Dhammapada 3.7.41_4

3.7.41_4

Ayaṃ kassapasammāsambuddhakāle sākuṇiko hutvā bahū sakuṇe vadhitvā issarajanaṃ upaṭṭhahi. Tesaṃ dinnāvasese vikkiṇāti, ‘‘vikkitāvasesā māretvā ṭhapitā pūtikā bhavissantī’’ti yathā uppatituṃ na sakkonti, tathā tesaṃ jaṅghaṭṭhīni ca pakkhaṭṭhīni ca bhinditvā rāsiṃ katvā ṭhapeti, te punadivase vikkiṇāti. Atibahūnaṃ pana laddhakāle attanopi atthāya pacāpeti. Tassekadivasaṃ rasabhojane pakke eko khīṇāsavo piṇḍāya caranto gehadvāre aṭṭhāsi. So theraṃ disvā cittaṃ pasādetvā, ‘‘mayā bahū pāṇā māretvā khāditā, ayyo ca me gehadvāre ṭhito, antogehe ca rasabhojanaṃ saṃvijjati, piṇḍapātamassa dassāmī’’ti tassa pattaṃ ādāya pūretvā rasapiṇḍapātaṃ datvā theraṃ pañcapatiṭṭhitena vanditvā, ‘‘bhante, tumhehi diṭṭhadhammassa matthakaṃ pāpuṇeyya’’nti āha. Thero ‘‘evaṃ hotū’’ti anumodanaṃ akāsi. ‘‘Bhikkhave, tadā katakammavasenetaṃ tissassa nipphannaṃ, sakuṇānaṃ aṭṭhibhedananissandena tissassa gattañca pūtikaṃ jātaṃ, aṭṭhīni ca bhinnāni, khīṇāsavassa rasapiṇḍapātadānanissandena arahattaṃ patto’’ti.

In the dispensation of the Buddha Kassapa, Tissa was a fowler. He used to catch birds in large numbers, and most of these he served to royalty. Most of those he did not give to royalty he used to sell. Fearing that if he killed and kept the birds he did not sell, they would rot, and desiring to prevent his captive birds from taking flight, he used to break their leg-bones and wing-bones and lay them aside, piling them in a heap. On the following day he would sell them. When he had too many, he would have some cooked also for himself.

One day, when well-flavored food had been cooked for him, a monk who was an Arahat stopped at the door of his house on his round for alms. When Tissa saw the Elder, he made his mind serene, and thought, “I have killed and eaten many living creatures. A noble Elder stands at my door, and an abundance of well-flavored food is in my house. I will therefore give him alms.” So he took the monk’s bowl and filled it, and having given him well-flavored food, saluted the monk with the Five Rests and said, “Reverend Sir, may I obtain the highest fruit of the Law you have seen.” Said the Elder, returning thanks, “So be it.” Monks, it was through the meritorious deed Tissa then did that this fruit accrued to him. It was because he broke the bones of birds that his members became diseased and his bones disintegrated. It was because he gave well-flavored food to the Arahat that he attained Arahatship.