Verses on Dhamma 10.7: 7. Mahāmoggallānattheravatthu

10.7.p1

Yo daṇḍenāti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā veḷuvane viharanto mahāmoggallānattheraṃ ārabbha kathesi.

Whosoever visits punishment. This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Veḷuvana with reference to Elder Moggallāna the Great.

10.7.p2

Ekasmiñhi samaye titthiyā sannipatitvā mantesuṃ – ‘‘jānāthāvuso, ‘kena kāraṇena samaṇassa gotamassa lābhasakkāro mahā hutvā nibbatto’ti. Mayaṃ na jānāma, tumhe pana jānāthāti. Āma, jānāma, mahāmoggallānaṃ nāma ekaṃ nissāya uppanno. So hi devalokaṃ gantvā devatāhi katakammaṃ pucchitvā āgantvā manussānaṃ katheti ‘idaṃ nāma katvā evarūpaṃ sampattiṃ labhantī’ti. Niraye nibbattānampi kammaṃ pucchitvā āgantvā manussānaṃ katheti ‘idaṃ nāma katvā evarūpaṃ dukkhaṃ anubhavantī’ti. Manussā tassa kathaṃ sutvā mahantaṃ lābhasakkāraṃ abhiharanti, sace taṃ māretuṃ sakkhissāma, so lābhasakkāro amhākaṃ nibbattissatī’’ti. Te ‘‘attheko upāyo’’ti sabbe ekacchandā hutvā ‘‘yaṃkiñci katvā taṃ mārāpessāmā’’ti attano upaṭṭhāke samādapetvā kahāpaṇasahassaṃ labhitvā purisaghātakammaṃ katvā carante core pakkosāpetvā ‘‘mahāmoggallānatthero nāma kāḷasilāyaṃ vasati, tattha gantvā taṃ mārethā’’ti tesaṃ kahāpaṇe adaṃsu. Corā dhanalobhena sampaṭicchitvā ‘‘theraṃ māressāmā’’ti gantvā tassa vasanaṭṭhānaṃ parivāresuṃ. Thero tehi parikkhittabhāvaṃ ñatvā kuñcikacchiddena nikkhamitvā pakkāmi. Te corā taṃ divasaṃ theraṃ adisvā punekadivasaṃ gantvā parikkhipiṃsu. Thero ñatvā kaṇṇikāmaṇḍalaṃ bhinditvā ākāsaṃ pakkhandi. Evaṃ te paṭhamamāsepi majjhimamāsepi theraṃ gahetuṃ nāsakkhiṃsu. Pacchimamāse pana sampatte thero attanā katakammassa ākaḍḍhanabhāvaṃ ñatvā na apagacchi. Corā gantvā theraṃ gahetvā taṇḍulakaṇamattānissa aṭṭhīni karontā bhindiṃsu. Atha naṃ ‘‘mato’’ti saññāya ekasmiṃ gumbapiṭṭhe khipitvā pakkamiṃsu.

For once upon a time the heretics met together and said to each other, “Brethren, do you know the reason why the gifts and offerings to the monk Gotama have waxed great?” “No, we do not know; but do you know?” “Indeed we do know; it has all come about through one Moggallāna the Great. For Moggallāna the Great goes to heaven and asks the deities what deeds of merit they performed; and then he comes back to earth and says to men, ‘By doing this and that men receive such and such glory.’ Then he goes to Hell and asks also those who have been reborn in Hell what they did; and comes back to earth and says to men, ‘By doing this and that men experience such and such suffering.’ Men listen to what he says, and bring rich gifts and offerings. Now if we succeed in killing him, all these rich gifts and offerings will fall to us.”

“That is a way indeed!” exclaimed all the heretics. So all the heretics with one accord formed the resolution, “We will kill him by hook or by crook.” Accordingly they roused their own supporters, procured a thousand pieces of money, and formed a plot to kill Moggallāna the Great. Summoning some wandering thieves, they gave them the thousand pieces of money and said to them, “Elder Moggallāna the Great lives at Black Rock. Go there and kill him.” The money attracted the thieves and they immediately agreed to do as they were asked. “Yes, indeed,” said the thieves; “we will kill the Elder.” So they went and surrounded the Elder’s place of abode.

