34c: The 19th Year (Conversions)

Having travelled to the city of Āḷavī and other places distributing the cool medicinal water of deathlessness among humans and Devas, the Buddha spent the 19th Rains Retreat (Vassa) also at the monastery on Cāliya Hill, doing the same among those beings who were worthy of release.

After spending the 19th Rains Retreat at Cāliya, the Buddha set out again at the end of the Rains Retreat and eventually arrived in Rājagaha and stayed at Veḷuvana.

The Hunter Kukkuṭamitta

[The following is based on Dhp 124 and its commentary.]

While the Buddha was staying at Veḷuvana, he gave a Dhamma talk beginning with: Pāṇimhi ce vaṇo nassa, “if there is no sore or injury in the palm of a hand,” with reference to the family of Kukkuṭamitta, the hunter. The details of the story are as follows: The daughter of a wealthy man in Rājagaha, on coming of age, was made by her parents to live in comfort in a splendid chamber on the top floor of a seven-storied mansion. She was cared for by a maid-servant provided by her parents. One evening, while she was viewing the street through the window, she saw Kukkuṭamitta, the hunter, who earned his living by killing deer, for which he carried 500 snares and 500 stakes.

At [809] that time the hunter, who had killed 500 deer, was in a front seat of his cart driven by himself and fully loaded with deer-meat for sale. The girl fell in love with him and after handing her maid some presents, she sent her with these words: “Go, dear maid, give these presents to the hunter and try to get information about the time of his return.”

The maid-servant went and gave the presents to the hunter and asked: “What time will you go home?” – “After selling the meat today,” said the hunter, “I shall go home tomorrow early morning by such a such a gate.” Having got the hunter’s reply, the maid-servant returned and told her mistress about it.

The mistress then packed her clothings, ornaments, gold and silver that she should take with her, and putting on dirty garments early that morning, she carried a water-jar on her head and left her house as though she were going to the river-side. Reaching the place mentioned in the hunter’s reply, she waited for the hunter’s coming. The hunter came out from the city driving his cart early that morning. The lady then followed the hunter’s cart close behind.

On seeing the young lady, the hunter said: “Lady, I do not know whose daughter you are. Please do not follow me.” – “You did not ask me to come,” replied the lady, “I came on my own accord. Drive on in your cart quietly.” The hunter repeated his words to prevent her from following him. Then the young lady said: “Lord, one should not bar the fortune that has come to oneself.” Only then the naive hunter came to understand without any doubt the reason for her following him, he picked the young lady up on to the cart and drove away.

The parents of the young lady searched for their daughter everywhere and could not find her. At long last they concluded that she must have died and held a ceremony in memory of their daughter (mataka-bhatta). Because of her living together with the hunter, the lady gave birth to seven sons and she had them married on their coming of age.

The Liberation of the Hunter’s Family

On surveying the world of sentient beings in the early morning one day, the Buddha saw the hunter Kukkuṭamitta (Chicken-friend) together with his seven sons and seven daughters-in-law who came into the view of his supernormal vision. When he investigated the reason, he discerned that the past merit of all these fifteen persons would lead them to the attainment of Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-magga). Taking his bowl and robe, the Buddha went alone early that morning to the place where the snares were set up. That day not a single animal happened to be caught.

The Buddha then put his footprint near the hunter’s snares and sat down in the shade of the bush in front of him. Carrying his bow and arrows, Kukkuṭamitta went early to that place and checked the snares, one after another; he found not a single deer was caught, and all he saw were the Buddha’s footprints.

Then it occurred to him thus: “Who could have set the animals free from the snares and roamed about?” Having a grudge against the Buddha even before he saw him and while moving about, he saw the Buddha sitting under the bush in front of him. Thinking: “This then must be the one who had released my ensnared animals. I will kill him with an arrow,” he bent the bow and pulled the string with all his might.

The Buddha permitted him to bend the bow and pull the string, but he did not permit him to release the arrow. The Buddha performed a miracle so that the hunter could do the bending of the bow and the pulling of the string but not the shooting. Not only was he unable to shoot the arrow, he was also helpless in unbending the bow. It appeared that his ribs were going to break, and the saliva flowed from his mouth. Looking very exhausted, he stood like a stone statue.

