Verses on Dhamma 6.8: 8. Pañcasatabhikkhuvatthu

6.8.p1

Sabbattha ve sappurisā cajantīti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto pañcasate bhikkhū ārabbha kathesi. Desanā verañjāyaṃ samuṭṭhitā.

*Everywhere good men practice renunciation.* This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to five hundred monks. The story begins at Verañjā.

6.8.p2

Paṭhamabodhiyañhi bhagavā verañjaṃ gantvā verañjena brāhmaṇena nimantito pañcahi bhikkhusatehi saddhiṃ vassaṃ upagañchi. Verañjo brāhmaṇo mārāvaṭṭanena āvaṭṭo ekadivasampi satthāraṃ ārabbha satiṃ na uppādesi. Verañjāpi dubbhikkhā ahosi, bhikkhū santarabāhiraṃ verañjaṃ piṇḍāya caritvā piṇḍapātaṃ alabhantā kilamiṃsu. Tesaṃ assavāṇijakā patthapatthapulakaṃ bhikkhaṃ paññāpesuṃ. Te kilamante disvā mahāmoggallānatthero pathavojaṃ bhojetukāmo, uttarakuruñca piṇḍāya pavesetukāmo ahosi, satthā taṃ paṭikkhipi. Bhikkhūnaṃ ekadivasampi piṇḍapātaṃ ārabbha parittāso nāhosi, icchācāraṃ vajjetvā eva vihariṃsu. Satthā tattha temāsaṃ vasitvā verañjaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ apaloketvā tena katasakkārasammāno taṃ saraṇesu patiṭṭhāpetvā tato nikkhanto anupubbena cārikaṃ caramāno ekasmiṃ samaye sāvatthiṃ patvā jetavane vihāsi, sāvatthivāsino satthu āgantukabhattāni kariṃsu. Tadā pana pañcasatamattā vighāsādā bhikkhū nissāya antovihāreyeva vasanti. Te bhikkhūnaṃ bhuttāvasesāni paṇītabhojanāni bhuñjitvā niddāyitvā uṭṭhāya nadītīraṃ gantvā nadantā vaggantā mallamuṭṭhiyuddhaṃ yujjhantā kīḷantā antovihārepi bahivihārepi anācārameva carantā vicaranti. Bhikkhū dhammasabhāyaṃ kathaṃ samuṭṭhāpesuṃ ‘‘passathāvuso, ime vighāsādā dubbhikkhakāle verañjāyaṃ kañci vikāraṃ na dassesuṃ, idāni pana evarūpāni paṇītabhojanāni bhuñjitvā anekappakāraṃ vikāraṃ dassentā vicaranti. Bhikkhū pana verañjāyampi upasantarūpā viharitvā idānipi upasantupasantāva viharantī’’ti. Satthā dhammasabhaṃ gantvā, ‘‘bhikkhave, kiṃ kathethā’’ti pucchitvā ‘‘idaṃ nāmā’’ti vutte ‘‘pubbepete gadrabhayoniyaṃ nibbattā pañcasatā gadrabhā hutvā pañcasatānaṃ ājānīyasindhavānaṃ allarasamuddikapānakapītāvasesaṃ ucchiṭṭhakasaṭaṃ udakena madditvā makacipilotikāhi parissāvitattā ‘volodaka’nti saṅkhyaṃ gataṃ apparasaṃ nihīnaṃ pivitvā madhumattā viya nadantā vicariṃsūti vatvā –

For in the First Period of Enlightenment the Exalted One paid a visit to Verañjā, and, at the invitation of the Brahman Verañja, went into residence there for the rainy season with five hundred monks. Now the Brahman Verañja came under the spell of Māra to such an extent that not for a single day did he give a thought to the Teacher. Moreover there was a famine in Verañjā. The monks went throughout and about Verañjā for alms, but, receiving none, became exhausted. Thereupon horse-dealers provided them with steamed grain in pattha measures. Elder Moggallāna the Great, seeing that they were exhausted, desired to feed them sap of the earth and sought permission for them to enter Uttarakuru for alms, but the Teacher refused his request. Not for a single day were the monks anxious about food, but continued to live entirely free from desire.

After the Teacher had resided there for three months, he notified the Brahman Verañja of his intention to leave and the Brahman did him honor and reverence. The Teacher established him in the Refuges, and departed. After journeying from place to place, the Teacher reached Sāvatthi in due course at a certain time, and took up his residence at Jetavana. The residents of Sāvatthi presented food to the Teacher in honor of his arrival.

