Ja 128 The Story about the Cat Vow
(Biḷārajātaka)
In the present one monk shows himself a deceitful person. The Buddha tells the story of a jackal who pretended to be a saint, and, when caught, was killed and eaten by rats (full story).
1. Yo ve Dhammaṁ dhajaṁ katvā, nigūḷho pāpam-ācare,
Vissāsayitvā bhūtāni, biḷāraṁ nāma taṁ vatan-ti.
He who raises the flag of Dhamma, and conceals his wrong-doing, from beings who have confidence, that vow is known as a cat’s vow.
In this connection, he who means whoever amongst the nobles and so on.
Raises the flag of Dhamma, raises the flag of the ten wholesome course of actions, like one who having raised it to the peak shows it, this is the meaning.
Who have confidence means producing confidence through the perception of this virtue.
That vow is known as a cat’s vow, that one who raises the flag of Dhamma in this way, while secretly practicing wrong, that vow is known as a deceitful vow, this is the meaning.