Verses on Dhamma 7.7.p4

7.7.p4

Atha naṃ upajjhāyo āha – ‘‘asikkhito vatāyaṃ sāmaṇero, ācariyupajjhāyānaṃ ekena hatthena dantakaṭṭhaṃ dātuṃ na vaṭṭatī’’ti. Jānāmahaṃ, bhante, ‘‘na evaṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti, eko pana me hattho na tucchoti. ‘‘Kiṃ sāmaṇerā’’ti? So ādito paṭṭhāya taṃ pavattiṃ ārocesi. Thero sutvāva saṃviggamānaso ‘‘aho vata mayā bhāriyaṃ kammaṃ kata’’nti vatvā ‘‘khamāhi me, sappurisa, nāhametaṃ jānāmi, avassayo me hohī’’ti añjaliṃ paggayha sattavassikadārakassa pādamūle ukkuṭikaṃ nisīdi. Atha naṃ sāmaṇero āha – ‘‘nāhaṃ, bhante, etadatthāya kathesiṃ, tumhākaṃ cittaṃ anurakkhantena mayā evaṃ vuttaṃ nevettha tumhākaṃ doso atthi, na mayhaṃ. Vaṭṭasseveso doso, mā cintayittha, mayā tumhākaṃ vippaṭisāraṃ rakkhanteneva nārocita’’nti. Thero sāmaṇerena assāsiyamānopi anassāsitvā uppannasaṃvego sāmaṇerassa bhaṇḍakaṃ gahetvā satthu santikaṃ pāyāsi. Satthāpissa āgamanaṃ olokentova nisīdi. So gantvā satthāraṃ vanditvā satthārā saddhiṃ paṭisammodanaṃ katvā ‘‘khamanīyaṃ te bhikkhu, kiñci atirekaṃ aphāsukaṃ atthī’’ti pucchito āha – ‘‘khamanīyaṃ, bhante, natthi me kiñci atirekaṃ aphāsukaṃ, apica kho pana me ayaṃ daharasāmaṇero viya añño atirekaguṇo na diṭṭhapubbo’’ti. ‘‘Kiṃ pana iminā kataṃ bhikkhū’’ti. So ādito paṭṭhāya sabbaṃ taṃ pavattiṃ bhagavato ārocento āha – ‘‘evaṃ, bhante, mayā khamāpiyamāno maṃ evaṃ vadesi ‘nevettha tumhākaṃ doso atthi, na mayhaṃ. Vaṭṭasseveso doso, tumhe mā cintayitthā’ti, iti maṃ assāsesiyeva, mayi neva kopaṃ, na dosamakāsi, na me, bhante, evarūpo guṇasampanno diṭṭhapubbo’’ti. Atha naṃ satthā ‘‘bhikkhu khīṇāsavā nāma na kassaci kuppanti, na dussanti, santindriyā santamānasāva hontī’’ti vatvā anusandhiṃ ghaṭetvā dhammaṃ desento imaṃ gāthamāha –

The novice tried to comfort the Elder, but he would not be comforted. Overcome with remorse, he took the novice’s requisites and proceeded to the Teacher. As the Teacher sat, he observed him approaching. The Elder went to the Teacher, saluted him, and exchanged friendly greetings with him. The Teacher asked him, “Monk, is everything well with you? I trust that you have suffered no excessive discomfort.” The Elder replied, “All is well with me, Reverend Sir. I have suffered no excessive discomfort. But here is a young novice whose good qualities surpass anything I have ever seen.” “Why, what has he done, monk?” Thereupon the Elder told him the whole story, beginning at the beginning and concluding as follows, “Reverend Sir, when I asked him to pardon me, he said this to me, ‘You are not to blame in this matter and neither am I. The round of existences alone is to blame for this. Be not disturbed.’

Thus he tried to comfort me, appearing to cherish neither anger nor hatred towards me. His good qualities surpass anything I have ever seen." Said the Teacher to the Elder, "Monk, those who have rid themselves of the Depravities cherish neither anger nor hatred towards anyone. On the contrary, their senses are in a state of calm and their thoughts are in a state of calm." So saying, he joined the connection and preaching the Law, pronounced the following Stanza,