2.9 The Story about the Elder Nigamavāsī Tissa
Nigamavāsitissattheravatthu

“A monastic who delights in heedfulness,” this Dhamma {1.283} [28.326] teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Elder Nigamavāsī Tissa.

For a youth of station, born and reared in a certain market town not far from Sāvatthī, went forth in the dispensation of the Teacher. On taking his higher ordination, he became known as Nigamavāsī Tissa (Tissa of the Market Town). He acquired the reputation of being frugal, content, pure, resolute. He always made his rounds for alms in the village where his relatives resided. Although, in the neighboring city of Sāvatthī, Anāthapiṇḍika and other disciples were bestowing abundant offerings and Pasenadi Kosala was bestowing Gifts beyond Compare, he never went to Sāvatthī.

One day the bhikkhus began to talk about him and said to the Teacher: “This bhikkhu Nigamavāsī Tissa, busy and active, lives in intimate association with his kinsfolk. Although Anāthapiṇḍika and other disciples are bestowing abundant offerings and Pasenadi Kosala is bestowing Gifts beyond Compare, he never comes to Sāvatthī.” {1.284}

The Teacher had Nigamavāsī Tissa summoned and asked him: “Bhikkhu, is the report true that you are doing thus and so?” – “Venerable Sir,” replied Tissa, “it is not true that I live in intimate association with my relatives. I receive from these folk only so much food as I can eat. But after receiving so much food, whether coarse or fine, as is necessary to support me, I do not return to the monastery, thinking: ‘Why seek food?’ I do not live in intimate association with my relatives, venerable Sir.” The Teacher, knowing the disposition of the bhikkhu, applauded him, saying: “Well done, well done, bhikkhu!” and then addressed him as follows: “It is not at all strange, bhikkhu, that after obtaining such a Teacher as I, you should be frugal. For frugality is my disposition and my habit.” And in response to a request of the bhikkhus he related the following [28.327]

9a Story of the Past: The Birth Story about the Parrot King

Once upon a time several thousand parrots lived in a certain grove of fig trees in the Himālaya country on the bank of the Ganges. One of them, the king-parrot, when the fruits of the tree in which he lived had withered away, ate whatever he found remaining, whether shoot or leaf or bark, drank water from the Ganges, and being very happy and contented, remained where he was. In fact he was so very happy and contented that the throne of Sakka began to quake. Sakka considered the cause, and seeing the parrot, determined to put him to the test. Accordingly he employed his supernatural power and withered up the tree. Straightaway the tree became a mere stump, full of holes and cracks. When the wind beat upon it, there came forth from the tree a hollow sound, and out of the holes and cracks came forth dust. {1.285} The parrot ate the dust, drank water from the Ganges, and going nowhere else, remained perched on the top of the fig tree, reckoning nothing of wind and sun.

When Sakka observed how very happy and contented the parrot was, he said to himself: “I will go to him, let him talk of the virtue of friendship, grant him his heart’s desire, and cause the fig tree to bear ambrosial fruit.” Accordingly Sakka assumed the form of a royal goose, and preceded by Sujātā in the form of an Asura nymph, went to the grove of fig trees, alighted on the branch of a certain tree not far off, and entered into conversation with the parrot by pronouncing the following verse:

1. “There are many green trees,
Trees which have many fruits,
Why in this dry old tree
Does your mind find delight?” AJ: at this point the commentary says: “The entire Jātaka is here to be related in detail, just as it occurs in the tenth Nipāta. The occasion there is different from what it is here, but everything else is the same.” I include the rest of the verses here.

2. “For many years the birds
Ate many of the fruits,
I know it is fruitless,
But still I love the tree.”

3. “This dried-up tree is dead,
Having no leaves or fruit,
The birds have now departed,
What wrong, Bird, do you see?”

4. “They who loved it for fruit,
Fruitless abandon it,
Wise only in selfishness,
They abandoned their friend.

5. Well done for making friendship, and
for proclaiming eternal love,
if to these things one gives consent,
you’re praiseworthy to those who know.”

6. “To you I give what is the best,
Bird, with wings for a vehicle,
the best that you can hope for, Bird,
whatever your heart so desires.”

7. “If I could indeed see just this,
this tree with leaves, with fruit again,
like poor man gaining a treasure,
I would rejoice again, again.”

8. Then taking up ambrosia,
he sprinkled it over the tree;
its branches sprouted forth
delightful, with cool shade.

9. “May Sakka indeed be happy,
together with all of his kin,
just as today I am happy,
having beheld this fruitful tree!”

10. And giving his wish to the bird,
having made the tree full of fruit,
he went together with his wife,
to the Devas’ Nandana Grove.

When the Teacher had given this Dhamma teaching, he said: “At that time Sakka was Ānanda, and the parrot-king was I myself. Thus, bhikkhus, contentment is my disposition and my habit. It is, therefore, not at all strange that my son Nigamavāsī Tissa, because he was so happy and content, obtained me for his teacher. Such a bhikkhu, because he has attained the [28.328] paths and the fruitions, is not liable to fall away; rather he is nigh even unto Nibbāna.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:

32. Appamādarato bhikkhu, pamāde bhayadassivā,
abhabbo parihānāya: Nibbānasseva santike.

A monastic who delights in
heedfulness, seeing danger in
heedlessness, does not fall away:
he is well-nigh to Nibbāna.

At the conclusion of the verse the Elder Nigamavāsī Tissa attained Arahatship, together with the analytic knowledges, and many others became Stream-enterers and so on, and benefit arose to many people from the Dhamma teaching.