1. Now at that time the venerable Mahâ Kakkâyana was staying in Avanti on the
hill called the Precipice, near Kuraraghara 2. And at that time the lay-disciple
named Sona Kutikanna 3 was the personal attendant upon the venerable Mahâ
Kakkâyana.
And the disciple Sona Kutikanna went to the place where the venerable Mahâ
Kakkâyana was, and saluted him, and took his seat beside him. And when he was
thus seated, he said to the venerable Mahâ Kakkâyana:
'As I understand the doctrine laid down by the venerable Mahâ Kakkâyana, it is
difficult for the man who dwells at home to live the higher life in all its
fulness, in all its purity, in all its bright perfection. I wish therefore to
cut off my hair and beard, to clothe myself in the orange-coloured robes, and to
go forth from the household life into the houseless state 4. May the venerable
Mahâ Kakkâyana receive me into the Order of those who have renounced the world!'
2. 'Hard is it, Sona, your life long to live the
p. 33
higher life using only one bed, and with but one meal a day. Do you, therefore,
Sona, remain in the state of a householder, and practise only for a time the
higher life, the precepts of the Buddhas, using only one bed, and with but one
meal a day.'
Then the desire for renunciation 1 which had arisen in the disciple Sona
Kutikanna abated in him.
A second time the disciple Sona Kutikanna [made the same request, and received
the same reply with the same result].
And a third time Sona Kutikanna made the same request. Then the venerable Mahâ
Kakkâyana conferred the pabbaggâ (ordination) on the disciple Sona Kutikanna.
Now at that time in the Southern country and in Avanti there were but few
Bhikkhus. And it was only after the lapse of three years that the venerable Mahâ
Kakkâyana was able, with difficulty, and with trouble, to get together a meeting
of the Order in which ten Bhikkhus were present 2. And then he admitted the
venerable Sona into the higher rank of the Order.
3. Now when the venerable Sona had passed the rainy season there sprang up in
his mind, when he was meditating alone, this thought:
'I have heard indeed that the Blessed One is such and such a one. But I have not
as yet seen him face to face. I should like to go and visit the Blessed One, the
Arahat Buddha, if my superior would allow me.'
And in the evening the venerable Sona, leaving his solitude, went to the place
where the venerable
p. 34
[paragraph continues] Mahâ Kakkâyana was, and saluted him, and took his seat
beside him. And when he was thus seated, he said to the venerable Mahâ
Kakkâyana:
4. 'When I was meditating alone, venerable Sir, the following thought occurred
to my mind, "I have heard (&c., as above)." Now I would go and visit the Blessed
One, the Arahat Buddha, if you, as my superior, allow it.'
'That is good, that is good, Sona! Go then, Sona, to visit the Blessed One, the
Arahat Buddha. [5.] You shall see, Sona, how the Blessed One arouses faith, is
worthy of faith, calm in his senses, calm in his mind, gifted with the highest
self-control and quietude, an elephant among men, subdued, guarded, with his
senses in subjection to himself. Do you therefore, Soma, bow down in my name at
the feet of the Blessed One, and say, "Lord! my superior, the venerable Mahâ
Kakkâyana, bows down in salutation at the feet of the Blessed One!" and add, "In
the Southern country and in Avanti there are, Lord, but few Bhikkhus. And it was
only after the lapse of three years that with difficulty and with trouble an
assembly of the Order was got together, in which ten members were present, and I
could be received into the higher rank of the Order. May the Blessed One be
pleased, therefore, to allow the higher ordination in the Southern country and
in Avanti before a meeting of a lesser number. [6.] In the Southern country and
in Avanti, Lord, the soil is black on the surface 1, rough, and trampled by the
feet of cattle 2.
p. 35
[paragraph continues] May the Blessed One be pleased, therefore, to allow the
use, in the Southern country and in Avanti, of shoes with thick linings. In the
Southern country and in Avanti, Lord, men attach great importance to bathing,
and are pure by use of water. May the Blessed One be pleased to allow, in the
Southern country and in Avanti, the constant use of the bath 1. In the Southern
country and in Avanti, Lord, skins, such as sheep-skins, goat-skins, and
deer-skins, are used as coverlets. Just as in the Middle country 2 the eragu,
moragu, magghâru, and gantu grasses 3 are used for coverlets, so are
sheep-skins, goat-skins, and deer-skins in the Southern country and in Avanti.
