18.8 The Story about the Young Bhikkhu Tissa
Tissadaharavatthu

“The people give according to faith,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the young bhikkhu Tissa. AJ: Tissadaharaṁ; dahara is consistently used in this text to indicate a young monk, under five years seniority. {3.357}

It is said he used to go about finding fault with the gifts of the householder Anāthapiṇḍika, and of the female lay disciple Visākhā, and even of the 50 million of noble disciples; he even went so far as to find fault with the Gifts beyond Compare. Whenever he received cold food in their refectory, he would complain because it was cold; whenever he received hot food, he would complain because it was hot. Whenever they gave but a little, he would blame them, saying: “Why do they give so very little?” And whenever they gave abundant alms, he would also blame them, saying: “I suppose they had no place in their house to put it,” or: “Surely they should give the bhikkhus only so much as they require to support life; so much gruel and boiled rice as this is absolutely wasted.” But with reference to his own kinsfolk, he would say: “Oh, the house of our kinsfolk is a veritable tavern for all the bhikkhus who come from all the four quarters!” {3.358} Thus did he sing the praises of his kinsfolk.

Now Tissa was in reality the son of a certain gatekeeper. While accompanying some carpenters on a journey through the country, on his arrival at Sāvatthī and went forth. When the bhikkhus observed that he was thus finding fault with the gifts and other good works of men, they thought to themselves: “Let us find out the truth about him.” So they asked him: “Friend, where do your kinsfolk live?” – “In such and such a village,” replied Tissa. The bhikkhus accordingly sent a few young bhikkhus there to investigate. The young bhikkhus went there and asked the villagers who provided them with seats and food in the rest-house: “There is a young bhikkhu named Tissa [30.127] who came from this village and went forth; who are his kinsfolk?” Thought the villagers: “There is no youth who has left any gentleman’s household in this village and gone forth; what are these young bhikkhus saying?” So they said to the young bhikkhus: “Venerable Sirs, we have heard of a certain gatekeeper’s son who traveled with a company of carpenters and went forth; without doubt he is the young bhikkhu you have reference to.” When the young bhikkhus learned that Tissa had no kinsfolk of consequence there, they returned to Sāvatthī and informed the bhikkhus what they had learned, saying: “Venerable Sirs, Tissa goes around chattering without sufficient cause.” The bhikkhus reported the matter to the Realised One.

The Teacher said: “Bhikkhus, this is not the first time he has gone about uttering words of disparagement and empty boasting; in a previous state of existence also he was a braggart.” Then, in response to a request of the bhikkhus, the Teacher related the following

Story of the Past: The Birth Story about the Deceitful Secretary Kaṭāhaka BG: Ja 125. AJ, the commentary gives only the verse, I include the whole story here.

In the past when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was a rich man, and his wife bore him a son. And the self-same day a maidservant in his house gave birth to a boy, and the two children grew up together. And when the rich man’s son was being taught to write, the young slave used to go with his young master’s tablets and so learned at the same time to write himself. Next he learned two or three handicrafts, and grew up to be a fair-spoken and handsome young man; and his name was Kaṭāhaka (Vessel).

Being employed as private secretary, he thought to himself: “I shall not always be kept at this work. The slightest fault and I shall be beaten, imprisoned, branded, and fed on slave’s fare. On the border there lives a merchant, a friend of my master’s. Why should I not go to him with a letter purporting to come from my master, and, passing myself off as my master’s son, marry the merchant’s daughter and live happily ever afterwards?”

So he wrote a letter, saying: “The bearer of this is my son. It is meet that our houses should be united in marriage, and I would have you give your daughter to this my son and keep the young couple near you for the present. As soon as I can conveniently do so, I will come to you.” This letter he sealed with his master’s private seal, and came to the border-merchant with a well-filled purse, handsome dresses, and perfumes and the like. And with a bow he stood before the merchant. “Where do you come from?” said the merchant. “From Benares.” – “Who is your father?” – “The rich man of Benares.” – “And what brings you here?” – “This letter will tell you,” said Kaṭāhaka, handing it to him. The merchant read the letter and exclaimed, “This gives me new life.” And in his joy he gave his daughter to Kaṭāhaka and set up the young couple, who lived in great style. But Kaṭāhaka gave himself airs, and used to find fault with the victuals and the clothes that were brought him, calling them ‘provincial.’ “These misguided provincials,” he would say, “have no idea of dressing. And as for taste in scents and garlands, they’ve got none.”

