21.5 The Story about a Son of a Wagon Driver

Dhp 296-301

Burlingame: The Youth and the Demons

A youth became very practised at the recollection of the Buddha, so when he was attacked by Amanussas he called out: ‘Homage to the Buddha’, which forced the Amanussas to serve him; when the king found out he asked the Buddha if only this recollection was an effective protection, and the Buddha taught six types of meditation.

Keywords: Amanussa, Meditation, Protective Chanting

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“Gotama’s disciples always awake,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Veḷuvana with reference to the son of a wagon driver. {3.455}

There lived at Rājagaha two youths who spent most of their time playing ball. One of them was the son of someone with right view, the other the son of someone with wrong view. The son of someone with right view used to practice meditation on the Buddha as he threw the ball, and would say as he threw the ball: “Praise be to the Buddha!” The other youth used to proclaim the merits of the sectarians and would say as he threw the ball: “Praise be to the Arahats!” Of the two youths, the son of someone with right view invariably won, while the other youth invariably lost.

The son of the heretic observed the actions of his rival, {3.456} and said to [30.180] himself: “This youth practices such and such a form of meditation and says such and such words as he throws the ball, and by so doing invariably gets the best of me; I also will do likewise.” Accordingly he began to familiarize himself with meditation on the Buddha.

Now one day his father yoked his wagon and set out to procure firewood, taking his son with him. After filling his wagon with firewood in the forest, he set out to return. On his way back he stopped outside of the city near a charnel ground in a pleasant place where there was water, unyoked his oxen, and dealt out the food. In the evening his oxen followed a herd of cattle into the city. The wagon-driver started after his oxen, entered the city, found his oxen while it was still evening, and taking them with him, set out to depart from the city. But he could not find the gate; indeed, before he reached the gate, it had been closed. When it was night-time, his son lay down under the wagon all by himself and fell asleep.

Now Rājagaha was ordinarily haunted by many Amanussas, and it was near a charnel ground that the youth lay down to sleep. As he lay there, two Amanussa caught sight of him. One of them preyed upon the charnel ground and was a holder of wrong views, while the other was a holder of right views. Said the holder of wrong views to the holder of right views: “This man is our prey; let us eat him.” The holder of right views replied: “Enough! Get rid of that idea!” But in spite of the efforts of the holder of right views to prevent him, the holder of wrong views disregarded his words, and taking hold of the youth by the feet, tried to drag him away. {3.457}

At that instant, as the result of the youth’s thorough familiarity with the practice of meditation upon the Buddha, the youth exclaimed: “Homage be to the Buddha!” Thereupon the Amanussa, terrified with great fear, stepped back. Said the holder of right views: “We have done what we ought not to have done; we shall pay the penalty for this.” So saying, the holder of right views stood guard over the youth, while the holder of wrong views entered the city, filled the king’s dish with food, and brought it back with him. Then both of the Amanussa ministered to the youth as would a mother and a father, assisting him to rise and giving him food to eat. Finally, through their supernatural power as Yakkhas, they cut letters on the king’s dish, telling what they had done, saying to themselves: “Let the king see these letters, but no one else.” And placing the dish in the wagon, they stood guard over the wagon all night long and then went their way. [30.181]

On the following day the cry went forth: “The king’s dish has been removed from the palace by thieves.” Thereupon the people closed the gates of the city and searched the city. But not finding the dish within the city, they went out of the city, and after looking everywhere, found the golden dish in the wagon. Then they took the youth prisoner, saying: “Here is the thief,” and brought him before the king. When the king saw the letters, he asked the youth: “Friend, what does this mean?” – “I know not, your majesty,” replied the youth: “My mother and father came by night and brought me food and stood guard over me. I thought to myself: ‘My mother and father are guarding me from harm,’ and free from fear, I fell asleep. That is all I know about it.”

At that moment the mother and father of the youth came to that place. When the king heard what had happened, he took those three persons with him, {3.458} went to the Teacher, and told him the whole story. “Venerable Sir,” he asked: “Is meditation on the Buddha alone a protection, or are meditation on the Dhamma and other forms of meditation also means of protection?” The Teacher replied: “Great king, meditation on the Buddha is not the sole means of protection, but those whose thoughts have been well disciplined by any of the six types of meditation have no need of any other protection or means of defense, nor of spells or herbs.” So saying, he enumerated the six types of meditation by pronouncing the following verses:

296. Suppabuddhaṁ pabujjhanti sadā Gotamasāvakā,
yesaṁ divā ca ratto ca niccaṁ Buddhagatā sati.

Gotama’s disciples always
awake to a good wakening,
those who day and night constantly
have mindfulness of the Buddha.

297. Suppabuddhaṁ pabujjhanti sadā Gotamasāvakā,
yesaṁ divā ca ratto ca niccaṁ Dhammagatā sati.

Gotama’s disciples always
awake to a good wakening,
those who day and night constantly
have mindfulness of the Dhamma.

298. Suppabuddhaṁ pabujjhanti sadā Gotamasāvakā,
yesaṁ divā ca ratto ca niccaṁ Saṅghagatā sati.

Gotama’s disciples always
awake to a good wakening,
those who day and night constantly
have mindfulness of the Saṅgha.

299. Suppabuddhaṁ pabujjhanti sadā Gotamasāvakā,
yesaṁ divā ca ratto ca niccaṁ kāyagatā sati.

Gotama’s disciples always
awake to a good wakening,
those who day and night constantly
have mindfulness of the body.

300. Suppabuddhaṁ pabujjhanti sadā Gotamasāvakā,
yesaṁ divā ca ratto ca ahiṁsāya rato mano.

Gotama’s disciples always
awake to a good wakening,
those who day and night have a mind
that delights in non-violence.

301. Suppabuddhaṁ pabujjhanti sadā Gotamasāvakā
yesaṁ divā ca ratto ca bhāvanāya rato mano.

Gotama’s disciples always
awake to a good wakening,
those who day and night have a mind
that delights in cultivation.

At the end of the teaching the youth, together with his mother and father, was established in the fruition of {3.460} Stream-entry. Later, after ordaining, they all reached Arahatship. The assembly also had benefit from the Dhamma teaching.