The seven sons went to the father’s house and asked their mother during a conversation with her: “Father is taking so long. What would be the reason for his delay?” When their mother said: “Follow your father, dear sons,” they went after their father, each holding [810] his bow and arrows. Seeing their father standing like a stone figure, and seeing the Buddha sitting in the shadow of the bush, they thought: “This man must be the enemy of our father.” Everyone of them then tried to bend his bow and pull the string. On account of the Buddha’s miraculous power, however, they all stood there like stone figures, just like their father.

Their mother then wondered: “What is the matter? My sons are also taking too much time!” With her seven daughters-in-law, she went after them and saw all eight persons: the father and his sons. When she looked around, wondering: “Who were these eight, the father and his sons, aiming at while so standing?” and she saw the Buddha, and with her both arms up she shouted aloud: “Do not destroy my father!”

Hearing the cry of his wife, Kukkuṭamitta the hunter thought: “Oh, I am ruined! This man is said to be my father-in-law. Oh, I have done a great misdeed!” The seven sons also thought: “This man is said to be our grandfather! We have made a great mistake!” Thereafter, under the impression that: “This man is my father-in-law!” the hunter cultivated loving-kindness towards the Buddha. So did the seven sons with the notion that: “This man is our grandfather!”

Then the mother of these seven sons, the daughter of a wealthy man said: “Discard your bows and do obeisance to my father.” As he knew the eight men had become soft-minded, the Buddha let them put down their bows. He now withdrew his miraculous power that he had previously exercised in order to prevent them from laying down their bows. The eight people then did obeisance to the Buddha, saying: “Kindly forgive our wrong, exalted Buddha,” and they took their seats in the proper place.

When they were thus seated the Buddha gave a series of talks to them, a family of sixteen members: Talk on generosity (dāna-kathā), talk on morality (sīla-kathā), talk on celestial abodes (sagga-kathā), talk on the faults of sensual pleasures (kammānaṁ ādinava-kathā) and talk on the advantages of renunciation (nekkhamme ānisaṁsakathā) in this order. At the end of the talk, Kukkuṭamitta the hunter and his seven sons and the seven daughters-in-law, were established in Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala). Having thus helped them realise Stream-entry, the Buddha entered Rājagaha for alms and returned to the monastery in the afternoon.

The Buddha was then asked by Ven. Ānanda: “Where have you been, exalted Buddha?” – “I have been to the home of Kukkuṭamitta the hunter, my dear son Ānanda,” was the answer. “Have you, exalted Buddha, made him one who refrains from the wrong-doing of taking life? Have you admonished and emancipated him?” – “Yes I have, dear Ānanda,” the Buddha answered. “All of them, with Kukkuṭamitta as the fifteenth member, are now established in unwavering faith, absolutely free from doubts in the Three Treasures, and they have become people who refrain from the evil act of killing.”

The monks interrupted them, saying: “Exalted Buddha, there is also the hunter’s wife; was she not there?” – “Yes, she was,” answered the Buddha. “Monks, that housewife has already become a Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna) while still living as a girl in her parent’s home.”

Then a discussion took place at a religious meeting in the Dhamma-hall (Dhamma-sāla), as follows: “Friends, Kukkuṭamitta’s wife, a merchant’s daughter, had attained Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala) while still a young woman who was still living with her parents. Thereafter she followed the hunter to his home and had seven sons. Asked by her husband to bring the bow, the arrow, the spear, the stake, or the net, she would bring them to him. The hunter on his part would carry those weapons given by his Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna) wife and would commit the evil deed of taking life day after day for a long time. How is it friends? Do those Stream-enterers (Sotāpanna), the noble ones, too commit such a crime?”

The Buddha came to the monk’s meeting and asked: “What was the subject-matter of your discussion, monks, before I came here?” The monks answered: “We were discussing this matter of Kukkuṭamitta’s wife, the daughter of a merchant.”

Thereupon the Buddha said: “Monks, the noble ones, Stream-enterers (Sotāpanna), never commit such a crime as killing. The hunter’s wife brings him such weapons as bow and arrow because she was mindful of her duty, the duty that the wife must obey her husband’s word. She had no [811] intention to make the hunter go to the forest with the weapons in his hand for the evil practice of taking-life; she had not the slightest idea of that sort.

