Majjhima Nikaya - Ghatikara Sutta

81. Ghatikara Sutta - English MAJJHIMA NIKAYA II
II. 4. 1. Ghañãkàrasuttaü
(81) The Potter Ghatikara

I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One, was going on a tour in the country of
Kosala, with a large community of bhikkhus. The Blessed One, coming to a certain
region, stepped out of the path and smiled. Then it occurred to venerable
ânanda. The Blessed One does not smile for nothing. Why did the Blessed One
smile? Then venerable Ananda, arranging his robe on one shoulder, clasped his
hands towards the Blessed One and said. `Venerable sir, for what reason did the
Blessed One smile?' `Ananda, in the past in this region, there was a chief
village named Vebhalinga. It was very prosperous and highly populated. The
perfect rightfully enlightened one Kassapa abode suppoted on this village.
ânanda, the perfect rightfully enlightened one Kassapa sat here and adivsed the
community of bhikkhus.'
Venerable ânanda folded the robe in four and placing it there said. `Then
venerable sir, sit here, so that it would be partaken by two perfect rightfully
enlightened ones,' The Blessed One sat on it and addressed venerable ânanda. `In
this chief village Vebhalinga there was a potter named Ghatikara the chief
supporter of the Blessed One, and he had an apprentice named Jotipala, a young
lovable man. Then the potter Ghatikara addressed the young man Jotipala. Friend,
Jotipala, let us go and see the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect, and rightfully
enlightened. It is good to see such enlightened ones. ânanda. When this was
said, the young man Jotipala said thus: Friend, ghatikara, what use comes seeing
these monkish shavellings. For the second time the potter Ghatikara said Friend,
Jotipala, let us go and see the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect, and rightfully
enlightened. It is good to see such enlightened ones. For the third time the
potter Ghatikara said Friend, Jotipala, let us go and see the Blessed One
Kassapa, perfect, and rightfully enlightened. It is good to see such enlightened
ones, --- For the third time the young man Jotipala saidFriend, Ghatikara, what
use comes seeing these monkish shavellings.
Then friend Jotipala, take the soap powder and the brush and let's go to the
river, to bathe. To that he agreed and and they went to the river to bathe. At
the river too the potter Ghatikara addressed the young man. Good friend,
Jotipala, the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect and rightfully enlightened one's
monastery is close by. Let us go and see him, it is good to see such enlightened
ones. When this was said, again the young man said, Friend, Ghatikara, what use
comes seeing these monkish shavellings. ânanda, for the second and third time
the young man Jotipala said this. Then the potter Ghatikara took hold of the
young man Jotipala by his girdle and said again, Friend, Jotipala, let us go to
see the Blessed one Kassapa, perfect, and rightfully enlightened. It is good to
see such enlightened ones. The young man released himself from that hold and
said, Friend, ghatikara, what use comes seeing these monkish shavellings. Then
the potter Ghatikara, held the young man's well washed hair and said. Good
friend, Jotipala, the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect and rightfully enlightened
one's monastery is close by. Let us go and see him. It is good to see such
enlightened ones. ânanda, then it occurred to the young man Jotipala, it is
wonderful, how this potter Ghatikara should think to touch the washed hair of
one of high birth like me. He does not think it should not be touched. Then he
said. `Let it be your wish,' `Good friend, Jotipala, let it be your wish
too!Seeing, these perfect rightfully enlightened ones is good. `.
Friend, Ghatikara loosen the hold and let us go now. Then ânanda, the potter
Ghatikana and the young man Jotipala approached the monastery of the perfect,
rightfully enlightened one, Kassapa. The potter Ghatikara worshipped the Blessed
One and sat on a side, the young man Jotipala exchanged friendly greetings with
the perfect rightfully enlightened Blessed One Kassapa and sat on a side. The
potter Ghatikara said thus to the perfect, rightfully enlightened one Kassapa.
`Venerable sir, this is my loveable friend and assistant, Jotipala, give him the
Teaching. `. The Blessed One Kassapa perfect, rightfully enlightened one
adviced, instructed incited and made the hearts light of the young man Jotipala
and the potter Ghatikara. Then the two of them delighted and pleased got up from
their seats, worshipped, circumambulated the Blessed One and went away.
Then the young man Jotipala said to the potter Ghatikara. `Friend, Ghatikara,
you hear this Teaching, why don't you leave the household and become a
homeless?'
