17.6 The Story about Puṇṇā
Puṇṇāya Vatthu

“For those who are always wakeful,” [30.111] this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence on Mount Vulture’s Peak with reference to Puṇṇā, a maidservant of the Rich Man of Rājagaha.

It seems that one day they gave her much rice to pound. She pounded away until late at night, lighting a lamp to work by; finally she became very weary and in order to rest herself, stepped outside and stood in the wind with her body moist with sweat. Now at that time Dabba Mallaputta was steward of lodgings for the bhikkhus. {3.322} Having listened to the Dhamma, so that he might show the bhikkhus the way to their respective lodgings, he lighted his finger, and preceding the bhikkhus, created by supernatural power a light for them.

The light enabled Puṇṇā to see the bhikkhus making their way along the mountain. She thought to herself: “As for me, I am oppressed by my own discomfort, and so, even at this time, am unable to sleep. Why is it that the venerable bhikkhus are unable to sleep?” Having considered the matter, she came to the following conclusion: “It must be that some bhikkhu who resides there is sick, or else is suffering from the bite of some reptile.” So when it was dawn, she took some rice-powder, placed it in the palm of her hand, moistened it with water, and having thus mixed a rice powder cake, cooked it over a bed of charcoal. Then, saying to herself: “I will eat it on the road leading to the bathing-place on the river,” she placed the cake in a fold of her dress, and taking a waterpot in her hand, set out for the bathing-place on the river.

The Teacher set out on the same path, intending likewise to enter that village for alms. When Puṇṇā saw the Teacher, she thought to herself: “On other days when I have seen the Teacher, I have had no alms to give him, or if I have had alms to give him, I have not seen him; today, however, not only do I meet the Teacher face to face, but I have alms to give him. If he would accept this cake without considering whether the food is of inferior or superior quality, I would give it to him.” So setting her waterpot down on one side, she worshipped the Teacher {3.323} and said to him: “Venerable Sir, accept this coarse food and bestow your blessing upon me.”

The Teacher looked at Elder Ānanda, whereupon the elder drew a bowl from under a fold of his robe and presented it to the Teacher [30.112] which was an offering to the Teacher from the Great Kings. The Teacher held out the bowl and received therein the offering of the cake. When Puṇṇā had placed the cake in the Teacher’s bowl, she saluted him with the five limbs and said to him: “Venerable Sir, may the Truth which you have beheld be of avail to me also.” The Teacher replied: “So be it.” And remaining standing as before, he pronounced the words of thanksgiving. Thereupon Puṇṇā thought to herself: “Although the Teacher bestowed on me a blessing as he took my cake, yet he will not eat it himself. He will doubtless keep it until he has gone a little way and will then give it to a crow or a dog. Then he will go to the house of some king or prince and make a meal of choice food.”

Thought the Teacher to himself: “What was the thought in the mind of this woman?” Perceiving what was in her mind, the Teacher looked at Elder Ānanda and intimated that he wished to sit down. The elder spread out a robe and offered the Teacher a seat. The Teacher sat down without the city and ate his breakfast. The Devas squeezed out nectar, food proper to Devas and humans alike throughout the circle of the worlds, even as one squeezes a honeycomb, and imparted it to the Teacher’s food. Puṇṇā stood looking on. At the conclusion of the Teacher’s breakfast the elder gave him water. When the Teacher had finished his breakfast, he addressed Puṇṇā and said: “Puṇṇā, why {3.324} have you blamed my disciples?” – “I do not blame your disciples, venerable Sir.” – “Then what did you say when you saw my disciples?”

“Venerable Sir, the explanation is very simple. I thought to myself: ‘As for me, I am oppressed by my own discomfort, and so am unable to sleep; why is it that the venerable bhikkhus are unable to sleep? It must be that some bhikkhu who resides there is sick, or else is suffering from the bite of some reptile.’”

The Teacher listened to her words and then said to her: “Puṇṇā, in your own case it is because you are afflicted with discomfort that you are unable to sleep. But my disciples are assiduously watchful and therefore sleep not.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:

226. Sadā jāgaramānānaṁ, ahorattānusikkhinaṁ,
Nibbānaṁ adhimuttānaṁ, atthaṁ gacchanti āsavā.

For those who are always wakeful,
who train both by day and by night,
who are intent on Nibbāna,
the pollutants are laid to rest.

At the end of the teaching Puṇṇā, even as she stood there, was established in the fruition of Stream-entry, and those who had assembled also had benefit from the Dhamma teaching. [30.113]

The Teacher, having made a meal of the cake which Puṇṇā made of rice-flour and cooked over a bed of coals, returned to the monastery.

Thereupon the bhikkhus began a discussion in the Dhamma Hall: {3.325} “Friends, how hard it must have been for the Sambuddha to make his breakfast of the cake of rice-flour which Puṇṇā cooked over a bed of coals and gave him!”

At that moment the Teacher drew near and asked them: “Bhikkhus, what are you discussing now as you sit here all gathered together?” When they told him, he said: “Bhikkhus, this is not the first time I have eaten rice powder cake which she gave me; the same thing happened to me in a previous state of existence also.” So saying, he told

A Story of the Past: The Birth Story about Rice Powder AJ: Ja 254, the commentary gives only the verses, I include the whole story here.

It happened once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, that the Bodhisatta was born into a trader’s family in the northern province. Five hundred people of that country, horse-dealers, used to convey horses to Benares, and sell them there.