For example, if there is no sore on the palm of the hand, one who uses that hand to hold poison cannot be harmed by the poison; similarly, to him who does not do any evil because he has no unwholesome intention, no bad result accrues to him though he may have fetched the weapon.”

Having said thus, the Buddha spoke the following verse as a continuation of his utterance (Dhp 124):

Pāṇimhi ce vaṇo nāssa, hareyya pāṇinā visaṁ,
nābbaṇaṁ visam-anveti, natthi pāpaṁ akubbato.

Monastics, if there is no injury in the palm of a hand, poison cannot enter it. Therefore with the hand without any sore or injury, one is able to carry the poison safely. Similarly, to him who has not done a wrong thing because he has no unwholesome volition, there arises not the slightest act of wrongdoing just by bringing a bow and the like.

As poison cannot hurt the hand free from a boil or a cut, so he who just passes over a weapon, such as a bow and an arrow, does not do evil as he has no wicked intention. That is to say, as no poison can affect the healthy hand, so no desire for doing evil can approach his stout heart.

By the end of the teaching, many attained Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala) and other fruitions.

The Past Merit of Kukkuṭamitta’s Family

At a later time, in the Dhamma-assembly, the monks were engaged in a conversation among themselves: “Friends, what was the past merit that caused the attainment of Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-magga) of Kukkuṭamitta, the hunter, who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law? Why was he born in a hunter’s family?”

Thereupon the Buddha came and asked: “Monks, what were you taking about?” and getting the reply as to what they were talking about, the Buddha related the story of the hunter’s past merit as follows: “Monks, in times past, when people were holding a discussion on the construction of a huge shrine over Buddha Kassapa’s relics, they deliberated the question as to what should be used for fine earth and what for liquid.

Then they got an idea to use orpiment for fine earth and sesame oil for the liquid, and they all agreed to do so. The people had the orpiment powdered and mixed it with sesame oil and used it as cement plaster to hold the bricks together. The bricks that were laid inside the shrine were coated with gold. As for the layer of bricks outside the shrine, they laid bricks of gold. Each brick was worth 100,000.

When the people’s construction of the shrine was complete enough for enshrining the relics, a discussion took place as to who should be selected president, for a great deal of money was badly needed when enshrining the relic.

Then a country merchant, thinking: “I shall become president,” donated money amounting to 10 million to the enshrinement fund. On seeing the generosity of the country merchant, the people dispraised the town merchant, saying: “This town merchant accumulates wealth like white ants. He is not eligible to become chief of this occasion for constructing such a great relic-shrine. But the country merchant has generously donated 10 million and shall become president.”

On hearing what the people had said, the town merchant gave in generosity 20 million hoping to become president. [812] “Only I must be president of the enshrinement ceremony,” thought the country merchant and he gave away 30 million. In this way the donations made by both parties increased till the town merchant’s contribution became 80 million.

But the country merchant had only 90 million at his place. In the residence of the town merchant, however, there were 400 million. Therefore it occurred to the country merchant thus: “If I gave 90 million the merchant from the town would say that he would donate 100. Then as I cannot compete with him the state of my lacking any further wealth will be known to all.” He then said: “I will donate this much of money. I shall also take upon myself servitude to the shrine together with my seven sons, seven daughters-in-law and my wife.” So saying he brought his family members and dedicated them and himself, sixteen persons in all, to the shrine.

“Acquisition of more funds is possible, that of dedicated human labour is not,” said the people, “this country merchant has given up his seven sons and seven daughters-in-law and wife and himself to the shrine. Let him therefore become president of the enshrinement ceremony.” Thus they all unanimously selected the country merchant as president.

In this way the sixteen family-members became slaves to the shrine. But the people agreed to set them free from servitude. The sixteen-member family however took care of the shrine till the end of their lives, and on their death were reborn in a celestial abode.

