17. Ven. Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa
Aspiration in the Past
The virtuous man, the future Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa, during the lifetime of the Buddha Padumuttara, also went along with people to the monastery in the aforesaid manner. While standing at the edge of the audience and listening to the Buddha’s discourse, he saw a monk being declared the foremost (etad-agga) among those who taught in a sweet voice. Soṇa then thought: “I, too, should become the foremost among those who teach in sweet voice in the Dispensation of a Future Buddha.” So he invited the Buddha and performed a great alms giving (mahā-dāna) for seven days and at the end of which, he said: “Exalted Buddha, seven days ago you declared a monk as the foremost (etad-agga) among those who teach in a sweet voice (kalyāṇa-vākkaraṇa), I too wish to be like that monk in the Dispensation of a Future Buddha as a result of this act of merit of mine.” Seeing that the man’s wish would be fulfilled without any hitch, the Buddha predicted: “Later, in the Dispensation of Buddha Gotama, your wish will be fulfilled.” After saying this, the Buddha departed.
Ascetic Life in His Final Existence
Having performed meritorious deeds until his death, Soṇa was reborn only in the worlds of Devas and humans, without any rebirth in the four suffering states, and finally took conception in the womb of a devotee, named Kāḷī, the wife of a merchant, in the town of Kuraraghara, in the country of Avanti, before the appearance of our Buddha. When the pregnancy was in an advanced stage, Kāḷī went back to her parents in Rājagaha.
At that time, our Buddha had attained omniscient Buddhahood and had taught the Dhamma Wheel (Dhamma-cakka) in the Deer Park at Isipatana. The date then was the full moon day of July (Āsāḷha) 528 BCE. On the occasion of the teaching of the discourse, Devas and Brahmas from the 100,000 world-element gathered together in the Deer Park. Present at the gathering were 28 Yakkha generals who were listening to the Buddha’s discourse, and one of them was Sātāgiri.
A detailed account of the two Yakkha generals may be found in chapter 10. The account given there is based on the commentary on the Discourse concerning Hemavata (Hemavata-sutta, Snp 1.9). According to that exposition, while Sātāgiri was listening to the Dhamma Wheel (Dhamma-cakka) discourse, he remembered his friend Hemavata. He, therefore, was inattentive and failed to realize the paths and fruitions. Only when
The story that is based on the Collection of the Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara-nikāya) commentary begins from his attainment of Stream-entry (Sotāpatti). Thereafter, he went to fetch Hemavata and met him on the way in the sky above the house of Kāḷī of Kuraraghara, near Rājagaha, who was the daughter of a merchant. On meeting with Hemavata, he was asked by the latter about the physical conduct (kaya-samācāra), livelihood (ājīva) and mental practices (mano-samācāra) of the Buddha, and he answered each and every question. In this way, when the questions and answers on the Buddha’s virtues and attributes contained in the Discourse concerning Hemavata came to an end, Hemavata reflected on his friend’s pious words step by step and became established in Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala). The difference of the two accounts is due to the different reciters (bhāṇaka).
Not seeing his friend Hemavata on the occasion of the Buddha’s teaching of the Dhamma Wheel (Dhamma-cakka) discourse, Sātāgiri went to look for him and met him on the way, in the sky above Kāḷī’s house. And the questions and answers on the Buddha’s physical conduct (kaya-samācāra), livelihood (ājīva) and mental practices (mano-samācāra) took place.
While Sātāgiri was talking about the Dhamma in his explanation of the Buddha’s conduct, Kāḷī overheard all and began to have faith in the Buddha without having personally seen him and became established in Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala), just as somebody who has enjoyed the meal prepared and meant for another person. She was the first noble Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna) and female lay devotee among women and the eldest sister to them all.
Having become a Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna), Kāḷī gave birth to a son that very night. The son was given the name Soṇa. After living with her parents for as long as she wanted, Kāḷī returned to Kuraraghara. Since the son was one wearing earrings worth 10 million, he was also known as Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa.
