7. Uggata the Householder
Aspiration in the Past
The future Uggata was reborn into a worthy family in the city of Haṁsavatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, he was listening to a discourse by the Buddha when he saw a lay disciple being named as the foremost in attending on the Saṅgha without discrimination. He admired that man. As such, he made an extraordinary offering to the Buddha and his Saṅgha and after that, he aspired to the same distinction in front of the Buddha who predicted that his aspiration would be fulfilled.
Discipleship in His Last Existence
The future Uggata was reborn in fortunate destinations for 100,000 aeons before being reborn into a rich man’s family in Hatthigāma, in the country of the Vajjis, during the time of Buddha Gotama. He was named Uggata, and when he came of age, he inherited his father’s estate.
At the time when the Buddha, after a tour of the country in the company of many monastics, arrived at Hatthigāma and was sojourning in the Nāga Park, Uggata was then
From that moment on, he released the dancing girls from his service and devoted himself to generosity. Devas would come to him at the middle watch of the night and report to him as to the conduct of various monastics. They would say: “Householder, such and such a monastic is endowed with the three knowledges; such and such a monastic is endowed with the six kinds of super knowledges; such and such a monastic has morality; such and such a monastic has no morality, etc.” Uggata disregarded the failings of the monastics who lacked in morality as his devotion to the Saṅgha remained steadfast on account of the monastics of good morality. In making gifts therefore, he never discriminated between the good and the bad monastic, his devotion being directed to the Saṅgha as a whole. When he went before the Buddha, he never mentioned about the bad monastics but always extolled the virtues of the good.
Foremost Title Achieved
Therefore, on one occasion, during his residence at the Jetavana monastery, when prominent lay disciples were mentioned for their respective merits, the Buddha declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ upāsakānaṁ
Saṅghupaṭṭhākānaṁ yad-idaṁ Hatthigāmako Uggato gahapati.
Monastics, among my lay disciples who devotedly attend on the Saṅgha without discrimination, Uggata the householder of Hatthigāma is the foremost.
Householders Uggata of Hatthigāma has eight marvellous qualities.
The Eight Marvellous Qualities of Uggata of Hatthigāma
At one time, when the Buddha was sojourning at Hatthigāma, in the country of the Vajjians, he said to the monastics: “Monastics, note that Uggata the householder of Hatthigāma has eight marvellous qualities.” After saying this brief statement, the Buddha went into the monastery.
Later, a monastic went to the house of Uggata and sat at a place prepared for the Saṅgha. Uggata greeted him, paid respects to the monastic, and sat in a suitable place. To Uggata, the monastic said: “Householder, the Fortunate One said that you are endowed with eight marvellous qualities. What are these eight qualities?”
Uggata 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 Uggata told his story:
1. “Venerable sir, while I was indulging myself in sensuous pleasures in my own Nāga Park, I saw the Buddha from a distance. As soon as I cast my eyes on the Buddha, I had explicit faith in him as the Buddha, and was deeply devoted to him. I became suddenly sober after my drunken bout. Venerable sir, my explicit faith in and devotion to the Buddha at first sight and my recovering sobriety at that moment is the first extraordinary thing about me.
2. Venerable sir, I approached the Buddha with a pure conviction. The Fortunate One discoursed to me in a most appropriate step-by-step exposition on: 1) The merits of giving in generosity, 2) the virtue of morality, 3) the description about the world of Devas, 4) the practice of the noble path. That made my mind receptive, malleable, free of hindrances, elated and clear. The Fortunate One, knowing this, expounded to me the exalted Dhamma, the four noble truths of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the way leading to the cessation of suffering. Consequently, I gained the eye of the Dhamma, and attained Non-returning (Anāgāmi-phala). From the time I became a Non-returner (Anāgāmī), I took a lifelong vow of the supermundane refuge, together with the observance of the five precepts with abstinence (brahma-cariyā) as one of them. Venerable sir, my attainment of Non-returning (Anāgāmi-phala) after my first meeting with the Buddha and my subsequent taking up of the supermundane refuge of the five precepts with the vow of abstinence, is the second extraordinary thing about me.
3. Venerable sir, I had four teenage wives. When I returned home on the day I became a Non-returner (Anāgāmī), I called up my four wives and said to them: ‘Dear sisters, I have taken the 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 anyone of you wishes to remarry, just tell me who is going to be your new bridegroom. Each of you are free to exercise those options.’ Thereupon, my first wife expressed her wish to remarry and she named the bridegroom. I then let that man come up to me, and, holding my first wife in my left hand, and the libation jug in my right 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 consider them to be assigned to the virtuous monastics. I hold back nothing from the Saṅgha. 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. If that monastic teaches me a discourse, I listen reverentially, but never irreverently. If that monastic does not teach me a discourse, I teach a discourse to him. Venerable sir, my reverentially attending to monastics, reverentially listening to
6. Venerable sir, whenever I invite the Saṅgha to my residence, Devas would come to me and say: ‘Householder, such and such a monastic is emancipated both ways from the corporeal body (rūpa-kāya) and the mental body (ubhato-bhāga-vimutta); such and such a monastic has attained emancipation through full knowledge and insight (paññā-vimutta); such and such a monastic is one who has realized Nibbāna in his own person (kāya-sakkhi); such and such a monastic has attained to the three higher paths (magga) and fruitions (phala) through right view (diṭṭhippatta); such and such a monastic is emancipated through faith (saddhā-vimutta); such and such a monastic is one who follows faith (saddhānusarī); such and such a monastic is one who pursues Dhamma (Dhammānusārī); such and such a monastic has morality, and is virtuous; such and such a monastic lacks morality and is vile.” I do not think the Devas’ coming to me to say these words is extraordinary. When I attend to the Saṅgha, it never occurred to me that such and such a monastic lacks morality, and so I will make only scant offering to him, or that such and such a monastic is virtuous and so I will make great offerings to him. I make offerings both to the virtuous monastics and the vile monastics in the same reverential spirit. Venerable sir, my indiscriminate offering and attendance on both the virtuous and the vile monastics is the sixth extraordinary thing about me.
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 at the end.’ And I would say to those Devas: ‘O Devas, whether you say so or not, the Fortunate One expounds the Dhamma which is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent in the end.’ I do not think that the Devas coming to me to say those words is extraordinary. 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, in the event of my predeceasing the Fortunate One, the Fortunate One’s remarks about me such as: ‘Uggata the householder of Hatthigāma has no fetters in him that tend to rebirth in the sensuous realm,’ will not be anything extraordinary. Venerable sir, the fact that there is no fetter in me that tends to rebirth in the sensuous realm 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 Uggata 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 took place between him and Uggata the householder.
The Buddha said: “Good, good, monastic. Anyone who could answer your questions well should be given these very answers that Uggata the householder did. Monastic, I say that Uggata the householder is endowed with those eight extraordinary qualities that are marvellous. Monastics, note that Uggata the householder has these very eight marvellous qualities that he told you.”
In the Collection of the Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara-nikāya) discourses both the above two householders are called “Ugga.” Here we are leaning on the Collection of the Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara-nikāya) about the foremost disciples in calling the householder of Hatthigāma, Uggata, in contradistinction to Ugga, the householder of Vesālī. Since the noble and rare attributes of these two householders inspire devotion, these notes are somewhat more than summarized statements.