26.29 The Story about the Elder Revata
Revatattheravatthu

“Whoever here has overcome clinging,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Pubbārāma with reference to the Elder Revata. The story has already been related in detail in the commentary on the verse beginning with the words: “Whether in the village or wilds;” for it is there said: AJ: Dhp 98, Dhp-a 7.9. I include the story here.

9a Revata Becomes a Bhikkhu

When the venerable Sāriputta renounced 870 million of treasure and went forth, three sisters of his, Cālā, Upacālā, and Sīsūpacālā, and two brothers, Canda and Upasena, entered the spiritual life and the youth Revata alone remained at home. His mother thought to herself: “My son Upatissa has renounced all this wealth and gone forth; three sisters of his and two brothers of his have gone forth; Revata alone remains at home. Should he make him go forth also, all this wealth will be lost and the family stock will be uprooted. I will tie him to the household life while he is yet a mere boy.”

On his return the Elder Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus as follows: “Friends, should Revata come here desiring to go forth, you are to give him the going forth the moment he arrives; my mother and father hold wrong views; why should their permission be asked? I myself am Revata’s mother and father.”

When the boy Revata was only seven years old, his mother made preparations for his marriage. She selected a girl of good family, appointed a day for the wedding, adorned the boy with handsome garments and costly ornaments, and accompanied by a large retinue, accompanied him to the house of the girl’s parents. The kinsfolk of both parties were present at the festivities, and placing their hands in a bowl of water, pronounced blessings and wished them prosperity, saying to the bride: “Dear, behold your grandmother here and now; AJ: Burlingame had: “May you behold the Truth your grandmother beheld…” which distorts the meaning considerably. may you live long, even as your grandmother.”

The youth Revata thought to himself: “What do they mean by ‘behold your grandmother here and now’?” And he asked them: “Which woman is her grandmother?” They said to him: “Sir, do you not see that woman 120 years old with broken teeth and gray hair, full of wrinkles, her body marked with moles, crooked as a rafter? That is her grandmother.” – “But will my wife look like that some day?” – “Sir, she will if she lives.” Revata thought to himself: “Can it be that even so beautiful a body as that of my wife will so change for the worse through old age? This must be what my brother Upatissa saw. This very day it is necessary for me to run away and go forth.”

Kinsmen assisted the youth and his bride to enter a carriage, and they started out all together. When they had gone a little way, Revata informed them that he wished to relieve himself and said: “Just stop the carriage and I will step out and return immediately.” He stepped out of the carriage, went into a certain thicket, remained there a little while, and then returned. A second and a third time he made the same excuse, stepped down from the carriage, and climbed back again. His kinsmen made up their minds: “Doubtless these calls of nature are habitual with him,” and therefore did not keep close watch of him. When they had gone a little way farther, he made the same excuse, stepped down out of the carriage, and saying: “You drive on ahead; I will follow after you slowly,” he disappeared in the direction of a thicket. When his kinsmen heard him say: “I will follow after you,” they drove on ahead.

Now in this region lived thirty bhikkhus; and when Revata had made good his escape, he went to them, worshipped them, and said: “Venerable Sirs, give me the going forth.” – “Friend, you are adorned with all the adornments; we know not whether you are a king’s son or a courtier’s son; how can we give you the going forth?” – “Don’t you recognize me, venerable Sirs?” – “We do not, friend.” – “I am the youngest brother of Upatissa.” – “Who is this ‘Upatissa’?” – “It is just as I say, venerable Sirs; the venerable bhikkhus call my brother ‘Sāriputta,’ and therefore do not know who is meant when the name ‘Upatissa’ is mentioned.” – “Why, are you the youngest brother of Sāriputta?” – “Yes, venerable Sir.” – “Well then, come! This is the very thing your brother enjoined upon us.” So they removed his jewels, gave him the going forth, and sent word to the elder.

When the elder received the message, he said to the Fortunate One: “Venerable Sir, since the forest-bhikkhus have sent me word: ‘Revata has gone forth,’ I should like to go and see him and then return.” The Teacher withheld his permission, saying to him: “Remain here for the present, Sāriputta.” But after a few days the elder made the same request, and the Teacher withheld his permission as before, saying: “Remain here for the present, Sāriputta; we will go there together later.”

The novice said to himself: “If I continue to reside here, my kinsmen will follow me and summon me to return home.” Therefore he obtained from the bhikkhus a meditation subject as far as Arahatship, took bowl and robe, and set out on walkabout. After journeying a distance of thirty leagues he came to an acacia forest, and there he took up his residence for the season of the rains. Before the three months of the rainy season had passed, he attained Arahatship together with the analytic knowledges.

