25.7 The Story about a Company of Bhikkhus
Sambahulānaṁ Bhikkhūnaṁ Vatthu

“That monastic who has loving-kindness,” [30.254] this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a company of bhikkhus.

For once upon a time, while venerable Mahā Kaccāna was in residence in the Avanti country on a mountain near the city of Kuraraghara, a lay disciple named Soṇa Kūṭikaṇṇa, convinced of the truth of the Dhamma by the teaching of the elder, expressed a desire to go forth under the elder. The elder said: “Soṇa, it is a difficult matter to eat alone and lodge alone and live a life of chastity,” and twice turned him away.

But Soṇa was determined to go forth, and on asking the elder the third time, he went forth. On account of the scarcity of bhikkhus in the South, he spent three years in that country, and then took his higher ordination. Desiring to see the Teacher face to face, he asked leave of his preceptor, and taking a message from him, set out for Jetavana.

On reaching Jetavana, he worshipped the Teacher, who greeted him in a friendly manner and permitted him to lodge in the Perfumed Chamber alone with himself. Soṇa spent the greater part of the night in the open air, and then, entering the Perfumed Chamber, spent the rest of the night on the couch assigned to him for his own use.

When the dawn came, he intoned by command of the Teacher all of the Chapter of the Eights. AJ: Aṭṭhakavagga, now found as the 4^th chapter of the Suttanipāta. {4.102} When he had completed his recitation of the text, the Teacher thanked him and applauded him, saying: “Well done, well done, bhikkhu!” Hearing the applause bestowed upon him by the Teacher, the Devas, beginning with the Bhummaṭṭhaka Devatās, Nāgas and the Supaṇṇas, and extending to the world of Brahma, gave a shout of applause.

At that moment also the Devatā resident in the house of the eminent female lay disciple who was the mother of the Elder Soṇa in Kuraraghara city, at a distance of 120 leagues from the Jetavana, gave a loud shout of applause. The female lay disciple said to the Devatā: “Who is this that gives applause?” The Devatā replied: “It is I, sister.” – “Who are you?” – “I am the Devatā resident in your [30.255] house.” – “You have never before bestowed applause upon me; why do you do so today?” – “I am not bestowing applause upon you.” – “Then upon whom are you bestowing applause?” – “Upon your son Elder Kūṭikaṇṇa Soṇa.” – “What has my son done?”

“Today, your son, residing alone with the Teacher in the Perfumed Chamber, recited the Dhamma to the Teacher. The Teacher, pleased with your son’s recitation of the Dhamma, bestowed applause upon him; therefore I also bestowed applause upon him. For when the Devas heard the applause bestowed upon your son by the Sambuddha, all of them, from Bhummaṭṭhaka Devatās to the world of Brahma, gave a shout of applause.” – “Master, do you really mean that my son recited the Dhamma to the Teacher? Did not the Teacher recite the Dhamma to my son?” – “It was your son who recited the Dhamma to the Teacher.”

As the Devatā thus spoke, the five kinds of joy sprang up within the lay disciple, suffusing her whole body. Then the following thought occurred to her: “If my son has been able, residing alone with the Teacher in the Perfumed Chamber, to recite the Dhamma to him, {4.103} he will be able to recite the Dhamma to me also. When my son returns, I will arrange for a hearing of the Dhamma and will listen to his teaching of the Dhamma.”

When the Teacher bestowed applause upon Elder Soṇa, the elder thought to himself: “Now is the time for me to announce the message which my preceptor gave me.” Accordingly Elder Soṇa asked the Teacher for five boons, asking first for higher ordination to be given by just five bhikkhus in the borderlands, of whom one was a bhikkhu versed in the Vinaya. AJ: in the Middle Lands this requires ten bhikkhus. For a few days longer he resided with the Teacher, and then, thinking to himself: “I will now go see my preceptor,” took leave of the Teacher, departed from the Jetavana, and in due course arrived at the abode of his preceptor.

On the following day the elder took Elder Soṇa with him and set out on his rounds for alms, going to the door of the house of the female lay disciple who was the mother of Soṇa. When the mother of Soṇa saw her son, her heart was filled with joy. She showed him every attention and asked him: “Dear son, is the report true that you resided alone with the Teacher in the Perfumed Chamber, and that you recited the Dhamma to the Teacher?” – “Lay disciple, who told you that?” – “Dear son, the Devatā who resides in this house gave a loud shout of applause, and when I asked: ‘Who is this that gives applause?’ the Devatā replied: ‘It is I,’ and told me thus and so.