The Elder, knowing that his place of abode was surrounded, slipped out through the keyhole and escaped. The thieves, not seeing the Elder that day, came back on the following day, and again surrounded the Elder’s place of abode. But the Elder knew, and so he broke through the circular peak of the house and soared away into the air. Thus did the thieves attempt both in the first month and in the second

month to catch the Elder, but without success. But when the third month came, the Elder felt the compelling force of the evil deed he had himself committed in a previous state of existence, and made no attempt to get away.

At last the thieves succeeded in catching the Elder. When they had so done, they tore him limb from limb, and pounded his bones until they were as small as grains of rice. Then thinking to themselves, “He is dead,” they tossed his bones behind a certain clump of bushes and went their way. The Elder thought to himself, “I will pay my respects to the Teacher before I pass into Nibbāna.” Accordingly he swathed himself with meditation as with a cloth, made himself rigid, and soaring through the air, he proceeded to the Teacher, paid obeisance to the Teacher, and said to him, “Reverend Sir, I am about to pass into Nibbāna.” “You are about to pass into Nibbāna, Moggallāna?” “Yes, Reverend Sir.” “To what region of the earth are you going?” “To Black Rock, Reverend Sir.” “Well then, Moggallāna, preach the Law to me before you go, for hereafter I shall have no such disciple as you to look upon.” “That will I do, Reverend Sir,” replied Moggallāna. So first paying obeisance to the Teacher, he rose into the air, performed all manner of miracles just as did the Elder Sāriputta on the day when he passed into Nibbāna, preached the Law, paid obeisance to the Teacher, and then went to Black Rock forest and passed into Nibbāna.

10.7.p3

Thero ‘‘satthāraṃ passitvāva parinibbāyissāmī’’ti attabhāvaṃ jhānaveṭhanena veṭhetvā thiraṃ katvā ākāsena satthu santikaṃ gantvā satthāraṃ vanditvā, ‘‘bhante, parinibbāyissāmī’’ti āha. ‘‘Parinibbāyissasi, moggallānā’’ti? ‘‘Āma, bhante’’ti. ‘‘Kattha gantvā’’ti? ‘‘Kāḷasilāpadesaṃ, bhante’’ti. Tena hi, moggallāna, mayhaṃ dhammaṃ kathetvā yāhi. Tādisassa hi me sāvakassa idāni dassanaṃ natthīti. So ‘‘evaṃ karissāmi, bhante’’ti satthāraṃ vanditvā ākāsaṃ uppatitvā parinibbānadivase sāriputtatthero viya nānappakārā iddhiyo katvā dhammaṃ kathetvā satthāraṃ vanditvā kāḷasilāṭaviṃ gantvā parinibbāyi. ‘‘Theraṃ kira corā māresu’’nti ayampi kathā sakalajambudīpe patthari. Rājā ajātasattu core pariyesanatthāya carapurise payojesi. Tesupi coresu surāpāne suraṃ pivantesu eko ekassa piṭṭhiṃ paharitvā pātesi. So taṃ santejjetvā ‘‘ambho dubbinīta, tvaṃ kasmā me piṭṭhiṃ pātesī’’ti āha. Kiṃ pana hare duṭṭhacora, tayā mahāmoggallānatthero paṭhamaṃ pahaṭoti? Kiṃ pana mayā pahaṭabhāvaṃ tvaṃ na jānāsīti? Iti nesaṃ ‘‘mayā pahaṭo, mayā pahaṭo’’ti vadantānaṃ vacanaṃ sutvā te carapurisā te sabbe core gahetvā rañño ārocesuṃ. Rājā core pakkosāpetvā pucchi – ‘‘tumhehi thero mārito’’ti? ‘‘Āma, devā’’ti. ‘‘Kena tumhe uyyojitā’’ti? ‘‘Naggasamaṇakehi, devā’’ti. Rājā pañcasate naggasamaṇake gāhāpetvā pañcasatehi corehi saddhiṃ rājaṅgaṇe nābhippamāṇesu āvāṭesu nikhaṇāpetvā palālehi paṭicchādāpetvā aggiṃ dāpesi. Atha nesaṃ jhāmabhāvaṃ ñatvā ayanaṅgalehi kasāpetvā sabbe khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṃ kārāpesi.

