6. Ugga the Householder
Aspiration in the Past
The future Ugga was reborn into a worthy family in the city of Haṁsavatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, while he was listening to a discourse by the Buddha, he saw a disciple being named as the foremost among those who made gifts that delighted the receivers. He aspired to that distinction, and after making extraordinary offerings, he expressed his wish before the Buddha. The Buddha predicted that his aspiration would be fulfilled.
Discipleship in His Last Existence
After being reborn in the Deva realm or the human world for 100,000 aeons, the future Ugga was reborn into a rich man’s family in the city of Vesālī, during Buddha Gotama’s time.
The future Ugga was not given any name during his childhood. When he came of age, he possessed a majestic physique like an ornamental door-post, or a golden apparel hung for display. His exquisite masculine body and personal attributes became the talk of the town, as such people came to refer to him as Ugga the householder, “the mighty householder.”
It is noteworthy that Ugga gained Stream-entry knowledge on his very first meeting with
When Ugga grew old, he resorted to seclusion and this thought occurred to him: “I shall offer to the Fortunate One only those things that I cherish. I have learnt directly from the Fortunate One: ‘He who makes a gift of what he cherishes, reaps the benefit that he cherishes.’ ” Then his thought extended to the wish: “That the Fortunate One knew my thought and appeared at my door!”
The Buddha knew the thought of Ugga and at that very moment appeared miraculously at his door, in the company of many monastics. Ugga, on learning of the Buddha’s arrival, went to welcome him, paid respects to him with the hands, knees and forehead touching the ground, took the alms bowl from his hands and invited him to the prepared seat in his house, at the same time, he offered seats to the accompanying monastics. He served the Buddha and the Saṅgha with various kinds of delicious food, and after the meal was finished, he sat in a suitable place and addressed the Buddha thus:
1. “Venerable sir, I have learnt directly from the Fortunate One that: ‘He who makes a gift of what he cherishes, reaps the benefit that he cherishes.’ Venerable sir, my cake made to resemble the Sāla flower is delightful. May the Fortunate One, out of compassion, accept this food.” And the Buddha, out of compassion for the supporter, accepted it. Further Ugga said:
“Venerable sir, I have learnt directly from the Fortunate One that: ‘He who makes a gift of what he cherishes reaps the benefit that he cherishes.’ Venerable sir:
2. My specially prepared dish of pork with jujube is delightful …
3. My vegetable dish of water convolvulus cooked in oil and water and done in oil gravy is delightful …
4. My special rice, carefully discarded of black grains …
5. My fine cloth made in Kāsi province is delightful …
6. Venerable sir, my dais … my big carpet of long-fleece … woollen coverlets with quaint designs … rugs made of black panther’s hide … couches with red canopies and with red bolsters at either end are delightful. Venerable sir, I understand that these luxurious things are not proper for use by the Fortunate One. Venerable sir, this seat made of the core of sandalwood is worth over 100,000 pieces of money. May the Fortunate One, out of compassion, accept these pieces of furniture.” The Buddha out of compassion for the supporter accepted them.
Note here that Ugga the householder is offering the items of furniture after serving the gruel but before serving the main meal. His offerings are made not only to the Buddha but also to the Saṅgha. Under item 6) above, Ugga said: “I understand that these luxurious things are not proper for use by the Fortunate One.” There are also things that are not proper for use by the Buddha. He has caused them to be heaped together and assigned items, which are improper for use by the Buddha, to his store room, and donates only items which are proper. The sandalwood, being very dear and rare, is valued highly. After the Buddha had accepted it, he had it cut up into small bits and distributed to the monastics for use as a powder in preparing eye-lotion.
Then the Buddha spoke the following verses in appreciation of the donations (AN 5.44).
Ugga, one who gives in generosity with a delightful heart reaps the benefit of that deed in various delightful ways. One gives away clothing, dwelling place, food and various other things, strongly desirous of merit, to those noble ones who are straight in thought, word, and deed, who are Arahats.
That virtuous one who distinctly knows the Arahats as the fertile field for sowing seeds of merit and gives up delightful things that are hard to be given up, abandons them, releases them liberally with a delightful heart, reaps the benefit of that deed in various delightful ways.
After uttering these verses in appreciation of the householder’s memorable offerings, the Buddha departed.
On that occasion, Ugga the householder said to the Buddha: “Venerable sir, I have heard from the Fortunate One’s teaching that ‘He who makes a gift of what he cherishes, reaps the benefit that he cherishes.’ Venerable sir, whatever suitable articles are in my possession may be assumed by the Fortunate One as already donated to the Fortunate One and his Saṅgha.” Thenceforth, he always donated various suitable things to the Buddha and his Saṅgha.
Foremost Title Achieved
On account of this, when the Buddha, during his residence at the Jetavana monastery, was designating outstanding lay disciples according to their merit, he declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ upāsakānaṁ
manāpa-dāyakānaṁ yad-idaṁ Uggo Gahapati Vesāliko.
Monastics, among my lay disciples who are in the habit of giving delightful things in generosity, Ugga the Householder of Vesālī, is the foremost.
Householders Ugga of Vesālī has eight marvellous qualities.
A brief description of these qualities is given here. For a full account the reader is directed to the First Discourse about Ugga (Paṭhama-ugga-sutta, AN 8.21).
The Eight Marvellous Qualities of Ugga of Vesālī
At one time, while staying at the Kūṭāgārasāla monastery in the Great Wood, near Vesālī, the Buddha said to the monastics: “Monastics, note that Ugga the Householder of Vesālī, has eight marvellous qualities.” He then retired to his private chamber.
