The Dwelling Place Chapter41. On Dwelling Places “It was said by the Blessed One:
“Yet he also said: “If the former statement was made by the Blessed One then the latter must be wrong.” “Both statements were made by the Tathāgata, O king, but the first was an inclusive statement as to
the nature of things and as to what it is proper for recluses to desire. However, the second statement was said concerning two matters only. The gift of a dwelling place has been highly praised by the Buddhas because those who have made such a gift will be delivered from birth, old age, disease, and death. Secondly, if there is a dwelling place it is easy for those who wish to listen to the Dhamma to
visit the bhikkhus, whereas if they stayed in the forest it would not be. However, it does not follow that the bhikkhus have a longing for a dwelling place.” 42. Restraint of the Stomach“The Blessed One said, ‘Do not be heedless in standing for alms, be restrained regarding the stomach.’3 However, he also said, ‘There were times, Udāyi, when I ate a full bowl of food or even more.’4 This too
is a paradox.” “Both statements are correct, O king, but the former statement is inclusive and cannot be proved wrong. He who has no restraint as regards the stomach will kill living beings or steal for the sake of his stomach. It was bearing this in mind that the Blessed One said, ‘Do not be heedless in standing for alms
, be restrained regarding the stomach.’ He who has self-control gains a clear insight into the Four Noble Truths and fulfils the life of a recluse. Didn’t a mere parrot, O king, by his restraint as to his stomach shake the heaven of the thirty-three and bring down Sakka to wait on him?5 However, when the
Blessed One said, ‘There were times, Udāyi, when I ate a full bowl of food or even more’ it was concerning himself. He had accomplished all that can be accomplished by restraint, and like a perfect gem that needs no more polishing, he needed no more training.” 43. The Best of Men“The Blessed One said, ‘I, monks, am a Brahman, one to ask a favour of, always ready to give; this body that I bear will be my last, I am the supreme healer and physician.’6 Yet on the other hand he
said, ‘The chief among my disciples as regards physical health is Bakkula.’7 Now it is well known that the Blessed One suffered several times from diseases whereas Bakkula was always healthy. If the first statement is true then why was the Buddha less healthy than Bakkula?” “Although it is true that Bakkula surpassed the Buddha in the matter of health and other disciples also surpassed him in other aspects yet the Blessed One surpassed them all in respect of virtue, concentration, and wisdom; and it was in reference to this that he spoke the verse, ‘I, monks, am a Brahman, one to ask a favour of, always ready to give; this body that I bear will be my last, I am the
supreme healer and physician.’” “The Blessed One, O king, whether he is sick or not; whether he is practising the ascetic practices or not — there is no other being comparable to him. For this, O king, was said in the Samyutta Nikāya, ‘Just as, monks, of all creatures; whether footless, or having two, four, or many feet; whether having
form or formless; whether conscious or unconscious, or neither conscious nor unconscious — of these the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, is reckoned as the chief....’”8 44. The Ancient Path“It was said by the Blessed One, ‘The Tathāgata is the discoverer of a way that was unknown.’9 Yet he
also said, ‘Now I perceived, O monks, the ancient path along which the previous Buddhas walked.’10 This too is a paradox.” “It was because the path shown by previous Buddhas had long since disappeared and was not known
by anyone, man or god, that the Buddha said, ‘The Tathāgata is the discoverer of a way that was unknown.’ Though that way had disintegrated, become impassable and lost to view — the Tathāgata, having gained a thorough knowledge of it, saw by his eye of wisdom that it was the path used by previous Buddhas. Therefore he said; ‘Now I perceived, O monks, the ancient path along which the
previous Buddhas walked.’ It is as when a man clears the jungle and sets free a piece of land it is called his land though he did not make the land.” 45. The Bodhisatta’s Weakness“It was said by the Blessed One, ‘Already in former births when I was a man I had acquired the habit of
not inflicting harm on living beings.’11 However, when he was an ascetic called Lomasa Kassapa he had hundreds of animals killed and offered as a sacrifice.12 Why was he not compassionate then?” “That sacrifice, O king, was done when Lomasa Kassapa was out of his mind through infatuation with Princess Candavatī; not when he was conscious of what he was doing. Just as a madman, when out of
his senses, will step into a fire or catch hold of a venomous snake or run naked through the streets, so it was only because the Bodhisatta was out of his mind that he performed the great sacrifice. Now an evil act done by a madman is not considered a grievous offence, nor is it grievous in respect of the fruit that it brings in a future life. Suppose, O king, that a madman had been guilty of a capital offence, what punishment would you inflict upon him?” “What punishment is due to a madman? We should order him to be beaten and set free, that is all.” “So then, O king, it follows that the offence of one who is mad is pardonable.3 Just so was it in the case of Lomasa Kassapa who, after he regained his senses, renounced the world and became assured
of rebirth in the Brahmā realm.” 46. Respect for the Robe“Even when the Bodhisatta was an elephant he had respect for the yellow robe13 but you also say that when he was the Brahman youth Jotipāla, even though he was then endowed with the discernment of a human being, he reviled and abused the Buddha Kassapa, calling him a shaveling and good-for-nothing monk.14 How can both of these statements be true?”
