10.6 The Story about the Python Peta
Ajagarapetavatthu

“The fool does not yet understand,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Veḷuvana with reference to a Peta in the form of a python. {3.60} [29.301]

For once upon a time Elder Mahā Moggallāna was descending from Vulture’s Peak with Elder Lakkhaṇa, when by divine eye he beheld a Peta twenty-five leagues long in the form of a python. Flames of fire proceeded from his head and descended on his extremities; flames of fire proceeded from his extremities and descended on his head; flames of fire proceeded from both sides of him and descended on his middle. When the elder beheld that Peta he smiled; and when the Elder Lakkhaṇa asked him why he smiled, he replied: “Friend, it is not the proper time to answer that question; wait until we are in the presence of the Teacher, and then ask me.” {3.61}

When, therefore, Elder Mahā Moggallāna had completed his rounds for alms in Rājagaha, and had come into the presence of the Teacher, Elder Lakkhaṇa repeated his question, Elder Mahā Moggallāna replied as follows: “At that spot, brother, I saw a Peta, and his outward appearance was such and such. When I saw him, I thought to myself: ‘No such Peta as that did I ever see before.’ That is why I smiled.”

Then said the Teacher: “Bhikkhus, my disciples indeed possess eyes and use them.” Continuing, he confirmed the statement of the elder and added: “I saw that very Peta as I sat on the Throne of Awakening. However, the thought came into my mind: ‘If any refuse to believe my word, it may be to their detriment.’ Therefore I said nothing about it. But now that I have Moggallāna for my witness, I do say it.” When he had thus spoken, in response to a request of the bhikkhus, he explained what the Peta had done in a previous state of existence.

6a Story of the Past: The Rich Man Sumaṅgala and the Thief

It seems that in the dispensation of the Buddha Kassapa a rich man named Sumaṅgala spread the ground with bricks of gold for a space of ten kilometres, expended an equal amount of treasure in building a monastery, and an equal amount in giving a festival in honor of the opening of the monastery.

One day, very early in the morning, as he was on his way to pay his respects to the Teacher, he saw hidden in a certain rest-house at the gate of the city a certain thief, his feet spattered with mud, his robe drawn over his head. The rich man said to himself: “This man with feet all spattered with mud must be some night-prowler in hiding.” Upon seeing the rich man, the thief opened his mouth and said: “Never mind, I know how to get even with you!” And conceiving a grudge against the rich man, [29.302] he burned his field seven times, cut off the feet of the cattle in his cattle-pen seven times, and burned his house seven times.

But in spite of all this, he was unable to satisfy his grudge against the rich man. So he made friends with the rich man’s attendant and asked him: {3.62} “What is your master the rich man especially fond of?” – “There is nothing he thinks more of than the Perfumed Chamber,” replied the attendant. “Very well,” thought the thief: “I will burn up the Perfumed Chamber and thus satisfy my grudge.” Accordingly, when the Teacher entered the city for alms, he broke all the vessels used for drinking and eating and set fire to the Perfumed Chamber. When the rich man heard the cry: “The Perfumed Chamber is on fire!” he immediately went there, but before he arrived at the Perfumed Chamber it had burned to the ground.

As the rich man looked at the Perfumed Chamber lying in ashes, he felt not so much grief as could be measured with the tip of a hair; but doubling his left arm, he clapped with his right as loud as he could. Those who stood near asked him: “Master, how comes it that after expending all this money in building a Perfumed Chamber you clap your hands when it burns to the ground?” The rich man said: “Friends, through fire and other mishaps I have been permitted to expend all this wealth in the cause of the Buddha. I clapped my hands because of the joy that filled my heart at the thought: ‘I shall once more be permitted to expend an equal amount of money in rebuilding the Perfumed Chamber.’” So the rich man spent as much money again in rebuilding the Perfumed Chamber; and having so done, presented it as an offering to the Teacher and his retinue of twenty thousand bhikkhus.

When the thief saw that, he thought to himself: “Apparently I shall not be able to discomfit this man unless I kill him. Very well, I will kill him.” So he fastened a knife in the fold of his undergarment, and thus armed, went about the monastery for a period of seven days. But he found no opportunity to kill his man. During these seven days the rich man gave gifts to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus presided over by the Buddha. Finally he worshipped the Teacher and said: “Venerable Sir, {3.63} a certain thought dwells in my mind, and it is this: ‘Seven times a certain man has burned my field, seven times he has cut off the feet of my cattle, and seven times he has burned my house. That man also must have set fire to the Perfumed Chamber just now.’ I make over to that man the first-fruits of the merit of this offering.”

When the thief heard that, he thought to himself: “It was indeed [29.303] a grievous wrong that I committed. But although I am so grievous a wrongdoer, this man cherishes no ill-will at all towards me. Instead, he makes over to me alone the first-fruits of the merit of this offering. Compared to this man, I appear to great disadvantage. If I do not ask so magnanimous a man as this to pardon me, punishment from the king may fall upon my head.” So he went and prostrated himself at the feet of the rich man, saying: “Pardon me, master.” – “What do you mean?” asked the rich man. The thief replied: “All these wicked things I have done; pardon me for it.” Thereupon the rich man asked him about each particular thing, saying: “Did you do this to me? Did you do that?” – “Yes, master,” replied the thief, “all this I did myself.” – “But,” said the rich man, “I never saw you before. Why did you take a dislike to me and do what you have done?”

The thief replied: “One day as you were coming out of the city, you said something and I remembered it; that is why I took a dislike to you.” The rich man immediately remembered that he had said that very thing, and straightaway asked the thief to pardon him, saying: “Yes, friend, I did say that; pardon me for it.” Then he said: “Rise, friend, I pardon you; go your way, friend.” Then said the thief: “Master, if you pardon me, let me be a slave in your house, together with my children and my wife.” The rich man replied: “Friend, because of what I said, you caused this damage. {3.64} But it would be impossible for me to hold converse with you if you were to dwell in my house. Nor have I need that you should dwell in my house. I pardon you freely. Go your way, friend.”

The Teacher said in conclusion: “Because the thief committed this wicked deed, at the end of his allotted term of life, he was reborn in the Avīci Hell. After suffering torment there for a long period of time, because the fruit of his wicked deed is not yet exhausted, he is now suffering torment on Vulture’s Peak.”

After the Teacher had related the wicked deed of the Peta in a previous state of existence, he said: “Bhikkhus, in the act of committing wicked deeds, fools do not realize their wickedness. Afterwards, however, they are consumed by the wicked deeds they have themselves committed, and are like burning forests which they themselves have set on fire.” So saying, he joined the connection, and teaching the Dhamma pronounced the following verse:

136. Atha pāpāni kammāni karaṁ bālo na bujjhati,
sehi kammehi dummedho aggidaḍḍho va tappati.

The fool does not yet understand
the wicked deeds he is doing,
the stupid one is consumed by
his deeds as by a burning fire.

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