The Cat
Viḷāra Sutta  (SN 20:10)

Dwelling at Sāvatthī. And on that occasion a certain newly-ordained monk was spending too much time visiting lay families. The monks said to him, “Friend, don’t spend so much time visiting lay families.” He, admonished by the monks, didn’t desist.

Then many monks went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there, they said to him, “Lord, there is a certain newly-ordained monk who is spending too much time visiting lay families. The monks have said to him, ‘Friend, don’t spend so much time visiting lay families.’ He, admonished by the monks, hasn’t desisted.”

[The Blessed One said:] “Once, monks, a cat was standing by an alley-drain-rubbish bin to ambush a mouse, (thinking,) ‘When a mouse comes out to forage, I’ll grab it right there and eat it.’ Then a mouse came out to forage. The cat, catching it right away, swallowed it without chewing it. The mouse chewed on its small & large intestines, and from that cause there came [for the cat] death & death-like pain.

“In the same way, there is the case where a monk, early in the morning, having adjusted his lower robe and, carrying his bowl & outer robe, enters a village or town for alms—with his bodily actions unprotected, his speech unprotected, his mind unprotected, with mindfulness unestablished, with his sense faculties unguarded. There he sees a woman improperly dressed or half-naked. As he sees her improperly dressed or half-naked, lust ravages his mind. When his mind is ravaged by lust, death comes to him or death-like pain. Monks, ‘death’ in this discipline of a noble one is when one renounces the training and returns to the lower life. ‘Death-like pain’ is when one falls into a certain defiled offense that requires rehabilitation.1

“Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves: ‘We will enter a village or town for alms with our bodily actions protected, our speech protected, our mind protected, with mindfulness established, with our sense faculties guarded.’ That’s how you should train yourselves.”

See also: AN 5:75–76

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
•