1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Benares as long as he thought fit,
he went onwards on his journey toward Sâvatthi. And in due course journeying
'straight on he arrived at Sâvatthi; and there, at Sâvatthi, he stayed at the
Getavana, Anâtha-pindika's Ârâma. And Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra went up to
the place where the Blessed One was; and when she had come there, she saluted
the Blessed One, and took her seat on one side. And the Blessed One taught
Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra seated thus: and incited, and aroused, and
gladdened her with religious discourse. And Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra when
she had been thus taught, &c., spake thus to the Blessed One: 'Will my Lord the
Blessed One consent to accept his morrow's meal at my hands, together with the
company of the Bhikkhus?' The Blessed One, by remaining silent, granted his
consent; and Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra, perceiving that the Blessed One had
consented, rose from her seat, and saluted the Blessed One, and keeping him on
her right side as she passed him, she departed thence.
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2. Now at that time, when the night was far spent, there was a great storm of
rain over the whole world 1. And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus:
'Just as it is raining in the Getavana, O Bhikkhus, so is it raining over the
whole world. Let yourselves, O Bhikkhus, be rained down upon, for this is the
last time there will be a mighty storm of rain over the whole world.'
'Even so, Lord,' said those Bhikkhus in assent to the Blessed One; and throwing
off their robes they let themselves be rained down upon.
3. And Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra having provided sweet food, both hard and
soft, gave command to a slave girl, saying,
'Go thou 2 to the Ârâma; and when you are there, announce the time, saying, "The
time, Sirs, has arrived, and the meal is ready."'
'Even so, my Lady,' said the slave girl in assent to Visâkhâ, the mother of
Migâra; and going to the Ârâma she beheld there the Bhikkhus, with their robes
thrown off, letting themselves be rained down upon. Then thinking, 'These are
not Bhikkhus in the Ârâma, they are naked ascetics letting the r tin fall on
them,' she returned to the place where Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra was, and
said to her:
There are no Bhikkhus in the Ârâma; there are
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naked ascetics there, letting the rain fall on themselves.'
Then it occurred to Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra--she being learned, expert, and
wise--'For a certainty the venerable ones must have thrown off their robes in
order to let themselves be rained down upon, and this foolish girl thinks
therefore that there are no Bhikkhus in the Ârâma, but only naked ascetics
letting the rain fall on them.' And she again gave command to the slave girl,
saying,
'Go thou to the Ârâma; and when you are there, announce the time, saying, "The
time, Sirs, has arrived, and the meal is ready."'
4. Now the Bhikkhus when they had cooled their limbs, and were refreshed in
body, took their robes, and entered each one into his chamber, When the slave
girl came to the Ârâma, not seeing any Bhikkhus, she thought: 'There are no
Bhikkhus in the Ârâma. The Ârâma is empty.' And returning to Visâkhâ the mother
of Migâra she said so.
Then it occurred to Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra--she being learned, expert, and
wise--'For a certainty the venerable ones, when they had cooled their limbs and
were refreshed in body, must have taken their robes, and entered each one into
his chamber.' And she again gave command to the slave girl, saying,
'Go thou to Ârâma; and when you are there announce the time, saying, "The time,
Sirs, has arrived, and the meal is ready."'
5. And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus: 'Make yourselves ready, O Bhikkhus,
with bowl and robe; the hour for the meal has come.'
'Even so, Lord,' said the Bhikkhus in assent to
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the Blessed One. And in the morning the Blessed One, having put on his
under-garment, and being duly bowled and robed, vanished from the Getavana as
quickly as a strong man would stretch forth his arm when it was drawn in, or
draw it in again when it was stretched forth, and appeared in the mansion 1 of
Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra. And the Blessed One took his seat on the seat
spread out for him, and with him the company of the Bhikkhus.
6. Then said Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra: Most wonderful, most marvellous is
the might and the power of the Tathâgata, in that though the floods are rolling
on knee-deep, and though the floods are rolling on waist-deep, yet is not a
single Bhikkhu wet, as to his feet, or as to his robes.' And glad and exalted in
heart she served and offered with her own hand to the company of the Bhikkhus,
with the Buddha at their head, sweet food, both hard and soft. And when the
Blessed One had finished his meal, and had cleansed his hands and the bowl, she
took her seat on one side. And, so sitting, she spake thus to the Blessed One:
'Eight are the boons, Lord, which I beg of the Blessed One.'
'The Tathâgatas, O Visâkhâ, are above granting boons (before they know what they
are) 2.'
'Proper, Lord, and unobjectionable are the boons I ask.'
'Speak then, O Visâkhâ.'
7. 'I desire, Lord, my life long to bestow robes
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for the rainy season on the Samgha, and food for in-coming Bhikkhus, and food
for out-going Bhikkhus, and food for the sick, and food for those who wait upon
the sick, and medicine for the sick, and a constant supply of congey, and
bathing robes for the nuns.'
