22.5 The Story about a Stubborn Bhikkhu
Dubbacabhikkhuvatthu
Dhp 311-313
Burlingame: The Presumptuous Monk
A bhikkhu broke off the tip of a blade of grass and was worried whether he had broken a rule, so he asked another bhikkhu who told him it was of no account as he could confess his fault, and to emphasise his point he broke off a clump of grass; the Buddha strongly rebuked them both with some verses.
Keywords: Discipline
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“As jagged grass, wrongly grasped,”
It seems that a certain bhikkhu thoughtlessly broke off a single blade of grass. His conscience troubled him about it, and so he went to a certain other bhikkhu, told him what he had done, and asked him the following question: “Friend, what happens to a bhikkhu who breaks off a blade of grass?” The other bhikkhu replied: “Evidently you think something happens to a man who breaks off a blade of grass, but such is not the case. One has but to confess what he has done and he is free.” So saying,
The bhikkhus reported the incident to the Teacher. The Teacher rebuked that bhikkhu soundly, and teaching the Dhamma, pronounced the following verses:
311. Kuso yathā duggahito hattham-evānukantati,
sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ Nirayāyupakaḍḍhati.
As jagged grass, wrongly grasped,
cuts into the hand, so does the
ascetic life, wrongly grasped,
drag one down to Niraya Hell.
312. Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ saṅkiliṭṭhañ-ca yaṁ vataṁ,
saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ na taṁ hoti mahapphalaṁ.
Whatever lax deed there is and
that vow which is defiled, know that
a holy life that is doubtful
does not have great fruit for that one.
313. Kayirañ-ce kayirāthenaṁ, daḷham-enaṁ parakkame,
saṭhilo hi paribbājo bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.
If he would do what should be done,
he should be firm in his effort,
for the wanderer who is lax
spreads a lot of impurity.
At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on, and that bhikkhu was steady in restraint, and after developing insight he reached Arahatship.