6.7 The Story about the Mother of Kāṇā
Kāṇamātāvatthu
Dhp 82
CST4: Kāṇamātuvatthu
Burlingame: After the Storm, Calm
Compare: Ja 137; Vin Pāc. 34
Kāṇā resented and reviled the bhikkhus for taking cakes she wanted to offer to her husband; but the Buddha showed they had only taken what was offered, and she gained faith and attained Stream-entry; the Buddha explained she had also been offended in a past life, and then spoke a verse.
Keywords: Offerings, Marriages, Reviling, Kings, Animals, Past Lives, Bodhisatta
***
“Like a lake that is deep and clear,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the Mother of Kāṇā. The story is found in the Vinaya. BG: Vinaya, Pāc 34. By “the story” is meant so much of the story as is outlined in the sentence following.
For at that time the Mother of Kāṇā was forced to send her daughter to her husband’s house empty-handed because on four different occasions she gave cakes she had fried to four bhikkhus, in accordance with the precept laid down by the Teacher in such cases. AJ: Burlingame translated this as: “For at that time the Mother of Kāṇā was forced to send her daughter to her husband’s house empty-handed because on four different occasions she gave cakes she had fried to four monks; and in accordance with the precept laid down by the Teacher in such cases, Kāṇā’s husband had taken to himself another wife.” This makes it sound like the precept concerned the husband being able to take another wife under such circumstances, whereas what it really means is the monks accepted the cakes according to the rule laid down. Kāṇā’s husband (being upset with her) took to himself another wife. When Kāṇā learned the circumstances, she said to herself: “These bhikkhus have ruined my married life.” And from that time on she reviled and abused every bhikkhu she saw. Indeed the bhikkhus did not dare to go into the street where she lived.
The Teacher, knowing what had happened, went there. The Mother of Kāṇā caused the Teacher to sit down in a seat already provided and gave him rice-porridge and hard food. After the Teacher had eaten his breakfast, he asked: “Where is Kāṇā?” – “Venerable Sir, when she saw you, she was troubled and is now weeping.” – “For what reason?” – “Venerable Sir,
The Teacher caused her to be summoned and said to her: “Kāṇā, why was it that when you saw me you were troubled and hid yourself and wept?” Then her mother told the Teacher what she had done. The Teacher said to her: “But, Mother of Kāṇā, did you give my disciples what they took, or did you not?” – “I gave them what they took, venerable Sir.” – “If my disciples came to the door of your house while going their rounds for alms and accepted the alms which you gave them, what blame rests upon my disciples for so doing?” – “Their reverences are in no wise to blame, venerable Sir; she alone is to blame.”
Turning to the daughter, the Teacher said: “Kāṇā, I learn that my disciples came to the door of your house while they were going their rounds for alms and that your mother gave them some cakes; what blame rests upon my disciples for so doing?” – “Their reverences are in no wise to blame, venerable Sir; she alone is to blame.” Then Kāṇā worshipped the Teacher and begged him to forgive her. The Teacher taught the Dhamma to her in orderly sequence, and she reached the fruition of Stream-entry. The Teacher then rose from his seat and set out for the monastery.
On his way to the monastery he passed through the palace court. The king saw him and said to one of his courtiers: “That is the Teacher, is it not?” – “Yes, your majesty.” So the king sent the courtier out, saying to him: “Go tell the Teacher that I am on my way to pay my respects to him.” As the Teacher stood in the palace court, the king approached him, worshipped him, and said: “Venerable Sir, where have you been?” – “I have been to the house of the Mother of Kāṇā, your majesty.” – “Why did you go there, venerable Sir?” – “I was informed that Kāṇā was reviling the bhikkhus; it was for that reason that I went.” – “Did you put a stop to her abuse, venerable Sir?” – “Yes, your majesty, she has ceased her abuse and has become mistress of wealth that transcends the world.”
So the king worshipped the Teacher, returned to his palace, sent a great covered carriage for Kāṇā, adorned her with all the adornments, made her as his own oldest daughter, and proclaimed: “Let those who are able to support my daughter take her.” Now a certain great noble who was concerned with everything, replied: “Your
Thenceforth, having posted men at the four doors, Kāṇā ministered to all the bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs who came to her house, seeking yet more, but failing to find them. Abundant supplies of food, both hard and soft, were always ready in Kāṇā’s house and flowed through her door like a great flood.