Soṇa’s Spiritual Urgency
At that time, Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana was staying in the hill known as Papāta, It is sometimes written as Pavatta or Upavatta. depending upon Kuraraghara as his alms resort. The lay devotee, Kāḷī, was serving Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana who constantly visited her house. Her son, Soṇa, was also around Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana constantly and became friendly with him.
Whenever he had an opportunity, Soṇa would go to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana to wait upon him. Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana also continuously taught him the Dhamma in return. The boy, therefore, felt a good deal of spiritual urgency (saṁvega) and became ardent in practising the Dhamma. At one time, he travelled with a caravan to Ujjenī for commercial purposes and while camping at night he became afraid to stay with the crowd. So, he went to another place and slept. The caravan moved on in the morning without him, as nobody remembered to wake him up before they proceeded.
When Soṇa awoke and didn’t see anyone, he hurried to follow the caravan along the caravan road and reached a banyan tree. At the tree, he saw a male ghost (peta), who was disgusting, ugly and big-bodied, picking up and eating pieces of his own flesh that were falling off from his bones. So Soṇa asked him what he was and the ghost answered, giving his identity. Soṇa asked again why he was eating his own flesh, and he answered that he was doing so because of his past deeds (kamma). Soṇa then asked him to explain and his explanation was as follows: “Master, in the past, I was a wicked merchant of Bhārukaccha, earning my living by deceiving others. Besides, I abused monks who came for alms and said to them: ‘Eat your own flesh!’ As a result of these evil deeds, I am now undergoing the kinds of suffering you are now witnessing.” On hearing the incident, Soṇa was shaken a great deal.
Thenceforth, he continued his journey and came across two ghost (peta) boys, from whose mouth black blood was trickling. So he asked about them, as he had done before. To Soṇa, the young ghosts then related their evil deed done in the past: As humans they traded in perfumes to earn their living as youngsters, and while doing so, their mother invited and offered meals to certain Arahats. On coming home, they abused and cursed her: “Mother,
The stories of his spiritual urgency (saṁvega) are told in the Exalted Utterances (Udāna) commentary and the Vinaya sub-commentary the Light on the Essence of Meaning (Sārattha-dīpanī).
Soṇa arrived in Ujjenī and returned to Kuraraghara after going about his business. He then approached Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana and told him what he had seen. Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana gave Soṇa a religious talk on the disadvantages of birth in the cycles of Saṁsāra and its round of suffering, as well as on the advantages of not becoming, and the discontinuation of birth in these cycles of Saṁsāra and its round of suffering. Having paid his respects to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana, Soṇa went home. He had his evening meal, and fell asleep for a while. Later, he woke up and began to reflect on the discourse given earlier by Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana. This reflection and his recollection of the states of the ghosts (peta) whom he had met made him feel a great fear of Saṁsāra and its suffering cycles. Thus, he was very much inclined to become a monastic.
At daybreak, he washed himself and went to Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana and reported to him what he thought: “Venerable sir, when I reflected in various ways on the discourse you gave, I found that it was not easy to undertake this noble threefold training, which resembles a newly polished conch shell, perfect and pure in the lay life.” He went on: “I would like to shave my hair and beard, put on the dyed robe and leave the lay life, to enter the monastic life.” Having thus spoken of his wish to become a monastic, he made a request: “Therefore, sir, I would like you to ordain me.”
Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana then investigated mentally whether Soṇa’s wisdom was ripe or not, and he came to know that it was not. Wishing to wait for the time when Soṇa’s wisdom would ripen, Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana said: “It is difficult, Soṇa, to take up for life the noble practice of sleeping alone and eating alone. Therefore, Soṇa, what I would like to ask you to do is this: practise first occasionally, while still a layman, the noble practice of solitary sleeping and solitary eating, as on Observance Days (Uposatha), etc. which is taught by the exalted Buddha.”
