18.9 The Story about Five Lay Disciples
Pañca-Upāsakavatthu

“There is no fire quite like passion,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to five lay disciples. {3.360}

It seems that these five men went to the monastery desiring to hear the Dhamma, and having worshipped the Teacher, sat down respectfully [30.128] on one side. Now in the case of the Buddhas, no such thought ever enters their mind as the following: “This man is a noble, this man is a Brahmin, this is a rich man, this is a poor man; I will teach the Dhamma to this man in such wise as to exalt him; I will not do so, however, in the case of this other man.” It matters not with reference to what subject the Buddhas teach the Dhamma. They place reverence for the Dhamma before all else, and teach the Dhamma as though they were bringing down the celestial river from the sky.

But though the Realised One taught the Dhamma in this wise to the five men who sat about him, one of the five, even as he sat there, fell asleep, another sat and dug the earth with his finger, another sat and shook a tree, another gazed at the sky. Only one listened attentively to the Dhamma. As Elder Ānanda stood there fanning the Teacher, he observed the conduct of the five men and said to the Teacher: “Venerable Sir, you are teaching the Dhamma even as thunders the thunder which accompanies a heavy rain, but even as you teach the Dhamma, these men sit doing this and that.” – “Ānanda, do you not know these men?” – “No, venerable Sir, I do not.”

“Of these five men, he that sits there sound asleep, was reborn as a snake in five hundred states of existence, and in each of these states of existence laid his head in his coils and fell asleep; therefore at the present time also he is sound asleep; {3.361} not a sound I make enters his ear.”

“But, venerable Sir, tell me, was this in successive states of existence or at intervals?” – “Ānanda, at one time this man was reborn as a human being, at another time as a god, and at another time as a snake. Indeed it would be impossible, even with the knowledge of omniscience, to determine exactly the number of times he has undergone rebirth at intervals. But in five hundred successive states of existence he was reborn as a snake and fell asleep; not even yet is he sated with sleep.

The man who sits there scratching the earth with his finger was reborn in five hundred successive states of existence as an earthworm, and burrowed into the earth; hence he digs the earth at the present time also, and fails to hear my voice.

The man who sits there shaking a tree was reborn in five hundred successive states of existence as a monkey, and from sheer force of habit acquired in previous states of existence, still continues to shake a tree, and the sound of my voice does not enter his ears.

The Brahmin who sits there gazing at the sky was reborn in five [30.129] hundred successive states of existence as an astrologer, and therefore today also gazes at the sky just the same, and the sound of my voice does not enter his ears.

The man who sits there listening attentively to the Dhamma was reborn in five hundred successive states of existence as a Brahmin versed in the Three Vedas, devoted to the repetition of the Sacred Texts, and therefore listens attentively today also, as though he were putting together a Sacred Text.”

“But, venerable Sir, your teaching of the Dhamma cleaves the skin and penetrates to the marrow of the bones. Why is it that while you are teaching the Dhamma, they do not listen attentively?” – “Ānanda, you evidently imagine that my Dhamma is easy to listen to.” – “Why, venerable Sir, do you mean that it is difficult to listen to?” – “Precisely so, Ānanda.” {3.362} – “Why is that, venerable Sir?” – “Ānanda, these living beings, during countless thousands of aeons of time, never heard of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, and therefore are unable now to listen to this Dhamma which I teach. In the round of existences without conceivable beginning, these living beings have been accustomed to listen to the speech of animals in its countless forms. Therefore they spend their time in places where men drink and amuse themselves, and therefore sing and dance; it is impossible for them to listen to the Dhamma.” – “But, venerable Sir, for what reason is it that they are unable to listen to the Dhamma?”

The Teacher answered him as follows: “Ānanda, they are unable to do so by reason of lust, by reason of hatred, by reason of delusion. For there is no fire like the fire of passion, consuming living beings as it does, without leaving so much as ashes behind. To be sure, the world-conflagration which closes an epoch burns up the world without leaving anything behind, but this is a fire which breaks out only on the appearance of the seven suns, and this fire burns only at times and at seasons. But as for the fire of passion, there is no time when the fire of passion does not burn. Therefore I say that there is no fire like the fire of passion, nothing that takes hold like hatred, no snare like delusion, and no flood like craving.” So saying, the Teacher pronounced the following verse:

251. Natthi rāgasamo aggi, natthi dosasamo gaho,
natthi mohasamaṁ jālaṁ, natthi taṇhāsamā nadī.

There is no fire quite like passion,
nothing that takes hold like hatred,
there is no snare like delusion,
and there is no flood like craving. {3.363}

At the end of the teaching the lay disciple who listened respectfully was established in the fruition of Stream-entry, and those assembled also had benefit from the teaching.

last updated: August 2024