7.10 The Story about a Certain Woman

Dhp 99

CST4: Aññatara-itthivatthu

Burlingame: A Courtezan Tempts a Monk

Compare: Dhp-a 26.32

A courtesan came across a meditating bhikkhu in the wilderness and sought to seduce him by stripping and flirting with him, when he saw her he became excited; the Buddha sent forth his image and gave the bhikkhu this advice.

Keywords: Passion, Women, Seclusion, Radiant Image

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“The delightful wildernesses,” [29.217] {2.201} this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a certain woman.

We are told that a certain bhikkhu who lived by his alms-bowl, got a subject of meditation from the Teacher and went forth to a dilapidated pleasure garden for the purpose of meditation. Now a certain courtesan made an assignation with a man, saying: “I will go to such and such a place and you meet me there.” The woman kept the assignation, but the man did not. For some time she watched in vain the path by which she expected him to come. Finally, disappointed at his failure to keep his assignation, she strolled here and there and went into the pleasure garden.

There she saw the bhikkhu sitting cross-legged. Looking this way and that, and seeing no one else about, she said to herself: “Here is a man; I will throw his thoughts into confusion.” So standing in front of the bhikkhu, she took down her undergarment several times and put it on again, unloosened her hair and bound it up again, and clapped her hands and laughed. The elder became excited; his whole body, in fact, was suffused with excitement. “What does this mean?” he thought.

The Teacher considered within himself: “A bhikkhu obtained a subject of meditation from me and went forth to perform his meditations. How is he getting on?” Seeing that woman, and observing her bad conduct, and perceiving that her bad conduct was upsetting the elder, still remaining seated in his Perfumed Chamber, he spoke as follows: {2.202} “Bhikkhus, there is no delight where those abide who seek after their lusts. But where those abide who are free from passion, that place is full of delight.” So saying, he sent forth a radiant image of himself, and instructing the elder in the Dhamma, pronounced the following verse:

99. Ramaṇīyāni araññāni yattha na ramatī jano,
vītarāgā ramissanti, na te kāmagavesino.

The delightful wildernesses
where the people do not delight,
those without passion delight in,
but not those who seek sense pleasures.

At the conclusion of the verse that elder, seated as he was, attained Arahatship, together with the analytic knowledges, and having ascended into the air, giving thanks at the Realised One’s feet, and worshipping him, he departed.