Then Soṇa’s eagerness to become a monastic subsided as his faculties were not mature yet and his consciousness of spiritual urgency (saṁvega) was not serious enough. Though his eagerness had subsided, he was not careless, but remained in the presence of Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana and constantly approached him to listen to his Dhamma teaching. As time went by, he became inclined for a second time to become a monastic, so he renewed his request. This time also Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana gave him the same advice.
When Soṇa requested for a third time, Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana knew it was time to ordain him because of the maturity of his wisdom, but Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana could only ordain him as a novice (sāmaṇera). Though he wanted to ordain Soṇa as a monastic (bhikkhu), such ordination could not take place because only two or three monastics lived in Kuraraghara and at that time ten were needed for the higher ordination. Although there were many in the Middle Country, those monastics were living very far and separately, one in a village or two in a market town. From there, Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana brought two or three monastics for Soṇa, his co-resident pupil. But while he was away trying to bring more monastics, the previous ones would leave for another place to attend to other matters. After waiting for some time for their return, he went out to bring back those who had left but the others who remained there, departed on some other matters.
As he had to repeat his attempt to organise the ordination in this way, it took him more than three years to get a group of ten monks together, which was needed to perform a higher ordination (upasampadā). Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana was staying alone then. It was only after three long and troublesome years that Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana managed to get the required number of monks to give his pupil, Soṇa, higher ordination. This is reproduced from the Light on the Essence of Meaning (Sārattha-dīpanī).
Having received ordination, Ven. Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa learnt and took a meditation subject, and when he assiduously engaged in insight (vipassanā) meditation, he became an Arahat even during that Rains Retreat (Vassa) and he studied the collection of teachings known as the Anthology of Discourses (Sutta-nipāta) under Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana. After
His request in detail may be seen in the Story about Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa (Soṇa-kuṭikaṇṇa-vatthu, Vin Mv 5).
The preceptor Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana then said: “Soṇa, when you arrive there, the Buddha will let you stay in his Perfumed Chamber and ask you to give a discourse. Accordingly, you are bound to do that. Being pleased with your discourse, the Buddha will give you a reward. Take such and such a reward. Please pay homage to the exalted Buddha in my name!” Saying thus, Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana gave his permission whole-heartedly.
Having obtained his preceptor’s permission, Ven. Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa went to the residence of his mother, Kāḷī, the wife of a merchant, and told her of his plan. His mother consented and made a request: “Very well, dear son! When you go to meet the Buddha, please take this rug along as my donation, and spread it on the ground in the Perfumed Chamber!” With these words the mother handed him a rug.
Taking the rug with him, Ven. Soṇa packed his bedding and set out for Jetavana, Sāvatthī. The Buddha was then seated on the Dhamma throne, a seat meant for the Buddha. Ven. Soṇa stood at a suitable distance and paid his respects to the Buddha. Having exchanged words of greeting with Ven. Soṇa, the Buddha emphatically asked Ven. Ānanda: “Arrange lodging for this monastic, dear son Ānanda!”
Herein, if the Buddha wished to stay with a visiting monastic in the same Perfumed Chamber, he would specially ask to provide lodging for him. But for a visitor with whom he has no reason for staying together, he would say nothing. For such a person, Ven. Ānanda or somebody else on duty would make an accommodation at another suitable place.
Knowing the wish of the Buddha, Ven. Ānanda provided accommodation for Ven. Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa in the Perfumed Chamber.
The Buddha spent time in absorption (jhāna) for several hours of the night and then he entered the Perfumed Chamber. Ven. Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa too spent a long time sitting in absorption during the night and then he too entered the Perfumed Chamber. Wishing to talk with Ven. Soṇa about engaging in absorption, the Buddha let the time pass by sitting and attaining all the absorptions that were common to disciples, in the open space. Having done so, he washed his feet and went into the dwelling. Sensing the wish of the master, Ven. Soṇa followed, after engaging in the absorption befitting the hours he had in the open space.