The sixteen persons enjoyed the blissful life in that abode during the whole the period between the lifetime of Buddha Kassapa and that of our Buddha (Buddhantara-asaṅkhyeyya-kappa). When the time of the Buddha emergence (Buddhuppāda) came as our Buddha Gotama appeared, the merchant’s housewife passed away from the celestial abode and became a merchant’s daughter in Rājagaha. While only a young girl she attained Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala).

The birth of a worldling, who has not discerned the four truths is burdensome, says the commentary. He is likely to be reborn into a lowly family despite the fact that this very life is his last (pacchima-bhavika), for he has not overcome the risk of falling into a lowly state. Therefore the Deva who had been the husband of the merchant’s daughter, on his return to the human world, was reborn in a family of hunters. As soon as she saw the hunter, her former love (taṇhā-pema) revived. That was why the Buddha spoke the following verse (Ja 237):

Pubbe va sannivāsena, paccuppanna-hitena vā,
evaṁ taṁ jāyate pemaṁ, uppalaṁ va yathodake.

Because of living together in love in the past and also because of benefiting one another at present, for these two reasons, love of two types, craving-love (taṇhā-pema) and friendliness-love (mettā-pema) arose. How? In the same way as lotuses and any other aquatic flowers thrive depending on the two factors of water and mud.

It was only because of her love in the past that she followed the hunter to his house. Their sons, from the celestial abode took conception in the womb of the merchant’s daughter. The daughters-in-law were reborn in various families, and on coming of age, they all went over to the home of the hunter’s family owing to their affection they had had in their past lives.

As the result of their services rendered together to the relic shrine dedicated to Buddha Kassapa the sixteen members of the hunter’s family attained Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala) in this Buddha’s Dispensation.

Ānanda the Wealthy Merchant

[The following is based on Dhp 62 and its commentary.]

Having distributed the medicinal Dhamma-water of immortality among beings, including the family of the hunter Kukkuṭamitta, while staying at Veḷuvana, Rājagaha, from there the Buddha arrived at Sāvatthī and stayed at Jetavana. While staying there, he gave a discourse beginning with: Puttā matthi dhanam-matthi, “I have children, I have wealth,” with reference to Ānanda the wealthy merchant and citizen of Sāvatthī.

The story in detail is as follows: [813] There was in Sāvatthī a wealthy merchant, Ānanda by name, whose wealth was worth 400 million, yet who was extremely stingy. The man had his relatives assembled fortnightly and gave advice to his son, Mūlasiri, amidst his kinsmen at three different times, saying thus: “Dear son, do not think that the 400 million is a great deal of wealth. What is in one’s hand should not be given to another. Try to gain new wealth. He who spends one coin after another will certainly exhaust his wealth one day. Therefore, we advise (DhpA, PTS 2.26):

Añjanānaṁ khayaṁ disvā, upacikānañ-ca ācayaṁ,
madhūnañ-ca samāhāraṁ, paṇḍito gharam-āvase.

Dear son, having observed the disappearance of a collyrium stone due to repeated rubbing, the arising of an anthill due to repeated gathering of earth by white ants, the development of a beehive due to repeated collection of the nectar of flowers by bees, a wise man should live exerting himself to keep his old wealth undiminished and to bring about new wealth.

Later on, the merchant Ānanda died without telling his son Mūlasiri about his five big jars of gold that he had buried, and being greedily attached to his wealth and dirtying himself with the taints of miserliness, upon his death he was conceived in the womb of a outcaste (caṇḍāla) woman in a village of 1,000 householders at the gate of the city of Sāvatthī. On learning of the merchant’s death, King Kosala summoned the son, Mūlasiri, and appointed him as the successor to his father.

The 1,000 outcaste (caṇḍāla) households made their living by working collectively as daily labourers, and from the time of the conception of the miser Ānanda, the former rich man, they no longer had their wages, nor did they have food more than what was enough to live on. The labourers came to the conclusion, saying: “Now we hardly earn a small morsel of rice despite our hard work. There must be somebody evil and unfortunate among us.” So they divided themselves into two groups, and the dividing process went on and on until there remained the isolated household of the miser’s parents. In that situation, the family of Ānanda said: “The ominous one is in our household,” and they expelled Ānanda’s mother.

