Verses on Dhamma 10.10: 10. Pilotikatissattheravatthu

10.10.p1

Hirīnisedhoti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto pilotikattheraṃ ārabbha kathesi.

Is there a man in this world so restrained by modesty? This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Elder Pilotika.

10.10.p2

Ekasmiñhi samaye ānandatthero ekaṃ pilotikakhaṇḍanivatthaṃ kapālaṃ ādāya bhikkhāya carantaṃ dārakaṃ disvā ‘‘kiṃ te evaṃ vicaritvā jīvanato pabbajjā na uttaritarā’’ti vatvā, ‘‘bhante, ko maṃ pabbājessatī’’ti vutte ‘‘ahaṃ pabbājessāmī’’ti taṃ ādāya gantvā sahatthā nhāpetvā kammaṭṭhānaṃ datvā pabbājesi. Tañca pana nivatthapilotikakhaṇḍaṃ pasāretvā olokento parissāvanakaraṇamattampi gayhūpagaṃ kañci padesaṃ adisvā kapālena saddhiṃ ekissā rukkhasākhāya ṭhapesi. So pabbajitvā laddhūpasampado buddhānaṃ uppannalābhasakkāraṃ paribhuñjamāno mahagghāni cīvarāni acchādetvā vicaranto thūlasarīro hutvā ukkaṇṭhitvā ‘‘kiṃ me janassa saddhādeyyaṃ nivāsetvā vicaraṇena, attano pilotikameva nivāsessāmī’’ti taṃ ṭhānaṃ gantvā pilotikaṃ gahetvā ‘‘ahirika nillajja evarūpānaṃ vatthānaṃ acchādanaṭṭhānaṃ pahāya imaṃ pilotikakhaṇḍaṃ nivāsetvā kapālahattho bhikkhāya carituṃ gacchasī’’ti taṃ ārammaṇaṃ katvā attanāva attānaṃ ovadi, ovadantasseva panassa cittaṃ sannisīdi. So taṃ pilotikaṃ tattheva paṭisāmetvā nivattitvā vihārameva gato. So katipāhaccayena punapi ukkaṇṭhitvā tatheva vatvā nivatti, punapi tathevāti. Taṃ evaṃ aparāparaṃ vicarantaṃ disvā bhikkhū ‘‘kahaṃ, āvuso, gacchasī’’ti pucchanti. So ‘‘ācariyassa santikaṃ gacchāmāvuso’’ti vatvā eteneva nīhārena attano pilotikakhaṇḍameva ārammaṇaṃ katvā attānaṃ nisedhetvā katipāheneva arahattaṃ pāpuṇi. Bhikkhū āhaṃsu – ‘‘kiṃ, āvuso, na dāni ācariyassa santikaṃ gacchasi, nanu ayaṃ te vicaraṇamaggo’’ti. Āvuso, ācariyena saddhiṃ saṃsagge sati gatomhi, idāni pana me chinno saṃsaggo, tenassa santikaṃ na gacchāmīti. Bhikkhū tathāgatassa ārocesuṃ – ‘‘bhante, pilotikatthero aññaṃ byākarotī’’ti. Kimāha, bhikkhaveti? Idaṃ nāma, bhanteti. Taṃ sutvā satthā ‘‘āma, bhikkhave, mama putto saṃsagge sati ācariyassa santikaṃ gato, idāni panassa saṃsaggo chinno, attanāva attānaṃ nisedhetvā arahattaṃ patto’’ti vatvā imā gāthā abhāsi –

For one day Elder Ānanda saw a certain youth going along, clad in a ragged undergarment, with a potsherd in his hand. Said the Elder to the youth, “Is not the monastic life superior to the kind of life you lead?” Said the youth to the Elder, “Reverend Sir, who will make a monk of me?” “I will make a monk of you,” said the Elder. So taking him with him, he bathed him with his own hand, and giving him a Subject of Meditation, made a monk of him. Now the youth spread out the cloth which he had worn as an undergarment, looked about him, and seeing no place to which he might resort for the purpose of straining water, placed the cloth and the potsherd on the branch of a certain tree. Having been admitted to the Order and hav-

