26.39 The Story about the Elder Aṅgulimāla

Dhp 422

Burlingame: Aṅgulimāla the Fearless

Compare: Dhp-a 13.10; Dhp-a 13.6; MN 86

King Pasenadi gave Gifts beyond Compare to a Saṅgha of five hundred bhikkhus with the Buddha at its head, and placed elephants holding parasols over all but one of them; there were only rogue elephants left, and the king had one of them hold his parasol over Elder Aṅgulimāla, whose presence tamed him; the bhikkhus thought the elder must have been afraid when the elephant was brought, but the Buddha said he was not, and spoke a verse.

Keywords: Offerings, Kings, Women, Great Disciples

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This Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Elder Aṅgulimāla. {4.231}

This story is related in the commentary on the verse beginning “The miserly go not to the world of Devas.” AJ: Dhp 177; Dhp-a 13.10. The commentary only referred briefly to the story, here I include the story in detail.

For once upon a time the Teacher returned from an almsround with his retinue of five hundred bhikkhus and entered the Jetavana. Thereupon the king went to the monastery and invited the Teacher to be his guest. On the following day he caused rich gifts to be prepared for the visiting bhikkhus and then summoned the citizens, saying: “Let them come here and behold the gifts which I have prepared.” The citizens went there and beheld the gifts which the king had prepared. On the following day the citizens invited the Teacher to be their guest, and having prepared offerings, sent word to the king, saying: “Let the king come here and behold the offerings which we also have prepared.”

When the king saw the offerings which the citizens had prepared, he thought to himself: “These citizens have given more abundant offerings than I; I will therefore present offerings a second time.” Accordingly he prepared offerings on the following day; when the citizens saw the offerings which the king had prepared, they also prepared offerings on the next day. Thus it happened that neither the king was able to outdo the citizens, nor the citizens the king. Six times in succession the citizens increased the amount a hundredfold and a thousandfold, preparing offerings on such a scale that no one might be able to say: “This or that is lacking in their offerings.” When the king realized what they were doing, he thought to himself: “If I cannot provide offerings more abundant than these citizens, what is the use of my living any longer?” And he lay down, thinking over ways and means.

As he lay there. Queen Mallikā approached him and asked him: “Your majesty, why do you lie here thus? What makes you look so worn and weary?” The king said: “My lady, do you not know?” Said the queen: “My lord, I do not know.” So the king told her all about it. Then said Queen Mallikā to him: “My lord, be not disturbed; have you ever seen or heard of a king, a lord of the land, who has been outdone by his subjects? I will manage the offerings.”

Thus spoke Queen Mallikā, and she spoke thus because she desired to provide the Gifts beyond Compare.

Then she said to the king: “Great king, give orders for the erection of a pavilion enclosing a circular space wherein bhikkhus shall sit to the number of five hundred, and let this pavilion be constructed out of the choicest wood of the Sāla tree; let the rest of the bhikkhus sit outside of this enclosed space.

Order five hundred white parasols to be made, and let five hundred elephants take these parasols in their trunks and stand and hold them over the heads of the five hundred bhikkhus. Have eight or ten boats made of ruddy gold, and let them be placed in the center of the pavilion. Between every two bhikkhus let a young woman of the noble caste sit and crush perfumes. Let certain young women of the noble caste take fans in their hands, and let each young woman stand and fan two bhikkhus. Let other young women of the noble caste bring crushed perfumes in their hands and cast them into the golden boats. Let other young women of the noble caste bring clusters of blue water-lilies, mingle them with the perfumes cast into the golden boats, and present the bhikkhus with scents. Now the citizens have neither daughters belonging to the noble caste, nor white parasols, nor elephants, so that by these means the citizens will be outdone by you. This is what you must do, great king.” The king replied: “Good, my lady! Your plan is a most excellent one.” And forthwith he gave orders that everything should be done just as the queen suggested.

It happened, however, that one bhikkhu lacked an elephant. When the king observed this, he said to Mallikā: “Dear wife, a single bhikkhu lacks a single elephant. What shall I do?” – “What say you, my lord? Are there not five hundred elephants?” – “Yes, my lady, there are. But the rest are rogue elephants, and when they see the bhikkhus, they are wont to become as wrathful as the monsoon winds.” – “My lord, I know where a certain young rogue elephant might stand, holding a parasol with his trunk.” – “Where shall we place him?” – “Beside the venerable Elder Aṅgulimāla.” The king did so. Thereupon the young elephant thrust his tail between his legs, dropped both his ears, closed his eyes, and stood motionless. The multitude gazed at the elephant in wonderment, thinking to themselves: “What a way for so vicious an elephant to behave!”

The king waited upon the Saṅgha of bhikkhus presided over by the Buddha. Having so done, he worshipped the Teacher, and said to him: “Venerable Sir, whatsoever goods are in this refectory, whether they be worthy or unworthy, I present them all to you.”

The bhikkhus asked Aṅgulimāla: “Friend Aṅgulimāla, were you not afraid when you saw the rogue elephant standing before you holding a parasol?” – “No, friends, I was not afraid.” The bhikkhus said to the Teacher: “Venerable Sir, Aṅgulimāla utters falsehood.”

The Teacher replied: “Bhikkhus, my son Aṅgulimāla has no fear. For bhikkhus like my son are of all the noble ones who have rid themselves of the pollutants, the noblest, and have no fear.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:

422. Usabhaṁ pavaraṁ vīraṁ, mahesiṁ vijitāvinaṁ,
anejaṁ nhātakaṁ buddhaṁ, tam-ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.

A noble leader, heroic,
a great seer, victorious,
free of lust, cleansed and awakened,
that one I say is a Brahmin. {4.232}