26.23 The Story about the Four Novices

Dhp 406

CST4: Sāmaṇerānaṁ Vatthu

Burlingame: The Four Novices

A Brahmin’s wife sought for four Brahmins to give a meal to and was sent the four Arahat novices Saṁkicca, Paṇḍita, Sopāka and Revata, whom she sat on the floor and would not serve; being alerted, Sakka came and convinced her to serve them; the bhikkhus could not believe the novices had not got angry with the woman, but the Buddha confirmed their purity with a verse.

Keywords: Chief Disciples, Novices, Offerings, Merit

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“Being friendly with the hostile,” [30.297] this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to four novices.

It seems that the wife of a certain Brahmin prepared food for four specially designated bhikkhus, and said to the Brahmin her husband: “Go to the monastery, have the steward pick out four venerable Brahmins, and bring them here.” The Brahmin went to the monastery and said: “Have four Brahmins picked out for me and give them to me.” There fell to him four seven-year-old novices who had attained Arahatship: Saṁkicca, Paṇḍita, Sopāka, and Revata.

The Brahmin’s wife had costly seats prepared and stood waiting. At sight of the novices, she was filled with rage, and sputtering as when salt is dropped on a brazier, she said to her husband: “You have gone to the monastery and brought back with you four youngsters not old enough to be your grandsons.” {4.177} She refused to let them sit on the seats which she had prepared, but spreading some low seats for them, said to them: “Sit here!” Then she said to her husband: “Brahmin, go look out some venerable Brahmins and bring them here.”

The Brahmin went to the monastery, and seeing Elder Sāriputta, said to him: “Come, let us go to our house,” and took him back home with him. When the elder reached the house and saw the novices, he asked: “Have these Brahmins received food?” – “No, they have received no food.” Knowing that food had been prepared for just four persons, he said: “Bring me my bowl,” and taking his bowl, departed. The Brahmin’s wife asked: “What did he say?” Her husband replied: “He said: ‘These Brahmins sitting here ought to receive food. Bring me my bowl.’ So saying, he took his bowl and departed.” Said the Brahmin’s wife: “It must be that he did not wish to eat; go quickly, look out another Brahmin and bring him here.”

The Brahmin went back to the monastery, and seeing Elder Mahā Moggallāna, said the same thing to him, and brought him back home with him. When Elder Mahā Moggallāna saw the novices, he said the same thing as had Elder Sāriputta, and taking his bowl, departed. Then said the Brahmin’s wife to her husband: “These elders do not wish to eat; go to the sectarian Brahmins and bring back with you a single old Brahmin.” [30.298]

Now the novices had had nothing to eat from early morning and sat there famished with hunger. By the power of their merit Sakka’s seat showed signs of heat. Considering within himself what might be the cause, he perceived that the novices had sat there from early morning and that they were weak and exhausted. “It is my duty to go there,” thought Sakka. So disguising himself as an old Brahmin, worn out by old age, he went to the sectarian Brahmins and sat down on the most conspicuous seat of the Brahmins. {4.178} When the Brahmin saw him, he thought to himself: “Now my wife will be delighted,” and saying: “Come, let us go home,” he took him and went back home with him. When the Brahmin’s wife saw him, her heart was filled with delight. She took the rugs and mats which were spread over two seats, spread them over one, and said to him: “Noble Sir, sit here.”

When Sakka entered the house, he worshipped the four novices with the five limbs, and finding a place for himself at the edge of the seats where the novices were sitting, sat down cross-legged on the ground. When the Brahmin’s wife saw him, she said to the Brahmin: “To be sure you have brought a Brahmin, but you have brought back with you one old enough to be your father. He is going about saluting novices young enough to be his grandsons. What use have we for him? Put him out!”

The Brahmin seized him first by the shoulder, then by the arm, finally by the waist, and tried his best to drag him out, but he refused to stir from where he sat. Then the Brahmin’s wife said to her husband: “Come, Brahmin, you take hold of one arm and I will take hold of the other.” So the Brahmin and his wife both took hold of his two arms, belabored him about the back, and dragged him through the door out of the house. Nevertheless Sakka remained sitting in the same place in which he had sat before, waving his hands back and forth.

When the Brahmin and his wife returned and saw him sitting in the very same place in which he had sat before, they screamed screams of terror and let him go. At that moment Sakka made known his identity. Then the Brahmin and his wife gave food to their guests. When those five persons had received food, they departed. One of the novices broke through the gable of the house, the second broke through the front part of the roof, the third broke through the back part of the roof, the fourth plunged into the earth, while Sakka departed from the house by another route. Thus did those five persons depart from the house by five different routes. {4.179} From that time [30.299] on, so it is said, that house was known as the House with the Five Openings.

When the novices returned to the monastery, the bhikkhus asked them: “Friends, what was it like?” – “Pray don’t ask us,” replied the novices. “The Brahmin’s wife fumed with rage the moment she saw us. She refused to allow us to sit on the seats which she had prepared and said to her husband: ‘Make haste and bring an venerable Brahmin.’ Our preceptor came, and seeing us, said: ‘These Brahmins who are sitting here ought to receive food.’ So saying, he ordered his bowl to be brought to him and departed.

Then the Brahmin’s wife said to her husband: ‘Bring another venerable Brahmin.’ Then the Brahmin brought Elder Mahā Moggallāna. When Elder Mahā Moggallāna saw us, he said the same thing as had Elder Sāriputta and departed. Then the Brahmin’s wife said to her husband: ‘These elders do not wish to eat; Brahmin, go to the sectarian Brahmins and bring back a single venerable Brahmin.’ The Brahmin went there and brought back Sakka, who came in the disguise of a Brahmin. When Sakka arrived, the Brahmin and his wife gave us food.”

“But were you not angry with them for what they did?” – “No, we were not angry.” When the bhikkhus heard their reply, they reported the matter to the Teacher, saying: “Venerable Sir, when these bhikkhus say: ‘We were not angry,’ they, having spoken what is not true, declare something false.”

The Teacher said: “Bhikkhus, they that have rid themselves of the pollutants oppose not them by whom they are opposed.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse: {4.180}

406. Aviruddhaṁ viruddhesu, attadaṇḍesu nibbutaṁ,
sādānesu anādānaṁ, tam-ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.

Being friendly with the hostile,
calm amongst those holding a stick,
not attached amongst those attached,
that one I say is a Brahmin.