5.7 The Story about the Leper Suppabuddha
Suppabuddhakuṭṭhivatthu

“Stupid fools live,” [29.119] this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Veḷuvana with reference to the leper Suppabuddha. The story of the leper Suppabuddha is found in the Exalted Utterances. AJ: Ud 5.3.

For at that time the leper Suppabuddha, seated in the outer circle of the assembly, heard the Fortunate One teach the Dhamma and attained the fruition of Stream-entry. {2.34} Desiring to inform the Teacher of the blessing he had received, but not daring to force his way into the midst of the assembly, he waited until the populace had worshipped the Teacher, had accompanied him a little way, and had turned back; then he went to the monastery.

At that moment Sakka, the Lord of the Devas, thought to himself: “Yonder leper Suppabuddha desires to make known the blessing he has received in the dispensation of the Teacher. I will test him.” So he went to him, and poised in the air, spoke thus to him: “Suppabuddha, you are a poor man, a man afflicted with misery. I will give you limitless wealth if you will say: ‘The Buddha is not the Buddha, the Dhamma is not the Dhamma, the Saṅgha is not the Saṅgha. I have had enough of the Buddha, I have had enough of the Dhamma, I have had enough of the Saṅgha.’” The leper said to him: “Who are you?” – “I am Sakka.” – “Fool, shameless one, you are not fit to talk to me. You say that I am poor and needy and afflicted. On the contrary I have attained happiness and great wealth: AJ: AN 7.5.

Treasures of faith, virtue, conscience,
concern, learning, giving, wisdom:
These are the seven real treasures.

Whoever has these real treasures,
Whether female or male, is not poor,
Their life is surely not futile.

These are the seven stores of honorable wealth. They that possess these stores of wealth are not called poor by Buddhas or Paccekabuddhas.” {2.35}

When Sakka heard him speak thus, he left him by the way, went to the Teacher, and told him all the questions and answers. The Fortunate One said to him: “Sakka, it is not possible, even with a hundred such coins, even with a thousand, to [29.120] prevail upon the leper Suppabuddha to say: ‘The Buddha is not the Buddha, the Dhamma is not the Dhamma, the Saṅgha is not the Saṅgha.’”

So Suppabuddha the leper went to the Teacher, and the Teacher received him in a friendly manner. And having informed the Teacher of the blessing he had received, he arose from his seat and went his way. When he had gone but a little way, he was killed by a young cow. We are told that this cow was a Yakkhinī who had been a cow in each of a hundred existences, and that as a cow she had killed four youths: Pukkusāti, BG: Commentary on MN 140. a young man of station; Bāhiya Dārucīriya; BG: Dhp-a 8.2. Tambadāṭhika, the robber outlaw BG: Dhp-a 8.1. and Suppabuddha the leper.

7a Story of the Past: The Four Youths and the Courtesan

It seems that in a former state of existence these four youths were sons of wealthy merchants, and the Yakkhinī was a beautiful courtesan. One day they accompanied her to a pleasure garden, took their pleasure with her, and when the evening came, decided on the following course of action: “There is no one here except ourselves. We will take from this woman the thousand coins we have given her, rob her of all the jewels she possesses, kill her, and go our way.” The courtesan heard what they said and thought to herself: “These shameless fellows have taken their pleasure with me and now wish to kill me. I will get even with them.” So as they were killing her, she made the following aspiration: {2.36} “May I become a Yakkhinī, and may I be able to kill them, even as they are now killing me.” As the fruit of this aspiration, she killed them.

Several bhikkhus informed the Fortunate One of the death of the leper and asked him: “What will be his future state? How did he come to be a leper?” The Teacher explained that since he had attained the fruition of Stream-entry, he had been reborn in the Realm of the Thirty-Three.

7b. Story of the Past: The Insolent Youth

In a previous state of existence, seeing the Paccekabuddha Tagarasikhi, he showed want of forbearance by spitting on him. He was therefore tormented in Niraya Hell for a long period of time, and because [29.121] the fruit of that wicked deed was not yet exhausted, he was reborn as a leper.

“Bhikkhus,” he said, “all living beings in this world reap the bitter fruit of every single wicked deed they commit.” And joining the connection and instructing them in the Dhamma, he pronounced the following verse:

66. Caranti bālā dummedhā amitteneva attanā,
karontā pāpakaṁ kammaṁ, yaṁ hoti kaṭukapphalaṁ.

Stupid fools live having
themselves as their own foes,
committing wicked deeds,
which produce bitter fruit.

At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.