20.5 The Story about the Elder Padhānakammika Tissa
Padhānakammikatissattheravatthu

“The one who has not timely energy,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Elder Padhānakammika Tissa (Exertion-Maker Tissa).

It seems that five hundred youths of Sāvatthī went forth, became bhikkhus under the Teacher, obtained a subject of meditation from the Teacher, and withdrew to the forest. One of them fell away then and there, but the rest performed their meditations with such diligence that they attained Arahatship. Thereupon they returned once more to the Teacher to inform him of the blessing they had received. Now as they were going their rounds for alms in a village only a league from Sāvatthī, a certain lay disciple saw them, honored them with offerings of rice-gruel, boiled rice, and other kinds of food, and after listening to the words of thanksgiving which they pronounced, invited them to be his guests for the following day.

On that same day {3.408} they went to Sāvatthī, put away their bowls and robes, and in the afternoon approached the Teacher, saluted him, and sat down. The Teacher expressed great pleasure at seeing them and exchanged friendly greetings with them. Thereupon the bhikkhu who had been their fellow and had then fallen away thought to himself: “The Teacher lacks sufficient words with which to exchange [30.152] friendly greetings with these bhikkhus. But to me, since I have not attained the paths and the fruitions, he vouchsafes never a word. I will attain Arahatship this very day, and having so done, will approach the Teacher and cause him to speak to me.”

The bhikkhus took leave of the Teacher, saying: “Venerable Sir, as we were on our way here, we were invited by a certain lay disciple to be his guests on the morrow. Tomorrow, early in the morning, we shall go there.” As for their fellow bhikkhu, he spent the entire night walking up and down. Finally, overcome by drowsiness, he stumbled against a certain stone seat at the end of the cloister and broke his thigh-bone, whereupon he screamed with a loud noise. His fellow bhikkhus, recognizing the sound of his voice, ran here and there in great confusion. They lighted a light and rendered him such assistance as he needed. But even as they were ministering to his needs, the sun rose, and the result was that they had no opportunity to go to the village.

The Teacher said to them: “Bhikkhus, did you not go to the village to receive the promised offerings?” – “No, venerable Sir,” replied the bhikkhus, and told him of the incident. Then said the Teacher: “Bhikkhus, {3.409} this is not the first time he has prevented you from receiving promised offerings; he did the same thing also in a previous state of existence.” Then, in compliance with a request of the bhikkhus, the Teacher related the following

Story of the Past: The Birth Story about the Temple Tree BG: Ja 71. AJ: The commentary only had the verse. I have included the whole story.

In the past at Taxila in the kingdom of Gandhāra the Bodhisatta was a teacher of world-wide fame, with 500 young Brahmins as pupils. One day these pupils set out for the forest to gather firewood for their master, and busied themselves in gathering sticks. Amongst them was a lazy fellow who came on a huge forest tree, which he imagined to be dry and rotten. So he thought that he could safely indulge in a nap first, and at the last moment climb up and break some branches off to carry home. Accordingly, he spread out his outer robe and fell asleep, snoring loudly.

All the other young Brahmins were on their way home with their wood tied up in faggots, when they came upon the sleeper. Having kicked him in the back till he awoke, they left him and went their way. He sprang to his feet, and rubbed his eyes for a time. Then, still half asleep, he began to climb the tree. But one branch, which he was tugging at, snapped off short; and, as it sprang up, the end struck him in the eye. Clapping one hand over his wounded eye, he gathered green boughs with the other. Then climbing down, he corded his faggot, and after hurrying away home with it, flung his green wood on the top of the others’ faggots.

That same day it chanced that a country family invited the master to visit them on the morrow, in order that they might give him a Brahmin-feast. And so the master called his pupils together, and, telling them of the journey they would have to make to the village on the morrow, said they could not go fasting. “So have some rice-gruel made early in the morning,” said he, “and eat it before starting. There you will have food given you for yourselves and a portion for me. Bring it all home with you.”

So they got up early next morning and roused a maid to get them their breakfast ready betimes. And off she went for wood to light the fire. The green wood lay on the top of the stack, and she laid her fire with it. And she blew and blew, but could not get her fire to burn, and at last the sun got up. “It’s broad daylight now,” they said, “and it’s too late to start.” And they went off to their master.

“What, not yet on your way, my sons?” said he. “No, sir; we have not started.” – “Why, pray?” – “Because that lazy so-and-so, when he went wood-gathering with us, lay down to sleep under a forest tree; and, to make up for lost time, he climbed up the tree in such a hurry that he hurt his eye and brought home a lot of green wood, which he threw on the top of our faggots. So, when the maid who was to cook our rice-gruel went to the stack, she took his wood, thinking it would be dry; and no fire could she light before the sun was up. And this is what stopped our going.”

Hearing what the young Brahmin had done, the master exclaimed that a fool’s doings had caused all the mischief, and repeated this verse:

One who before had duties, and
later still desires to do them,
like the one who broke off
the Varuṇa branch, regrets it later.

Having related the Birth Story in detail, the Teacher said: “At that time these bhikkhus were the five hundred youths, the lazy youth was this bhikkhu, and the teacher was the Realised One.”

After relating the Dhamma teaching the Teacher said: “Bhikkhus, whoever does not rise when it is time to rise, whoever is weak of will and indolent, such a man never develops the absorptions or any other of the distinctions.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:

280. Uṭṭhānakālamhi anuṭṭhahāno,
yuvā balī, ālasiyaṁ upeto,
saṁsannasaṅkappamano kusīto –
paññāya maggaṁ alaso na vindati.

The one who has not timely energy,
youthful, strong, but given to laziness,
lacking right intention and indolent –
the lazy one does not find wisdom’s path. {3.410}

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