17.7 The Story about the Lay Disciple Atula

Dhp 227

Burlingame: Nothing, Too Much, and Too Little

The lay disciple Atula went with his entourage to see Elder Revata, who did not speak; Elder Sāriputta, who spoke at length; and Elder Ānanda who spoke moderately; but he was upset with them all; finally he went to the Buddha who explained the matter with a verse.

Keywords: Listening to Dhamma, Blame, Praise

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“This is something of old,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the lay disciple Atula.

For Atula was a lay disciple who lived at Sāvatthī, and he had a retinue of five hundred other lay disciples. {3.326} One day he took those lay disciples with him to the monastery to hear the Dhamma. Desiring to hear Elder Revata teach the Dhamma, he saluted Elder Revata and sat down respectfully on one side. Now this venerable Elder Revata was a solitary recluse, delighting in solitude even as a lion delights in solitude, therefore he had nothing to say to Atula.

“This elder has nothing to say,” thought Atula. Angered, he arose from his seat, went to Elder Sāriputta, and took his stand respectfully on one side. “For what reason have you come to me?” asked Elder Sāriputta. “Venerable Sir,” replied Atula: “I took these [30.114] lay disciples of mine to hear the Dhamma and approached Elder Revata. But he had nothing to say to me; therefore I was angered at him and have come here. Preach the Dhamma to me.” – “Well then, lay disciple,” said the Elder Sāriputta, “sit down.” And forthwith Elder Sāriputta expounded the Abhidhamma at great length.

Thought the lay disciple: “Abhidhamma is exceedingly abstruse, and the elder has expounded this alone to me at great length; of what use is he to us? Angered, he took his retinue with him and went to Elder Ānanda. Said Elder Ānanda: “What is it, lay disciple?” Atula replied: “Venerable Sir, we approached Elder Revata for the purpose of hearing the Dhamma, and got not so much as a syllable from him. Angered at this, we went to Elder Sāriputta and he expounded to us at great length Abhidhamma alone with all its subtleties. ‘Of what use is he to us?’ thought we to ourselves; and angered at him also, we came here. Preach the Dhamma to us, venerable Sir.” – “Well then,” replied Elder Ānanda, “sit down and listen.” Thereupon Elder Ānanda expounded the Dhamma to them very briefly, and making it very easy for them to understand.

But they were angered at the Elder Ānanda also, and going to the Teacher, saluted him, and sat down respectfully on one side. The Teacher said to them: {3.327} “Lay disciples, why have you come here?” – “To hear the Dhamma, venerable Sir.” – “But have you heard the Dhamma?” – “Venerable Sir, first we went to Elder Revata, and he had nothing to say to us; angered at him, we approached Elder Sāriputta, and he expounded the Abhidhamma to us at great length; but we were unable to understand his discourse. Angered at him, we approached the Elder Ānanda; Elder Ānanda, however, expounded the Dhamma to us very briefly, wherefore we were angered at him also and came here.”

The Teacher heard them and then replied: “Atula, from days of yore until now, it has been the invariable practice of men to blame the one who said nothing, the one who said much, and the one who said little. There is no one who deserves unqualified blame and no one who deserves unqualified praise. Even kings are blamed by some and praised by others. Even the great earth, even the sun and moon, even a Sambuddha, sitting and speaking in the midst of the fourfold assembly, some blame, and others praise. For blame or praise bestowed by utter fools is a matter of no account. But he whom a man of learning and intelligence blames or praises – [30.115] he is blamed or praised indeed.” So saying, he pronounced the following verses: {3.328}

227. Porāṇam-etaṁ, Atula, netaṁ ajjatanām-iva:
nindanti tuṇhim-āsīnaṁ, nindanti bahubhāṇinaṁ,
mitabhāṇim-pi nindanti, natthi loke anindito.

This is something of old, Atula,
this is not something of today:
they blame the one who sits silent,
they blame the one who talks a lot,
and one who talks moderately,
there is no one who is not blamed.

228. Na cāhu na ca bhavissati, na cetarahi vijjati
ekantaṁ nindito poso, ekantaṁ vā pasaṁsito.

There was not and there will not be,
and at present there is not found
someone totally blameworthy,
or one totally praiseworthy.

229. Yañ-ce viññū pasaṁsanti, anuvicca suve suve,
acchiddavuttiṁ medhāviṁ, paññāsīlasamāhitaṁ,

The one who, being examined
day by day, is praised by the wise,
faultless in conduct, sagacious,
attending to virtue and wisdom,

230. nekkhaṁ jambonadasseva, ko taṁ ninditum-arahati?
Devā pi naṁ pasaṁsanti, Brahmunā pi pasaṁsito.

one who is like a golden coin,
who is there worthy to blame him?
That one is praised by Devas, and
has been praised by the Brahmas too.

At the end of the teaching those 500 lay disciples were established in the fruition of Stream-entry.