ßFriend, Jotipala, don't you know, that I support my mother and father, who are
blind and decayed?'
ßThen friend, Ghatikara I will leave the household and become a homeless.'
The young man Jotipala and the potter Ghatikara approached the Blessed One
Kassapa, perfect, rightfully enlightened, worshipped and sat on a side. Then the
potter Ghatikara said thus to the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully
enlightened. `Venerable sir, this is my loveable friend and assistant Jotipala,
give him the going forth. `. The young man Jotipala received the going forth and
the higher ordination from the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect, rightfully
enlightened. ânanda, the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened two
weeks after confering the higher ordination on the young man Jotipala, went on a
tour to Benares, and gradually reached Benares.
Then, ânanda, the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened lived in
Benares in the deer park in Isipatana. The king of Benares Kiki Kàsiràjà heard,
the Blessed One Kassapa perfect, rightfully enlightened has arrived in Benares
and he got good conveyances arranged for himself, and came to see the Blessed
One Kassapa in all royal splendour. Covering as far as the conveyances could go,
he approached the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened on foot.
Worshipped the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened and sat on a
side. The Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened, advised,
instructed, incited and made the heart light of the king of Benares, Kiki
Kàsiràjà. Then the delighted and pleased king invited the Blessed One Kassapa,
perfect rightfully enlightened for the next day's meal together with the
community of bhikkhus. The Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened,
accepted the invitation in silence. Then king Kiki Kàsiràjà knowing that the
Blessed One Kassapa had accepted the invitation got up from his seat worshipped
and circumambulated the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened and
went away. King Kiki Kàsiràjà in his palace made preparations of various
nourishing eatables and drinks, with cooked rice with the fine rice of the
colour pale yellow with the dark seeds picked and informed the Blessed One:
Venerable sir, the meal is ready, and it's time for the meal.
Then ânanda, the Blessed One Kassapa putting on robes in the morning and taking
bowl and robes, together with the Community of bhikkhus approached the palace of
king Kiki Kàsiràjà and sat on the seats prepared. The king served and satisfied
the Blessed One Kassapa perfect, rightfully enlightened and the community of
bhikkhus with his own hands. When the meal was over and the bowl was put away.
KingKikiKàsiràjàtook a low seat and siting said thus to the Blessed One:
Venerable sir, may the Blessed One accept to spend the rains in Benares, I will
attend on the Blessed One and the community in this manner. The Blessed One
Kassapa perfect and rightfully enlightened said I have already accepted to spend
the rains. King Kiki Kàsiràjà entreated the Blessed One up to the third time and
the Blessed One Kassapa said I have already accepted to spend the rains. Then
king Kiki Kàsiràjà was displeased and unpleasant, thinking, the Blessed One
Kassapa perfect rightfully enlightened does not accept my invitation. He asked
the Blessed One Kassapa. Venerable sir, is there some other enticing supporter?
Great king, in the chief village, Vebhalinga there is a potter named Ghatikara,
he is my chief supporter. To you, great king there is a change in the mind [1]
and displeasure thinking, `The Blessed One Kassapa does not accept my invitation
to spend the rains in Benares.' To the potter Ghatikara, such a thing does not
happen, and will not happen. Great king, the potter Ghatikara has taken refuge
in the enlightenment, in the Teaching and the Community of bhikkhus. Abstains
from destroying life, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from
misbehaviour in sexuality, abstains from telling lies and abstains from
intoxicating drinks. Great king, the potter Ghatikara has unwavering faith in
Enlightenment, in the Teaching and the Community of bhikkhus. Is endowed with
the virtues of the noble ones. Great king, the potter Ghatiara has overcome
doubts about unpleasantness, about the arising of unpleasantness, about the
cessation of unpleasantness and the path to the cessation of unpleasantness.
Great king, the potter Ghatikara takes one meal per day, is virtuous and leads a
holy life. Great king, he has put aside gold and gems, soverign gold and silver.
He does not till the ground with a mammoty or with his hand. He puts rats, mice
and dogs into a box in a friendly manner and puts the left overs of rice, green
grams or chick peas into it and leaves them saying take away whatever you wish.
Great king, the potter Ghatikara supports his blind decayed mother and father.
Great king, the potter Ghatikara has destroyed the five lower bonds to the
sensual world, is born spontaneously, will not proceed from that world and will
extinguish in that same birth.