Now at that time, by the kindness of the monks, five hundred eaters of refuse lived within the monastery inclosure. After eating remnants of choice food left by the monks, they would lie down to sleep. When they arose, they would go to the bank of the river and shout and jump and wrestle and play. Both within and without the monastery, they did nothing but misbehave.

The monks discussed their actions in the Hall of Truth: "Brethren, only look at those eaters of refuse! When there was a famine in Verañjā, they were guilty of no impropriety. But now,

after eating all sorts of choice food, they go about indulging in all manner of improprieties. But at Verañjā the monks lived peacefully and at the present time also they are living in peace and quiet."

The Teacher entered the Hall of Truth and asked the monks what they were discussing. When they told him, he said, "In former times also these men were guilty of the same conduct. In former times, reborn as five hundred asses, they took leavings of liquor made of the moist juices of the grape, drunk by five hundred thoroughbreds of Sindh, and kneading the leavings with water and straining them through towels, they drank this juiceless, vile drink, called "strained water." And straightway becoming as drunk as though they had drunk wine, they went about shouting.

6.8.p3

‘‘Vālodakaṃ apparasaṃ nihīnaṃ,
Pitvā mado jāyati gadrabhānaṃ;
Imañca pitvāna rasaṃ paṇītaṃ,
Mado na sañjāyati sindhavānaṃ.

From drinking "strained water," a juiceless, vile drink, the asses became drunk.
But the Sindh horses, which drank the choice liquor, did not become drunk.

6.8.p4

‘‘Appaṃ pivitvāna nihīnajacco,
So majjatī tena janinda puṭṭho;
Dhorayhasīlī ca kulamhi jāto,
Na majjatī aggarasaṃ pivitvā’’ti. (jā. 1.2.65);

O King, a low fellow who drinks but little, no sooner touches his drink than he is drunk.
But a man who is well-born and patient does not become drunk by drinking the finest liquor.

6.8.p5

Idaṃ vālodakajātakaṃ vitthārena kathetvā ‘‘evaṃ, bhikkhave, sappurisā lokadhammaṃ vivajjetvā sukhitakālepi dukkhitakālepi nibbikārāva hontī’’ti anusandhiṃ ghaṭetvā dhammaṃ desento imaṃ gāthamāha –

Having related this Vālodaka Jātaka in detail, the Teacher said, "Thus, monks, good men, renouncing the evil principle of desire, are not subject to change in times of happiness or of sorrow." And joining the connection, he instructed them in the Law by pronouncing the following Stanza,

6.8.83

‘‘Sabbattha ve sappurisā cajanti,
Na kāmakāmā lapayanti santo;
Sukhena phuṭṭhā atha vā dukhena,
Na uccāvacaṃ paṇḍitā dassayantī’’ti.

83. Everywhere good men practice renunciation; good men talk not as if given to sensual pleasure;
Wise men, touched either by happiness or by sorrow, show no change.

6.8.83_2

Tattha sabbatthāti pañcakkhandhādibhedesu sabbadhammesu. Sappurisāti supurisā. Cajantīti arahattamaggañāṇena apakaḍḍhantā chandarāgaṃ vijahanti. Kāmakāmāti kāme kāmayantā kāmahetu kāmakāraṇā. Na lapayanti santoti buddhādayo santo kāmahetu neva attanā lapayanti, na paraṃ lapāpenti. Ye hi bhikkhāya paviṭṭhā icchācāre ṭhitā ‘‘kiṃ, upāsaka, sukhaṃ te puttadārassa, rājacorādīnaṃ vasena dvipadacatuppadesu natthi koci upaddavo’’tiādīni vadanti, tāva te lapayanti nāma. Tathā pana vatvā ‘‘āma, bhante, sabbesaṃ no sukhaṃ, natthi koci upaddavo, idāni no gehaṃ pahūtaannapānaṃ, idheva vasathā’’ti attānaṃ nimantāpentā lapāpenti nāma. Santo pana idaṃ ubhayampi na karonti. Sukhena phuṭṭhā atha vā dukhenāti desanāmattametaṃ, aṭṭhahi pana lokadhammehi phuṭṭhā tuṭṭhibhāvamaṅkubhāvavasena vā vaṇṇabhaṇanaavaṇṇabhaṇanavasena vā uccāvacaṃ ākāraṃ paṇḍitā na dassayantīti.

6.8.83_3

Desanāvasāne bahū sotāpattiphalādīni pāpuṇiṃsūti.

6.8.83_4

Pañcasatabhikkhuvatthu aṭṭhamaṃ.