19.3 The Story about the Elder Ekudāna

Dhp 259

PTS: Ekuddānattheravatthu

CST4: Ekudānakhīṇāsavattheravatthu, the Story about the Edler Ekudāna Who Had Destroyed the Pollutants

Burlingame: Not Therefore is a Man Praised for His Much Speaking

Compare: Ud 4.7; Thag-a 68

Elder Ekudāna knew but one verse, which he recited on the fast-day, and all the Devatās applauded; when two learned bhikkhus, with their followings, came by they recited the Three Baskets, but received no applause; the Buddha explained that a monastic who knows one verse, and practised accordingly, is better than someone who knows all the words but practices not.

Keywords: Practice, Recitation, Devatās

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“One is not a Dhamma-bearer,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Elder Ekudāna, AJ: PTS prints Ekuddāna, One Summary Verse, but it is clear from the story it should be Ekudāna, One Exalted Utterance, as CST4 has it, as even PTS says he knows but ekudāna, one exalted utterance. This should evidently then also apply to the name. an Arahat. {3.384}

It seems that Elder Ekudāna dwelt quite alone in a certain forest-grove and that he knew but this one exalted utterance:

For one with higher mind, the heedful one,
the sage training in the path of wisdom,
there are no griefs for such a one, for the
peaceful one, one who is always mindful.

On Observance Days Elder Ekudāna himself alone sounded the call to attend the teaching of the Dhamma and uttered this verse, whereupon the Devatās shouted applause with a noise like that of the earth splitting open.

Now it so happened that on a certain Observance Day two bhikkhus versed in the Three Baskets came to his place of abode, attended by a retinue of five hundred bhikkhus each. When he saw them, his heart was filled with joy, and he said to them: “You have done well to come here; today {3.385} we will listen to the Dhamma.” – “But, friend, there [30.142] are no persons here to listen to the Dhamma.” – “Yes, there are, venerable Sirs; on a day when the Dhamma is expounded, this forest-grove is filled with the noise of the shouts of applause of the Devatās.”

One of the elders recited the Dhamma and the other expounded the Dhamma, but not even a single Devatā gave applause. Said the elders: “Friend, you said to us: ‘On a day when the Dhamma is expounded, the Devatās in this forest-grove give applause with a loud noise,’ what does this mean?” – “Friends, on other days there has been just such a noise; I do not know what is the matter today.” – “Well then, friend, you teach the Dhamma.” Elder Ekudāna took the fan, and sitting in his seat, pronounced that one verse. The Devatās shouted applause with a loud noise.

Now the bhikkhus who gathered round were highly offended at the Devatās and said: “The Devatās in this forest-grove show respect of persons in giving applause. Though bhikkhus versed in the Three Baskets uttered so much of the Dhamma, they gave not so much as a world of approval; but just because a certain old elder recited a single verse, they shouted applause with a loud noise.” And going to the monastery, they reported the incident to the Teacher. {3.386}

The Teacher said: “Bhikkhus, I call him versed in the Dhamma not one who knows or utters much of the Dhamma; but whosoever masters even a single verse and clearly understands the Truths, such a man is verily and indeed versed in the Dhamma.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:

259. Na tāvatā Dhammadharo yāvatā bahu bhāsati,
yo ca appam-pi sutvāna, Dhammaṁ kāyena passati,
sa ve Dhammadharo hoti, yo Dhammaṁ nappamajjati.

One is not a Dhamma-bearer
merely through speaking much, but the
one who, having heard a little,
sees Dhamma for himself, is one
who bears Dhamma, the one who is
not heedless regarding Dhamma.