Having entered into the Perfumed Chamber, as permitted by the Buddha, he made a robe-screen and sat at the feet of the Buddha. In the last watch of the night, having lain down on the right side, which is lying like a lion (sīha-seyya), with mindfulness, the Buddha rose when it was near daybreak. He then sat down and thinking that Soṇa’s physical weariness must have subsided by this time, he asked him: “Dear son Soṇa, recite something for me!” Ven. Soṇa recited the sixteen discourses beginning with the Discourse about Sense Desires (Kāma-sutta, Snp 4.1), all of which formed the section known as the Section of the Eights (Aṭṭhaka-vagga) of the Anthology of Discourses (Sutta-nipāta) in a very sweet voice without making any errors, not even in a single letter.
When the recitation had ended, the Buddha gave him a blessing and asked: “Dear son Soṇa, all sixteen discourses of the Section of the Eights you have learned wonderfully, you have got them well by heart! And as they contained correct articulation they have a pleasant sound. They are clean, flawless, full of words leading to understanding and meaning that is free from any impairment. Dear son Soṇa, how long have you been a monastic?” – “Just one Rains Retreat, exalted Buddha,” answered Ven. Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa.
Again the Buddha asked: “Dear son Soṇa, why did your monastic life start so late?” – “Exalted Buddha,” replied Ven. Soṇa, “I have long seen the disadvantages of sensual pleasures. But household life is so narrow, full of duties and things to attend to. Knowing that the mind of one who has seen the defects of sensual pleasures as they really are, I remained in the household life for a long time, but like drops of water falling from the
Disvā ādīnavaṁ loke, ñatvā Dhammaṁ nirūpadhiṁ,
ariyo na ramatī pāpe, pāpe na ramatī suci.
Because he has clearly seen through the eye of insight (vipassanā) the defects of impermanence, suffering and changeability everywhere in the world of formations (saṅkhāra) and also because he has penetrated through the fourfold path wisdom, Nibbāna, which is the cessation of the fourfold substratum of existence (upadhi), the noble one, who is free from defilements, does not take pleasure in evil deeds.
Why? Because for such a swan-like individual whose deeds, physical, vocal and mental are pure, there is no precedent that such a person should find happiness in the aggregate of dirty, unwholesome things that resemble a place full of excrement.
Ven. Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa then thought: “The Fortunate One gave a joyous reply to me. Now is the time for me to transmit what my teacher has asked.” So thinking, he adjusted his upper robe on his left shoulder and bowed his head at the feet of the master, saying: “Fortunate One, my preceptor, Ven. Mahā Kaccāyana makes obeisance to you with his head, and he asks as follows:
1. “Exalted Buddha, the southern region of the country of Avanti has few monastics. My disciple Soṇa acquired the monastic life only after having ten monastics gathered from various places with great difficulty, which took me three years. I wonder if you, exalted Buddha, would allow higher ordination performed by less than ten monastics in that region.
2. Exalted Buddha, in the southern region of Avanti, the uneven ground rising from its surface, resembles the black hoof-print of a cow, it is so rough. I wonder if you, exalted Buddha, would allow sandals with layers of sole in that region.
3. Exalted Buddha, the people in the southern region of Avanti are fond of bathing. They regard water as a cleansing factor. I wonder if you, exalted Buddha, would allow a daily bath.
4. Exalted Buddha, in the region of Avanti, sheep-skin, goat-skin and deer-skin are used as spreads. Just as, Fortunate One, in the Middle Country (Majjhima-desa), mats made of various kinds of grass used, so are sheep-skin, goat-skin and deer-skin used in Avanti. I wonder if you, exalted Buddha, would allow these skins for spreads.
