Dighanikaya 29.164_2

29.164_2

Nanu cāyaṃ nāṭaputto nāḷandavāsiko, so kasmā pāvāyaṃ kālaṅkatoti? So kira upālinā gahapatinā paṭividdhasaccena dasahi gāthāhi bhāsite buddhaguṇe sutvā uṇhaṃ lohitaṃ chaḍḍesi. Atha naṃ aphāsukaṃ gahetvā pāvaṃ agamaṃsu. So tattha kālamakāsi. Kālaṃ kurumāno ca cintesi – ‘‘mama laddhi aniyyānikā sāravirahitā, mayaṃ tāva naṭṭhā, avasesajanopi mā apāyapūrako ahosi, sace panāhaṃ ‘mama sāsanaṃ aniyyānika’nti vakkhāmi, na saddahissanti, yaṃnūnāhaṃ dvepi jane na ekanīhārena uggaṇhāpeyyaṃ, te mamaccayena aññamaññaṃ vivadissanti, satthā taṃ vivādaṃ paṭicca ekaṃ dhammakathaṃ kathessati, tato te sāsanassa mahantabhāvaṃ jānissantī’’ti.

Is it not the case that this Nāṭaputta was a resident of Nāḷandā? Why did he die in Pāvā? Having heard the virtues of the Buddha spoken in ten verses by the householder Upāli, who had penetrated the truths, he vomited hot blood, so it is said. Then, taking him who was ill, they went to Pāvā. There he died. And while dying, he thought: "My doctrine does not lead out [of suffering]; it is destitute of essence. We, at least, are ruined; let not the remaining people also become fill-ins for the states of loss. But if I should say, 'My dispensation does not lead out [of suffering],' they will not believe me. What if I were to teach no two people in the same manner? In that case, after my passing, they will dispute with one another; the Teacher, taking that dispute as an occasion, will speak a Dhamma discourse, and then they will understand the greatness of the Dispensation."