Dhammapada 3.2.p7

3.2.p7

Aññataro bhikkhu tassā guṇakathaṃ sutvā tattha gantukāmo hutvā satthu santike kammaṭṭhānaṃ gahetvā, ‘‘bhante, taṃ gāmaṃ gamissāmī’’ti satthāraṃ āpucchitvā jetavanato nikkhamitvā anupubbena taṃ gāmaṃ patvā vihāraṃ pavisanadivaseyeva cintesi – ‘‘ayaṃ kira upāsikā cintitacintitaṃ jānāti, ahañca maggakilanto vihāraṃ paṭijaggituṃ na sakkhissāmi, aho vata me vihārapaṭijaggakaṃ manussaṃ peseyyā’’ti. Upāsikā gehe nisinnāva āvajjentī tamatthaṃ ñatvā, ‘‘gaccha, vihāraṃ paṭijaggitvā ehī’’ti manussaṃ pesesi. Itaropi pānīyaṃ pivitukāmo ‘‘aho vata me sakkharapānakaṃ katvā peseyyā’’ti cintesi. Upāsikā tampi pesesi. So punadivase ‘‘pātova siniddhayāguṃ me sauttaribhaṅgaṃ pesetū’’ti cintesi. Upāsikā tathā akāsi. So yāguṃ pivitvā, ‘‘aho vata me evarūpaṃ khajjakaṃ peseyyā’’ti cintesi. Upāsikā tampi pesesi. So cintesi – ‘‘ayaṃ upāsikā mayā sabbaṃ cintitacintitaṃ pesesi, ahaṃ etaṃ daṭṭhukāmo, aho vata me nānaggarasabhojanaṃ gāhāpetvā sayameva āgaccheyyā’’ti. Upāsikā ‘‘mama putto maṃ daṭṭhukāmo, āgamanaṃ me paccāsīsatī’’ti bhojanaṃ gāhāpetvā vihāraṃ gantvā tassa adāsi. So katabhattakicco ‘‘mātikamātā nāma tvaṃ, mahāupāsike’’ti pucchi. ‘‘Āma, tātā’’ti. ‘‘Tvaṃ paracittaṃ jānāsī’’ti? ‘‘Kiṃ maṃ pucchasi, tātā’’ti? ‘‘Mayā cintitacintitaṃ sabbamakāsi, tena taṃ pucchāmī’’ti. ‘‘Paracittajānanakabhikkhū bahū, tātā’’ti? ‘‘Nāhaṃ aññe pucchāmi, tuvaṃ pucchāmi, upāsike’’ti. Evaṃ santepi upāsikā ‘‘paracittaṃ jānāmī’’ti avatvā ‘‘paracittaṃ jānantā nāma evaṃ karonti puttā’’ti āha. So ‘‘bhāriyaṃ vatidaṃ kammaṃ, puthujjanā nāma sobhanampi asobhanampi cintenti, sacāhaṃ kiñci ayuttaṃ cintayissāmi, saha bhaṇḍakena coraṃ cūḷāya gaṇhantī viya maṃ vippakāraṃ pāpeyya, mayā ito palāyituṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti cintetvā, ‘‘upāsike, ahaṃ gamissāmī’’ti āha. ‘‘Kahaṃ, ayyā’’ti? ‘‘Satthu santikaṃ, upāsike’’ti. ‘‘Vasatha tāva, bhante, idhā’’ti. ‘‘Na vasissāmi, upāsike, gamissāmevā’’ti nikkhamitvā satthu santikaṃ agamāsi. Atha naṃ satthā ‘‘kiṃ bhikkhu na tvaṃ tattha vasasī’’ti pucchi. ‘‘Āma, bhante, na sakkā tattha vasitu’’nti. ‘‘Kiṃ kāraṇā bhikkhū’’ti? ‘‘Bhante, sā upāsikā cintitacintitaṃ sabbaṃ jānāti, puthujjanā ca nāma sobhanampi asobhanampi cintenti, sacāhaṃ kiñci ayuttaṃ cintessāmi, saha bhaṇḍakena coraṃ cūḷāya gaṇhantī viya maṃ vippakāraṃ pāpessatī’’ti cintetvā āgatomhīti. ‘‘Bhikkhu, tattheva tayā vasituṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti, ‘‘na sakkomi, bhante, nāhaṃ tattha vasissāmī’’ti. ‘‘Tena hi tvaṃ, bhikkhu, ekameva rakkhituṃ sakkhissasī’’ti. ‘‘Kiṃ, bhante’’ti? ‘‘Tava cittameva rakkha, cittaṃ nāmetaṃ durakkhaṃ, tvaṃ attano cittameva niggaṇha, mā aññaṃ kiñci cintayi, cittaṃ nāmetaṃ dunniggaha’’nti vatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –

