Verses on Dhamma 20.7.p3

20.7.p3

So nihatamāno sāmaṇerassa santike añjaliṃ paggahetvā ‘‘avassayo me hohi sappurisā’’ti āha. Aho, ācariya, kiṃ nāmetaṃ kathetha, tumhe mahallakā bahussutā, tumhākaṃ santike mayā kiñci kāraṇaṃ jānitabbaṃ bhaveyyāti. Mā evaṃ kari, sappurisa, hohiyeva me avassayoti. Bhante, sacepi ovādakkhamā bhavissatha, bhavissāmi vo avassayoti. Homi, sappurisa, ahaṃ ‘‘aggiṃ pavisā’’ti vutte aggiṃ pavisāmiyevāti. Atha naṃ so avidūre ekaṃ saraṃ dassetvā, ‘‘bhante, yathānivatthapārutova imaṃ saraṃ pavisathā’’ti āha. So hissa mahagghānaṃ dupaṭṭacīvarānaṃ nivatthapārutabhāvaṃ ñatvāpi ‘‘ovādakkhamo nu kho’’ti vīmaṃsanto evamāha. Theropi ekavacaneneva udakaṃ otari. Atha naṃ cīvarakaṇṇānaṃ temitakāle ‘‘etha, bhante’’ti vatvā ekavacaneneva āgantvā ṭhitaṃ āha – ‘‘bhante, ekasmiṃ vammike cha chiddāni, tattha ekena chiddena godhā anto paviṭṭhā, taṃ gaṇhitukāmo itarāni pañca chiddāni thaketvā chaṭṭhaṃ bhinditvā paviṭṭhachiddeneva gaṇhāti, evaṃ tumhepi chadvārikesu ārammaṇesu sesāni pañcadvārāni pidhāya manodvāre kammaṃ paṭṭhapethā’’ti. Bahussutassa bhikkhuno ettakeneva padīpujjalanaṃ viya ahosi. So ‘‘ettakameva hotu sappurisā’’ti karajakāye ñāṇaṃ otāretvā samaṇadhammaṃ ārabhi.

His pride humbled, Poṭhila raised his clasped hands in an attitude of reverent supplication to the novice and said to him, “Good Sir, be my refuge.” “Oh, teacher,” replied the novice, “what say you? You are of mature age and of great learning; it is I who have something to learn from you.” “Do not act thus, good sir; only be my refuge.” “Reverend Sir, if you will patiently endure admonition, I will be your refuge.” “I will do so, good sir; if you say to me, ‘Enter the fire,’ I will enter the fire.” Thereupon the novice pointed out a pool of water not far off and said to him, “Reverend Sir, plunge into this pool, robes and all.” For although the novice knew full well that Poṭhila had on under and upper garments of great value, robes of double fold, he spoke thus to ascertain whether he was tractable or not. No sooner were the words spoken than the Elder plunged into the water.

When the novice saw that the skirts of Poṭhila’s robes were dripping he said, “Come hither, Reverend Sir.” No sooner did the novice speak than Poṭhila came and stood before him. Said the novice to Poṭhila, “Reverend Sir, if there are six holes in a given ant-hill, and a lizard enters the ant-hill by one of these holes, he that would catch the lizard stops up five of the six holes, leaving the sixth hole open, and catches the lizard in the hole by which he entered. Precisely so should you deal with the six doors of the senses; close five of the six doors, and devote your attention to the door of the mind.”

To the monk, learned as he was, the words of the novice were as the lighting of a lamp. “Let that suffice, good sir,” said he; and concentrating his attention on the material body, he began to meditate. The Teacher, even as he sat at a distance of a hundred and twenty leagues, surveyed that monk, and thinking to himself, “This monk must so establish himself as to become a man of great wisdom,” sent forth a luminous image of himself, which went and spoke with the monk, as it were, pronouncing the following Stanza,