3.5 The Story about the Elder Cittahattha
Cittahatthattheravatthu

“For the one with unsettled mind,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Sāvatthī with reference to Elder Cittahattha. {1.305}

It seems that a certain youth of respectable family, living at Sāvatthī, went into the forest to look for an ox that was lost. When it was midday, he saw the ox and released the herds, and being oppressed by hunger and thirst, thought to himself: “I can surely get something to eat from the noble bhikkhus.” So he entered the monastery, [29.13] went to the bhikkhus, bowed to them, and stood respectfully on one side. Now at that time the food which remained over and above to the bhikkhus who had eaten lay in the vessel used for leftovers. When the bhikkhus saw that youth, exhausted by hunger as he was, they said to him: “Here is food; take and eat it.” When a Buddha is living in the world, there is always a plentiful supply of rice-porridge, together with various sauces and curries. {1.306} So the youth took and ate as much food as he needed, drank water, washed his hands, and then bowed to the bhikkhus and asked them: “Venerable Sirs, did you go to some house by invitation today?” – “No, lay disciple; bhikkhus always receive food in this way.”

The youth thought to himself: “No matter how busy and active we may be, though we work continually both by night and by day, we never get rice-porridge so deliciously seasoned. But these bhikkhus, according to their own statement, eat it continually. Why should I remain a lay disciple any longer? I will go forth.” Accordingly he approached the bhikkhus and asked to be given the going forth. The bhikkhus said to him: “Very well, lay disciple,” and gave him the going forth. After taking his higher ordination, he performed all the various major and minor duties; and in but a few days, sharing in the rich offerings which accrue to the Buddhas, he became fat in body.

Then he thought to himself: “Why should I live on food obtained by making almsrounds? I will become a lay disciple once more.” So back he went and entered his house. After working in his house for only a few days, his body languished. Thereupon he said to himself: “Why should I endure this suffering any longer? I will go forth.” So back he went and went forth again.

But after spending a few days as a bhikkhu, becoming discontented once more, off he went again. Now when he was a bhikkhu, he was a helper of the other bhikkhus. After a few days he became discontented again and said to himself: “Why should I live the life of a lay disciple any longer? I will go forth.” So saying, he went to the bhikkhus, bowed, and asked to be given the going forth. Because he had helped them, the bhikkhus gave him the going forth once more. In this manner he went forth and left it again six times in succession. The bhikkhus said to themselves: “This man lives under the sway of his thoughts.” So they gave him the name Elder Cittahattha. AJ: it seems to mean something like: Led by the mind. Comm. says: esa cittavasiko hutvā vicaratī ti; he lives under the influence of his mind.

As he was thus going back and forth, his wife became pregnant. [29.14] The seventh time {1.307} he returned from the forest with his farming implements he went to the house, put his implements away, and entered his own room, saying to himself: “I will put on my yellow robe again.” Now his wife happened to be in bed and asleep at the time. Her undergarment had fallen off, saliva was flowing from her mouth, she was snoring, her mouth was wide open; she appeared to him like a swollen corpse. Grasping the thought: “All that is in this world is transitory, is involved in suffering,” he said to himself: “To think that because of her, all the time I have been a bhikkhu, I have been unable to continue steadfast in the monastic life!” Straightaway taking his yellow robe by the hem, he ran out of the house, binding the robe about his belly as he ran.

Now his mother-in-law lived in the same house with him. When she saw him departing in this wise, she said to herself: “This renegade, who but this moment returned from the forest, is running from the house, binding his yellow robe about him as he runs, and is making for the monastery. What does this mean?” Entering the house and seeing her daughter asleep, she knew at once: “It was because he saw her asleep that he became disgusted and went away.” So she shook her daughter and said to her: “Rise, hag. Your husband saw you asleep, became disgusted, and went away. You will have him no more for your husband henceforth.” – “Begone, mother. What matters it whether he has gone or not? He will be back again in but a few days.” {1.308}

As Cittahattha proceeded on his way, repeating the words: “All that is in this world is transitory, is involved in suffering,” he obtained the fruition of Stream-entry. Continuing his journey, he went to the bhikkhus, bowed to them, and asked to be given the going forth. “No,” said the bhikkhus, “we cannot give you the going forth. Why should you go forth? Your head is like a grindstone.” – “Venerable Sirs, give me the going forth just this once.” Because he had helped them, they gave him the going forth again. After a few days he attained Arahatship, together with the analytic knowledges.

Thereupon they said to him: “Friend Cittahattha, doubtless you alone will decide when it is time for you to go away again; you have tarried here a long while this time.” – “Venerable Sirs, when I was attached to the world, I went away; but now I have put away attachment to the world; I have no longer any desire to go away.”

The bhikkhus went to the Teacher and said: “Venerable Sir, we said such and such to this bhikkhu, and he said such and such to us in reply. He [29.15] declares something false, he speaks what is not true.”

The Teacher replied: “Yes, bhikkhus, when my son’s mind was unsteady, when he knew not the Good Dhamma, then he came and went. But now he has renounced both good and wicked.” So saying, he pronounced the following verses:

38. Anavaṭṭhitacittassa, Saddhammaṁ avijānato,
pariplavapasādassa, paññā na paripūrati.

For the one with unsettled mind,
who does not know the True Dhamma,
whose confidence is wavering,
wisdom is surely unfulfilled.

