23.2 The Story about the Bhikkhu Who Had Been an Elephant-Trainer
Hatthācariyabhikkhuvatthu
Dhp 323
CST4: Hatthācariyapubbakabhikkhuvatthu, the Story about the Bhikkhu Who Had Formerly Been an Elephant-Trainer
Burlingame: The Monk Who Had Been an Elephant-Trainer
A bhikkhu who had previously been an elephant-trainer saw a man struggling to train an elephant and successfully advised him on his task; when the Buddha heard about it he rebuked him and advised him on what really needs to be trained.
Keywords: Animals, Training
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“Not by vehicles can one go,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a certain bhikkhu who had previously been an elephant-trainer.
It seems that one day this bhikkhu stood by the bank of the river Aciravatī watching an elephant-tamer try to break in an elephant. Observing that the elephant-tamer was not succeeding very well in teaching his elephant the tricks he wished to teach him, the bhikkhu said to some other bhikkhus who stood near: “Friends, if this elephant-trainer were to prick this elephant in such and such a place, he would very quickly teach him the trick he wishes to teach him.” The elephant-trainer heard what he said, followed his suggestion, and soon compelled the elephant to submit to his will.
The bhikkhus reported the matter to the Teacher. The Teacher caused that bhikkhu to be summoned before him and asked him: “Is it true that you said this?” – “Yes, venerable Sir, it is true.” Thereupon the Teacher rebuked him and said: “Vain man, what have you to do either with an elephant or with any other tamed animal? For it is not on such vehicles as these that a man can go to that
323. Na hi etehi yānehi gaccheyya agataṁ disaṁ,
yathattanā sudantena, danto dantena gacchati.
Not by vehicles can one go
to the place beyond destinations,
as one through training himself well,
being trained by the training, goes.
At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.