On one occasion, Venerable Maha Moggallana was living in the Bhagga country at Sumsumaragira in the Bhesakala Grove, the Deer Park. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Friends, bhikkhus. Though a bhikkhu asks thus: 'Let the venerable ones admonish me, i need to be admonished by the venerable ones,' yet if he is difficult to admonish and possesses qualities that make him difficult to admonish, if he is impatient and does not take instruction rightly, then his companions in the holy life think that he should not be admonished or instructed, they think of him as a person not to be trusted."
What qualities make him difficult to admonish?
(1) Here a bhikkhu has evil wishes and is dominated by evil wishes (2) A bhikkhu lauds himself and disparages others (3) A bhikkhu is angry and is overcome by anger (4) A bhikkhu is angry and revengeful because of anger (5) A bhikkhu is angry and stubborn because of anger (6) A bhikkhu is angry and he utters words bordering on anger (7) A bhikkhu is reproved, and he resists the reprover (8) A bhikkhu is reproved, and he denigrates the reprover... (9) A bhikkhu is reproved and he counter-reproves the reprover... (10) A bhikkhu is reproved and he prevaricates, leads the talk aside and shows anger, hate, and bitterness...
(11) A bhikkhu is reproved, and he fails to account for his conduct... (12) A bhikkhu is contemptuous and domineering... (13) A bhikkhu is envious and avaricious... (14) A bhikkhu is fraudulent and deceitful... (15) Again, a bhikkhu is obstinate and arrogant... (16) A bhikkhu adheres to his own views, holds on to them tenaciously, and relinquishes them with difficulty; this is a quality that makes him difficult to admonish.
Venerable Maha Moggallana :"Friends, these are called the qualities that make him difficult to admonish. " "Friends, though a bhikkhu does not ask thus: 'Let the venerable ones admonish me; I need to be admonished by the venerable ones/ yet if he is easy to admonish and possesses qualities that make him easy to admonish, if he is patient and takes instruction rightly/then his companions in the holy life think that he should be admonished and instructed, and they think of him as a person to be trusted.
What qualities make him easy to admonish? (opposite of the above)
(1) Here a bhikkhu has no evil wishes and is not dominated by evil wishes (2) A bhikkhu does not laud himself nor disparage others (3) He is not angry nor allows anger to overcome him... (4) He is not angry or revengeful because of anger... (5) He is not angry or stubborn because of anger... (6) He is not angry, and he does not utter words bordering on anger... (7) He is reproved, and he does not resist the reprover... (8) He is reproved, and he does not denigrate the reprover... (9) He is reproved, and he does not counter-reprove the reprover... (10) He is reproved, and he does not prevaricate, lead the talk aside, and show anger, hate, and bitterness... (11) He is reproved, and he does not fail to account for his conduct... (12) He is not contemptuous or domineering... (13) He is not envious or avaricious...
(14) He is not fraudulent or deceitful... (15) He is not obstinate or arrogant... (16) A bhikkhu does not adhere to his own views or hold on to them tenaciously, and he relinquishes them easily; this is a quality that makes him easy to admonish.
Venerable Maha Moggallana: "Friends, these are called the qualities that make him easy to admonish. "
Now, friends, a bhikkhu ought to infer about himself in the following way:
(1) A person with evil wishes and dominated by evil wishes is displeasing and disagreeable to me. If I were to have evil wishes and be dominated by evil wishes, I would be displeasing and disagreeable to others as well. A bhikkhu who knows this should arouse his mind thus: 'I shall not have evil wishes and be dominated by evil wishes.'
(2-16 in relation to the above factors of admonishment) A person who lauds himself and disparages others is displeasing and disagreeable to me thus i should not behave as such...... A person who adheres to his own views, holds on to them tenaciously, and relinquishes them with difficulty is displeasing and disagreeable to me. If I were to adhere to my own views, hold on to them tenaciously, and relinquish them with difficulty, I would be displeasing and disagreeable to others. A bhikkhu who knows this should arouse his mind thus: 'I shall not adhere to my own views, hold on to them tenaciously, and I shall relinquish them easily.
Now, friends, a bhikkhu should review himself thus: (1) 'Do I have evil wishes and am I dominated by evil wishes?' If when he reviews himself and he knows: that he has evil wishes and is dominated by evil wishes then he should make an effort to abandon those evil unwholesome states. But when he reviews himself and he knows he does not have evil wishes and is not dominated by evil wishes then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states. (2-16 in relation to the above factors of admonishment). A bhikkhu should review himself thus: 'Do I praise myself and disparage others?'........'Do I adhere to my own views, hold on to them tenaciously, and relinquish them with difficulty?' If, when he reviews himself, he knows: 'I adhere to my own views.. then he should make an effort to abandon those evil unwholesome states. But if, when he reviews himself, he knows: 'I do not adhere to my own views...then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
"Friends, after reviewing himself, if a bhikkhu sees that these evil unwholesome states are not all abandoned in himself, then he should make an effort to abandon them all. But if when he reviews himself and he sees that they are all abandoned in himself, then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states. Similarly when a woman or a man who is young and youthful, fond of ornaments, upon seeing her image in a clear bright mirror and notices a smudge or a blemish on it, then she/he will make an effort to remove it, but if she sees no smudge or blemish on it, she becomes glad thus: 'It is a gain for me that it is clean'; so too when a bhikkhu reviews himself thus...then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states."
The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the venerable Maha Moggallana's words.
In summary, Venerable Moggallāna raises the topic of admonishment, without which healthy community is not possible. He lists a number of qualities that will encourage others to think it worthwhile to admonish you in a constructive way. He also told the Bhikkhus to review themselves such that should they have any unwholesome thoughts/deeds they should make an effort to abandon them. And if after reviewing, they do not have any unwholesome thoughts/deeds then he can abide and happy and continue to practice in wholesome states.
References: 1. www.accesstoinsight.org 2. https://suttacentral.net/ 3. The middle length discourses of the Buddha (Bhikkhu Bodhi)