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Anguttara Nikāya 
The Numerical Discourses  
 
Pañcakanipāta  
(Book of the Fives) 
 
AN 5.100 
 
Kakudha Sutta 
“With the Deva, Kakudha” 
 
Translated by Bhikkhu Candana 
Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2022 
 
I have personally heard this.  
 
Once, The Blessed One was staying at Ghosita’s monastery, in the region of Kosambi. It was 
during that time, that Kakudha, one of the Koliyan sons who had attended on the Venerable 
Mahāmoggallāna, had recently died and was now reborn among the Devas with mind-made 
bodies, in the heavenly realms of form.  
 
Now, as a youthful Deva, his physical size was bigger than two or three times the size of a 
Magadhan village, including their fields. But, despite his enormous size, he did not impede on 
anyone or anything, including himself, as he moved about.  
 
Then Kakudha, now as a youthful Deva, now the son of Devas, went and approached the 
Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, and after paying homage to him, stood to one side and said to the 
Venerable Mahāmoggallāna:  
 
“Bhante, this desire arose in Devadatta’s heart:  
 
‘I will be the head of the Sangha of Bhikkhus.’  
 
“Also, Bhante, as soon as that desire arose in him, suddenly, all his psychic powers left him and 
vanished.” 
 
Then, having reported this matter, Kakudha, the son of Devas, paid his respects to the Venerable 
Mahāmoggallāna, and after circumambulating him, disappeared.

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Later, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna went and approached The Blessed One, and after paying 
homage to Him, sat to one side and reported what Kakudha, now the son of Devas, had informed 
him earlier.  
 
And The Blessed One said: 
  
“Moggallāna, have you penetrated and seen the mind of Kakudha, the son of the Devas, with 
your own mind, to see whether his words were true and not otherwise?” 
 
“Bhante, I have indeed penetrated and seen the mind of Kakudha, the son of the Devas, and saw 
that his words were indeed true and not false.” 
 
Then, The Blessed One added: 
 
“Moggallāna, mark these words! Soon, that foolish man Devadatta will be exposing himself, as 
he reveals through his behavior, what was hidden all along in his heart. 
 
 
“Moggallāna, there are these five teachers to be found in the world. What five? 
 
 
a. “Here, Moggallāna, a certain teacher who lives with impure behavior and without any virtue, 
reflects to himself:  
 
‘I am such a virtuous teacher, possessing a character that is so pure, after all, I happen to be 
such a virtuous person in my behavior indeed, undefiled and uncorrupted!’ 
 
“Meanwhile, his own students see him for who he truly is, knowing full-well how their teacher 
behaves, which, in fact, is not virtuous at all; being one who lives with impure behavior and 
without any virtue.  
 
“Those students, however, do not come forward, nor inform the laypeople of the truth about their 
teacher. Instead, they reflect to themselves:  
 
‘How could we let the public know about him? Because if we do, he will get mad and upset with 
us. Besides, if the public knows this about our teacher, then how will he be getting his robes, 
alms food, dwelling, and medical attention whenever needed?’  
 
“So, the students continuously lie and cover up for the teacher, in an effort to protect him, who in 
turn expects his students to keep silent about his impure and non-virtuous behavior.  
 
“But, nevertheless, the truth about a person cannot be hidden, for it is revealed through their 
actions.

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b. “Again, Moggallāna, a certain teacher, who has an impure lifestyle while being supported 
through impure means, reflects to himself thus:  
 
“I am such a pure and true teacher, living with an undefiled lifestyle and gaining a livelihood 
that is pure, as I live uncorrupted, while being supported through pure means!”  
 
“Meanwhile, however, his own students see him for who he truly is, knowing full-well how their 
teacher behaves, who is, in fact, not living with a pure lifestyle at all, while being supported 
through impure means and a non-virtuous livelihood.  
 
“But despite their full knowledge of this fact, they do not come forward, nor inform the 
laypeople of the truth about their teacher, and instead, they reflect to themselves thus:  
 
‘How could we let the public know about our teacher’s wrong lifestyle, whereby he gains his 
livelihood through impure means? After all, if we were to say something about it, then he will get 
mad and upset with us. Besides, if the public knows this about our teacher, then how will he be 
getting his robes, alms food, dwelling, and medical attention whenever needed?’  
 
“So, the students continuously lie and cover up for the teacher, in an effort to protect him, who in 
turn expects his students to keep silent about his defiled lifestyle and wrong livelihood, while 
being supported through impure means, while having a non-virtuous livelihood.  
 
“But, nevertheless, the truth about a person cannot be hidden, for it is revealed through their 
actions. 
 
 
c. “Again, Moggallāna, a certain teacher, whose teaching of The Dhamma is impure, reflects to 
himself:  
 
“I am such a true teacher, whose teaching of The Dhamma is so pure, as I teach it in an 
undefiled and uncorrupted manner!”  
 
“Meanwhile, his own students see him for who he truly is, knowing full-well that their teacher 
does not teach The Dhamma that is pure, and in fact, even recognize how his teaching is corrupt 
and defiled.  
 
