Viyahapannatti 18.10: Uddeśaka 10: somila

At Rājagṛha, and so on, he spoke thus:
"Venerable Sir! Could a cultivated ascetic step upon the edge of a sword or the edge of a razor?"
"Yes, he could step upon [it]."
"Would he be cut or split there?"
"This meaning is not valid. A weapon certainly cannot harm [him] there."
"Venerable Sir! Could a cultivated ascetic pass through the midst of a mass of fire?"
"Yes, he could pass through."
"Venerable Sir! Would he be burned there?"
"Gautama! This meaning is not valid. A weapon certainly cannot harm [him] there."
"Venerable Sir! Could a cultivated ascetic pass through the midst of a Puṣkarasaṃvartaka great cloud?"
"Yes, he could pass through."
"Venerable Sir! Would he become wet there?"
"Gautama! This meaning is not valid. A weapon certainly cannot harm [him] there."
"Venerable Sir! Could a cultivated ascetic swiftly go against the current of the great river Gaṅgā?"
"Yes, he could swiftly go."
"Venerable Sir! Would he meet with destruction there?"
"Gautama! This meaning is not valid. A weapon certainly cannot harm [him] there."
"Venerable Sir! Could a cultivated ascetic enter into a whirlpool or a drop of water?"
"Yes, he could enter."
"Venerable Sir! Would he suffer harm there?"
"Gautama! This meaning is not valid. A weapon certainly cannot harm [him] there."

"Venerable Sir! Is an ultimate atom of pudgala touched by the air-body, or is the air-body touched by an ultimate atom of pudgala?"
"Gautama! An ultimate atom of pudgala is touched by the air-body, but the air-body is not touched by an ultimate atom of pudgala."
"Venerable Sir! Is a two-space-point aggregate touched by the air-body, or is the air-body touched by a two-space-point aggregate?" In the very same way. In this manner, up to an innumerable-space-point [aggregate].
"Venerable Sir! Is an infinite-space-point aggregate touched by the air-body?"—the question.
"Gautama! An infinite-space-point aggregate is touched by the air-body; the air-body may be touched by an infinite-space-point aggregate, and may not be touched."
"Venerable Sir! Is a leather bag touched by the air-body, or is the air-body touched by a leather bag?"
"Gautama! A leather bag is touched by the air-body, but the air-body is not touched by a leather bag."

"Venerable Sir! Are there substances below this Ratnaprabhā earth that are in color black, blue, red, yellow, and white; in smell fragrant and foul-smelling; in taste bitter, pungent, astringent, sour, and sweet; in touch rough, soft, heavy, light, cold, hot, smooth, and dry; bound to one another, touched by one another, bound and touched to one another, existing in conjunction with one another?"
"Yes, there are." In this manner, up to the Seventh Below.
"Venerable Sir! Are there substances below the Saudharma kalpa?" In the very same way. In this manner, up to the Īṣatprāgbhārā earth.
"It is so, Venerable Sir! It is so, Venerable Sir!" [Gautama] up to dwelled.
Then the ascetic, Lord Mahāvīra, on another occasion, departed from the city of Rājagṛha, from the Guṇaśīla caitya, and having departed, dwelled wandering in the countryside outside.

At that time, in that period, there was a city named Vāṇiyagāma—[to be described as before]; the caitya was Dūtipalāsa—[to be described as before]. In that city of Vāṇiyagāma lived a brāhmaṇa named Somila, wealthy, up to not humiliated by many people, well versed in the Ṛgveda up to thoroughly accomplished, exercising and maintaining mastery, leadership, lordship, supremacy, authority, sovereignty, and command over five hundred pupils and his own family. Then the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, arrived up to the assembly paid homage to him.

Then, when this news was heard by that brāhmaṇa Somila, this kind of internal, reflective, wished-for mental thought arose: “Indeed, the Śramaṇa Jñātṛputra, wandering in succession, traveling from village to village, dwelling comfortably, has arrived here, reached here, come here, and having taken up suitable lodging right here in the city of Vāṇiyagāma at the Dūtipalāsa caitya, dwells disciplining his self through self-restraint and austerity. Therefore, I shall go to the presence of the Śramaṇa Jñātṛputra and ask these matters, reasons, questions, causes, and expositions. If he answers these matters up to expositions for me, then I will pay homage, revere, and attend upon him; but if he does not answer these matters up to expositions for me, then with these very matters up to expositions I will make him one whose questioned expositions are refuted.” Having considered thus, having bathed, his body adorned with precious ornaments, he went out from his house; having gone out, accompanied by one hundred pupils on foot, he walked through the middle of the city of Vāṇiyagāma. Having gone out, he approached the Dūtipalāsa caitya, where the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, was; having approached and stood not far from the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, he spoke thus to the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra:

“Is there spiritual progress (yātrā) for you, Venerable Sir? Is there vitality (yāpanīya) for you, Venerable Sir? Is there freedom from affliction (avyābādha) for you, Venerable Sir? Is there pure wandering (prāsuka-vihāra) for you, Venerable Sir?”

“Somila! I have spiritual progress, I have vitality, I have freedom from affliction, and I have pure wandering.”

“What is your spiritual progress, Venerable Sir?”

“Somila! My diligence in the spiritual activities of austerity, vows, self-restraint, recitation, meditation, daily obligations, and so on—that is spiritual progress.”

“What is your vitality, Venerable Sir?”

“Somila! Vitality is declared to be of two kinds: sense-faculty vitality and quasi-sense-faculty vitality.”

“What is sense-faculty vitality?”

“Sense-faculty vitality: that my ear-faculty, eye-faculty, nose-faculty, tongue-faculty, and touch-faculty remain uninjured and under control—that is sense-faculty vitality.”