9b The Buddha Visits Revata

After the Invitation (Pavāraṇā) the Elder Sāriputta again requested the Teacher to permit him to go to his brother. The Teacher said: “We too will go, Sāriputta,” and set out with five hundred bhikkhus. When they had gone a little way, the Elder Ānanda, standing at a fork in the road, said to the Teacher: “Venerable Sir, there are two roads to the place where Revata resides: one is protected and is sixty leagues long and men live thereon; the other is a direct route, thirty leagues long, infested by Amanussa; which one shall we take?” – “Well, Ānanda, did Sīvali accompany us?” – “Yes, venerable Sir.” – “If Sīvali is with us, take the direct route by all means.” We are told that the Teacher did not say: “I will see to it that you are provided with broth and rice; take the short route,” because he knew within himself: “This is the place where each of these bhikkhus will receive gifts that are the fruit of a work of merit,” therefore he said: “If Sīvali is with us, take the direct route.”

As soon as the Teacher set foot on that road, the Devatās, thinking to themselves: “We will do honor to the noble elder Sīvali,” erected rest-houses a league apart, all along the route; and permitting the bhikkhus to go no farther than a league, they rose early in the morning, and taking heavenly broth, rice, and other provisions, they went about asking: “Where is the noble elder Sīvali seated?” The elder presented to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus presided over by the Buddha the alms they brought him. Thus the Teacher, together with his retinue, went a long and difficult journey of thirty leagues, enjoying the fruit of the merit acquired by one elder, Sīvali.

As soon as the Elder Revata learned that the Teacher was approaching, he created by psychic power a Perfumed Chamber for the Fortunate One, and likewise for the bhikkhus five hundred pinnacled residences, five hundred covered walks, and five hundred night-quarters and day-quarters. The Teacher spent an entire month there as his guest, enjoying during his stay the fruit of the merit of a single elder, Sīvali.

But there were two old bhikkhus living there who, when the Teacher entered the acacia forest, said to themselves: “How will this bhikkhu be able to perform his meditations while engaged in all this new work? The Teacher shows favoritism to one who is the youngest brother of Sāriputta in coming to live with the builder of all this new work.”

As the Teacher surveyed the world on the morning of that day, he saw those two bhikkhus and became aware of their disposition of mind. So when he had resided there for a month and the day came for him to depart, he resolved that those bhikkhus should forget to take with them their measure of oil and their water-vessel and their sandals. Accordingly when he came to depart, withdrawing just beyond the entrance to the monastery, he sent forth his psychic power.

Straightaway those bhikkhus exclaimed: “I have forgotten this and that!” – “I have forgotten it too!” and both turned to retrace their steps. But they were unable to find the place where they had left their belongings, and as they wandered about, the thorns of the acacia trees pierced their feet. Finally they saw their belongings hanging on the branch of an acacia tree and taking them with them, departed.

The Teacher with the Saṅgha of bhikkhus remained for yet another month, enjoying the fruit of the merit of the Elder Sīvali, and then went into residence at Pubbārāma. AJ: back in Sāvatthī.

Those two old bhikkhus bathed their faces early in the morning and said: “Let us go to the house of Visākhā the giver of alms to pilgrims and drink broth.” So they went there and sat down, drinking broth and eating hard food. Visākhā asked them: “Venerable Sirs, did you accompany the Teacher to the place where the Elder Revata resides?” – “Yes, lay disciple.” – “A charming place, venerable Sirs, where the elder resides.” – “Where does its charm come in? It’s a jungle of acacia trees full of white thorns, lay disciple, fit only for ascetics to live in.”

Shortly afterwards two young bhikkhus came to the door. The lay disciple provided them with broth and hard food and asked them the same question. They replied: “Lay disciple, it is impossible to describe in words the elder’s place of residence; it is like the heavenly palace Sudhammā, formed by psychic power.” The lay disciple thought to herself: “The visiting bhikkhus who came first said one thing and these bhikkhus say quite another. It must be that when the Teacher sent forth his psychic power, the visiting bhikkhus who came first forgot something and had to go back again; on the other hand these bhikkhus must have gone there at the time when it was fashioned and perfected by psychic power. Knowing the true explanation by her own wisdom, she waited, saying: “I will ask the Teacher when he comes.”

At that very moment the Teacher, surrounded by the Saṅgha of bhikkhus, came to the house of Visākhā and sat down in the seats prepared for them. Visākhā reverently ministered to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus presided over by the Buddha and at the end of the meal worshipped the Teacher and asked him the following question: “Venerable Sir, some of the bhikkhus who accompanied you say: ‘The place where the Elder Revata resides is a forest, a jungle of acacias,’ others say that it is a charming place; what is the explanation of this?”

The Teacher replied: “Lay disciple, whether it be in a village or in a forest, or in whatsoever place Arahats reside, that place is full of delight.” And joining the connection, he taught the Dhamma by pronouncing the following verse:

Dhp 98. Whether in the village or wilds,
whether on low or on high ground,
wherever the Arahats live,
that ground is surely delightful.

At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.

At another time the bhikkhus began a discussion. “Friends, why was it that the Elder Sīvali remained for seven days and seven months and seven years in his mother’s womb? Why was it that he was tormented in Niraya Hell? How did he come to reach the pinnacle of gain and honor?”

The Teacher heard the discussion, asked them what it was about, and when they told him, related the story of the venerable elder’s deed in a former existence.

