Verses on Dhamma 7.9.p4

7.9.p4

Sāmaṇeropi ‘‘sacāhaṃ idha vasissāmi, ñātakā maṃ anubandhitvā pakkosissantī’’ti tesaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ santike yāva arahattā kammaṭṭhānaṃ uggaṇhitvā pattacīvaramādāya cārikaṃ caramāno tato tiṃsayojanike ṭhāne khadiravanaṃ gantvā antovasseyeva temāsabbhantare saha paṭisambhidāhi arahattaṃ pāpuṇi. Theropi pavāretvā satthāraṃ puna tattha gamanatthāya āpucchi. Satthā ‘‘mayampi gamissāma, sāriputtā’’ti pañcahi bhikkhusatehi saddhiṃ nikkhami. Thokaṃ gatakāle ānandatthero dvedhāpathe ṭhatvā satthāraṃ āha – ‘‘bhante, revatassa santikaṃ gamanamaggesu ayaṃ parihārapatho saṭṭhiyojaniko manussāvāso, ayaṃ ujumaggo tiṃsayojaniko amanussapariggahito, katarena gacchāmā’’ti. ‘‘Sīvali, pana, ānanda, amhehi saddhiṃ āgato’’ti? ‘‘Āma, bhante’’ti. ‘‘Sace, sīvali, āgato, ujumaggameva gaṇhāhī’’ti. Satthā kira ‘‘ahaṃ tumhākaṃ yāgubhattaṃ uppādessāmi, ujumaggaṃ gaṇhāhī’’ti avatvā ‘‘tesaṃ tesaṃ janānaṃ puññassa vipākadānaṭṭhānaṃ eta’’nti ñatvā ‘‘sace, sīvali, āgato, ujumaggaṃ gaṇhāhī’’ti āha. Satthari pana taṃ maggaṃ paṭipanne devatā ‘‘amhākaṃ ayyassa sīvalittherassa sakkāraṃ karissāmā’’ti cintetvā ekekayojane vihāre kāretvā ekayojanato uddhaṃ gantuṃ adatvā pāto vuṭṭhāya dibbayāguādīni gahetvā, ‘‘ayyo, no sīvalitthero kahaṃ nisinno’’ti vicaranti. Thero attano abhihaṭaṃ buddhappamukhassa bhikkhusaṅghassa dāpesi. Evaṃ satthā saparivāro tiṃsayojanikaṃ kantāraṃ sīvalittherassa puññaṃ anubhavamānova āgamāsi. Revatattheropi satthu āgamanaṃ ñatvā bhagavato gandhakuṭiṃ māpetvā pañca kūṭāgārasatāni, pañca caṅkamanasatāni, pañcarattiṭṭhānadivāṭṭhānasatāni ca māpesi. Satthā tassa santike māsamattameva vasi. Tasmiṃ vasamānopi sīvalittherasseva puññaṃ anubhavi.

The novice said to himself, “If I continue to reside here, my kinsmen will follow me and summon me to return home.” Therefore he obtained from the monks a Formula of Meditation as far as Arahatship, took bowl and robe, and set out on his alms-pilgrimage. After journeying a distance of thirty leagues he came to an acacia forest, and there he took up his residence for the season of the rains. Before the three months of the rainy season had passed, he attained Arahatship together with the Supernatural Faculties.

After the terminal festival the Elder Sāriputta again requested the Teacher to permit him to go to his brother. The Teacher said, “We too will go, Sāriputta,” and set out with five hundred monks. When they had gone a little way, the Elder Ānanda, standing at a fork in the road, said to the Teacher, “Reverend Sir, there are two roads to the place where Revata resides: one is protected and is sixty leagues long and men live thereon; the other is a direct route, thirty leagues long, infested by evil spirits; which one shall we take?” “Well, Ānanda, did Sīvali accompany us?” “Yes, Reverend Sir.” “If Sīvali is with us, take the direct route by all means.” We are told that the Teacher did not say, “I will see to it that you are provided with broth and rice; take the short route,” because he knew within himself, “This is the place where each of these monks will receive gifts that are the fruit of a work of merit;” therefore he said, “If Sīvali is with us, take the direct route.”

As soon as the Teacher set foot on that road, the forest-deities, thinking to themselves, “We will do honor to the noble Elder Sīvali,” erected rest-houses a league apart, all along the route; and permitting the monks to go no farther than a league, they rose early in the morning, and taking heavenly broth, rice, and other provisions, they went about asking, “Where is the noble Elder Sīvali seated?” The Elder presented to the Congregation of Monks presided over by the Buddha the alms they brought him. Thus the Teacher, together with his retinue, went a long and difficult journey of thirty leagues, enjoying the fruit of the merit acquired by one Elder, Sīvali.

As soon as the Elder Revata learned that the Teacher was approaching, he created by magic a Perfumed Chamber for the Exalted One, and likewise for the monks five hundred pinnacled residences, five hundred covered walks, and five hundred night-quarters and day-quarters. The Teacher spent an entire month there as his guest, enjoying during his stay the fruit of the merit of a single Elder, Sīvali.