3.1 The Story about a Certain Young Bhikkhu

Dhp 167

CST4: Daharabhikkhuvatthu

Burlingame: A Young Girl Jests with a Young Monk

Visākhā’s granddaughter called a young bhikkhu a cut-head and he took offence at the insult; the Buddha first appeased him and then gave the teaching with a verse.

Keywords: Insults

“One should not follow lowly things,” [30.1] {3.161} this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a certain young bhikkhu.

It seems that one day, early in the morning, a certain elder went with a young bhikkhu to the house of Visākhā. Now in the house of Visākhā there was continual distribution of cakes and rice-gruel. The elder, having drunk rice-gruel there, provided a seat for the young bhikkhu, and himself went on to another house. Now at that time the daughter of Visākhā’s son was acting for her grandmother in ministering to the needs of the bhikkhus. As she was straining water for the young bhikkhu, seeing the reflection of her own face in the water-vessel, she laughed; the young bhikkhu looked at it and also laughed.

Seeing him laughing, she said: “The cut-head is laughing.” At that the young bhikkhu abused her, saying: “You are a cut-head, and your mother and father are cut-heads too.” At this she ran weeping into her grandmother’s kitchen. “What is the matter, dear granddaughter?” She told her grandmother the whole story.

Visākhā immediately went to the young bhikkhu and said to him: “Venerable Sir, be not offended. You misunderstand that remark. {3.162} It is an expression of profound respect for a noble bhikkhu with hair and nails cut close, who, as he goes his rounds for alms, holds in the folds of his robes a bowl that is cut.”

The young bhikkhu replied: “Quite true, lay disciple; you understand that it is in accordance with my rule that the hair of my head and so forth are cut short. But was it proper for this girl to insult me by saying to me: ‘You are a cut-head’?” Visākhā was unable to quiet either the young bhikkhu or the young girl.

At that moment the elder approached and asked: “What does this mean, lay disciple?” Having learned the facts, the elder admonished the young bhikkhu as follows: “Begone, brother; that is no insult to a bhikkhu with hair and nails and robes cut short, as he goes his rounds for alms [30.2] holds in the folds of his robes a bowl that is cut. Hold your peace.” – “Quite true, venerable Sir; but why, instead of rebuking your own female lay disciple, do you rebuke me? Is it to be regarded as the proper thing to insult a bhikkhu by saying to him: ‘You are a cut-head’?”

At that moment the Teacher approached. “What does this mean?” he asked. Visākhā told him the whole story, beginning at the beginning. The Teacher, perceiving that the young bhikkhu possessed the supporting conditions to attain Stream-entry, thought to himself: “I must follow up with this young bhikkhu.” Therefore he said to Visākhā: “But, Visākhā, is it proper for your granddaughter, merely because my disciples go about with hair and so forth cut short, on that account to insult them by calling them cut-heads?”

The young bhikkhu immediately sprang to his feet, and extending his clasped hands in an attitude of reverent supplication, said: “Venerable Sir, you alone correctly understand this matter; neither our preceptor nor our eminent female lay disciple understands it correctly.”

The Teacher, perceiving that the young bhikkhu was in harmony with himself, said: “An attitude of ridicule with reference to the pleasures of sense is a low attitude, and an attitude that is low one ought never to take, nor should one dwell together with heedlessness.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse: {3.163}

167. Hīnaṁ dhammaṁ na seveyya, pamādena na saṁvase,
micchādiṭṭhiṁ na seveyya, na siyā lokavaḍḍhano.

One should not follow lowly things,
one should not abide heedlessly,
one should not follow a wrong view,
one should not foster worldliness.

At the end of the teaching that young bhikkhu was established in the fruition of Stream-entry, and those who had assembled also had benefit from the Dhamma teaching.