23.7 The Story about a Company of Bhikkhus
Sambahulabhikkhuvatthu

“If you find a prudent, wise friend,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Protected Forest near Pārileyyaka, [30.212] with reference to a company of bhikkhus. {4.27}

The story occurs in the Chapter about the Pairs in the commentary on the verses beginning with the words: “The others do not understand.” AJ: see Dhp-a 1.5 The Story about those from Kosambī.

It became known over all Jambudīpa that the Teacher was residing in Protected Forest, attended by a noble elephant. From the city of Sāvatthī, Anāthapiṇḍika, Visākhā, the eminent female lay disciple, and other such great personages sent the following message to the Elder Ānanda: “Venerable Sir, obtain for us the privilege of seeing the Teacher.” Likewise five hundred bhikkhus residing abroad approached the Elder Ānanda at the close of the rainy season and made the following request: “It is a long time, Ānanda, since we have heard a discourse on the Dhamma from the lips of the Fortunate One. We should like, friend Ānanda, if you please, to have the privilege of hearing a discourse on the Dhamma from the lips of the Fortunate One.”

So the elder took those bhikkhus with him and went to Protected Forest. When he reached the forest, he thought to himself: “The Realised One has resided in solitude for a period of three months. It is therefore not fitting that I should approach him all at once with so many bhikkhus as these.” Accordingly he left those bhikkhus outside and approached the Teacher quite alone. When the elephant Pārileyyaka saw the elder, he took his staff and rushed forward.

The Teacher looked around and said to the elephant: “Come back, Pārileyyaka; do not drive him away. He is an attendant of the Buddha.” The elephant immediately threw away his staff and requested the privilege of taking the elder’s bowl and robe. The elder refused. The elephant thought to himself: “If he is versed in the rules of etiquette, he will refrain from placing his monastic requisites on the stone slab where the Teacher is accustomed to sit.” The elder placed his bowl and robe on the ground. For those who are versed in the rules of etiquette never place their own monastic requisites on the seat or bed of their spiritual superiors.

The elder, after saluting the Teacher, {4.28} seated himself on one side. The Teacher asked him: “Did you come alone?” The elder informed him that he had come with five hundred bhikkhus. “But where are they?” asked the Teacher. “I did not know how you would feel about it, and therefore I left them outside and came in alone.” – “Tell them to come in.” The elder did so. The Teacher exchanged friendly greetings with the bhikkhus.

Then the bhikkhus said to the Teacher: [30.212] “Venerable Sir, the Fortunate One is a delicate Buddha, a delicate prince. You must have endured much hardship, standing and sitting here alone as you have during these three months. For, of course, you had no one to perform the major and minor duties for you, no one to offer you water for bathing the face or to perform any of the other duties for you.”

The Teacher replied: “Bhikkhus, the elephant Pārileyyaka performed all of these offices for me. For one who obtains such a companion as he may well live alone; did one fail to find such, even so the life of solitude were better for him.” So saying, he pronounced these three verses in the Chapter about the Elephant:

328. Sace labhetha nipakaṁ sahāyaṁ
saddhiṁcaraṁ sādhuvihāridhīraṁ,
abhibhuyya sabbāni parissayāni
careyya tenattamano satīmā.

If you find a prudent, wise friend
or companion who lives well,
overcoming all your troubles,
live with that one, glad and mindful.

329. No ce labhetha nipakaṁ sahāyaṁ
saddhiṁcaraṁ sādhuvihāridhīraṁ,
rājā va raṭṭhaṁ vijitaṁ pahāya
eko care mātaṅgaraññe va nāgo.

If you find a prudent, wise friend
or companion who lives well,
like a king who abandons his
conquered kingdom, live alone, like
an elephant in the forest. {4.29}

330. Ekassa caritaṁ seyyo, natthi bāle sahāyatā,
eko care na ca pāpāni kayirā,
appossukko mātaṅgaraññe va nāgo.

It is better to live alone,
there is no friendship with a fool,
one should live alone and not do
wicked things, unconcerned like
an elephant in the forest. {4.31}

At the conclusion of the verses the five hundred bhikkhus were established in Arahatship.