The bhikkhus began a discussion in the Dhamma Hall: “Long ago, friends, four aged elders offended Kāṇā. But Kāṇā, offended though she was, received the blessing of faith at the hands of the Teacher. The Teacher again made the door of her house worthy for the bhikkhus to approach. Now she cannot find as many bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs as she would like to provide for. Oh, how wonderful is the power of the Buddhas!”
The Teacher came in and asked them: “Bhikkhus, what is it you are sitting here now talking about?”
In the past when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a stone-cutter, and growing up became expert in working stones. Now in the Kāsi country there dwelt a very rich merchant who had amassed forty crores in gold. And when his wife died, so strong was her love of money that she was reborn a mouse and dwelt over the treasure. And one by one the whole family died, including the merchant himself. Likewise the village became deserted and forlorn.
At the time of our story the Bodhisatta was quarrying and shaping stones on the site of this deserted village; and the mouse used often to see him as she ran about to find food. At last she fell in love with him; and, bethinking her how the secret of all her vast wealth would die with her, she conceived the idea of enjoying it with him. So one day she came to the Bodhisatta with a coin in her mouth. Seeing this, he spoke to her kindly, and said: “Mother, what has brought you here with this coin?” – “It is for you to lay out for yourself, and to buy meat with for me as well, my son.”
In no way reluctant, he took the money and spent a halfpenny of it on meat which he brought to the mouse, who departed and ate to her heart’s content. And this went on, the mouse giving the Bodhisatta a coin every day, and he in return supplying her with meat. But it fell out one day that the mouse was caught by a cat.
“Don’t kill me,” said the mouse. “Why not?” said the cat. “I’m as hungry as can be, and really must kill you to allay the pangs.” – “First, tell me whether you’re always hungry, or only hungry today.” – “Oh, every day finds me hungry again.” – “Well then, if this be so, I will find you always in meat; only let me go.” – “Mind you do then,” said the cat, and let the mouse go.
As a consequence of this the mouse had to divide the supplies of meat she got from the Bodhisatta into two portions and gave one half to the cat, keeping the other for herself.
Now, as luck would have it, the same mouse was caught another day by a second cat and had to purchase her release on the same terms. So now the daily food was divided into three portions. And when a third cat caught the mouse and a like arrangement had to be made, the supply was divided into four portions. And later a fourth cat caught her, and the food had to be divided among five, so that the mouse, reduced to such short rations, grew so thin as to be nothing but skin and bone. Remarking how emaciated his friend was getting, the Bodhisatta asked the reason. Then the mouse told him all that had befallen her.
“Why didn’t you tell me all this before?” said, the Bodhisatta. “Cheer up, I’ll help you out of your troubles.” So he took a block of the purest crystal and scooped out a cavity in it and made the mouse get inside. “Now stop there,” said he, “and don’t fail to fiercely threaten and revile all who come near.”
So the mouse crept into the crystal cell and waited. Up came one of the cats and demanded his meat. “Away, vile grimalkin,” said the mouse, “why should I supply you? Go home and eat your kittens!” Infuriated at these words, and never suspecting the mouse to be inside the crystal, the cat sprang at the mouse to eat her up; and so furious was its spring that it broke the walls of its chest and its eyes started from its head. So that cat died and its carcase tumbled down out of sight. And the like fate in turn befell all four cats. And ever after the grateful mouse brought the Bodhisatta two or three coins instead of one as before, and by degrees she thus gave him the whole of the hoard. In unbroken friendship the two lived together, till their lives ended and they passed away to fare according to their deeds.
The story told, the Buddha, uttered this verse:
Where one cat receives, a
second appears right there,
a third and a fourth, this
is the cat’s crystal cave.
Having related the Birth Story in detail, the Teacher identified the characters as follows: “At that time the four aged elders were the four cats, the mouse was Kāṇā, and the gem-cutter was I myself. Thus, bhikkhus, in times past also Kāṇā, whose heart was sad and whose mind was turbid, became, through my words possessed of a mind limpid as a lake of still water.” And joining the connection, he instructed them in the Dhamma by pronouncing the following verse:
82. Yathā pi rahado gambhīro vippasanno anāvilo,
evaṁ Dhammāni sutvāna vippasīdanti paṇḍitā.
Like a lake that is deep and clear,
like a lake that is unruffled,
just so the wise are confident
after listening to Dhamma.
At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.
