24.1 The Story about Kapilamaccha
Kapilamacchavatthu

“For a human who lives life heedlessly,” [30.215] {4.37} this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Kapilamaccha (Tawny Fish).

1a. Story of the Past: The Insolent Bhikkhu. The Bandits

It seems that in times long past, when the Fortunate One Kassapa passed into Parinibbāna, two brothers of respectable family went forth and became bhikkhus under their disciples. The name of the older brother was Sodhana, and that of the younger was Kapila. Likewise their mother Sādhinī and their younger sister Tāpanā went forth and became bhikkhunīs. After the two brothers had become bhikkhus, they performed regularly and faithfully the major and minor duties to their teachers and their preceptors.

One day they asked the following question: “Venerable Sir, how many duties are there in this dispensation?” and received the following answer: “There are two duties: the duty of study and the duty of meditation.” Thereupon the older brother said: “I will fulfill the duty of meditation,” and for five years kept residence with his teacher and his preceptor. Obtaining a subject of meditation leading to Arahatship, he entered the forest, and after striving and struggling with might and main, attained Arahatship.

Said the younger brother: “I am young yet; when I am old, I will fulfill the duty of meditation.” {4.38} Accordingly he assumed the duty of study and learned by heart the Three Baskets. By his knowledge of the texts, he gained a great following, and through his following, rich offerings. Drunk with the intoxication of great learning, and overcome with craving for gain, he was led by overweening pride of knowledge to pronounce a thing said by others, even when it was right, to be wrong; even when wrong, to be right: even when it was innocent, to be guilty; even when guilty, to be innocent. The kindly bhikkhus used to say to him: “Friend Kapila, do not speak [30.216] thus,” and would admonish him, quoting to him the Dhamma and the Discipline. But Kapila would reply: “What do you know, empty-fists?” and would go about snubbing and disparaging others.

The bhikkhus reported the matter to his brother, Elder Sodhana. Sodhana went to him and said: “Friend Kapila, for men such as you, right conduct is the life of religion; therefore you should not abandon right conduct, reject that which is right and proper and speak as you do.” Thus did Sodhana admonish his brother Kapila. But the latter paid no attention to what he said. However, Sodhana admonished him two or three times, but seeing that he paid no attention to his words, left him, saying: “Well, friend, you will become notorious for your doings.” {4.39} And from that time on, the rest of the kindly bhikkhus would have nothing to do with him.

Thus did he adopt a bad mode of conduct and go about with companions confirmed like himself in a bad mode of conduct. One day he said to himself: “I will recite the Pātimokkha in the Observance Hall.” So taking a fan and seating himself in the Dhamma seat, he recited the Pātimokkha, asking the usual question: “Friends, are there, among the bhikkhus who are here gathered together, any who have anything to confess?” The bhikkhus thought: “What is the use of giving this fellow an answer?” Observing that the bhikkhus all remained silent, he said: “Friends, there is no Dhamma or Discipline; what difference does it make whether you hear the Pātimokkha or not?” So saying, he arose from the seat. Thus did he retard the teaching of the word of the Fortunate Kassapa.

Elder Sodhana attained Nibbāna in that very state of existence. As for Kapila, at the end of his allotted term of life, he was reborn in the Mahā Niraya Hell of Avīci. Kapila’s mother and sister followed his example, reviled and abused the kindly bhikkhus, and were reborn in that same Niraya Hell.

Now at that time there were five hundred men who made a living by plundering villages. One day the men of the countryside pursued them, whereupon they fled and entered the forest. Seeing no refuge there, and meeting a certain forest hermit, they saluted him and said to him: “Venerable Sir, be our refuge.” The elder replied: “For you there is no refuge like the precepts. {4.40} Do you take upon yourselves, all of you, the five precepts.” – “Very well,” agreed the bandits, and took upon themselves the five precepts. Then the elder admonished them, saying: “Now that you have taken upon yourselves the precepts, not even for the sake of saving your lives, [30.217] may you transgress the precepts, or entertain mental corruption.” – “Very well,” said the former bandits, giving their promise.

When the men of the countryside reached that place, they searched everywhere, and discovering the bandits, deprived all those bandits of life. So the bandits died and were reborn in the Deva Realm; the leader of the bandits became the leading Devaputta of the group.

1b. Story of the Present: The Fishermen and the Fish with Stinking Breath

After passing through the round of existences forward and backward in the Deva Realm for the period of an interval between two Buddhas, they were reborn in the dispensation of the present Buddha in a village of fishermen consisting of five hundred households near the gate of the city of Sāvatthī.

The leader of the band of Devas received a new conception in the house of the leader of the fishermen, and the other Devas in the houses of the other fishermen. Thus on one and the same day all received a new conception and came forth from the wombs of their mothers. The leader of the fishermen thought to himself: “Were not some other boys born in this village today?” causing a search to be made, he learned that the companions had been reborn in the same place. “These will be the companions of my son,” he thought, and sent food to them all for their sustenance. They all became playfellows and friends, and in the course of time grew to manhood. The oldest of the fishermen’s sons won fame and glory and became the leading man of the group. {4.41}

Kapila was tormented in Niraya Hell during the period of an interval between two Buddhas, and through the fruit of his wicked deeds which still remained, was reborn at this time in the river Aciravatī as a fish. His skin was of a golden hue, but he had a stinking breath.