Later, a monastic went to the house of Ugga and sat at a place prepared for the Saṅgha. 500 seats being made available for the Saṅgha at all times. Ugga greeted him, paid respects to the monastic, and sat in a suitable place. To Ugga, the monastic said: “Householder, the Fortunate One said that you are endowed with eight marvellous qualities. What are these eight qualities?”
Ugga replied: “Venerable sir, I am not sure which eight qualities the Fortunate One sees in me that he calls marvellous, but as a matter of fact, I have eight qualities that are most extraordinary. May your reverence listen to them and consider well.” – “Very well, householder,” the monastic said, and Ugga told his story:
1. “Venerable sir, from the moment I cast my eyes on the Buddha, I had explicit faith in him as the Buddha, with no vacillation. So, venerable sir, my confidence in the Buddha at first sight is the first extraordinary thing about me.
2. Venerable sir, I approached the Buddha with pure conviction. The Fortunate One discoursed to me in a step-by-step exposition on the merits of giving with generosity; the
3. Venerable sir, I had four teenage wives. When I returned home on the day I became a Non-returner (Anāgāmī), I called the four wives and said to them: ‘Dear sisters, I have taken a vow of chastity for life. You may continue staying in my house, enjoying my wealth and practising generosity, or you may return to your parents’ house, taking sufficient riches with you for a comfortable life. Or, if any one of you wishes to remarry, just tell me who is going to be your new bridegroom. Each of you are free to exercise these options.’ Thereupon, my first wife expressed her wish to remarry and she named the bridegroom. I then let that man come to me, and holding my first wife in my left hand, and the libation jug in my fight hand, I offered my wife to that man and sanctified their marriage. In relinquishing my first wife, who was still very young, to another man, I felt nothing in my mind. Venerable sir, my detachment in giving up my first wife to another man is the third extraordinary thing about me.
4. Venerable sir, whatever possessions I have in my house, I deem them to be assigned to the virtuous ones with morality. I hold back nothing from the Saṅgha. It is as though they are already in the possession of the Saṅgha as a body. Venerable sir, this liberality towards the Saṅgha, in considering all my possessions as being assigned to the virtuous monastics, is the fourth extraordinary thing about me.
5. Venerable sir, whenever I attend to a monastic, I do so reverently and personally, but never irreverently, venerable sir. Reverentially attending to monastics is the fifth extraordinary thing about me.
6. Venerable sir, if that monastic teaches me a discourse, I listen reverentially, but never irreverently. If that monastic does not teach me a discourse, I will teach a discourse to him. Venerable sir, my listening reverentially to a discourse by a monastic, and my teaching a discourse to the monastic who does not teach me, is the sixth extraordinary thing about myself.
7. Venerable sir, Devas often come to me, saying: ‘Householder, the Fortunate One expounds the Dhamma which is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent in the end.’ I would say to those Devas: ‘O Devas, whether you say so or not, the Fortunate One expounds the Dhamma which is indeed excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent in the end.’ I do not think the Devas’ coming to me to say those words is extraordinary. I do not feel exhilarated by their coming to me and for the experience of conversing with them. Venerable sir, my indifference to the coming of Devas to me and the experience of conversing with them is the seventh extraordinary thing about me.
8. Venerable sir, I do not see any of the five fetters that tend to rebirth in the lower sensuous realms of existence that have not been discarded in me. Venerable sir, my having attained Non-returning (Anāgāmi-magga) is the eighth extraordinary thing about me.
Venerable sir, I know I have these eight extraordinary qualities. But I am not sure which eight qualities the Fortunate One sees in me that he calls marvellous.”
Thereafter, the monastic, having received alms food from Ugga the householder, departed. He took his meal and then went to the Buddha, made obeisance to him, and sat in a suitable place. Sitting thus, he related to the Buddha the full details of the conversation that
The Buddha said: “Good, good, monastic. Anyone who could answer your questions well should be given these very answers that Ugga the householder did. Monastic, I say that Ugga the householder is endowed with those eight extraordinary qualities that are marvellous. Monastics, note that Ugga the householder has these very eight marvellous qualities that he told you.”
The Destination of Ugga the Householder
Thereafter, on a certain day, Ugga the householder of Vesālī died and was reborn in one of the five Pure Abodes (Suddhāvāsa) in the Brahma Realms. The Buddha was then residing at the Jetavana monastery. At that time, about the middle of the night, Brahma Ugga, with his resplendent body that flooded the whole of the Jetavana monastic complex, approached the Buddha, made his obeisance to him, and stood at a suitable distance. To that Brahma Ugga, the Buddha said: “How is it? Is your desire fulfilled?” And Brahma Ugga replied: “Venerable sir, my desire is indeed fulfilled.”
Herein, it might be asked: “What did the Buddha mean by ‘desire’? And what does the Brahma’s reply mean?” The answer is: the Buddha means becoming an Arahat and the Brahma’s answer also means becoming an Arahat. For the main desire of Ugga was becoming an Arahat
Then the Buddha addressed Brahma Ugga in these two verses (AN 5.44):
He who gives away a delightful thing begets a delightful thing. He who gives away the best begets the best. He who gives away what is desirable begets what is desirable. He who gives away what is praiseworthy begets what is praiseworthy.
He who is in the habit of giving away the best things, things that are desirable, things that are praiseworthy, is reborn as one who lives long and who has a big following.