5.6 The Story about 30 Bhikkhus from Pāṭheyya
Tiṁsamattapāṭheyyakabhikkhūnaṁ Vatthu
Dhp 65
CST4: Tiṁsamattapāveyyakabhikkhuvatthu
Burlingame: From Vice to Virtue
Compare: Vin Mv 1.14; Ja 388, Dhp-a 1.8e
The thirty youths from Pāṭheyyaka were amongst the Buddha’s first converts; later he taught them about the impossibility of knowing the beginning of the rounds of births and deaths, and they immediately became Arahats; the Buddha spoke a verse about them.
Keywords: Insight
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“If a perceptive man attends on a wise man,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the thirty bhikkhus from Pāṭheyya.
For the Fortunate One first taught the Dhamma to these men in Kappāsika Grove, where they were seeking a woman. At that time all of them obeyed the command: “Come, bhikkhus!” and received bowls and robes created by supernatural power.
Taking upon themselves the thirteen ascetic practices, they returned after a long time to the Teacher, hearkened to his Dhamma teaching on the Beginningless, BG: SN 15. and before leaving their seats, attained Arahatship.
The bhikkhus began a discussion in the Dhamma Hall: “In how short a time did these bhikkhus perceive the Dhamma!” The Teacher, hearing this, said to them: “Bhikkhus, this is not the first time these thirty companions done wrong. They did the same thing in a previous state of existence also. But hearing the Dhamma teaching of Mahā Tuṇḍila in the Birth Story about (the Brothers) Tuṇḍila, BG: Ja 388.
65. Muhuttam-api ce viññū paṇḍitaṁ payirupāsati,
khippaṁ Dhammaṁ vijānāti, jivhā sūparasaṁ yathā.
If a perceptive man attends
on a wise man for a second,
he quickly learns Dhamma, just as
the tongue learns the taste of curry.
At the end of the teaching many bhikkhus reached Arahatship.