Immediately the report spread all over the Land of the Rose-apple, “Thieves have killed the Elder.” Immediately King Ajātasattu sent out spies to search for the thieves. Now as those very thieves were drinking strong drink in a tavern, one of them struck the other on the back and felled him to the ground. Immediately the second thief reviled the first, saying, “You scoundrel, why did you strike me on the back and fell me to the ground?” “Why, you vagabond of a thief, you were the first to strike Moggallāna the Great.” “You don’t know whether I struck him or not.” There was a babel of voices crying out, “’Twas I struck him, ’Twas I struck him.”

Those spies heard what the thieves said, captured all the thieves, and made their report to the king. The king caused the thieves to be brought into his presence and asked them, “Was it you that killed the Elder?” “Yes, your majesty.” “Who, pray, put you up to it?” “The Naked Ascetics, your majesty.” The king had the five hundred Naked Ascetics caught, placed them, together with the five hundred thieves, waist-deep in pits which he had dug in the palace-court, caused their bodies to be covered over with bundles of straw, and then caused the bundles of straw to be lighted. When he knew that they had been burned to a crisp, he caused their bodies to be plowed with iron plows and thus caused them all to be ground to bits.

10.7.p4

Bhikkhū dhammasabhāyaṃ kathaṃ samuṭṭhāpesuṃ – ‘‘mahāmoggallānatthero attano ananurūpameva maraṇaṃ patto’’ti. Satthā āgantvā ‘‘kāya nuttha, bhikkhave, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā’’ti pucchitvā ‘‘imāya nāmā’’ti vutte, ‘‘bhikkhave, moggallāno imasseva attabhāvassa ananurūpaṃ maraṇaṃ patto, pubbe pana tena katassa kammassa anurūpameva maraṇaṃ patto’’ti vatvā ‘‘kiṃ panassa, bhante, pubbakamma’’nti puṭṭho vitthāretvā kathesi –

The monks began a discussion in the Hall of Truth: "Elder Moggallāna the Great met death which he did not deserve." At that moment the Teacher approached and asked them, "Monks, what are you saying as you sit here all gathered together?" When they told him, he said, "Monks, if you regard only this present state of existence, Moggallāna the Great did indeed meet death which he did not deserve. But as a matter of fact, the manner of death he met was in exact conformity with the deed he committed in a previous state of existence." Thereupon the monks asked the Teacher, "But, Reverend Sir, what was the deed he committed in a previous state of existence?" In reply the Teacher related his former deed in detail, saying,

10.7.p5

Atīte kira bārāṇasivāsī eko kulaputto sayameva koṭṭanapacanādīni kammāni karonto mātāpitaro paṭijaggi. Athassa mātāpitaro naṃ, ‘‘tāta, tvaṃ ekakova gehe ca araññe ca kammaṃ karonto kilamasi, ekaṃ te kumārikaṃ ānessāmā’’ti vatvā, ‘‘ammatātā, na mayhaṃ evarūpāyattho, ahaṃ yāva tumhe jīvatha, tāva vo sahatthā upaṭṭhahissāmī’’ti tena paṭikkhittā punappunaṃ taṃ yācitvā kumārikaṃ ānayiṃsu. Sā katipāhameva te upaṭṭhahitvā pacchā tesaṃ dassanampi anicchantī ‘‘na sakkā tava mātāpitūhi saddhiṃ ekaṭṭhāne vasitu’’nti ujjhāyitvā tasmiṃ attano kathaṃ aggaṇhante tassa bahigatakāle makacivākakhaṇḍāni ca yāgupheṇañca gahetvā tattha tattha ākiritvā tenāgantvā ‘‘kiṃ ida’’nti puṭṭhā āha – ‘‘imesaṃ andhamahallakānaṃ etaṃ kammaṃ, sabbaṃ gehaṃ kiliṭṭhaṃ karontā vicaranti, na sakkā etehi saddhiṃ ekaṭṭhāne vasitu’’nti. Evaṃ tāya naṃ punappunaṃ kathayamānāya evarūpopi pūritapāramī satto mātāpitūhi saddhiṃ bhijji. So ‘‘hotu, jānissāmi nesaṃ kattabba’’nti te bhojetvā, ‘‘ammatātā, asukaṭṭhāne nāma tumhākaṃ ñātakā āgamanaṃ paccāsīsanti, tattha gamissāmā’’ti te yānakaṃ āropetvā ādāya gacchanto aṭavimajjhaṃ pattakāle, ‘‘tāta, rasmiyo gaṇhātha, gāvo patodasaññāya gamissanti, imasmiṃ ṭhāne corā vasanti, ahaṃ otarāmī’’ti pitu hatthe rasmiyo datvā otaritvā gacchanto saddaṃ parivattetvā corānaṃ uṭṭhitasaddamakāsi. Mātāpitaro saddaṃ sutvā ‘‘corā uṭṭhitā’’ti saññāya, ‘‘tāta, mayaṃ mahallakā, tvaṃ attānameva rakkhāhī’’ti āhaṃsu. So mātāpitaro tathāviravantepi corasaddaṃ karonto koṭṭetvā māretvā aṭaviyaṃ khipitvā paccāgami.