After I had listened to what he had to say, the following thought [30.256] occurred to me: ‘If my son has recited the Dhamma to the Teacher, he will be able to recite the Dhamma to me also.’ Dear son, since you have recited the Dhamma to the Teacher, you will be able to recite it to me also. Therefore on such and such a day I will arrange for a hearing of the Dhamma, and will listen to your teaching of the Dhamma.” He consented.

The female lay disciple gave alms to the company of bhikkhus and rendered honor to them. Then she said to herself: “I will hear my son teach the Dhamma.” And leaving but a single female slave behind to guard the house, {4.104} she took all of her attendants with her and went to hear the Dhamma. Within the city, in a pavilion erected for the hearing of the Dhamma, her son ascended the gloriously adorned Dhamma Seat and began to teach the Dhamma.

Now at this time nine hundred thieves were prowling about, trying to find some way of getting into the house of this female lay disciple. Now as a precaution against thieves, her house was surrounded with seven walls, provided with seven battlemented gates, and at frequent intervals about the circuit of the walls were savage dogs on the leash. Moreover within, where the water dripped from the house-roof, a trench had been dug and filled with lead. In the daytime this mass of lead melted in the rays of the sun and became viscous, and in the night-time the surface became stiff and hard. Close to the trench, great iron pickets had been sunk in the ground in unbroken succession. Such were the precautionary measures against thieves taken by this female lay disciple.

By reason of the defenses without the house and the presence of the lay disciple within, those thieves had been unable to find any way of getting in. But on that particular day, observing that she had left the house, they dug a tunnel under the leaden trench and the iron pickets, and thus succeeded in getting into the house. Having effected an entrance into the house, they sent the ringleader to watch the mistress of the house, saying to him: “If she hears that we have entered the house, and turns and sets out in the direction of the house, strike her with your sword and kill her.”

The ringleader went and stood beside her. The thieves, once within the house, lighted a light and opened the door of the room where the copper coins were kept. The maidservant saw the thieves, went to the female lay disciple her mistress, and told her: “My lady, many thieves have entered your house and have opened the door of the room where the copper coins are kept.” The female lay disciple replied: “Let the thieves take all the copper coins they see. I am [30.257] listening to my son as he teaches the Dhamma. Do not spoil the Dhamma for me. Go home.” So saying, she sent her back.

When the thieves had emptied the room where the copper coins were kept, {4.105} they opened the door of the room where the silver coins were kept. The maidservant went once more to her mistress and told her what had happened. The female lay disciple replied: “Let the thieves take whatever they will; do not spoil the Dhamma for me,” and sent her back again.

When the thieves had emptied the room where the silver coins were kept, they opened the door of the room where the gold coins were kept. The maidservant went once more to her mistress and told her what had happened. Then the female lay disciple addressed her and said: “Woman! You have come to me twice, and I have said to you: ‘Let the thieves take whatever they wish to; I am listening to my son as he teaches the Dhamma; do not bother me.’ But in spite of all I have said, you have paid no attention to my words; on the contrary, you come back here again and again just the same. If you come back here once more, I shall deal with you according to your deserts. Go back home again.” So saying, she sent her back.

When the leader of the thieves heard these words of the female lay disciple, he said to himself: “If we steal the property of such a woman as this, a thunderbolt will fall and break our heads.” So he went to the thieves and said: “Hurry and put back the wealth of the female lay disciple where it was before.” So the thieves filled again the room where the copper coins were kept with the copper coins, and the gold and silver rooms with the gold and silver coins. It is invariably true, we are told, that the Dhamma protects whoever walks in the Dhamma. Therefore the Fortunate One said: AJ: Thag vs. 303.

The Dhamma protects one living by it,
the Dhamma well-practised brings happiness,
this is the advantage of the Dhamma:
it does not lead to bad destinations.

The thieves went to the pavilion and listened to the Dhamma. As the night grew bright, the elder finished his recitation of the Dhamma and descended from the Dhamma seat. At that moment the leader of the thieves prostrated himself at the feet of the female lay disciple and said to her: “Pardon me, my lady.” – “Friend, what do you mean?” {4.106} – “I took a dislike to you and stood beside you, intending to kill you.” – “Very well, friend, I pardon you.” The rest of the thieves did the same. “Friends, I pardon you,” said the female [30.258] lay disciple. Then said the thieves to the female lay disciple: “My lady, if you pardon us, obtain for us the privilege of going forth under your son.”