'But what circumstance is it, O Visâkhâ, that you have in view in asking these
eight boons of the Tathâgata?'
'I gave command, Lord, to my slave girl, saying, "Go thou to the Ârâma; and when
you are there, announce the time, saying, 'The time, Sirs, has arrived, and the
meal is ready.'" And the slave girl went, Lord, to the Ârâma; but when she
beheld there the Bhikkhus with their robes thrown off, letting themselves be
rained down upon, she thought: "These are not Bhikkhus in the Ârâma, they are
naked ascetics letting the rain fall on them," and she returned to me and
reported accordingly. Impure, Lord, is nakedness, and revolting. It was this
circumstance, Lord, that I had in view in desiring to provide the Samgha my life
long with special garments for use in the rainy season 1.
8. 'Moreover, Lord, an in-coming Bhikkhu, not being able to take the direct
roads, and not knowing the places where food can be procured, comes on his way
wearied out by seeking for an alms. But when he has partaken of the food I shall
have provided for in-coming Bhikkhus, he will come on his way without being
wearied out by seeking for an alms, taking the direct road, and knowing the
place where food can be procured. It was this circumstance
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that I had in view in desiring to provide the Samgha my life long with food for
in-coming Bhikkhus.
'Moreover, Lord, an out-going Bhikkhu, while seeking about for an alms for
himself, may be left behind by the caravan 1, or may arrive too late at the
place whither he desires to go, and will set out on the road in weariness. But
when he has partaken of the food I shall have provided for out-going Bhikkhus,
he will not be left behind by the caravan; he will arrive in due time at the
place whither he desires to go, and he will set out on the road when he is not
weary. It was this circumstance, Lord, that I had in view in desiring to provide
the Samgha my life long with food for out-going Bhikkhus.
9. 'Moreover, Lord, if a sick Bhikkhu does not obtain suitable foods his
sickness may increase upon him, or he may die. But if a Bhikkhu have taken the
diet that I shall have provided for the sick, neither will his sickness increase
upon him, nor will he die. It was this circumstance, Lord, that I had in view in
desiring to provide the Samgha my life long with diet for the sick.
'Moreover, Lord, a Bhikkhu who is waiting upon the sick, if he has to seek out
food for himself, may bring in the food (to the invalid) when the sun is already
far on his course 2, and he will lose his
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opportunity of taking his food 1. But when he has partaken of the food I shall
have provided for those who wait upon the sick, he will bring in food to the
invalid in due time, and he will not lose his opportunity of taking his food. It
was this circumstance, Lord, that I had in view in desiring to provide the
Samgha my life long with food for those who wait upon the sick.
10. 'Moreover, Lord, if a sick Bhikkhu does not obtain suitable medicines his
sickness may increase upon him, or he may die. But if a Bhikkhu have taken the
medicines which I shall have provided for the sick, neither will his sickness
increase upon him, nor will he die. It was this circumstance, Lord, that I had
in view in desiring to provide the Samgha my life long with medicines for the
sick.
'Moreover, Lord, the Blessed One when at Andhakavinda, having in view the ten
advantages thereof, allowed the use of congey 2. It was those advantages I had
in view, Lord, in desiring to provide the Samgha my life long with a constant
supply of congey.
11. 'Now, Lord, the Bhikkhunîs are in the habit of bathing in the river
Akiravatî with the courtesans, at the same landing-place, and naked. And the
courtesans, Lord, ridiculed the Bhikkhunîs, saying, "What is the good, ladies,
of your maintaining 3 chastity when you are young? are not the
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passions things to be indulged? When you are old, maintain chastity then; thus
will you be obtainers of both ends." Then the Bhikkhunîs, Lord, when thus
ridiculed by the courtesans, were confused. Impure, Lord, is nakedness for a
woman, disgusting, and revolting. It was this circumstance, Lord, that I had in
view in desiring to provide the Bhikkhunî-samgha my life long with dresses to
bathe in.'
12. 'But what was the advantage you had in view for yourself, O Visâkhâ, in
asking these eight boons of the Tathâgata?'
'Bhikkhus who have spent the rainy seasons in various places will come, Lord, to
Sâvatthi, to visit the Blessed One. And on coming to the Blessed One they will
ask, saying, "Such and such a Bhikkhu, Lord, has died. Where has he been
re-born, and what is his destiny?" Then will the Blessed One explain that he had
attained to the fruits of conversion, or of the state of the Sakadâgâmins, or of
the state of the Anâgâmins, or of Arahatship 1. And I, going up to them, shall
ask, "Was that brother, Sirs, one of those who had formerly been at Sâvatthi?"