Missing his slave, the Bodhisatta said: “I don’t see Kaṭāhaka. Where has he gone? Find him.” And off went the Bodhisatta’s people in quest of him, and searched far and wide till they found him. Then back they came without Kaṭāhaka recognizing them, and told the Bodhisatta. “This will never do,” said the Bodhisatta on hearing the news. “I will go and bring him back.” So he asked the king’s permission, and departed with a great following. And the tidings spread everywhere that the rich man was on his way to the borders.

Hearing the news Kaṭāhaka fell to thinking of his course of action. He knew that he was the sole reason of the rich man’s coming, and he saw that to run away now was to destroy all chance of returning. So he decided to go to meet the rich man, and conciliate him by acting as a slave towards him as in the old days. Acting on this plan, he made a point of proclaiming in public on all occasions his disapprobation of the lamentable decay of respect towards parents which showed itself in children sitting down to meals with their parents, instead of waiting upon them. “When my parents take their meals,” said Kaṭāhaka, “I hand the plates and dishes, bring the spittoon, and fetch their fans for them. Such is my invariable practice.” And he explained carefully a slave’s duty to his master, such as bringing the water, and ministering to him when he went forth. And having already schooled folk in general, he had said to his father-in-law shortly before the arrival of the Bodhisatta: “I hear that my father is coming to see you. You had better make ready to entertain him, while I will go and meet him on the road with a present.” – “Do so, my dear boy,” said his father-in-law.

So Kaṭāhaka took a magnificent present and went out with a large retinue to meet the Bodhisatta, to whom he handed the present with a low obeisance. The Bodhisatta took the present in a kindly way, and at breakfast time made his encampment and went forth for the purposes of nature. Stopping his retinue, Kaṭāhaka took water and approached the Bodhisatta. Then the young man fell at the Bodhisatta’s feet and cried: “Oh, sir, I will pay any sum you may require; but do not expose me.”

“Fear no exposure at my hands,” said the Bodhisatta, pleased at his dutiful conduct, and entered into the city, where he was feted with great magnificence. And Kaṭāhaka still acted as his slave.

As the rich man sat at his ease, the border-merchant said: “My lord, upon receipt of your letter I duly gave my daughter in marriage to your son.” And the rich man made a suitable reply about ‘his son’ in so kindly a way that the merchant was delighted beyond measure. But from that time forth the Bodhisatta could not bear the sight of Kaṭāhaka.

One day the Great Being sent for the merchant’s daughter and said: “My dear, please look my head over.” She did so, and he thanked her for her much-needed services, adding: “And now tell me, my dear, whether my son is a reasonable man in weal and woe, and whether you manage to get on well with him.” – “My husband has only one fault. He will find fault with his food.”

“He has always had his faults, my dear; but I will tell you how to stop his tongue. I will tell you a text which you must learn carefully and repeat to your husband when he finds fault again with his food.” And he taught her the lines and shortly afterwards set out for Benares. Kaṭāhaka accompanied him part of the way, and took his leave after offering most valuable presents to the rich man. Dating from the departure of the Bodhisatta, Kaṭāhaka waxed prouder and prouder.

One day his wife ordered a nice dinner, and began to help him to it with a spoon, but at the first mouthful Kaṭāhaka began to grumble. Thereon the merchant’s daughter remembering her lesson, repeated the following verse:

Should he, having gone to another country, boast
excessively, returning back he would spoil it:
enjoy your wealth Kaṭāhaka.

Having related this Story about the (Deceitful Secretary) Kaṭāhaka in detail, the Teacher said: “Bhikkhus, if any man is annoyed because others give either little or much, or coarse or fine food, or because they give nothing to him when he has given to others, {3.359} such a man will not attain absorption or insight or the paths and the fruitions.” So saying, he taught the Dhamma by pronouncing the following verses:

249. Dadāti ve yathāsaddhaṁ, yathāpasādanaṁ jano,
tattha yo maṅku bhavati paresaṁ pānabhojane
na so divā vā rattiṁ vā, samādhiṁ adhigacchati.

The people give according to faith,
according to their confidence,
the one who is dejected through
food and drink given to others,
does not, either by day or night,
attain to good concentration.

250. Yassa cetaṁ samucchinnaṁ, mūlaghaccaṁ samūhataṁ,
sa ve divā vā rattiṁ vā, samādhiṁ adhigacchati.

For the one in whom dejection
is cut off, destroyed at the root,
dug up, does, by day and by night,
attain to good concentration.

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