Dhammapada 2.3.p8

2.3.p8

Satthā paccūsakāleyeva lokaṃ volokento imaṃ kāraṇaṃ disvā paṭhamataraṃ gantvā cūḷapanthakassa gamanamagge dvārakoṭṭhake caṅkamanto aṭṭhāsi. Cūḷapanthako gacchanto satthāraṃ disvā upasaṅkamitvā vanditvā aṭṭhāsi. Atha naṃ satthā ‘‘kuhiṃ pana tvaṃ, cūḷapanthaka, imāya velāya gacchasī’’ti āha. ‘‘Bhātā maṃ, bhante, nikkaḍḍhati, tenāhaṃ vibbhamituṃ gacchāmī’’ti. ‘‘Cūḷapanthaka, tava pabbajjā nāma mama santakā, bhātarā nikkaḍḍhito kasmā mama santikaṃ nāgañchi, ehi, kiṃ te gihibhāvena, mama santike bhavissasī’’ti cakkaṅkitatalena pāṇinā taṃ sirasi parāmasitvā ādāya gantvā gandhakuṭippamukhe nisīdāpetvā, ‘‘cūḷapanthaka, puratthābhimukho hutvā imaṃ pilotikaṃ ‘rajoharaṇaṃ rajoharaṇa’nti parimajjanto idheva hohī’’ti iddhiyā abhisaṅkhataṃ parisuddhaṃ pilotikaṃ datvā kāle ārocite bhikkhusaṅghaparivuto jīvakassa gehaṃ gantvā paññattāsane nisīdi. Cūḷapanthakopi sūriyaṃ olokento taṃ pilotikaṃ ‘‘rajoharaṇaṃ rajoharaṇa’’nti parimajjanto nisīdi. Tassa taṃ pilotikakhaṇḍaṃ parimajjantassa kiliṭṭhaṃ ahosi. Tato cintesi – ‘‘idaṃ pilotikakhaṇḍaṃ ativiya parisuddhaṃ, imaṃ pana attabhāvaṃ nissāya purimapakatiṃ vijahitvā evaṃ kiliṭṭhaṃ jātaṃ, aniccā vata saṅkhārā’’ti khayavayaṃ paṭṭhapento vipassanaṃ vaḍḍhesi. Satthā ‘‘cūḷapanthakassa cittaṃ vipassanaṃ āruḷha’’nti ñatvā, ‘‘cūḷapanthaka, tvaṃ pilotikakhaṇḍameva saṃkiliṭṭhaṃ ‘rajaṃ raja’nti mā saññaṃ kari, abbhantare pana te rāgarajādayo atthi, te harāhī’’ti vatvā obhāsaṃ vissajjetvā purato nisinno viya paññāyamānarūpo hutvā imā gāthā abhāsi –

As Little Wayman came along, he saw the Teacher, and approaching him, paid obeisance to him. Said the Teacher, “But, Little Wayman, where are you going at this hour of the day?” “Reverend Sir, my brother has expelled me from the Order, and therefore I intend to return to the world.” “Little Wayman, it was at my hands that you received admission to the Order. Therefore when your brother expelled you, why did you not come to me? Come now, what have you to do with the life of a householder? You shall remain with me.” So saying, the Teacher stroked him on the head with his hand, the palm of which was marked with the Wheel, and taking him with him, went and seated him over against the Perfumed Chamber. And creating by magic a perfectly clean cloth, he gave it to him, saying, “Little Wayman, remain right here, face towards the East, rub this cloth, and say as you do so, ‘Removal of Impurity! Removal of Impurity!’” Just then meal-time was announced, whereupon the Teacher, accompanied by the Congregation of Monks, went to the house of Jīvaka and sat down on the seat prepared for him.

Little Wayman sat down, facing the sun, and rubbed the cloth, saying as he did so, “Removal of Impurity! Removal of Impurity!” As he rubbed the piece of cloth, it became soiled. Thereupon he thought, “This piece of cloth was perfectly clean before. But through this body of mine it has lost its original character and has become soiled. ‘Impermanent, indeed, are all existing things!’” And grasping the thought of decay and death, he developed Insight. The Teacher, knowing that Little Wayman’s mind had attained Insight, said, “Little Wayman, think not that only a piece of cloth has become soiled and dyed with impurity. Indeed within you are lust, impurity, and other defilements; remove them.” And sending forth a luminous image of himself, the Teacher, sitting before him, present in bodily form, as it were, pronounced the following Stanzas, Lust, not dirt, is properly called impurity; to lust is correctly applied the term “impurity.” Monks should rid themselves of this form of impurity and live faithful to the religion of him who is devoid of impurity.