May the Blessed One be pleased to allow the use of such coverlets there. [7.] At
present, Lord, people are in the habit of giving a set of robes to Bhikkhus, who
have left the district, saying, 'We give this set of robes to (a Bhikkhu) of
such and such a name.' When they return, the Bhikkhus tell them, 'A set of robes
has been given to you by a person of such and such a name.' But they, fearing to
offend, do not accept it, saying, 'Let us not be guilty of a Nissaggiya.' May
the Blessed One be pleased to make a detailed statement in the matter of robes."
p. 36
'Even so, Lord,' said the venerable Sona in assent to the venerable Mahâ
Kakkâyana, and, rising from his seat, he departed thence, keeping his right side
towards him. And taking up his bed, he went on with his robe on, and his bowl in
his hand to Sâvatthi.
8. And wandering from place to place he arrived at the place where the Blessed
One was, at Sâvatthi in the Getavana, Anâtha-pindika's park. And when he had
come there he saluted the Blessed One, and took his seat beside him.
Then the Blessed One said to the venerable Ânanda: 'Make ready a sleeping-place,
Ânanda, for this Bhikkhu who has just arrived.' And the venerable Ânanda
thought:
'Inasmuch as the Blessed One commands me to make ready a sleeping-place for the
Bhikkhu who has just arrived, the Blessed One evidently desires to dwell in the
same Vihâra with that Bhikkhu, he desires to dwell in the same Vihâra with the
venerable Sona.' And he made ready a sleeping-place for the .venerable Sona at
the place where the Blessed One was staying.
9. Then the Blessed One, after spending the greater part of the night in the
open air, entered the Vihâra. And also the venerable Sona, having spent the
greater part of the night in the open air, entered the Vihâra. And the Blessed
One rose up, early in the morning, towards dawn, and requested the venerable
Sona, saying,
'May the Dhamma so become clear to you that you may speak 1.'
p. 37
.Even so, Lord!' said the venerable Sona in assent to the Blessed One; and he
intoned all the verses in the Book of the Eights (Atthaka-vaggikâni 1).
And the Blessed One, at the conclusion of the venerable Sona's recitation,
expressed his pleasure, saying,
'Excellent, most excellent, O Bhikkhu! Well have the Eights been grasped by
thee, well thought over, well learnt by heart: and with a fine voice art thou
gifted, distinct, pleasant 2, able to make things understood. How many years is
it since thou hast been ordained?'
'One year, my Lord!'
10. 'But why have you postponed it so long?'
'’Tis long, Lord, since I saw into the danger of the passions, but life in a
household is crowded with business and with cares.'
And the Blessed One, when he heard that matter, gave utterance at that time to
the expression of emotion:
'When he has seen the danger of the world, when he has understood the Truth,
when he has become free from Upadhi 3,
p. 38
'The pilgrim finds in sin no pleasure, his delight is in the word, the pure.'
11. Then thought the venerable Sona: 'The Blessed One is pleased with me. This
then is the time which my superior spoke of.' And rising from his seat, and
arranging his robe on one shoulder, he bowed down with his head at the feet of
the Blessed One, and said:
'Lord! my superior Mahâ Kakkâyana bows down in salutation at the feet of the
Blessed One. In the Southern country and in Avanti there are (&c., as in §§ 4-7,
down to the end of the message).'
Then the Blessed One on that occasion and in that connection, having delivered a
religious discourse, addressed the Bhikkhus and said:
'The Southern country and Avanti has but few Bhikkhus. I allow the upasampadâ
(ordination) in border countries to be held in a meeting of only four Bhikkhus,
beside the chairman, who must be a Vinaya-dhara.'
12. 'In this passage the following are the border countries referred to 1. To
the East is the town Kagaṅgala, and beyond it Mahâsâlâ. Beyond that is border
country; this side of it is the Middle country. To the South-east is the river
Salalavatî. Beyond that is border country; this side of it is the Middle
country. To the South is the town Setakannika. Beyond that is border country;
this side of it is the Middle country. To the West is the Brâhman district of
Thûna. Beyond that is
p. 39
border country; this side of it is the Middle country. To the North is the
mountain range called Usîradhaga. Beyond that is border country; this side of it
is the Middle country. In such border countries, I allow, O Bhikkhus, the
upasampadâ (ordination) to be held in a meeting of only four Bhikkhus, beside
the chairman, who must be a Vinaya-dhara.
13. 'In the Southern country and in Avanti, O Bhikkhus, the soil is black on the
surface and rough, and trampled by the feet of cattle. I allow the use, in all
the border countries, O Bhikkhus, of shoes with thick linings.
'In the Southern country and in Avanti, O Bhikkhus, men attach great importance
to bathing, and are pure by use of water. I allow the constant use of the bath,
O Bhikkhus, in all the border countries.
'In the Southern country and in Avanti, O Bhikkhus, skins, such as sheep-skins,
goat-skins, and deer-skins, are used as coverlets. Just as in the Middle
country, Bhikkhus, the eragu, moragu, magghâru, and gantu grasses are used for
coverlets, so in the Southern country and in Avanti are used skins, such as
sheep-skins, goat-skins, and deer-skins. I allow, O Bhikkhus, the use of skins,
such as sheep-skins, goat-skins, and deer-skins, as coverlets, in all the border
countries.
