Verses on Dhamma 7.2.p2

7.2.p2

Ekasmiñhi samaye satthā rājagahe vuṭṭhavasso ‘‘addhamāsaccayena cārikaṃ pakkamissāmī’’ti bhikkhūnaṃ ārocāpesi. Vattaṃ kiretaṃ buddhānaṃ bhikkhūhi saddhiṃ cārikaṃ caritukāmānaṃ ‘‘evaṃ bhikkhū attano pattapacanacīvararajanādīni katvā sukhaṃ gamissantī’’ti ‘‘idāni addhamāsaccayena cārikaṃ pakkamissāmī’’ti bhikkhūnaṃ ārocāpanaṃ. Bhikkhūsu pana attano pattacīvarādīni karontesu mahākassapattheropi cīvarāni dhovi. Bhikkhū ujjhāyiṃsu ‘‘thero kasmā cīvarāni dhovati, imasmiṃ nagare anto ca bahi ca aṭṭhārasa manussakoṭiyo vasanti. Tattha ye therassa na ñātakā, te upaṭṭhākā, ye na upaṭṭhākā, te ñātakā. Te therassa catūhi paccayehi sammānasakkāraṃ karonti. Ettakaṃ upakāraṃ pahāya esa kahaṃ gamissati? Sacepi gaccheyya, māpamādakandarato paraṃ na gamissatī’’ti. Satthā kira yaṃ kandaraṃ patvā nivattetabbayuttake bhikkhū ‘‘tumhe ito nivattatha, mā pamajjitthā’’ti vadati. Taṃ ‘‘māpamādakandara’’nti vuccati, taṃ sandhāyetaṃ vuttaṃ.

For on a certain occasion, after keeping residence during the season of the rains at Rājagaha, the Teacher caused the following announcement to be made to the monks, “At the expiration of a fortnight the Teacher will go forth on a pilgrimage for alms.” We are told that this is a practice of the Buddhas when they desire to go forth on an alms-pilgrimage with the monks. The following consideration presents itself to their minds, “Under these circumstances the monks will scald their bowls and dye their robes and will make the pilgrimage pleasantly.” This, then, was the reason why the Teacher caused the announcement to be made to the monks, “At the expiration of a fortnight I will go forth on a pilgrimage for alms.”

But while the monks were scalding their bowls and dyeing their robes, the Elder Kassapa the Great washed his robes. The monks were offended at this and said, “Why does the Elder wash his robes? Within and without this city dwell a hundred and eighty million people. So many of these as are not the Elder’s kinsfolk are his supporters; and so many as are not his supporters are his kinsfolk. All these people show honor and reverence to the Elder by providing him with the Four Requisites. If he rejects all their good offices, where will he go? Even were he to go, he would not go farther than

Māpamāda Cave.” (Māpamāda Cave, by the way, acquired its name in the following way: Whenever the Teacher reached this cave, he would say to the monks who were to return, “Now you may return; be not heedless, mā pamajjittha.” Thus this cave came to be called Māpamāda Cave.)