9c Story of the Past: The Offering of Honey and the Siege of a City

Bhikkhus, 91 aeons of time ago the Fortunate Vipassī appeared in the world, and on a certain occasion making an almsround in the country, returned to the city of his father. The king prepared hospitable offerings for the Saṅgha of bhikkhus presided over by the Buddha and sent word to the citizens: “Come and share in my offerings.”

Having done so, they made up their minds: “We will give offerings yet more abundant than those given by the king.” So they invited the Teacher, prepared offerings on the following day, and sent an invitation to the king. The king came and seeing their offerings, invited the Teacher for the following day, saying to himself: “I will give offerings yet more abundant than these.”

But the king could not outdo the citizens, nor the citizens the king; the sixth time the citizens resolved: “Tomorrow we will give such offerings that it will be impossible for the king to say that this or that is lacking in our offerings.” So on the following day they prepared offerings, and looking to see what might be lacking, they observed that there was plenty of honey in cooked form, but no fresh honey. Therefore they sent men out of the four gates of the city to seek fresh honey, providing each man with a thousand coins.

Now it happened that a certain countryman, going to see the village headman, caught sight of a honeycomb on the branch of a tree by the side of the road. Driving the bees away, he cut off the branch and taking honeycomb, branch and stick, he entered the city, intending to give it to the village headman.

One of the men who had been sent out to seek fresh honey saw him and asked him: “Sir, is that honey for sale?” – “No, master, it is not for sale.” – “Never mind, take this coin and give me the honey.” The countryman thought to himself: “This honeycomb is not worth even a farthing, but this man offers me a coin for it. I suppose he has a great many coins; I had best raise the price.” So he replied: “I will not give it to you for that.” – “Well then, take two coins.” – “I will not give it to you for so little as two coins.” The countryman continued to raise the price until finally the man offered him a thousand coins, whereupon he let him have the honey.

Then he said to the man: “Are you crazy, or have you no way of spending your money? This honey isn’t worth a farthing, but you offer me a thousand coins for it; what is the explanation of this?” – “That is perfectly true, sir; but I have some use for this honey and I will tell you what it is.” – “What is it, master?” – “We have prepared bounteous offerings for the Buddha Vipassī and his retinue of sixty-eight thousand bhikkhus, but we have no fresh honey; that is why I want it.” – “If that is the case, I will not sell it for a price; if I may receive the merit of the offering, I will give it to you.” When the man returned and related the incident to the citizens, the citizens, impressed with the firm faith of the giver, assented, saying: “Good! Good! Let him receive the merit of the offering.”

So the citizens provided seats for the Saṅgha of bhikkhus presided over by the Buddha, gave them broth and hard food, and then had a great silver vessel brought and strained the honeycomb. The same man also brought a pot of curds as a present, poured the curds also into the vessel, mixed them with the honey, and offered the food to the Buddha and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus over which he presided. All took as much as they required and there was more than enough for all.

Having wrought a good work so slight, the countryman was reborn, when the term of life allotted to him had come to an end, in the Deva Realm. After passing through the round of existence for a very long period of time, he passed at length from the Deva Realm and was reborn as the Prince of Bārāṇasī.

On the death of the king his father, he succeeded to the throne. Straightaway resolving: “I will take a certain city,” he surrounded the city and sent word to the citizens: “Give me battle or the kingdom.” They replied: “We will give neither battle nor the kingdom.” So saying, they went forth from the lesser gates, procured firewood, water, and so forth, and did all that was necessary to maintain a defense. The king guarded the four principal gates and besieged the city for seven months and seven years.

Now his mother asked what her son was doing, and on learning the facts, said: “My son is a fool. Go tell him to close the lesser gates and blockade the city completely.” When the king received his mother’s message, he did as she told him to. The citizens were unable any longer to leave the city, and on the seventh day killed their own king and gave the kingdom to the hostile king.

Because he committed this act, he was reborn at the end of his life in Avīci. After suffering torment in this Niraya Hell until this great earth was elevated a league, because he closed the four lesser gates, he passed from that existence, was conceived in the womb of his mother, and remained in her womb for seven months and seven years, lying across the mouth of the womb for seven days. Thus, bhikkhus, through the demerit acquired by Sīvali in besieging the city at that time, he was tormented in Niraya Hell for so long a period; and because he closed the lesser gates, when he was conceived in the womb of his mother, he remained in her womb for so long a time; because he gave the fresh honey in alms, he reached the pinnacle of gain.

Again another day the bhikkhus began a discussion. “How great was the novice’s gain! How great was the merit through which one man was able to erect for five hundred bhikkhus five hundred gabled residences!” The Teacher came in and asked them: “Bhikkhus, what is it that you are sitting here now talking about?” When they told him, he said to them: “Bhikkhus, my son {4.187} is attached neither to merit nor to demerit; he has renounced both.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:

412. Yodha puññañ-ca pāpañ-ca ubho saṅgaṁ upaccagā,
asokaṁ virajaṁ suddhaṁ, tam-ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.

Whoever here has overcome
clinging to merit, demerit,
who is griefless, dustless and pure,
that one I say is a Brahmin.

At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.

last updated: August 2024