10.10 The Story about the Elder Pilotika
Pilotikatheravatthu

“Whatever person in the world,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Elder Pilotika (Rags).

For one day Elder Ānanda saw a certain youth going along, clad in a ragged undergarment, with a begging bowl in his hand. The elder said to the youth: “Is not the going forth superior to the kind of life you lead?” The youth said to the elder: “Venerable Sir, who will give me the going forth?” – “I will give you the going forth,” said the elder. So taking him with him, he bathed him with his own hand, and giving him a subject of meditation, gave him the going forth.

Now the youth spread out the cloth which he had worn as an undergarment, looked about him, and seeing no place to which he might resort for the purpose of straining water, placed the cloth and the begging bowl on the branch of a certain tree. Having gone forth and having [29.317] taken higher ordination, he enjoyed to the full the rich offerings which accrue to the Buddhas, and went about clad in robes of great price.

After a time he became fat and discontented. He thought to himself: “What is the use of my going about clad in robes which are the pious offerings of the people? I will clothe myself once more in the same old cloth I used to wear.”

Accordingly he went to the place where he had left the cloth and recovered it. {3.85} Having so done, he said to himself: “You shameless, unblushing fool, you have thrown away the privilege of wearing rich apparel, have clothed yourself in these rags, and with begging bowl in hand, are about to go forth for alms.” And taking this thought for his subject of meditation, all by himself he admonished himself.

Now even as he admonished himself, his mind became tranquil. Then and there he put away those rags and went back again to the monastery. After a few days, however, he became discontented once more, said the same thing to himself, and then went back again to the monastery.

Again the third time the same thing happened. When the bhikkhus saw him going back and forth in this manner, they asked him: “Friend, where are you going?” – “I am going to my teacher, friends,” he replied. Thus did he take his own old rags for his subject of meditation, by this means conquer himself, and in a few days attain Arahatship.

The bhikkhus said: “Friend, do you no longer go to your teacher? This is not the path you have been accustomed to travel.” – “Friends,” replied the bhikkhu, “when I was attached to the world, I walked with a teacher. But now that I have cut off the ties that bind me to the world, I no longer go to him.” The bhikkhus reported the matter to the Teacher, saying: “Venerable Sir, the Elder Pilotika does not speak the truth.” – “What did he say, bhikkhus?” replied the Teacher. “He said this and that, venerable Sir.”

When the Teacher heard that, he said: “Bhikkhus, what he says is quite true. When my son was attached to the world, he went to a teacher. But now he has cut off the ties that bound him to the world, has himself restrained himself, and has attained Arahatship.” So saying, he pronounced the following verses:

143. Hirīnisedho puriso koci lokasmi’ vijjati,
yo nindaṁ appabodhati, asso bhadro kasām-iva.

Whatever person in the world
is restrained by conscience, and is
aware of his fault, is like a
good horse that is restrained by whip. {3.86}

144. Asso yathā bhadro kasāniviṭṭho,
ātāpino saṁvegino bhavātha.
Saddhāya sīlena ca vīriyena ca,
samādhinā Dhammavinicchayena ca.
Sampannavijjācaraṇā patissatā,
pahassatha dukkham-idaṁ anappakaṁ.

Like a good horse restrained by whip,
you should be ardent and intense.
Having faith, virtue, energy,
concentration, investigation.

One who has understanding and
good conduct, also mindfulness,
will surely abandon this not
insignificant suffering.

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

last updated: August 2024