“But they, nevertheless, do not come forward, nor inform the laypeople of the truth about their 
teacher, and instead, they reflect to themselves thus:  
 
‘How could we let the public know about him? Because if we do, he will get mad and upset with 
us. Besides, if the public knows this about our teacher, then how will he be getting his robes, 
alms food, dwelling, and medical attention whenever needed?’   
 
“So, the students continuously lie and cover up for the teacher in an effort to protect him, who in 
turn expects his students to keep silent about his teaching being impure, having nothing to do 
with the spirit of The Dhamma.

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“But, nevertheless, the truth about a person cannot be hidden, for it is revealed through their 
actions. 
 
 
d. Again, Moggallāna, a certain teacher, whose explanations on The Dhamma are impure, 
reflects to himself:  
 
“I am such a great teacher, whose explanations on The Dhamma are pure and so clear, as I 
always give answers that are undefiled, accurate, and uncorrupted!”  
 
“Meanwhile, his own students see him for who he truly is, knowing full-well that their teacher 
does not explain The Dhamma that is pure and clear; recognizing how his answers to questions 
are in fact defiled, inaccurate, and corrupt.  
 
“And yet, they do not come forward nor inform the laypeople of the truth about their teacher, and 
instead, they reflect to themselves thus:  
 
‘How could we let the public know about his explanations on The Dhamma to be wrong and 
impure? Because if we do, he will get mad and upset with us. Besides, if the public knows this 
about our teacher, then how will he be getting his robes, alms food, dwelling, and medical 
attention whenever needed?’  
 
“So, the students continuously lie and cover up for the teacher, in an effort to protect him, who in 
turn expects his students to keep silent about his confusing and flip-flopping explanations on The 
Dhamma, rendering the entirety of his teaching essentially impure and defiled.  
 
“But, nevertheless, the truth about a person cannot be hidden, for it is revealed through their 
actions. 
 
 
e. “Again, Moggallāna, a certain so-called ‘teacher,’ whose experience of what he thinks is true 
understanding and vision of the heart’s release is, in fact utterly flawed and not based on reality, 
hence is impure, nevertheless, he goes on reflecting to himself:  
 
“I am one whose direct understanding and vision of the heart’s release is pure, undefiled, and 
uncorrupted!”  
 
“Meanwhile, his own students see him for who he truly is, knowing full-well that their teacher’s 
claim to direct understanding and vision of the heart’s release is impure; recognizing that it is 
utterly a defiled statement, and therefore, corrupt.  
 
“But they do not come forward, nor inform the laypeople of the truth about their teacher, and 
instead, they reflect to themselves thus:

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‘How could we let the public know about him? Because if we do, he will get mad and upset with 
us. Besides, if the public knows this about our teacher, then how will he be getting his robes, 
alms food, dwelling, and medical attention whenever needed?’   
 
“So, the students continuously lie and cover up for the teacher, who in turn expects his students 
to keep silent about the fact that his claims at direct understanding and vision of the heart’s 
release are in fact totally impure; having neither the knowledge nor the vision, which he believes 
or declares himself to possess. 
 
“But, nevertheless, the truth about a person cannot be hidden, for it is revealed through their 
actions. 
 
“These then, Moggallāna, are the five kinds of teachers living in the world. 
 
 
“However, Moggallāna, as for Me: 
 
1. Because I possess pure behavior and live with virtue, I declare:  
 
“My virtuous behavior is pure, undefiled, and uncorrupted.”  
 
“My disciples, therefore, do not cover up for Me, nor do I expect them to, as there is nothing to 
hide about my behavior, which is always pure.  
  
 
2. And it is because I have a pure lifestyle, where I gain a livelihood that is pure, that I declare:  
 
“My lifestyle is pure, while being supported through undefiled and uncorrupted means.”  
 
“Therefore, My disciples do not cover up for Me, nor do I expect them to, as there is nothing to 
hide about my lifestyle or livelihood with which this body is sustained, that always remains pure.  
 
 
3. “Furthermore, because My teaching of The Dhamma is pure, I declare:  
 
“My teaching of The Dhamma is pure, as I teach it in an undefiled and uncorrupted manner.”  
 
“Hence, my disciples do not cover up for Me, nor do I expect them to, as there is nothing to hide 
about My teaching of The Dhamma, that is always pure.  
 
 
4. “And because My explanations of The Dhamma are pure, I declare:  
 
“My explanations of The Dhamma are pure, undefiled, and uncorrupted.”

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“Hence, My disciples do not cover up for Me, nor do I expect them to, as there is nothing to hide 
about My explanations of The Dhamma, that are always pure.  
 
 
5. “And because my experience of Direct Understanding and Vision of the Heart’s Release is, in 
fact pure, I declare:  
 
“I am one whose Direct Understanding and Vision of the Heart’s Release is pure, undefiled, and 
uncorrupted.”  
 
“Hence, My disciples do not cover up for Me, nor do I expect them to, as there is nothing to hide 
about My Direct Understanding and Vision of the Heart’s Release, which is always pure, 
indeed.” 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sādhu  
Sādhu  
Sādhu 
 
Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2022