Dhammapada 1.3.p2

1.3.p2

So kirāyasmā tissatthero bhagavato pitucchāputto ahosi, mahallakakāle pabbajitvā buddhānaṃ uppannalābhasakkāraṃ paribhuñjanto thūlasarīro ākoṭitapaccākoṭitehi cīvarehi nivāsetvā yebhuyyena vihāramajjhe upaṭṭhānasālāyaṃ nisīdati. Tathāgataṃ dassanatthāya āgatā āgantukabhikkhū taṃ disvā ‘‘eko mahāthero bhavissatī’’ti saññāya tassa santikaṃ gantvā vattaṃ āpucchanti, pādasambāhanādīni āpucchanti. So tuṇhī ahosi. Atha naṃ eko daharabhikkhu ‘‘kativassā tumhe’’ti pucchitvā ‘‘vassaṃ natthi, mahallakakāle pabbajitā maya’’nti vutte, ‘‘āvuso, dubbinīta, mahallaka, attano pamāṇaṃ na jānāsi, ettake mahāthere disvā sāmīcikammamattampi na karosi, vatte āpucchiyamāne tuṇhī hosi, kukkuccamattampi te natthī’’ti accharaṃ pahari. So khattiyamānaṃ janetvā ‘‘tumhe kassa santikaṃ āgatā’’ti pucchitvā ‘‘satthu santika’’nti vutte ‘‘maṃ pana ‘ko eso’ti sallakkhetha, mūlameva vo chindissāmī’’ti vatvā rudanto dukkhī dummano satthu santikaṃ agamāsi. Atha naṃ satthā ‘‘kiṃ nu tvaṃ tissa dukkhī dummano assumukho rodamāno āgatosī’’ti pucchi. Tepi bhikkhū ‘‘esa gantvā kiñci āloḷaṃ kareyyā’’ti teneva saddhiṃ gantvā satthāraṃ vanditvā ekamantaṃ nisīdiṃsu. So satthārā pucchito ‘‘ime maṃ, bhante, bhikkhū akkosantī’’ti āha. ‘‘Kahaṃ pana tvaṃ nisinnosī’’ti? ‘‘Vihāramajjhe upaṭṭhānasālāyaṃ, bhante’’ti. ‘‘Ime te bhikkhū āgacchantā diṭṭhā’’ti? ‘‘Āma, diṭṭhā, bhante’’ti. ‘‘Kiṃ uṭṭhāya te paccuggamanaṃ kata’’nti? ‘‘Na kataṃ, bhante’’ti. ‘‘Parikkhāraggahaṇaṃ āpucchita’’nti? ‘‘Nāpucchitaṃ, bhante’’ti. ‘‘Vattaṃ vā pānīyaṃ vā āpucchita’’nti. ‘‘Nāpucchitaṃ bhante’’ti? ‘‘Āsanaṃ nīharitvā abhivādetvā pādasambāhanaṃ kata’’nti? ‘‘Na kataṃ, bhante’’ti. ‘‘Tissa mahallakabhikkhūnaṃ sabbaṃ etaṃ vattaṃ kātabbaṃ, etaṃ vattaṃ akarontena vihāramajjhe nisīdituṃ na vaṭṭati, taveva doso, ete bhikkhū khamāpehī’’ti? ‘‘Ete maṃ, bhante, akkosiṃsu, nāhaṃ ete khamāpemī’’ti. ‘‘Tissa mā evaṃ kari, taveva doso, khamāpehi ne’’ti? ‘‘Na khamāpemi, bhante’’ti. Atha satthā ‘‘dubbaco esa, bhante’’ti bhikkhūhi vutte ‘‘na, bhikkhave, idāneva dubbaco esa, pubbepi esa dubbacoyevā’’ti vatvā ‘‘idāni tāvassa, bhante, dubbacabhāvo amhehi ñāto, atīte esa kiṃ akāsī’’ti vutte ‘‘tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇāthā’’ti vatvā atītamāhari.

It seems that this Venerable Elder was the son of the sister of the father of the Exalted One. He was an old man when he retired from the world, and very fat. He enjoyed the gain and honor of the Buddhas; his clothes were always smooth from constant beating; he always sat in the center of the monastery in the Hall of State.

One day some visiting monks came to see the Tathāgata, and supposing Tissa to be some Great Elder, asked to be allowed the privilege of waiting upon him, offering among other things to rub his feet. Tissa remained silent. Thereupon a certain young monk asked him, "How many seasons have you kept residence?" "No seasons at all," replied Tissa; "I was an old man when I retired from the world." Said the young monk, "You wretched old monk, you overestimate your own importance. Seeing before you, as you do, all these Great Elders, you are not even civil to them. To their offers to perform various services for you, you answer by silence. Moreover, you show not the slightest regret for your misconduct." So saying, he snapped his fingers. Recovering the pride of a member of the Warrior caste, Tissa asked them, "Whom did you come to see?" "We came to see the Teacher." "But with reference to me, you say to yourselves, 'Who is he?' I will extirpate your whole race." So saying, he went to the Teacher, weeping and sad and sorrowful.

The Teacher asked him, "Tissa, how is it that you come to me sad and sorrowful, with tears in your eyes, weeping?" The monks said to themselves, "If he goes alone, he may cause some trouble." So they went right with him, paid obeisance to the Teacher, and sat down respectfully on one side. Tissa answered the Teacher's question as follows, "Reverend Sir, these monks are abusing me." "But where were you sitting?" "In the center of the monastery in the Hall of State, Reverend Sir." "Did you see these monks when they came?" "Yes, Reverend Sir, I saw them." "Did you rise and go to meet them?" "No, Reverend Sir, I did not." "Did you offer to take their monastic utensils?" "No, Reverend Sir, I did not offer to take them."

"Did you offer to wait upon them and to provide them with water to drink?" "No, Reverend Sir, I did not offer to do either of these things." "Did you bring seats for them and rub their feet?" "I did not, Reverend Sir." "Tissa, you should have performed all these services for the old monks, for he who does not do this has no right to sit in the center of the monastery. You alone are to blame; ask pardon of these monks." "But they abused me, Reverend Sir; I will not ask their pardon." "Tissa, do not act thus. You alone are to blame; ask their pardon." "I will not ask their pardon, Reverend Sir."

The monks said to the Teacher, "He is an obstinate monk, Reverend Sir." The Teacher replied, "Monks, this is not the first time he has proved obstinate; he was obstinate also in a previous state of existence." "We know all about his present obstinacy, Reverend Sir; but what did he do in a previous state of existence?" "Well then, monks, listen," said the Teacher. So saying, he told the following