“O king, the Bodhisatta’s rudeness when he was the Brahman youth Jotipāla was due to his birth and upbringing; all his family were unbelievers who worshipped Brahmā and thought that Brahmans were the highest among men. Just, O king, as even the coolest water will become warm when in contact with fire
so, Jotipāla, though he was full of merit, yet when he was reborn into a family of unbelievers he became as if blind and reviled the Tathāgata. However, when he went to the presence of the Buddha Kassapa he realised his virtue and became his devoted disciple.” 47. The Merit of the Potter“It was said by the Blessed One, ‘For three whole months the dwelling place of Ghatikāra the potter remained open to the sky but no rain fell on it.’15 Yet it was said that rain fell on the hut of Buddha Kassapa.16 Why did the hut of the Tathāgata get wet? If rain fell on the hut of the Buddha who had so much merit then it must be false that no rain fell on the hut of Ghatikāra because of his great merit.” “O king, Ghatikāra was a good man, full of virtue and rich in merit, who supported his blind parents by
his humble trade. While he was away from the house, the monks, having confidence in the unstinting generosity of Ghatikāra, took away some thatch from the roof of his house to repair the hut of Buddha Kassapa. When Ghatikāra returned he was neither angry nor disappointed, but was full of joy because he had gained so much merit by giving something to the Tathāgata and ecstatic at the thought, ‘The
Blessed One has full confidence in me.’ So great was his merit that it brought forth its result in this very life. The Tathāgata on the other hand, was not short of merit because the rain fell on his hut, but he had considered, ‘Let people not find fault saying that the Buddhas gain a livelihood by the use of supernormal powers.’ Therefore the rain fell on his hut as it did on all the others except that of Ghatikāra.” 48. King or Brahman?“The Blessed One said, ‘I, monks, am a Brahman, one to ask a favour of.’17 However, he also said, ‘A king, Sela, am I.’18 If, Nāgasena, he was a king, then he must have spoken falsely when he said he was a Brahman, for he must have been either a Khattiya (a warrior) or a Brahman, he could not have belonged to both castes.” “It was not on account of his birth that he called himself a Brahman but because he was free from defilements, had attained to the certainty of knowledge and because he was one who maintained the ancient traditions of teaching and learning by heart, self-control and discipline.19 As a king rules the people with the law, the Buddha rules the people by teaching Dhamma; bringing joy to those who live rightly and reproving those who transgress the noble law. Like a king who rules justly rules for a long time, the Buddha’s religion endures for a long time because of his special qualities of righteousness.” 49. Right Livelihood“You say that the Blessed One did not accept alms received by chanting verses20 but when preaching
to laymen he generally spoke first of the benefits of giving and accepted the gifts offered.21 If the first is true then why did he accept gifts gained by preaching?” “It is the custom of the Tathāgatas to preach first of the benefits of giving to soften men’s hearts
before going on to preach of morality and higher matters but not on account of that could they justly be accused of hinting to get gifts. There is hinting that is improper and there is hinting that is blameless. Herein, if a bhikkhu begs for alms standing in an inconvenient place or making signs this is improper hinting;22 but if he stands in the proper place where there are people who want to give and moves on if they do not want to give then this is proper and does not amount to hinting. That meal of the ploughman was offered in order to refute the subject of the verse recited therefore the Tathāgata rejected it.” 50. The Reluctance of the Buddha“You say that for four aeons (asankheyya) and 100,000 world-cycles (kappa) the Bodhisatta practised the perfections in order to gain Omniscience23 yet after he had gained Omniscience his mind inclined to
not teaching the Dhamma.24 Like an archer who had practised for many days might hesitate when the day for battle had come, even so did the Blessed One hesitate to teach the Dhamma. Was it then because of fear, or lack of clarity, or weakness, or because he was not Omniscient that he hesitated?”
“No, great king, it was for none of those reasons. It was due to the profound nature of the Dhamma and to the exceedingly strong passion and delusion of beings that the Blessed One hesitated and considered to whom he should teach it and in what manner so that they would understand. Just, O king, as a king, when he calls to mind the many people who gain their livelihood in dependence on him —
the body-guards, courtiers, merchants, soldiers, messengers, ministers and nobles — he might be exercised at the thought; ‘How can I conciliate them all?’ Just so, O king, when the Tathāgata called to mind the strong passion and delusion of beings that he inclined to inaction rather than to preaching. It is also in the natural order of things that the Buddha should teach the Dhamma at the request of
Brahmā, for at that time all men were worshippers of Brahmā and placed their reliance on him. Therefore if one so high and mighty as Brahmā should incline to hearing Dhamma then the whole world of gods and men would become inclined to it and so for that reason too the Buddha waited to be asked before preaching the Dhamma.” 51. The Buddha’s Teachers“The Blessed One said, ‘I have no teacher, one like me does not exist. In the world with its gods no one equals me.’25 Again he said, ‘In this way, monks, did ālāra the Kālāma, being my teacher, set me, his
pupil, on exactly the same level as himself and honour me with the highest honour.’26 This too is a paradox.” “O king, when the Blessed One spoke of ālāra the Kālāma as his teacher he referred to the time when
he was still a Bodhisatta and before he had attained Buddhahood. He was merely a teacher of worldly wisdom. It was in regard to transcendental matters such as knowledge of the Four Noble Truths and nibbāna that he said, ‘I have no teacher, one like me does not exist. In the world with its gods no one equals me.’” In this chapter there are eleven questions |