The mother had much difficulty in obtaining enough food as long as she was carrying the child in her womb, and she gave birth to a son in such a miserable way. The child’s hands, legs, eyes, ears, nose and mouth were all displaced. With his body so deformed, he looked very ugly, like a little earth-bound demon. Despite all this, the mother did not have the heart to dispose of him. In fact, so great was the mother’s love for her child who had developed in her womb, that she brought him up, even with great hardship. On the days when she took him to her work, she got nothing, and on the days she left him behind, she got her daily wage.

Later, when the son became big enough to roam about and look for food by himself, the outcaste mother thrust a small bowl into the boy’s hand and said: “Dear son, on account of you we have suffered much. Now we are no longer able to look after you. In this city of Sāvatthī, there are readily cooked and reserved meals for destitutes, travellers and so on. Make your living by going where the food is and begging for it.” And after saying this, she deserted him.

The boy roamed about the city, going from one house to another, and he arrived at the place where he had lived as Ānanda, the wealthy merchant. As he was endowed with the ability to remember his former births (jātissara-ñāṇa), he boldly entered his own residence. He passed through the first, second and third gates with nobody noticing him or being aware of him. At the fourth gate, however, Mūlasiri’s children saw him and cried out loud in fear.

Then Mūlasiri’s servants beat him, saying: “You, luckless, ill-fated one!” They also took him out of the gate and put him on the garbage heap. At that moment, the Buddha, on his alms round accompanied by Ven. Ānanda, was at the scene. The Buddha looked at Ven. Ānanda and at his request narrated the past account and the present events of Ānanda, the wealthy merchant. [814]

Ven. Ānanda then summoned Mūlasiri. People also gathered around. The Buddha then addressed Mūlasiri: “Supporter Mūlasiri, do you know this boy?” – “I do not, exalted Buddha.” – “This boy is your father Ānanda, the merchant,” said the Buddha. When Mūlasiri did not believe it, the Buddha asked Ānanda: “Wealthy Ānanda, tell your son about the five big jars of gold you had buried.” Mūlasiri become convinced after he had uncovered the five jars of gold, as mentioned by Ven. Ānanda. The merchant Mūlasiri then took refuge in the Buddha. Desiring to preach to Mūlasiri, the Buddha spoke this verse (Dhp 62):

Puttā matthi dhanam-matthi, iti bālo vihaññati,
attā hi attano natthi, kuto puttā kuto dhanaṁ.

I have children, I have wealth, thinking thus the fool is afflicted by craving for children (putta-taṇhā) and craving for wealth (dhana-taṇhā). In reality, however, one is not even one’s own shelter from woes. How can children be one’s shelter? How can wealth be one’s shelter?

A fool, who considers himself to be the owner of his children and wealth, is troubled by craving for both. How? He is troubled by the notion: “My children have died,” or “My children are dying” or “My children will die.” The same happens in the case of wealth. In this way, he suffers in six ways: in three ways regarding children and in three ways regarding wealth. Since he has craving for children, he plans to feed his children by striving in many ways on land or in water, day or night, and thus he is full of woe. Since, he has craving for wealth, he plans to increase his riches by farming or trading, and suffered thereby.

It is impossible for a man, who is suffering, owing to craving for children and craving for wealth to lead himself to safety later on. When death approaches him, he is oppressed by fatal pains (maraṇantika-vedanā) like flames, his joints are broken and his bones separated. He shuts his blinking eyes to visualize his next life and then opens them to see his present life. He is thus miserable on his death-bed; formerly he looked after himself throughout his life, bathing two times a day and feeding three times a day, adorning himself with perfumes and flowers and other ornaments. But now, even as a true friend to himself, he is unable to release himself from misery. At such a later time, when he is so miserably dying, how can his children or his wealth come to his rescue. Indeed they simply have no ability to save him.

As for the merchant, who had been reluctant to give somebody something, but who had piled up riches only for his son Mūlasiri, who on his death-bed in his previous life and when he was hungry, ill-treated by others and so miserable in the present life, which of these woes could his beloved children or his accumulated wealth remove? Indeed, neither could do so. What kind of happiness could they bring to him? Indeed, neither could bring happiness. Such is the import of the verse.

By the end of the discourse 84,000 beings realized the four truths and were released. This discourse was therefore beneficial to many.