A certain monk, who heard his brethren praise the virtues of their hostess, conceived a desire to go there. So obtaining a Subject of Meditation from the Teacher, he took leave of the Teacher, saying, “Reverend Sir, I intend to go to that village.” And departing from Jetavana, he arrived in due course at that village and entered the monastery. On the very day he entered the monastery he thought to himself, "I have heard it said that this female lay disciple knows every thought that passes through the mind of another. Now I have been wearied by my journey and shall not be able to sweep the monastery. Oh that she would send a man to make ready the monastery for me!" The female lay disciple, sitting in her house, pondering within herself, became aware of this fact and sent a man thither, saying to him, "Go make ready the monastery and turn it over to him." The man went and swept the monastery and turned it over to him. Then the monk, desiring to have water to drink, thought to himself, "Oh that she would send me some sweetened water!" Straightway the female lay disciple sent it. On the following day, early in the morning, he thought to himself, "Let her send me rice-porridge with plenty of butter, together with some dainty bits." The female lay disciple straightway did so. After he had finished drinking the porridge, he thought to himself, "Oh that she would send me such and such hard food!" The female lay disciple straightway sent this also to him.

Then he thought to himself, "This female lay disciple has sent me every single thing I have thought of. I should like to see her. Oh that she would come to me in person, bringing with her soft food seasoned with various choice seasonings!" The female lay disciple thought to herself, "My son wishes to see me, desires me to go to him." So procuring soft food, she went to the monastery and gave it to him. When he had eaten his meal, he asked her, "Lay disciple, your name is Mother of Mātika?" "Yes, dear son." "You know the thoughts of another?" "Why do you ask me, dear son?" "You have done for me every single thing I have thought of; that is why I ask you." "Many are the monks who know the thoughts of another, dear son." "I am not asking anyone else; I am asking you, lay disciple." Even under these circumstances the female lay disciple avoided saying, "I know the thoughts of another," and said instead, "Those who know not the thoughts of another do thus, my son."

Thereupon the monk thought to himself, "I am in a most embarrassing position. They that are unconverted entertain both noble and ignoble thoughts. Were I to entertain a single sinful thought, she would doubtless seize me by the topknot, bag and baggage, as she would seize a thief, and do me harm. Therefore I had best run away from here." So he said to the female lay disciple, "Lay disciple, I intend to go away." "Where are you going, noble sir?" "To the Teacher, lay disciple." "Reside here for a while, Reverend Sir." “I can no longer reside here, lay disciple. I must positively go away.” With these words he departed and went to the Teacher.

The Teacher asked him, “Monk, are you no longer residing there?” “No, Reverend Sir, I cannot reside there any longer.” “For what reason, monk?” “Reverend Sir, that female lay disciple knows every single thought that passes through my mind. It occurred to me, ‘They that are unconverted entertain both noble and ignoble thoughts. Were I to entertain a single sinful thought, she would doubtless seize me by the topknot, bag and baggage, as she would seize a thief, and do me harm.’ That is why I have returned.” “Monk, that is the very place where you ought to reside.” “I cannot, Reverend Sir, I will not reside there any longer.” “Well then, monk, can you guard just one thing?” “What do you mean, Reverend Sir?” “Guard your thoughts alone, for thoughts are hard to guard. Restrain your thoughts alone. Do not concern yourself with aught else, for thoughts are unruly.” So saying, he pronounced the following Stanza,