13. 'If they should reply to me, "He had formerly been at Sâvatthi," then shall
I arrive at the conclusion, "For a certainty did that brother enjoy either the
robes for the rainy season, or the food for the in-coming Bhikkhus, or the food
for the out-going Bhikkhus, or the food for the sick, or the food for those that
wait upon the sick, or the
p. 224
medicine for the sick, or the constant supply of congey." Then will gladness
spring up within me on my calling that to mind; and joy will arise to me thus
gladdened; and so rejoicing all my frame will be at peace; and being thus at
peace I shall experience a blissful feeling of content; and in that bliss my
heart will be at rest; and that will be to me an exercise of my moral sense, an
exercise of my moral powers, an exercise of the seven kinds of wisdom 1! This,
Lord, was the advantage I had in view for myself in asking those eight boons of
the Blessed One.'
14. 'It is well, it is well, Visâkhâ. Thou hast
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done well in asking eight boons of the Tathâgata with such advantages in view.'
And the Blessed One gave thanks to Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra in these verses;
'Whatsoever woman, upright in life, a disciple of the Happy One, gives, glad at
heart and overcoming avarice, both food and drink--a gift, heavenly, destructive
of sorrow, productive of bliss,--
'A heavenly life does she attain, entering upon the Path that is free from
corruption and impurity;
'Aiming at good, happy does she become, and free from sickness, and long does
she rejoice in a heavenly body.'
And when the Blessed One had given thanks to Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra in
these verses, he arose from his seat, and departed thence.
15. Then the Blessed One on that occasion, after he had delivered a religious
discourse, addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:
I allow you, O Bhikkhus, garments for the rainy season 1, and food for in-coming
Bhikkhus, and food for out-going Bhikkhus, and diet for the sick, and food for
those that wait upon the sick, and medicine for the sick, and a constant supply
of congey, and bathing robes for the sisterhood.'
__________________
Here ends the chapter called the Visâkhâ-bhânavâra.
Footnotes
217:1 Kâtuddîpiko, literally, 'over the four continents,' into which the world
was supposed to be divided. Compare Genesis vii. 44.
217:2 Gakkha ge; where ge is the appropriate form of address invariably used to
a female slave or maid-servant. Compare Childers, in the 'Dictionary,' p. 617.
219:1 Kotthaka does not only mean a room, as given by Childers: it signifies
here, as at Gâtaka I, 227, a battlemented dwelling, the house of a person of
rank.
219:2 See our note on this phrase at I, 54, 4.
220:1 See below, the note on § 15.
221:1 Compare sukhâ vihâyati in the Sigâlovâda Sutta at p. 302 of Grimblot's
'Sept Suttas Pâlis.'
221:2 Compare Ussûra-seyyo in the Sigâlovâda Sutta at p. 302 of Grimblot's 'Sept
Suttas Pâlis;' and Böhtlingk-Roth, under utsûra.
222:1 Bhattakkhedam karissati, because he may not eat solid food after sun-turn.
222:2 See Mahâvagga VI, 24. The ten advantages are enumerated in § 5 there.
222:3 In the text read kinnena. Compare Bhikkhunî-vibhaṅga, Pâkittiya XXI, 1,
where the whole passage recurs. The first sentence also recurs ibid., Pâkittiya
II.
223:1 A conversation of the kind here referred to is related, as having actually
taken place at Nâdika, in the 'Book of the Great Decease,' II, 5-8.
224:1 The succession of ideas in this paragraph is very suggestive, and throws
much light both upon the psychological views and upon the religious feelings of
the early Buddhists. The exact rendering of course of the abstract terms
employed in the Pâli text is no doubt, as yet, beset with difficulty, for the
reasons pointed out in Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Suttas from the Pâli,' pp. xxv, xxvi;
but the general sense of the passage is already sufficiently clear. For one or
two words we have no real and adequate equivalent.
Kâya is neither 'body' nor 'faculties;' it is the whole frame, the whole
individuality, looked at rather objectively than subjectively, and rather from
the outward and visible than from the inner, metaphysical, stand-point. Compare
the use of Sakkâya-ditthi and of Kâyena passati.
Sukha is not so much 'happiness,' simply and vaguely, as the serenity of the
bliss which follows on happiness. It is contrasted with, and follows after,
pâmogga and pîti, in the same way as in this passage, in the standing
description of the Ghânas (translated by Rh. D. in the Mahâ-sudassana Sutta II,
5-8, in the 'Buddhist Suttas,' p. 272). Its opposite, Dukkha, is a positive
state of pain, and in comparison with this, sukha is negative, the absence of
pain.
Kitta is always more emotional than intellectual. It has the connotation, not of
'mind,' as is usually and erroneously supposed, but of 'heart.'
225:1 The size of such a garment is limited by the 91st Pâkittiya to six spans
by two-and-a-half--that is just enough to go round the loins from the waist half
down to the knee. It would be decent, and yet avoid the disadvantage of wearing
the robes in the rain, where they would become wet and heavy in the manner
described, for instance, at Mahâvagga VII, 1, 1.
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