'There also, O Bhikkhus, people are in the habit of giving a set of robes to
Bhikkhus who have left the district, saying, "We give this set of robes to (a
Bhikkhu) with such and such a name." I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to accept such
robes. The set of robes does not become subject to the ten-days'
p. 40
rule, before it reaches the hand (of the person for whom it was intended) 1.'
Footnotes
32:1 Sections 1-6 of this chapter were published and translated by Alwis in his
'Kakkâyana's Pali Grammar,' pp. 92 and following.
32:2 Buddhaghosa spells this name Kuduraghara, and says it was there that
Kakkâyana had been accustomed to go for alms, and that he dwelt on the precipice
itself.
32:3 Buddhaghosa has a curious explanation of this name, Kotiagghanakam pana
kanna-pilandhanakam dhâreti, tasmâ Kutikanno ’ti vukkati. This is evidently
merely drawn from the word itself, which may just as well have meant 'with
pointed ears.'
32:4 This is a common phrase. Compare Tevigga Sutta (Rh. D., 'Buddhist Suttas
from the Pâli,' pp. 187, 188).
33:1 Compare gamikâbhisamkhâra, Mahâvagga VI, 31, 2.
33:2 On the necessity of this, see Mahâvagga IX, 4, I.
34:1 Kanhuttarâ ’ti kanha-mattik-uttarâ upari-vaddhitâ kanha-mattikâ (B.). Alwis
translates, 'overrun with thorns.'
34:2 Gokantaka-hatâ ’ti gunnam khurehi akkanta-bhumito samutthehi go-kantakehi
upahatâ. Te kira gokantake ekapatalikâ upâhanâ p. 35 rakkhitum na sakkonti, evam
kharâ honti (B.). Alwis takes gokantaka as a plant (Ruellia Longifolia).
35:1 Compare the 57th Pâkittiya.
35:2 See below, § 12; and compare Rh. D., 'Buddhist Birth Stories,' p. 61.
35:3 Imâ katasso pi tina-gâtiyo. Etehi kata-sâtake ka tattikâyo ka karonti.
Ettha eragû ’ti ekaraka-tinam, tam olârikam. Moragutinam tamba-sisam sukhumam
mudukam sukha-samphassam; tena katâ tattikâ nipaggitvâ vutthitamatte pana
uddhumâtâ hutvâ titthati. Maggârunâ (sic, and so Alwis) kata-sâtake pi karonti.
Gantussa mani-sadiso vanno hoti, Tattikâ is a mat; see Gâtaka I, 142. Compare
Sanskrit Eraka, and Mayûraka.
36:1 Patibhâtu tam bhikkhu dhammo bhâsitum. Compare Buddhaghosa's commentary on
the similar idiom used in the Mahâ-parinibbâna p. 37 Sutta II, 31 as given by
Rh. D. ('Buddhist Suttas from the Pâli,' p. 36).
37:1 Atthaka-vagga is the name of the fourth book in the Sutta Nipâta. See
Professor Fausböll's translation, p. viii. It may also be the name of divisions
of other books, but probably that portion of the Sutta Nipâta is here referred
to.
37:2 On Anelagalâya compare nelâ vâkâ in § 6 of the Kûla-sîla.
37:3 Ariyo is the man who has entered the Path, Suki is locative. Nirûpadhi, he
in whom there remains no longer the cause of the renewal of existence as a
separate individual (the cause referred to being thirst or excitement and
craving, Tanhâ, Upâdâna).
38:1 Compare Cunningham, 'Ancient Geography of India,' I, 440; Childers,
Khuddaka Pâtha, p. 20; Alwis, 'Introduction to Pali Grammar,' XXIX; Lassen,
Indische Alterthumskunde, I, 119 (2nd ed.); Rhys Davids, 'Buddhist Birth
Stories,' p, 61.
40:1 On this last clause compare the first Nissaggiya, and our note there. The
clause here means that the ten days of the rule in the Pâtimokkha are not to
begin to run, under the circumstances specified, till the set of robes has
actually reached the hand of the Bhikkhu for whom they were intended.
Buddhaghosa says here: Yâva âharitvâ vâ na dinnam tumhâkam bhante kîvaram
uppannan ti pahinitva vâ nârokitam, tâva gananam na upeti, anadhitthitam na
vattati. Yadâ pana ânetvâ vâ dinnam hoti, uppannan ti vâ sutam, tato patthâya
dasâham eva parihâram labhati.
0 comments:
Post a Comment