ing made his full profession, he enjoyed to the full the rich offerings which accrue to the Buddhas, and went about clad in robes of great price. After a time he became fat and discontented. Thought he to himself, “What is the use of my going about clad in robes which are the pious offerings of the people? I will clothe myself once more in the same old cloth I used to wear.” Accordingly he went to the place where he had left the cloth and recovered it. Having so done, he said to himself, “You shameless, unblushing simpleton, you have thrown away the privilege of wearing rich apparel, have clothed yourself in these rags, and with potsherd in hand, are about to go forth for alms.” And taking this thought for his Subject of Meditation, all by himself he admonished himself. Now even as he admonished himself, his mind became tranquil. Then and there he put away that cloth and went back again to the monastery. After a few days, however, he became discontented once more, said the same thing to himself, and then went back again to the monastery. Again the third time the same thing happened. When the monks saw him going back and forth in this manner, they asked him, “Brother, where are you going?” “I am going to my teacher, brethren,” he replied. Thus did he take his own old ragged garment for his Subject of Meditation, by this means conquer himself, and in a few days attain Arahatship.

Said the monks, “Brother, do you no longer go to your teacher? This is not the path you have been accustomed to travel.” “Brethren,” replied the monk, “when I was attached to the world, I walked with a teacher. But now that I have cut off the ties that bind me to the world, I no longer go to him.” The monks reported the matter to the Teacher, saying, “Reverend Sir, the Elder Pilotika does not speak the truth.” “What did he say, monks?” replied the Teacher. “He said this and that, Reverend Sir.” When the Teacher heard that, he said, “Monks, what he says is quite true. When my son was attached to the world, he went to a teacher. But now he has cut off the ties that bound him to the world, has himself restrained himself, and has attained Arahatship.” So saying, he pronounced the following Stanzas,

10.10.143

‘‘Hirīnisedho puriso, koci lokasmiṃ vijjati;
Yo niddaṃ apabodheti, asso bhadro kasāmiva.

143. Is there a man in this world so restrained by modesty
That he wards off reproach as a well-bred horse the whip?

10.10.144

‘‘Asso yathā bhadro kasāniviṭṭho,
Ātāpino saṃvegino bhavātha;
Saddhāya sīlena ca vīriyena ca,
Samādhinā dhammavinicchayena ca;
Sampannavijjācaraṇā patissatā,
Jahissatha dukkhamidaṃ anappaka’’nti.

144. Even as a well-bred horse touched by the whip, so be ye ardent and active.
By faith, by virtue, by resolution, by meditation, by understanding of the Law,
Possessing perfect knowledge and behavior, thoughtful, you will rid yourselves
of this great suffering.

10.10.144_2

Tattha anto uppannaṃ akusalavitakkaṃ hiriyā nisedhetīti hirīnisedho. Koci lokasminti evarūpo puggalo dullabho, kocideva lokasmiṃ vijjati. Yo niddanti appamatto samaṇadhammaṃ karonto attano uppannaṃ niddaṃ apaharanto bujjhatīti apabodheti. Kasāmivāti yathā bhadro asso attani patamānaṃ kasaṃ apaharati, attani patituṃ na deti. Yo evaṃ niddaṃ apabodheti, so dullabhoti attho.

10.10.144_3

Dutiyagāthāya ayaṃ saṅkhepattho – ‘‘bhikkhave, yathā bhadro asso pamādamāgamma kasāya niviṭṭho, ahampi nāma kasāya pahaṭo’’ti aparabhāge ātappaṃ karoti, evaṃ tumhepi ātāpino saṃvegino bhavatha, evaṃbhūtā lokiyalokuttarāya duvidhāya saddhāya ca catupārisuddhisīlena ca kāyikacetasikavīriyena ca aṭṭhasamāpattisamādhinā ca kāraṇākāraṇajānanalakkhaṇena dhammavinicchayena ca samannāgatā hutvā tissannaṃ vā aṭṭhannaṃ vā vijjānaṃ, pañcadasannañca caraṇānaṃ sampattiyā sampannavijjācaraṇā. Upaṭṭhitasatitāya patissatā hutvā idaṃ anappakaṃ vaṭṭadukkhaṃ pajahissathāti.

10.10.144_4

Desanāvasāne bahū sotāpattiphalādīni pāpuṇiṃsūti.

10.10.144_5

Pilotikatissattheravatthu dasamaṃ.