“What is quasi-sense-faculty vitality?”

“Quasi-sense-faculty vitality: that my anger, pride, deceit, and greed have been severed and do not rise—that is quasi-sense-faculty vitality; that is vitality.”

“What is your freedom from affliction, Venerable Sir?”

“Somila! That my various bodily illnesses and pains arising from wind, bile, phlegm, and their combination, as well as bodily defects, are appeased and do not rise—that is freedom from affliction.”

“What is your pure wandering, Venerable Sir?”

“Somila! That in pleasure-gardens, parks, temples, assembly-halls, sheds, and lodgings free from women, animals, and eunuchs, having accepted pure and permissible stools, planks, beds, and mats, I dwell—that is pure wandering.”

“Are sarisavas edible or inedible for you, Venerable Sir?”

“Somila! Sarisavas are both edible and inedible for me.”

“Why is it said, Venerable Sir, that sarisavas are both edible and inedible for you?”

“Indeed, Somila! In brāhmaṇa doctrines, sarisavas are declared to be of two kinds: friend-sarisavas (equals) and grain-sarisavas (mustard seeds).
Therein, friend-sarisavas are declared to be of three kinds: born together, grown together, and played-in-the-dust-together; they are inedible for Śramaṇa Nirgranthas.
Therein, grain-sarisavas are declared to be of two kinds: transformed by a weapon and not transformed by a weapon. Therein, those not transformed by a weapon are inedible for Śramaṇa Nirgranthas. Therein, those transformed by a weapon are declared to be of two kinds: permissible and impermissible. Therein, those that are impermissible are inedible for Śramaṇa Nirgranthas. Therein, those that are permissible are declared to be of two kinds: begged and unbegged. Therein, those that are unbegged are inedible for Śramaṇa Nirgranthas. Therein, those that are begged are declared to be of two kinds: obtained and not obtained. Therein, those that are not obtained are inedible for Śramaṇa Nirgranthas. Therein, those that are obtained are edible for Śramaṇa Nirgranthas. For that reason, Somila, it is said that sarisavas are both edible and inedible for me.”

“Are māsas edible or inedible for you, Venerable Sir?”

“Somila! Māsas are both edible and inedible for me.”

“Why is it said, Venerable Sir, that māsas are both edible and inedible for you?”

“Indeed, Somila! In brāhmaṇa doctrines, māsas are declared to be of two kinds: substance-māsas and time-māsas (months).
Therein, time-māsas are declared to be twelve, beginning with Śrāvaṇa and ending with Āṣāḍha: Śrāvaṇa, Bhādrapada, Āśvina, Kārtika, Mārgaśīrṣa, Pauṣa, Māgha, Phālguna, Caitra, Vaiśākha, Jyeṣṭhamūla, and Āṣāḍha; they are inedible for Śramaṇa Nirgranthas.
Therein, substance-māsas are declared to be of two kinds: wealth-māsas (coins) and grain-māsas (beans).
Therein, wealth-māsas are declared to be of two kinds: gold-māsas and silver-māsas; they are inedible for Śramaṇa Nirgranthas.
Therein, grain-māsas are declared to be of two kinds: transformed by a weapon and not transformed by a weapon; in the same way as grain-sarisavas up to for that reason up to inedible as well.”

“Are kulatthas edible or inedible for you, Venerable Sir?”

“Somila! Kulatthas are both edible and inedible for me.”

“Why is it said up to inedible as well?”

“Indeed, Somila! In brāhmaṇa doctrines, kulatthas are declared to be of two kinds: woman-kulatthas (family women) and grain-kulatthas (horse-gram).
Therein, woman-kulatthas are declared to be of three kinds: family-brides, family-mothers, and family-daughters; they are inedible for Śramaṇa Nirgranthas.
Therein, grain-kulatthas [are treated] in the same way as grain-sarisavas; for that reason up to inedible as well.”

“Are you, sir, one? Are you two? Are you imperishable? Are you immutable? Are you constant? Are you manifold in past and present states?”
“Somila! I am one, up to I am manifold in past and present states.”
“For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: ‘I am one, up to I am manifold in past and present states’?”
“Somila! From the standpoint of substance, I am one; from the standpoint of knowledge and perception, I am twofold; from the standpoint of spatial units, I am imperishable, I am immutable, and I am constant; from the standpoint of conscious application, I am manifold in past and present states. For that reason, up to I am manifold in past and present states.”
Then that brāhmaṇa Somila, having been enlightened, paid homage and obeisance to the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra. Having paid homage and obeisance, he spoke thus—just like Khaṃdaka, up to “It is just as you say. Just as, in the presence of the Beloved of the Gods, many kings, lords, chief officers, heads of households, wealthy merchants, merchant-guild leaders, army commanders, caravan leaders, and others, having shaved their heads, renounce household life for homelessness, I indeed cannot do so. I shall undertake, in the presence of the Beloved of the Gods, the twelvefold householder’s Dharma,” up to he undertook the twelvefold householder’s Dharma. Having undertaken it, he paid homage and obeisance to the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra; having paid homage and obeisance, he returned in the very direction from which he had come.
Then that brāhmaṇa Somila became a lay disciple: having comprehended the animate and inanimate, up to he dwelt disciplining himself with the accepted acts of austerity.
Addressing him with “Venerable Sir!”, the Lord Gautama paid homage and obeisance to the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra. Having paid homage and obeisance, he spoke thus: “Is the brāhmaṇa Somila, Venerable Sir, able to renounce household life for homelessness, having shaved his head in the presence of the Beloved of the Gods?”
“This meaning is not competent. Exactly as in the case of Śaṅkha, in full, up to he will make an end to all suffering.”
“Truly so, Venerable Sir! Truly so, Venerable Sir!” up to he dwells [content].