25.10 The Story about the Elder Naṅgalakula

Dhp 379-380

Burlingame: The Monk and the Ragged Garment

Compare: Dhp-a 10.10

The poor man Naṅgalakula was ordained, but became discontented, and thought to return to the lay life; but finding his previous rags he took them as a meditation subject and soon became an Arahat; the Buddha confirmed it to the bhikkhus and spoke some verses.

Keywords: Poverty, Livelihood

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“By oneself one should censure self,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Elder Naṅgalakula. {4.115}

It seems that there was a certain poor man who made his living by working for other people. One day a bhikkhu saw him going along, clad only in a ragged loin-cloth, with his plow on his shoulder. [30.261] Said the bhikkhu to the plowman: “If this is the way you make your living, why shouldn’t you go forth?” – “Venerable Sir, who would make a bhikkhu of a man that gets his living as I do?” – “If you will consent to go forth, I will make a bhikkhu of you.” – “Very well, venerable Sir; if you will make a bhikkhu of me, I will go forth.” So that elder took him to Jetavana, bathed him with his own hands, and causing him to stand within the enclosure, made a bhikkhu of him. Having so done, the elder caused him to take his loin-cloth and his plow and hang them up on the branch of a tree that grew by the boundary of the enclosure. On making his higher ordination, he received the name Elder Naṅgalakula (Plowman).

After living for some time on the rich gifts and offerings which are bestowed upon the Buddhas, Elder Naṅgalakula became discontented. Unable to banish discontent, he said to himself: “I will no longer go about clad in yellow robes given by the faithful.” So he went to the foot of the tree and all by himself admonished himself as follows: “You shameless, immodest fellow! So you have actually decided that you wish to put on these rags, return to the world, and work for hire!” After he had admonished himself in this fashion for a while, his resolution weakened, and he returned to the monastery again. {4.116}

After a few days, however, he became discontented once more. So he admonished himself in the same manner as before, and changed his mind again. And in this manner, whenever he became discontented, he would go to the foot of the tree and admonish himself.

The bhikkhus observed that he went repeatedly to the foot of the tree. So they asked him: “Friend Naṅgalakula, why do you go there?” – “Venerable Sirs, I go there to visit my teacher.” After a few days he attained Arahatship. Then the bhikkhus made sport of him and said: “Friend Naṅgalakula, it appears that you no longer make use of the path by which you used to travel back and forth. Doubtless you go no more to visit your teacher.” – “Precisely so, venerable Sirs; when I was of the world, I used to go back and forth; but now that I have severed connection with the world, I no longer do so.” When the bhikkhus heard this, they reported the matter to the Teacher, saying: “This bhikkhu, having spoken what is not true, declares something false.”

The Teacher said: “Bhikkhus, what he says is quite true. My son has admonished himself by himself, and has thus reached the consummation of the spiritual life.” So saying, he taught the Dhamma by pronouncing the following verses: [30.262]

379. Attanā codayattānaṁ, paṭimāsettam-attanā,
so attagutto satimā sukhaṁ bhikkhu vihāhisi.

By oneself one should censure self,
by oneself one should be controlled,
the one who guards himself, mindful,
that bhikkhu will live happily.

380. Attā hi attano nātho, attā hi attano gati,
tasmā saṁyamayattānaṁ assaṁ bhadraṁ va vāṇijo.

Self is the protector of self,
self is the refuge of the self,
therefore one should restrain oneself,
as a merchant his noble horse.