The story goes that once upon a time in the distant past a certain youth of station performed with his own hand all of the household duties, such as pounding rice and cooking, and took care of his mother and father to boot. One day his mother and father said to him, "Son, you are wearing yourself out by performing all of the work both in the house and in the forest. We will fetch you home a certain young woman to be your wife." The son replied, "Dear mother and father, there is no necessity of your doing anything of the sort. So long as you both shall live I will wait upon you with my own hand." In spite of the fact that he refused to listen to their suggestion, they repeated their request time and again, and finally brought him home a young woman to be his wife.

For a few days only she waited upon his mother and father. After those few days had passed, she was unable even to bear the sight of them and said to her husband with a great show of indignation, "It is impossible for me to live any longer in the same house with your mother and father." But he paid no attention to what she said. So one day, when he was out of the house, she took bits of clay and bark and scum of rice-gruel and scattered them here and there about the house. When her husband returned and asked her what it meant, she said, "This is what your blind old parents have done; they go about littering up the entire house; it is impossible for me to live in the same place with them any longer.” Thus did she speak again and again. The result was that finally even a being so distinguished as he, a being who had fulfilled the Perfections, broke with his mother and father.

“Never mind,” said the husband, “I shall find some way of dealing with them properly.” So when he had given them food, he said to them, “Dear mother and father, in such and such a place live kinsfolk of yours who desire you to visit them; let us go thither.” And assisting them to enter a carriage, he set out with them. When he reached the depths of the forest, he said to his father, “Dear father, hold these reins; the oxen know the track so well that they will go without guidance; this is a place where thieves lie in wait for travelers; I am going to descend from the carriage.” And giving the reins into the hands of his father, he descended from the carriage and made his way into the forest.

As he did so, he began to make a noise, increasing the volume of the noise until it sounded as if a band of thieves were about to make an attack. When his mother and father heard the noise, they thought to themselves, “A band of thieves are about to attack us.” Therefore they said to their son, “Son, we are old people; save yourself, and pay no attention to us.” But even as his mother and father cried out thus, the son, yelling the thieves’ yell, beat them and killed them and threw their bodies into the forest. Having so done, he returned home. End of Story of the Past.

10.7.p6

Satthā idaṃ tassa pubbakammaṃ kathetvā, ‘‘bhikkhave, moggallāno ettakaṃ kammaṃ katvā anekavassasatasahassāni niraye paccitvā vipākāvasesena attabhāvasate evameva koṭṭetvā saṃcuṇṇito maraṇaṃ patto. Evaṃ moggallānena attano kammānurūpameva maraṇaṃ laddhaṃ, pañcahi corasatehi saddhiṃ labhiṃsu. Appaduṭṭhesu hi padussanto dasahi kāraṇehi anayabyasanaṃ pāpuṇātiyevā’’ti vatvā anusandhiṃ ghaṭetvā dhammaṃ desento imā gāthā abhāsi –