Great king, at one time I lived in the chief village Vebhalinga, then in the
morning I put on robes and taking bowl and robes approached the mother and
father of the potter Ghatikara, and told them. `Now, where has this good one
gone?' `Venerable sir, your supporter has gone out. Venerable sir, take the
cooked rice from the pot and soups and curries and partake of the food,' `Then
great king I take the cooked rice from the pot and soups and curries, partake of
the food and go away. Then, great king, the potter Ghatikara would approach his
mother and father and would ask: Who is it that came, took the rice from the pot
and the soups and curries, partaking them, got up from the seat and has gone
away?' `Dear one, it is the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect and rightfully
enlightened that took the rice from the pot and the soups and curries and
partaking them, getting up from the seat has gone away,' `Then it occurs to the
potter Ghatikara, it is great gain for me, that the Blessed One, perfect and
rightfully enlightened has taken me into such confidence. That pleasant joy
would not leave him for two weeks, and for the mother and father it lasted one
week.
Great king, at one time I lived in the chief village Vebhalinga, then in the
morning I put on robes and taking bowl and robes approached the mother and
father of the potter Ghatikàra, and told them. Now, where has this good one
gone?' `Venerable sir, your supporter has gone out. Venerable sir, take the
bread from the caldron and soups and curries and partake of the food,' `Then
great king I take the bread from thecaldronand soups and curries, partake of the
food and go away. Then, great king, the potter Ghatikàra would approach his
mother and father and would ask: Who is it that came, took the bread from the
caldron and the soups and curries, partaking them, got up from the seat and has
gone away?' `Dear one, it is the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully
enlightened that took the bread from the caldron and the soups and curries
partakingthem, getting up from the seat has gone,' `Then it occurred to the
potter Ghatikara, it isgreat gain for me, that the Blessed One, perfect
rightfully enlightened has taken me into such confidence. That pleasant joy
would not leave him for two weeks, and for the mother and father it lasted one
week.
Great king, at one time I lived in the chief village Vebhalinga, at that time my
perfumed chamber was leaking, then I addressed the bhikkhus: Bhikkhus, do you
know, the grassin the potter Ghatikara's house? Go! bring them. Great king, when
this was said, the bhikkhus said. `Venerable sir, there is no grass in the
potter Ghatikara's house. There is his thatched roof of grass. `Then I said, `Go
bhikkhus, bring the grass of the thatched roof of the potter Ghatikara's house,'
Then the bhikkhus removed the grass from the thatched roof of the potter
Ghatikara's house. Then great king, the mother and father of the potter
Ghatikara said,' `Who is it that removes the grass from the roof?' `Sister, it
is the bhikkhus, the Blessed One perfect rightfully enlightened one's perfumed
chamber is leaking,' `Take them! Good ones, you speak good words,' Then great
king, the potter Ghatikara coming home approached his mother and father and
asked. `Who removed the grass from the roof?''It's the bhikkhus, dear one, the
roof of the perfumed chamber of the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect and rightfully
enlightened one is leaking,' Then it occurred to the potter Ghatikara. It is
great gain for me, that the Blessed One perfect and rightfully enlightened has
taken me into such confidence. That pleasant joy would not leave him for two
weeks, and for the mother and father it lasted one week. Then that house stood
roofless for three months and it did not rain. Great king, the potter Ghatikara
is such a one.'
ßVenerable sir, it is great gain for the potter Ghatikàrathatthe Blessed One
spend the rains in this manner.'
ßThen ânanda, king Kiki Kàsiràjà sent about five hundred cart loads of pale
yellow coloured, fine rice, and as much accompanying necessary things for them
to the potter Ghatikàra. The royal messenges approached the potter Ghatikàra and
said Good sir, these five hundred cart loads of pale yellow coloured fine rice,
and as much accompanying necessary things are sent to you by king Kiki
Kàsiràjàaccept them. The king has much work to do, it may be to me from the
king.'
ânanda, it might occur to you. `Did this young man Jotipala attain perfection
then?'. `It should not be thought in that manner. I was Jotipala at that time.'
The Blessed One said thus and venerable ânanda delighted in the words of the
Blessed One.'



[1] A change in the mind (na bhagavà vassaü adhivàseti atthi a¤¤athattaüatthi
domànassaü). The change in the mind is, the mind feeling unpleasant instantly.
It happened to the king, when the Blessed One Kassapa would not accept to spend
the rains in his kingdom