5. Exalted Buddha, people nowadays entrust monastics outside the Hall of Discipline (Sīmā) with robes, saying: “This robe is given to such and such a monastic.” The entrusted co-resident monastics goes to the monastic concerned and says: “Such and such a man, friend, gives a robe to you.” But the monastic does not accept the robe as he thinks that his acceptance would require him to perform an act of forfeiture and is therefore against the Vinaya. Because of such doubt, there is no such acceptance. Perhaps the Buddha might tell the correct way of accepting the robe.
Because of what had been reported by Ven. Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa, the Buddha then gave a Dhamma talk to him and addressed the monks as follows: “Monks, monastics are rare in the southern region of Avanti. In such bordering areas, I allow the performance of ordination by a group of five monks, the fifth being an expert in the Vinaya.”
The phrase “bordering areas” in that injunction means the areas outside the Middle Country, to the east of which is the market town of Gajaṅgala, beyond which is a great Sāla tree; beyond that Sāla tree begins the bordering areas.
1. “Monks, in the bordering areas in such a situation I allow performance of ordination by a group of five monastics, the fifth one being an expert in the Vinaya.
2. Monks, in the southern region of Avanti, the uneven ground, swollen and full of black hoof-prints of cattle, is so rough. I allow you monks to wear sandals with layers of sole in all those bordering areas.
3. Monks, in the southern region of Avanti, people attach importance to bathing. They regard water as a cleansing factor. I allow monks a daily bath in all those bordering areas.
4. Monks, in the southern region of Avanti sheep-skins, goat-skins and deer-skins are used as spreads. As, monks, in the Middle Country, various mats made of grass are used, so are those animal skins used as spreads in that region of Avanti. I allow monks to use sheep-skin, goat-skin and deer-skin for spreads in all those bordering areas.
5. Monks, if people entrust monastics, who happen to be outside the Hall of Discipline (Sīmā), with a robe, saying: “This robe we give to such and such a monastic.” As long as the robe does not go into the hand of the monk concerned, the robe cannot be reckoned as something recognized by the would-be recipient for use. I allow you monks to accept that robe.
Again, as had been asked by his mother, Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa paid respects, in her name, to the Buddha and said: “Exalted Buddha, your supporter, my mother Kāḷī, the female lay devotee, has offered this rug for use as a mat on the floor in your fragrant chamber.” With these words, he handed the rug to the Buddha, and then he rose from his seat, made obeisance and returned to his monastery on Papāta Hill, near Kuraraghara town, in Avanti.
On returning to his preceptor, Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa reported all about the mission. Next day, he went to the house of his mother, Kāḷī, and stood at the entrance for alms food. Hearing that her son was at the door, she came out quickly, paid her respects, took the alms bowl from Ven. Soṇa’s hand, prepared a seat and offered food, and then followed a conversation between his mother and Ven. Soṇa:
Mother: Son, have you seen the Fortunate One?
Ven. Soṇa: Yes, I have, mother.
Mother: Have you also paid respects to the Fortunate One in my name?
Ven. Soṇa: Yes, I have. The rug given by you to the Fortunate One, I personally spread it as a mat, as you had asked, in the Fragrant Chamber which he occupies.
Mother: How about your visit to the Fortunate One? Is it true that you spoke about the Dhamma? Is it true that the Fortunate One gave you blessings?
Ven. Soṇa: How did you come to know about these things?
Mother: The guardian spirit of this house, son, told me the day the Fortunate One gave blessings to you, Devas and Brahmas of the 10,000 world-spheres did the same. I want you to relate to me, son, the Dhamma in the same words as you have addressed the Fortunate One.
Ven. Soṇa accepted the mother’s request by being silent. Knowing of Ven. Soṇa’s acceptance, the mother had a great pavilion built at the house-gate and let Ven. Soṇa
Foremost Title Achieved
At a later time, sitting in the midst of his noble disciples, the Buddha spoke in praise of Ven. Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa as follows:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ
kalyāṇa-vākkaraṇaṁ yad-idaṁ Soṇo Kuṭikaṇṇo.
Monks, among my disciples who give pious talks in a sweet and pleasant voice, Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa is the foremost.