The female lay disciple saluted her son and said: “Dear son, these thieves are so pleased with my good qualities and with your recitation of the Dhamma, that they desire to go forth; please let them go forth.” – “Very well,” replied the elder. So he caused the skirts of the undergarments they wore to be cut off, had their garments dyed with red clay, had them go forth, and established them in the precepts. When they had made their higher ordination, he gave to each one of them a separate subject of meditation. Then those nine hundred bhikkhus took the nine hundred subjects of meditation which they had severally received, climbed a certain mountain, and sitting each under the shadow of a separate tree, applied themselves to meditation.

The Teacher, even as he sat in the Great Monastery at Jetavana, 120 leagues away, scrutinized those bhikkhus, chose a form of instruction suited to their dispositions, sent forth a radiant image of himself, and as though sitting face to face with them and talking to them, pronounced the following verses:

368. Mettāvihārī yo bhikkhu, pasanno Buddhasāsane,
adhigacche padaṁ santaṁ, saṅkhārūpasamaṁ sukhaṁ.

That bhikkhu who lives with loving-kindness,
with faith in the Buddha’s dispensation,
should surely attain to the state of peace,
the joy in the stilling of conditions.

369. Siñca bhikkhu imaṁ nāvaṁ, sittā te lahum-essati,
chetvā rāgañ-ca dosañ-ca, tato Nibbānam-ehisi.

You must bail out this boat, bhikkhu,
when bailed out it will go lightly,
cutting off passion and hatred,
from here one goes to Nibbāna.

370. Pañca chinde, pañca jahe, pañca cuttaribhāvaye,
pañca saṅgātigo bhikkhu oghatiṇṇo ti vuccati.

One should cut off five, abandon
five and then cultivate five more,
the bhikkhu who surmounts the five
attachments is called flood-crosser. AJ: the commentarial interpretation of this verse is: One should cut off the five lower destinations, abandon the five lower fetters, cultivate five spiritual faculties; the monastic who surmounts the attachments of passion, hatred, delusion and conceit and views, is called one who has crossed the flood. {4.107}

371. Jhāya, bhikkhu, mā ca pāmado,
mā te kāmaguṇe bhamassu cittaṁ,
mā lohaguḷaṁ gilī, pamatto,
mā kandi: ‘Dukkham-idan’-ti ḍayhamāno.

Meditate, bhikkhu, and don’t be heedless,
don’t let your mind swirl in strands of desire,
don’t, heedless, swallow a hot iron ball,
do not, burning, cry: ‘This is suffering.’

372. No More jhānaṁ apaññassa, paññā natthi ajhāyato,
yamhi jhānañ-ca paññā ca sa ve Nibbānasantike.

There’s no meditation for one without wisdom,
there’s no wisdom for one without meditation,
the one who has both meditation and wisdom
is indeed in the presence of Nibbāna.

373. Suññāgāraṁ paviṭṭhassa, santacittassa bhikkhuno,
amānusī ratī hoti sammā Dhammaṁ vipassato.

For the one in an empty place,
a bhikkhu with a peaceful mind,
there is superhuman delight
from insight into true Dhamma.

374. Yato yato sammasati khandhānaṁ udayabbayaṁ
labhatī pītipāmojjaṁ, amataṁ taṁ vijānataṁ.

Whoever has right mindfulness
regarding mind and body
gains joy and happiness, that is
the deathless state for one who knows. [30.259]

375. Tatrāyam-ādi bhavati idha paññassa bhikkhuno:
indriyagutti santuṭṭhī, pātimokkhe ca saṁvaro.

This is the very beginning
for the bhikkhu who is wise here;
contentment, guarding the senses,
restraint in the regulations.

376. Mitte bhajassu kalyāṇe suddhājīve atandite,
paṭisanthāravuttassa ācārakusalo siyā,
tato pāmojjabahulo, dukkhassantaṁ karissati.

One should resort to spiritual friends,
ones of pure life, ones who are diligent,
one should be of friendly disposition,
one who will be skilful in his conduct,
having much happiness from that reason,
one will then make an end to suffering.

Then, when the Teacher had taught these verses, at the conclusion of each of the verses, one by one, the hundred bhikkhus, AJ: the story spoke of 900. while sitting right there, attained Arahatship, together with the analytic knowledges. After rising up onto the sky, all of those bhikkhus, after going through the air and crossing that desert for 120 leagues, while praising and extolling the golden body of the Realised One, worshipped at his feet.