhaṁ kattā no vasitā,

one both makes a hole and lives in it. And how does an individual make a hole but not live in it? It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching— statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.

gādhaṁ kattā ca vasitā ca. Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gādhaṁ kattā hoti no vasitā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti— 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’. That’s how an individual makes a hole but doesn’t live in it. That individual is like a mouse that makes a hole but doesn’t live in it, I say.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gādhaṁ kattā hoti, no vasitā. 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? It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching … But they really understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo vasitā hoti, no gādhaṁ kattā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti— suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

And how does an individual neither make a hole nor live in it?

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo vasitā hoti, no gādhaṁ kattā. Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, mūsikā vasitā hoti, no gādhaṁ kattā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ, puggalaṁ vadāmi. Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gādhaṁ kattā hoti no vasitā?

It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching … Nor do they really understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti— suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gādhaṁ kattā hoti, no vasitā.

And how does an individual both make a hole and live in it? It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching …

Seyyathāpi sā, bhikkhave, mūsikā neva gādhaṁ kattā hoti, no vasitā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi. Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gādhaṁ kattā ca hoti vasitā ca? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—

And they really understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. 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;

These four individuals similar to mice are found in the world.”

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi. Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro mūsikūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti. Sattamaṁ.