13.2 The Story about Suddhodana

Dhp 168-169

Burlingame: The Buddha Visits Kapila

Compare: Dhp-a 1.9a

The Buddha returned to his home town, Kapilavatthu, and was received with great honour, but no one invited him for a meal, so the next day he went on almsround, which upset his father, the king, as being beneath his dignity; the Buddha explained that in the lineage of the Buddhas they always go on almsround, and then he spoke some verses.

Keywords: Miracles, Faith, Past Lives, Almsrounds

“One should strive and not be heedless,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Banyan Grove with reference to his own father.

For at a certain time the Teacher made his first journey to the city Kapilavatthu, and when he arrived there, his kinsmen came forth to meet him and to greet him. On that occasion, in order to break the overweening pride of his kinsfolk, he created by supernatural power a cloister of jewels in mid-air, and in this cloister walked up and down teaching the Dhamma. The hearts of his kinsfolk were straightaway endowed with faith, and beginning with the great king Suddhodana, all [30.3] did reverence to him.

Thereupon there fell upon the assembly of his kinsfolk a shower of rain, with reference to which there arose a discussion among the multitude. The Teacher said: “Bhikkhus, this is not the first time a shower of rain has fallen upon an assembly of my kinsfolk; the same thing happened in a previous state of existence also.” {3.164} So saying, he related the Birth Story about (the Great King) Vessantara. BG: Ja 547. Having heard him teach the Dhamma, his kinsfolk departed, not even one extending an invitation to the Teacher. Likewise the king, although the thought occurred to him: “If my son does not come to my house, where will he go?” went home without inviting him. When he reached the royal residence, however, he caused rice-gruel and other kinds of food to be prepared for twenty thousand bhikkhus, and likewise seats to be provided for them.

On the following day, as the Teacher entered the city to receive alms, he considered within himself: “Did the Buddhas of the past, upon entering the city of their father, straightaway enter the house of their kinsfolk, or did they go from house to house in regular order receiving alms?” Perceiving that they always went from house to house, the Teacher likewise began at the first house and went from house to house receiving alms. They brought word of this to the king. The king came quickly out of his residence, adjusting his cloak as he went, and prostrating himself before the Teacher, said: “Son, why do you mortify me? I am overwhelmed with shame to see you going from house to house receiving alms. In this very city it would be improper for you to go from house to house in a golden litter receiving alms. Why do you put me to shame?” – “Great king, I am not putting you to shame; I am merely keeping up the tradition of my lineage.” – “But, my dear son, is it a tradition of my lineage to gain a livelihood by going from house to house receiving alms?” – “No, great king, that is not a tradition of your lineage. But it is a tradition of my lineage, for countless thousands of Buddhas have gone from house to house receiving alms, and have so gained their sustenance.” So saying, he taught the Dhamma by pronouncing the following verses:

168. Uttiṭṭhe nappamajjeyya, Dhammaṁ sucaritaṁ care,
Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

One should strive and not be heedless,
live by Dhamma, with good conduct,
living by Dhamma one will live
at ease in this world and the next.

169. Dhammaṁ care sucaritaṁ, na naṁ duccaritaṁ care,
Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

One should live by Dhamma, with good
conduct and not with bad conduct,
living by Dhamma one will live
at ease in this world and the next. [30.4]

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