22.7 The Story about a Company of Bhikkhus

Dhp 315

Burlingame: Fortify Yourself Like a City

Some bhikkhus spent the Rains Retreat in the border country, but after some time the village was attacked and the inhabitants had to spend all their time reinforcing the village, and did not look after the bhikkhus well; later they reported the matter to the Buddha, who taught them with a verse.

Keywords: Thieves, Monastics

“As a border town is guarded,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a company of visiting bhikkhus.

It seems that these bhikkhus went to a certain frontier country, entered upon the Rains Retreat, and passed the first month pleasantly. In the second month, however, a band of thieves came and attacked the village to which they were accustomed to resort for alms, and carried away some of the inhabitants as prisoners. From that time on, the men were so busy fortifying that frontier city against thieves that they found no opportunity to minister properly to the needs of those bhikkhus. The result was that the bhikkhus spent their Rains Retreat in great discomfort.

When they had completed the Rains Retreat, they returned to Sāvatthī to see the Teacher, {3.488} worshipped the Teacher, and sat down respectfully on one side. The Teacher, after exchanging the usual friendly [30.196] greetings with them, asked them: “Bhikkhus, did you pass the time pleasantly?” – “Venerable Sir,” replied the bhikkhus, “the first month we spent there was a very pleasant one. But in the second month a band of thieves attacked the village, and from that time on, the inhabitants were so busily engaged in fortifying the city that they found no opportunity to minister properly to our needs. The result was that we had a very uncomfortable time.”

The Teacher said: “Never mind, bhikkhus; be not disturbed. It is a difficult matter to obtain a pleasant dwelling at all times. But just as those men guarded their city, so ought a bhikkhu to guard himself.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:

315. Nagaraṁ yathā paccantaṁ guttaṁ santarabāhiraṁ,
evaṁ gopetha attānaṁ, khaṇo vo mā upaccagā,
khaṇātītā hi socanti Nirayamhi samappitā.

As a border town is guarded
on the inside and the outside,
so one should watch over oneself,
and should not let the moment pass,
for when the chance has passed they grieve,
when consigned to Niraya Hell. {3.489}

At the end of the teaching those bhikkhus, with spiritual urgency aroused, were established in Arahatship.