Dhammapada 2.9: 9. Nigamavāsitissattheravatthu

2.9.p1

Appamādaratoti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto nigamavāsitissattheraṃ nāma ārabbha kathesi.

_A monk who delights in heedfulness._ This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Elder Tissa of the Market-town, Nigamavāsī Tissa.

2.9.p2

Ekasmiñhi sāvatthito avidūre nigamagāme jātasaṃvaḍḍho eko kulaputto satthu sāsane pabbajitvā laddhūpasampado ‘‘nigamavāsitissatthero nāma appiccho santuṭṭho pavivitto āraddhavīriyo’’ti paññāyi. So nibaddhaṃ ñātigāmeyeva piṇḍāya vicarati. Anāthapiṇḍikādīsu mahādānāni karontesu, pasenadikosale asadisadānaṃ karontepi sāvatthiṃ nāgacchati. Bhikkhū ‘‘ayaṃ nigamavāsitissatthero uṭṭhāya samuṭṭhāya ñātisaṃsaṭṭho viharati, anāthapiṇḍikādīsu mahādānādīni karontesu, pasenadikosale asadisadānaṃ karontepi neva āgacchatī’’ti kathaṃ samuṭṭhāpetvā satthu ārocayiṃsu. Satthā taṃ pakkosāpetvā, ‘‘saccaṃ kira tvaṃ, bhikkhu, evaṃ karosī’’ti pucchitvā, ‘‘natthi, bhante, mayhaṃ ñātisaṃsaggo, ahaṃ ete manusse nissāya ajjhoharaṇīyamattaṃ āhāraṃ labhāmi lūkhe vā paṇīte vā. Yāpanamatte laddhe puna kiṃ āhārapariyesanenāti na gacchāmi, ñātīhi pana me saṃsaggo nāma natthi, bhante’’ti vutte satthā pakatiyāpi tassa ajjhāsayaṃ vijānanto – ‘‘sādhu sādhu, bhikkhū’’ti tassa sādhukāraṃ datvā, ‘‘anacchariyaṃ kho panetaṃ bhikkhu, yaṃ tvaṃ mādisaṃ ācariyaṃ labhitvā appiccho ahosi. Ayañhi appicchatā nāma mama tanti, mama paveṇī’’ti vatvā bhikkhūhi yācito atītaṃ āhari –

For a youth of station, born and reared in a certain market-town not far from Sāvatthi, retired from the world and became a monk in the Religion of the Teacher. On making his full profession, he became known as Tissa of the Market-town, or Nigama Tissa. He acquired the reputation of being frugal, contented, pure, resolute. He always made his rounds for alms in the village where his relatives resided. Although, in the neighboring city of Sāvatthi, Anāthapiṇḍika and other disciples were bestowing abundant offerings and Pasenadi Kosala was bestowing gifts beyond compare, he never went to Sāvatthi.

One day the monks began to talk about him and said to the Teacher, “This monk Nigama Tissa, busy and active, lives in intimate association with his kinsfolk. Although Anāthapiṇḍika and other disciples are bestowing abundant offerings and Pasenadi Kosala is bestowing Gifts beyond Compare, he never comes to Sāvatthi.” The Teacher had Nigama Tissa summoned and asked him, “Monk, is the report true that you are doing thus and so?” “Reverend Sir,” replied Tissa, “it is not true that I live in intimate association with my relatives. I receive from these folk only so much food as I can eat. But after receiving so much food, whether coarse or fine, as is necessary to support me, I do not return to the monastery, thinking, ‘Why seek food?’ I do not live in intimate association with my relatives, Reverend Sir.” The Teacher, knowing the disposition of the monk, applauded him, saying, “Well done, well done, monk!” and then addressed him as follows, “It is not at all strange, monk, that after obtaining such a Teacher as I, you should be frugal. For frugality is my disposition and my habit.” And in response to a request of the monks he related the following

2.9.p3

Atīte himavante gaṅgātīre ekasmiṃ udumbaravane anekasahassā suvā vasiṃsu. Tatreko suvarājā attano nivāsarukkhassa phalesu khīṇesu yaṃ yadeva avasiṭṭhaṃ hoti aṅkuro vā pattaṃ vā taco vā, taṃ taṃ khāditvā gaṅgāyaṃ pānīyaṃ pivitvā paramappiccho santuṭṭho hutvā aññattha na gacchati. Tassa appicchasantuṭṭhabhāvaguṇena sakkassa bhavanaṃ kampi. Sakko āvajjamāno taṃ disvā tassa vīmaṃsanatthaṃ attano ānubhāvena taṃ rukkhaṃ sukkhāpesi. Rukkho obhaggo khāṇumatto chiddāvachiddova hutvā vāte paharante ākoṭito viya saddaṃ nicchārento aṭṭhāsi. Tassa chiddehi cuṇṇāni nikkhamanti. Suvarājā tāni khāditvā gaṅgāyaṃ pānīyaṃ pivitvā aññattha agantvā vātātapaṃ agaṇetvā udumbarakhāṇumatthake nisīdati. Sakko tassa paramappicchabhāvaṃ ñatvā, ‘‘mittadhammaguṇaṃ kathāpetvā varamassa datvā udumbaraṃ amataphalaṃ katvā āgamissāmī’’ti eko haṃsarājā hutvā sujaṃ asurakaññaṃ purato katvā udumbaravanaṃ gantvā avidūre ekassa rukkhassa sākhāya nisīditvā tena saddhiṃ kathento imaṃ gāthamāha –

