Dhammapada 25.5.p2

25.5.p2

Tassa kireko devadattapakkhiko bhikkhu sahāyo ahosi. So taṃ bhikkhūhi saddhiṃ piṇḍāya caritvā katabhattakiccaṃ āgacchantaṃ disvā ‘‘kuhiṃ gatosī’’ti pucchi. ‘‘Asukaṭṭhānaṃ nāma piṇḍāya caritu’’nti. ‘‘Laddho te piṇḍapāto’’ti? ‘‘Āma, laddho’’ti. ‘‘Idha amhākaṃ mahālābhasakkāro, katipāhaṃ idheva hohī’’ti. So tassa vacanena katipāhaṃ tattha vasitvā sakaṭṭhānameva agamāsi. Atha naṃ bhikkhū ‘‘ayaṃ, bhante, devadattassa uppannalābhasakkāraṃ paribhuñjati, devadattassa pakkhiko eso’’ti tathāgatassa ārocesuṃ. Satthā taṃ pakkosāpetvā ‘‘saccaṃ kira tvaṃ evamakāsī’’ti pucchi. ‘‘Āma, bhante, ahaṃ tattha ekaṃ daharaṃ nissāya katipāhaṃ vasiṃ, na ca pana devadattassa laddhiṃ rocemī’’ti. Atha naṃ bhagavā ‘‘kiñcāpi tvaṃ laddhiṃ na rocesi, diṭṭhadiṭṭhakānaṃyeva pana laddhiṃ rocento viya vicarasi. Na tvaṃ idāneva evaṃ karosi, pubbepi evarūpoyevā’’ti vatvā ‘‘idāni tāva, bhante, amhehi sāmaṃ diṭṭho, pubbe panesa kesaṃ laddhiṃ rocento viya vicari, ācikkhatha no’’ti bhikkhūhi yācito atītaṃ āharitvā –

This monk, it appears, had as an intimate friend a certain monk who belonged to the faction of Devadatta. One day as he was returning from his breakfast, after accompanying his brother monks on their round for alms, the schismatic monk met him and asked him, "Where have you been?" "To such and such a place on my rounds." "Did you get any food?" "Yes, I got some." "Here we receive rich gifts and offerings; stay with us here for a while." The monk did as his friend suggested, tarried with Devadatta's monks for several days, and then returned to his own community.

The monks reported his offense to the Tathāgata, saying, "Reverend Sir, this monk has been enjoying the gifts and offerings bestowed upon Devadatta; he is a partisan of Devadatta." The Teacher

caused the monk to be summoned before him and asked him, “Is the report true that you have done thus and so?” “Yes, Reverend Sir, I tarried with Devadatta’s monks for a few days on account of a young monk who is a personal friend of mine, but I do not favor Devadatta’s views.” Said the Exalted One, “Granted that you do not hold erroneous views; yet you rove about as though you held the views of everyone you meet. But this is not the first time you have done such a thing; you did the same thing also in a previous state of existence.”

Said the monks, “Reverend Sir, we have seen with our own eyes what he did just now; but whose views did he hold in a previous state of existence? Pray tell us all about it.” So in response to their request, the Teacher related the following