39. Anavassutacittassa, ananvāhatacetaso,
puññapāpapahīnassa natthi jāgarato bhayaṁ.

For the one with mind free of lust,
with mind unperplexed,
for the one who has abandoned
making merit and demerit,
for the watchful, there is no fear. {1.310}

There was benefit and fruit for many people from the teaching.

Now one day the bhikkhus began a discussion: “Friends, grievous indeed are these pollutants of ours. So noble a youth as this, having the supporting conditions to attain Arahatship, swayed by pollutants, went forth seven times, and seven times returned to the world.”

The Teacher heard them discussing this matter, went at an opportune moment, entered the Dhamma Hall, sat down in the seat of the Buddha, and asked them: “Bhikkhus, what is it you are sitting here now talking about?” When they told him, he said: “It is precisely so, bhikkhus. The pollutants are indeed grievous. If they could take on material forms, so that they could be put away somewhere, a world would be too restricted for them and the heaven of Brahma too low for them. There would not be room for them anywhere. They bewilder even one like me, possessed of wisdom, a being of noble birth. Who can describe their effect on others? For in a previous state of existence even I, all because of half a pint-pot of seed-beans {1.311} and a blunt spade, went forth six times and returned to the world six times.” – “When did that happen, venerable Sir?” – “Do you wish to hear about it, bhikkhus?” – “Yes, venerable Sir.” – “Well then, listen.” So saying, the Teacher related the following

5a Story of the Past: Kuddāla and His Spade

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta reigned at Bārāṇasī, there dwelt at Bārāṇasī a certain wise man named the wise Kuddāla (Spade). He went forth in an outside sect and dwelt for eight months in the Himālayas. One night during the season of the rains, when the ground was wet, he thought to himself: “I have in my house half a pint-pot of seed-beans and a blunt spade; my seed-beans [29.16] must not be lost.” So he returned to the world, tilled a certain plot of ground with his spade, planted that seed, and put a fence around it. When the beans were ripe, he pulled them up, and setting aside a pint-pot of beans for seed, he used the rest for food. Then he thought to himself: “Why should I live in a house any longer? I will go forth for eight months more.” So he departed from his house and went forth once more. In this manner, all because of half a pint-pot of seed-beans and a blunt spade, he went forth seven times, and seven times returned to the world.

The seventh time he thought to himself: “Seven times I have returned to the world after going forth, all because of this blunt spade. I will throw it away somewhere.” So he went to the bank of the Ganges, carrying the pint-pot of seed-beans and the blunt spade with him. As he stood on the bank of the river, he thought to himself: “If I see the spot where these things fall, I may be tempted to descend into the river and fish them out. Therefore I will take care to throw them in such a way that I shall not see where they fall.” Accordingly he wrapped the pint-pot of seeds in a cloth, tied the cloth to the handle of the spade, and grasped the spade by the tip of the handle. And standing there on the bank of the Ganges, he closed his eyes, whirled the spade three times round over his head, {1.312} and flung it into the Ganges. Then he faced about so that he might not see where the spade fell and cried three times with a loud voice: “I have conquered! I have conquered!”

Just at that moment the king of Bārāṇasī, who had returned from suppressing disorder on his frontier and pitched camp on the bank of the river and descended into the stream to bathe, heard that cry. Now the cry: “I have conquered!” is a cry kings do not like to hear. The king of Bārāṇasī therefore went to Cittahattha and said: “I have but just put my enemy under my feet and have returned with the thought in my mind: ‘I have conquered!’ But you have just cried out: ‘I have conquered! I have conquered!’ What do you mean by this?” Said the wise Kuddāla: “You have conquered bandits that are without. The victory you have won will have to be won again. But I have conquered an enemy that is within, the bandit of desire. He will never conquer me again. Victory over him is the only true victory,” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:

That victory is not a good victory,
that victory which can yet be undone,
that victory is a good victory,
that victory which cannot be undone. [29.17]

At that moment, gazing upon the Ganges and meditating upon the element of water the wise Kuddāla acquired specific attainment, whereupon he rose from the ground and sat cross-legged in the air. The king after hearing the Dhamma teaching of the Great Being, worshipped him, requested the going forth, and went forth, together with his entire force; his retinue extended for a distance of a league. Another king who was his neighbor, hearing that he had gone forth, thought to himself: “I will seize his kingdom,” and went there, intending to do so. But when he saw that prosperous city empty, he thought to himself: “A king who would give up so beautiful a city to go forth would certainly not go forth to his own hindrance. I also ought to go forth.” Therefore he went to where the Great Being was, worshipped him, requested the going forth, and went forth, together with his retinue. In like manner seven kings in all went forth; their hermitage was seven leagues long; {1.313} seven kings renounced their worldly possessions and went forth. Having won over all this numerous company, the Great Being lived the holy life and went to the heaven of Brahma.

When the Teacher had finished this lesson, he said: “Bhikkhus, at that time I was the wise Kuddāla. Learn from this story how grievous the pollutants are.”