Once upon a time several thousand parrots lived in a certain grove of fig-trees in the Himālaya country on the bank of the Ganges. One of them, the king-parrot, when the fruits of the tree in which he lived had withered away, ate whatever he found remaining, whether shoot or leaf or bark, drank water from the Ganges, and being very happy and contented, remained where he was. In fact he was so very happy and contented that the Abode of Sakka began to quake. Sakka considered the cause, and seeing the parrot, determined to put him to the test. Accordingly he employed his supernatural power and withered up the tree. Straightway the tree became a mere stump, full of holes and cracks. When the wind beat upon it, there came forth from the tree a hollow sound, and out of the holes and cracks came forth dust. The parrot ate the dust, drank water from the Ganges, and going nowhere else, remained perched on the top of the fig-tree, recking naught of wind and sun.

When Sakka observed how very happy and contented the parrot was, he said to himself, “I will go to him, let him talk of the virtue of friendship, grant him his heart’s desire, and cause the fig-tree to bear ambrosial fruit.” Accordingly Sakka assumed the form of a royal goose, and preceded by Wellborn in the form of an Asura nymph, went to the grove of fig-trees, alighted on the branch of a certain tree not far off, and entered into conversation with the parrot by pronouncing the following Stanza,

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‘‘Santi rukkhā haripattā, dumānekaphalā bahū;
Kasmā nu sukkhe koḷāpe, suvassa nirato mano’’ti. (jā. 1.9.30);

There are trees with green leaves, trees aplenty with abundant fruit.
Why does the parrot’s heart delight in a tree that is withered and hollow?

2.9.p5

Sabbaṃ suvajātakaṃ navakanipāte āgatanayeneva vitthāretabbaṃ. Aṭṭhuppattiyeva hi tattha ca idha ca nānā, sesaṃ tādisameva. Satthā imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ āharitvā, ‘‘tadā sakko ānando ahosi, suvarājā ahamevā’’ti vatvā, ‘‘evaṃ, bhikkhave, appicchatā nāmesā mama tanti, mama paveṇī, anacchariyā mama puttassa nigamavāsitissassa mādisaṃ ācariyaṃ labhitvā appicchatā, bhikkhunā nāma nigamavāsitissena viya appiccheneva bhavitabbaṃ. Evarūpo hi bhikkhu abhabbo samathavipassanādhammehi vā maggaphalehi vā parihānāya, aññadatthu nibbānasseva santike hotī’’ti vatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –

(The entire Jātaka is here to be related in detail, just as it occurs in the tenth Nipāta. The occasion there is different from what it is here, but everything else is the same.) When the Teacher had given this religious instruction, he said, “At that time Sakka was Ānanda, and the parrot-king was I myself. Thus, monks, contentment is my disposition and my habit. It is, therefore, not at all strange that my son Nigamavāsī Tissa, because he was so happy and contented, obtained me for his teacher. Such a monk, because he has attained the

Paths and the Fruits, is not liable to fall away; nay rather he is nigh even unto Nibbāna.” So saying, he pronounced the following Stanza,

2.9.32

‘‘Appamādarato bhikkhu, pamāde bhayadassi vā;
Abhabbo parihānāya, nibbānasseva santike’’ti.

32. A monk who delights in heedfulness and views heedlessness with fear,
Is not liable to fall away, but is nigh even unto Nibbāna.

2.9.32_2

Tattha abhabbo parihānāyāti so evarūpo bhikkhu samathavipassanādhammehi vā maggaphalehi vā parihānāya abhabbo, nāpi pattehi parihāyati, na appattāni na pāpuṇāti. Nibbānasseva santiketi kilesaparinibbānassapi anupādāparinibbānassāpi santikeyevāti.

2.9.32_3

Gāthāpariyosāne nigamavāsitissatthero saha paṭisambhidāhi arahattaṃ pāpuṇi. Aññepi bahū sotāpannādayo ahesuṃ. Mahājanassa sātthikā dhammadesanā jātāti.

2.9.32_4

Nigamavāsitissattheravatthu navamaṃ.

2.9.32_5

Appamādavaggavaṇṇanā niṭṭhitā. Dutiyo vaggo.