When the Teacher had related the foregoing story of Moggallāna’s misdeed in a previous state of existence, he said, “Monks, by reason of the fact that Moggallāna committed so monstrous a sin, he suffered torment for numberless hundreds of thousands of years in Hell; and thereafter, because the fruit of his evil deed was not yet exhausted, in a hundred successive existences he was beaten and pounded to pieces in like manner and so met death. Therefore the manner of death which Moggallāna suffered was in exact conformity with his own misdeed in a previous state of existence. Likewise the five hundred heretics who with the five hundred thieves offended against my son who had committed no offense against them, suffered precisely that form of death which they deserved. For he that offends against the offenseless, incurs misfortune and loss through ten circumstances.” So saying, he joined the connection, and preaching the Law, pronounced the following Stanzas, 137. Whosoever visits punishment upon those that deserve not punishment, Whosoever offends against those that are without offense, Such an one will right quickly come to one of ten states:

10.7.137

‘‘Yo daṇḍena adaṇḍesu, appaduṭṭhesu dussati;
Dasannamaññataraṃ ṭhānaṃ, khippameva nigacchati.

10.7.138

‘‘Vedanaṃ pharusaṃ jāniṃ, sarīrassa va bhedanaṃ;
Garukaṃ vāpi ābādhaṃ, cittakkhepaṃ va pāpuṇe.

138. He will incur cruel suffering, or infirmity or injury of the body,
Or severe sickness, or loss of mind,

10.7.139

‘‘Rājato vā upasaggaṃ, abbhakkhānaṃ va dāruṇaṃ;
Parikkhayaṃ va ñātīnaṃ, bhogānaṃ va pabhaṅguraṃ.

139. Or misfortune proceeding from the king, or a heavy accusation,
Or death of relatives, or loss of treasures,

10.7.140

‘‘Atha vāssa agārāni, aggi ḍahati pāvako;
Kāyassa bhedā duppañño, nirayaṃ sopapajjatī’’ti.

140. Or else the fire of lightning will consume his houses;
Upon dissolution of the body such a simpleton will go to Hell.

10.7.140_2

Tattha adaṇḍesūti kāyadaṇḍādirahitesu khīṇāsavesu. Appaduṭṭhesūti paresu vā attani vā niraparādhesu. Dasannamaññataraṃ ṭhānanti dasasu dukkhakāraṇesu aññataraṃ kāraṇaṃ. Vedananti sīsarogādibhedaṃ pharusaṃ vedanaṃ. Jāninti kicchādhigatassa dhanassa jāniṃ. Bhedananti hatthacchedādikaṃ sarīrabhedanaṃ. Garukanti pakkhahataekacakkhukapīṭhasappikuṇībhāvakuṭṭharogādibhedaṃ garukābādhaṃ vā. Cittakkhepanti ummādaṃ. Upasagganti yasavilopasenāpatiṭṭhānādiacchindanādikaṃ rājato upasaggaṃ vā. Abbhakkhānanti adiṭṭhaasutaacintitapubbaṃ ‘‘idaṃ sandhicchedādikammaṃ, idaṃ vā rājāparādhitakammaṃ tayā kata’’nti evarūpaṃ dāruṇaṃ abbhakkhānaṃ vā. Parikkhayaṃ va ñātīnanti attano avassayo bhavituṃ samatthānaṃ ñātīnaṃ parikkhayaṃ vā. Pabhaṅguranti pabhaṅgubhāvaṃ pūtibhāvaṃ. Yaṃ hissa gehe dhaññaṃ, taṃ pūtibhāvaṃ āpajjati, suvaṇṇaṃ aṅgārabhāvaṃ, muttā kappāsaṭṭhibhāvaṃ, kahāpaṇaṃ kapālakhaṇḍādibhāvaṃ, dvipadacatuppadā kāṇakuṇādibhāvanti attho. Aggi ḍahatīti ekasaṃvacchare dvattikkhattuṃ aññasmiṃ ḍāhake avijjamānepi asaniaggi vā patitvā ḍahati, attanova dhammatāya uṭṭhito pāvako vā ḍahatiyeva. Nirayanti diṭṭheva dhamme imesaṃ dasannaṃ ṭhānānaṃ aññataraṃ patvāpi ekaṃsena samparāye pattabbaṃ dassetuṃ ‘‘nirayaṃ sopapajjatī’’ti vuttaṃ.

10.7.140_3

Desanāvasāne bahū sotāpattiphalādīni pāpuṇiṃsūti.

10.7.140_4

Mahāmoggallānattheravatthu sattamaṃ.