Verses on Dhamma 25.12.p31

25.12.p31

Theropi sāmaṇeraṃ ādāya pāyāsi. Satthā therassa āgamanabhāvaṃ ñatvā migāramātupāsāde therassa āgamanaṃ olokento nisīdi. Bhikkhūpi theraṃ āgacchantaṃ disvā paccuggantvā pattacīvaraṃ paṭiggahesuṃ. Athekacce sāmaṇeraṃ sīsepi kaṇṇesupi bāhāyampi gahetvā sañcāletvā ‘‘kiṃ, sāmaṇera cūḷakaniṭṭha, na ukkaṇṭhitosī’’ti āhaṃsu. Satthā tesaṃ kiriyaṃ disvā cintesi – ‘‘bhāriyaṃ vatimesaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ kammaṃ āsīvisaṃ gīvāya gaṇhantā viya sāmaṇeraṃ gaṇhanti, nāssa ānubhāvaṃ jānanti, ajja mayā sumanasāmaṇerassa guṇaṃ pākaṭaṃ kātuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti. Theropi āgantvā satthāraṃ vanditvā nisīdi. Satthā tena saddhiṃ paṭisanthāraṃ katvā ānandattheraṃ āmantesi – ‘‘ānanda, anotattaudakenamhi pāde dhovitukāmo, sāmaṇerānaṃ ghaṭaṃ datvā pānīyaṃ āharāpehī’’ti. Thero vihāre pañcamattāni sāmaṇerasatāni sannipātesi. Tesu sumanasāmaṇero sabbanavako ahosi. Thero sabbamahallakaṃ sāmaṇeraṃ āha – ‘‘sāmaṇera, satthā anokattadahaudakena pāde dhovitukāmo, ghaṭaṃ ādāya gantvā pānīyaṃ āharā’’ti. So ‘‘na sakkomi, bhante’’ti na icchi. Thero sesepi paṭipāṭiyā pucchi, tepi tatheva vatvā paṭikkhipiṃsu. ‘‘Kiṃ panettha khīṇāsavasāmaṇerā natthī’’ti? Atthi, te pana ‘‘nāyaṃ amhākaṃ baddho mālāpuṭo, sumanasāmaṇerasseva baddho’’ti na icchiṃsu, puthujjanā pana attano asamatthatāyeva na icchiṃsu. Pariyosāne pana sumanassa vāre sampatte, ‘‘sāmaṇera, satthā anotattadahaudakena pāde dhovitukāmo, kuṭaṃ ādāya kira udakaṃ āharā’’ti āha. So ‘‘satthari āharāpente āharissāmī’’ti satthāraṃ vanditvā, ‘‘bhante, anotattato kira maṃ udakaṃ āhārāpethā’’ti āha. ‘‘Āma, sumanā’’ti. So visākhāya kāritesu ghanasuvaṇṇakoṭṭimesu senāsanakuṭesu ekaṃ saṭṭhikuṭaudakagaṇhanakaṃ mahāghaṭaṃ hatthena gahetvā ‘‘iminā me ukkhipitvā aṃsakūṭe ṭhapitena attho natthī’’ti olambakaṃ katvā vehāsaṃ abbhuggantvā himavantābhimukho pakkhandi.

The Elder Ānanda assembled five hundred novices within the monastery, of whom the novice Sumana was the youngest of all. Said the Elder to the oldest novice of all, "Novice, the Teacher desires to bathe his feet in water from Lake Anotatta. Take a water-pot, go to Lake Anotatta, and fetch water from thence." "I cannot do it, Reverend Sir," replied the oldest novice, declining to go. The Elder then asked each of the remaining novices in turn, and they likewise refused. But were there no novices who had attained Arahatship? Of course there were, but they refused to go because they knew, "This basket of flowers was not made for us; it was made solely for the novice Sumana." Those who had not yet attained the Fruit of Conversion refused because they knew that they were unequal to the task.

Finally the novice Sumana's turn came. Said the Elder Ānanda, "Novice, the Teacher desires to bathe his feet in water from Lake Anotatta, and requests that you take a water-pot and fetch him water." "If the Teacher desires me to fetch him water, I will fetch it," replied the novice. And saluting the Teacher, he said, "Reverend Sir, I am informed that you desire me to fetch water from Lake Anotatta." "Yes, Sumana." Thereupon the novice selected from among the monastery vessels of solid beaten gold which had been made by command of Visākhā, a great hogshead with a capacity of sixty water-pots of water. Said he to himself, "There is no need of my raising this and placing it on my shoulder.” So taking it in his hand and letting it hang down, he soared into the air and struck out in the direction of the Himālaya country.