Viyahapannatti 12.1.531

12.1.531

Then the lay follower Saṅkha said to those lay followers: “Beloved of the gods! Have abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries prepared; and then, tasting, sampling, distributing, and consuming that abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries, let us abide keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha.”

Then those lay followers politely consented to this matter spoken by the lay follower Saṅkha.

Then an inward, reflective, desired, mental thought arose in that lay follower Saṅkha: “It is certainly not fit for me to abide keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha while tasting, sampling, distributing, and consuming that abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries. Indeed, it is better for me to abide keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha in the poṣadha hall, having undertaken the poṣadha, observing celibacy, casting off jewels and gold, free from garlands, pigments, and unguents, having laid down weapons and pestles, solitary and companionless, seated on a couch of darbha grass.” Having reflected thus, he went towards the city of Śrāvastī, towards his own house, towards the lay follower Uppalā. Having arrived, he took leave of the lay follower Uppalā, and went towards the poṣadha hall. Having arrived, he entered the poṣadha hall; having entered, he swept the poṣadha hall; having swept it, he inspected the ground for evacuating excrement and urine; having inspected it, he spread out a litter of darbha grass; having spread it out, he mounted the litter of darbha grass; and having mounted it, he remained in the poṣadha hall observing the poṣadha, celibate, casting off jewels and gold, free from garlands, pigments, and unguents, having laid down weapons and pestles, solitary, companionless, seated on the litter of darbha grass, keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha.

Then those lay followers went towards the city of Śrāvastī, towards their respective houses. Having arrived, they had abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries prepared. Having had them prepared, they called to one another and said: “Thus, beloved of the gods! That abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries has been prepared by us, but the lay follower Saṅkha has not come quickly. Therefore, beloved of the gods, it is better for us to send for the lay follower Saṅkha.”

Then the lay follower Pokkhalī said to those lay followers: “Remain here, beloved of the gods, fully tranquil and at ease; I shall call the lay follower Saṅkha.” Having said so, he departed from those lay followers, walked right through the middle of the city of Śrāvastī to the house of the lay follower Saṅkha, arrived, and entered the house of the lay follower Saṅkha.

Then the lay follower Uppalā saw the lay follower Pokkhalī arriving. Seeing him, joyful and pleased, she rose from her seat, walked seven or eight paces toward him, venerated and paid homage to the lay follower Pokkhalī, and having venerated and paid homage to him, offered him a seat and said: “Command, beloved of the gods! What is the purpose of your arrival?”

Then the lay follower Pokkhalī said to the lay follower Uppalā: “Where, beloved of the gods, is the lay follower Saṅkha?”

Then the lay follower Uppalā said to the lay follower Pokkhalī: “Thus indeed, beloved of the gods! The lay follower Saṅkha is staying in the poṣadha hall, observing the poṣadha, celibate, having cast off jewels and gold, free from garlands, pigments, and unguents, having laid down weapons and pestles, solitary, companionless, seated on a litter of darbha grass, keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha.”

Then the lay follower Pokkhalī went towards the poṣadha hall, towards the lay follower Saṅkha. Having arrived, he performed pratikramaṇa for his comings and goings, venerated and paid homage to the lay follower Saṅkha, and having venerated and paid homage, said thus: “Thus indeed, beloved of the gods! That abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries has been prepared by us. Therefore let us go, beloved of the gods; tasting, sampling, distributing, and consuming that abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries, let us abide keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha.”

Then the lay follower Saṅkha said to the lay follower Pokkhalī: “It is indeed not fitting, beloved of the gods, to abide keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha while tasting, sampling, distributing, and consuming that abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries. It is fitting for me to abide keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha in the poṣadha hall, having undertaken the poṣadha, celibate, casting off jewels and gold, free from garlands, pigments, and unguents, having laid down weapons and pestles, solitary, companionless, seated on a litter of darbha grass. Therefore, at your pleasure, beloved of the gods, you may abide keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha while tasting, sampling, distributing, and consuming that abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries.”

Then the lay follower Pokkhalī departed from the presence of the lay follower Saṅkha, from the poṣadha hall, went right through the middle of the city of Śrāvastī to where those lay followers were, arrived, and said to those lay followers: “Thus indeed, beloved of the gods! The lay follower Saṅkha is abiding in the poṣadha hall observing the poṣadha [and so forth]. Therefore, at your pleasure, beloved of the gods, you may abide keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha while tasting, sampling, distributing, and consuming the abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries; the lay follower Saṅkha will not come right now.” Then those lay followers lived tasting [and consuming] that abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries.

Then, as that lay follower Saṅkha was keeping the religious vigil in the late part of the night, such an inward, reflective, desired, mental thought arose: “Indeed, it is better for me, tomorrow when the night has turned into dawn […] when the thousand-rayed sun, the maker of day, has risen, blazing with brilliance, to venerate and pay homage to the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, attend upon him […], and having returned from there, break the fortnightly poṣadha.” Having reflected thus, tomorrow at the dawn of night […], when the thousand-rayed sun, the maker of day, had risen, blazing with brilliance, he stepped out of the poṣadha hall. Having stepped out, he dressed in clean, auspicious garments suitable for entering [an assembly], left his home, walked right through the middle of the city of Śrāvastī on foot, went towards the Koṭṭhaka caitya, towards the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, and having arrived, made three pradakṣiṇās from left to right, venerated and paid homage, and having venerated and paid homage, attended upon him with the threefold attendance.

Then those lay followers, tomorrow when the night had turned into dawn […] when the thousand-rayed sun, the maker of day, had risen, blazing with brilliance, having bathed, performed the customary offerings, […] and adorned their bodies with few but precious ornaments, stepped out from their respective houses. Having stepped out, they assembled together, went on foot right through the middle of the city of Śrāvastī, went towards the Koṭṭhaka caitya, towards the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, and having arrived, attended upon the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, with the threefold attendance […].

Then the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, expounded the Dharma to those lay followers and to that very large assembly [… so that they became] observers of the instruction.

Then those lay followers, having heard and grasped the Dharma from the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, joyful and pleased, arose from their seats, venerated and paid homage to the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, and having venerated and paid homage, went towards the lay follower Saṅkha. Having arrived, they said to the lay follower Saṅkha: “Beloved of the gods! Yesterday you yourself told us: ‘Beloved of the gods! Prepare abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries, and then tasting, sampling, distributing, and consuming that abundant food, drink, delicacies, and savouries, we shall abide keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha.’ Yet you yourself remained in the poṣadha hall, observing the poṣadha, celibate, casting off jewels and gold, free from garlands, pigments, and unguents, having laid down weapons and pestles, solitary, companionless, seated on a litter of darbha grass, keeping watch over the fortnightly poṣadha! Indeed, beloved of the gods, you have thoroughly mocked us!”

“O Noble Ones!” said the Śramaṇa, the Lord Mahāvīra, to those lay followers: “Noble Ones! Do not disparage, censure, mock, blame, or despise the lay follower Saṅkha. The lay follower Saṅkha indeed holds the Dharma dear, is firm in the Dharma, and has kept the vigil of the truly discerning!”