Now one day those companions said to themselves: “Let us snare some fish.” So taking a net, they threw it into the river. It so happened that this fish fell into their net. When the residents of the village of fishermen saw the fish, they made merry and said: “The first time our sons snared fish, they caught a goldfish; now the king will give us abundant wealth.” The companions tossed the fish into a boat and went to the king. When the king saw the fish, he asked: “What is that?” – “A fish, your majesty,” replied the companions. When the king saw it was a goldfish, he thought to himself: “The [30.218] Teacher will know the reason why this fish has a golden hue.” So ordering the fish to be carried for him, he went to the Teacher. As soon as the fish opened his mouth, the whole of Jetavana stank. The king asked the Teacher: “Venerable Sir, how did this fish come to have a golden hue? And why is it that he has a stinking breath?”

“Great king, in the dispensation of the Fortunate One Kassapa, this fish was a bhikkhu named Kapila, and Kapila was very learned and had a large following. But he was overcome with desire of gain, and would abuse and revile those who would not take him at his word. Thus did he retard the dispensation of the Fortunate Kassapa, {4.42} and was therefore reborn in the Avīci Hell, and because the fruit of his wicked deed has not yet been exhausted, has just been reborn as a fish. Now since for a long time he taught the word of the Buddha and recited the praises of the Buddha, for this cause he has received a golden hue. But because he reviled and abused the bhikkhus, for this cause he has come to have a stinking breath. I will let him speak for himself, great king.” – “Venerable Sir, by all means let him speak for himself.”

So the Teacher asked the fish: “Are you Kapila?” – “Yes, venerable Sir, I am Kapila.” – “Where have you come from?” – “From the Mahā Niraya Hell of Avīci, venerable Sir.” – “What became of your older brother Sodhana?” – “He passed into Parinibbāna, venerable Sir.” – “But what became of your mother Sādhinī?” – “She was reborn in Niraya Hell, venerable Sir.” – “And what became of your younger sister Tāpanā?” – “She was reborn in the Mahā Niraya Hell, venerable Sir.” – “Where shall you go now?” – “Into the Mahā Niraya Hell of Avīci, venerable Sir.” So saying, the fish, overcome with remorse, struck his head against the boat, died then and there, and was reborn in Niraya Hell. The multitude that stood by were greatly excited, insomuch that the hair of their bodies stood on end. At that moment the Fortunate One, perceiving the disposition of mind of the company assembled there, taught the Dhamma in a way suiting the occasion:

A Dhamma-life, a Brahma-life,
this, they say, is the highest wealth, BG: Kapila (or Dhammacariya) Sutta, Snp 2.6. AJ: only the first two lines are quoted in the commentary, I include the other two lines here, and a translation of the rest of the verses just below.
if he is one who goes forth from
the home unto the homeless life.

Beginning with these words, the Teacher recited in full the Kapila Discourse, found in the Anthology of Discourses.

But if he is loud-mouthed,
delights in vexation, beastly,
his life only gets worse
as his defilements grow.

The monk who delights in quarrels,
who is hindered by delusion,
not knowing what is declared in
the Dhamma taught by the Buddha,

who irritates the cultivated,
who is beset by ignorance,
who does not know the defilements,
that is the path that goes to Niraya.

Entering the place of destruction,
womb to womb, darkness to darkness,
a bhikkhu such as this, after
his death, goes on to suffering.

For one who is like a cesspit,
which is full with years of usage,
the one who is like this
is hard to clean, he is defiled.

Know that the one like this, bhikkhus,
who’s attached to living at home,
has bad wishes, bad intentions,
bad behaviour, and wrong resort.

Coming together in harmony
all of you should expel that one,
you should remove the rubbish,
you should put aside the impure.

Therefore remove the useless one,
who is not an ascetic, as he thinks,
removing one of bad wishes,
bad behaviour, and wrong resort.

The pure should associate with the pure,
you should live on, being mindful,
intelligent, harmonious:
you will make an end to suffering.

Having so done, he pronounced the following verses: {4.43}

334. Manujassa pamattacārino
taṇhā vaḍḍhati māluvā viya,
so palavatī hurāhuraṁ
phalam-icchaṁ va vanasmi’ vānaro.

For a human who lives life heedlessly
craving increases like clinging creeper,
he rushes from one place to another
like a monkey desiring forest fruit. [30.219]

335. Yaṁ esā sahatī jammī taṇhā loke visattikā,
sokā tassa pavaḍḍhanti abhivaṭṭhaṁ va bīraṇaṁ.

That one who is overcome by
these low cravings and attachments
in the world, for him griefs increase
like grass that has had heavy rain.

336. Yo cetaṁ sahatī jammiṁ taṇhaṁ loke duraccayaṁ,
sokā tamhā papatanti udabindu va pokkharā.

Whoever overcomes craving
in the world, which is difficult
to get past, griefs fall from him like
drops of water from a lotus.

337. Taṁ vo vadāmi: “Bhaddaṁ vo yāvantettha samāgatā”,
taṇhāya mūlaṁ khaṇatha, usīrattho va bīraṇaṁ,
mā vo naḷaṁ va soto va Māro bhañji punappunaṁ.

This I say to you: “Good luck to
as many as have assembled,”
dig up the root of craving, like
one seeking the root digs up grass,
do not let Māra push you down
like a stream pushes down the reed.

At the end of the teaching those five hundred fishermen had spiritual urgency, and desiring to put an end to suffering, having gone forth in the Teacher’s presence, in no long time, having made an end of suffering, together with the Teacher they each enjoyed the state of the attainment of living imperturbably.