Now a certain dealer took the road to Benares with five hundred horses for sale. On this road, not far off Benares, there is a town, where had formerly lived a rich merchant. A vast dwelling once was his; but his family had gradually gone down in the world, and only one old woman was left, who lived in the family house. The dealer took up his lodging for a certain hire in that house, and kept his horses nearby.

On that very day, as luck would have it, a thoroughbred mare of his foaled. He tarried two or three days, and then taking his horses with him went off to visit the king. Thereat the old woman asked him for the hire of the house. “All right, mother, I’ll pay you,” said he.

“When you pay me, my son,” she said then, “give me this foal, and deduct its value from the hire.” The dealer did as she asked and went his way. The woman loved the foal like a son; and she fed him upon parched rice drippings, on leftovers, and grass.

Some time after, the Bodhisatta, on his way with five hundred horses, took lodging in this house. But the horses scented this highbred foal, that fed on red rice-powder, and not one of them would enter the place. Then said the Bodhisatta to the dame: “There seems to be some horse in the place, mother?”

“Oh, my son, the only horse there is a young foal which I keep here as tenderly as it were my son!” – “Where is he, mother?” – “Gone out to graze.” – “When will he return?” – “Oh, he’ll soon come back.”

The Bodhisatta kept the horses without, and sat down to wait until the foal should come in; and soon the foal returned from his walk. When he set eyes on the fine foal with his belly full of rice powder, the Bodhisatta noted his marks, and he thought: “This is a priceless thoroughbred; I must buy him off the old woman.”

By this time the foal had entered the house and gone to his own stable. At once all the horses were able to go in too.

There abode the Bodhisatta for a few days, and attended to his horses. Then as he made to go: “Mother,” he said to the old woman, “let me buy this foal off you.”

“What are you saying! One mustn’t sell one’s own foster child!” – “What do you give him to eat, mother?” – “Rice boiled, and rice gruel, and parched rice; leftovers and grass; and rice-broth to drink.”

“Well, mother, if I get him, I’ll feed him on the daintiest of fare; when he stands, he shall have a cloth awning spread over him; I will give him a carpet to stand on.”

“Will you, my son? Then take this child of mine, and go, and may he be happy!”

And the Bodhisatta paid a separate price for the foal’s four feet, for his tail and for his head; six purses of a thousand coins he laid down, one for each; and he caused the dame to robe herself in a new dress, and decked her with ornaments, and set her in front of the foal. And the foal opened his eyes, and looked upon his mother, and shed tears. She stroked his back, and said: “I have received the recompense for what I have done for you: go, my son!” and then he departed.

Next day the Bodhisatta thought he would make trial of the foal, whether he knew his own power or no. So after preparing common food, he caused red rice gruel to be poured out, presented to him in a bucket. But this he could not swallow; and refused to touch any such food. Then the Bodhisatta to test him, uttered the first verse:

“Having eaten grass as food, and
eaten the scum of rice powder,
this was your food previously,
why do you not eat the same now?”

On hearing which, the foal answered with the two other couplets following:

“Where they do not know about a
person’s birth or his discipline,
many are there, Mahā Brahma,
also the scum of rice powder.

But you must know me, I am the
supreme horse of whatever kind,
knowing and coming to know this,
I will not eat your rice powder.”

Then answered the Bodhisatta: “I did this to try you; do not be angry,” and he cooked the fine food and offered it to him. When he came to the king’s courtyard, he set the five hundred horses on one side, and on the other an embroidered awning, under which he laid a carpet, with a canopy of stuff over it; and here he lodged the foal.

The king coming to inspect the horses asked why this horse was housed apart. “O king,” was the reply, “if this horse be not kept apart, he will let loose these others.” – “Is he a beautiful horse?” the king asked. “Yes, O king.” – “Then let me see his paces.”

The owner caparisoned him, and mounted on his back. Then he cleared the courtyard of men, and rode the horse about in it. The whole place appeared to be encircled with lines of horses, without a break!

Then said the Bodhisatta: “See my horse’s speed, O king!” and let him have his head. Not a man could see him at all! Then he fastened a red leaf upon the horse’s flank; and they saw just the leaf. And then he rode him over the surface of a pond in a certain garden of the city. Over he went, and not even the tips of his hoofs were wet. Again, he galloped over lotus leaves, without even pushing one of them under water.

When his master had thus showed off the steed’s magnificent paces, he dismounted, clapped his hands, and held out one, palm upwards. The horse got upon it, and stood on the palm of his master’s hand, with his four feet close together. And the Bodhisatta said: “O mighty king! Not even the whole circle of the ocean would be space enough for this horse to show off all his skill.”

The king was so pleased that he gave him half of his kingdom: the horse he installed as his horse of state, sprinkling him with ceremonial water. Dear was he and precious to the king, and great honour was done him; and his dwelling place was made like the chamber where the king dwelt, all beautiful: the floor was sprinkled with all the four kinds of perfumes, the walls were hung with wreaths of flowers and frequent garlands; up in the roof was an awning of cloth spangled with golden stars; it was all like a lovely pavilion round about. A lamp of scented oil burnt always; and in the retiring closet was set a golden jar. His food was always fit for a king. And after he came there, the lordship over all Jambudīpa came into this king’s hand. And the king did good deeds and was generous according to the Bodhisatta’s admonition, and became destined for heaven.

The Teacher thus related the Birth Story about Rice Powder and the Sindh Horse in detail.