Chulavagga 7.1

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Adapted from the Translation by T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg

CHULAVAGGA (THE MINOR SECTION)

SEVENTH KHANDHAKA (DISSENSIONS IN THE ORDER)

Chapter-1.

1. Now at that time the Lord Buddha was staying at Anupiya. Anupiya is a town belonging to the Mallas. Now at that time the most distinguished of the young men of the Sakya clan had renounced the world in imitation of the Lord Buddha.

Now there were two brothers, Mahanama the Sakyan, and Anuruddha the Sakyan. Anuruddha the Sakyan was delicately nurtured; and he had three storeyed residences, one for the cold season, one for the hot season, and one for the season of the rains. During the four months spent in the

residence for the season of the rains, he was waited upon by women performing music, and came not down from the upper storey of his residence.

Then Mahanama the Sakyan thought: 'Now the most distinguished of the young men of the Sakya clan have already renounced the world in imitation of the Lord Buddha, but from our own family no one has gone forth from the household life into the houseless state(i.e. monkhood). Let therefore either I, or Anuruddha, renounce the world.' And he went to Anuruddha the Sakyan, and said [so to him, adding], 'Either therefore do you go forth, or I will do so.'

'I am delicate. It is impossible for me to go forth from the household life into the houseless state(i.e. monkhood). Do you do so.'

2. 'But come now, O beloved Anuruddha, I will tell you what is incident to the household life. First, you have to get your fields ploughed. When that is done, you have to get them sown. When that is done, you have to get the water led down over them. When that is done, you have to get the water led off again. When that is done, you have to get the weeds pulled up. When that is done, you have to get the crop reaped. When that is done, you have to get the crop carried away. When that is done, you have to get it arranged

into bundles. When that is done, you have to get it trodden out. When that is done, you have to get the straw picked out. When that is done, you have to get all the chaff removed. When that is done, you have to get it winnowed. When that is done, you have to get the harvest garnered. When that is done, you have to do just the same the next year, and the same all over again the year after that.

'The work is never over: one sees not the end of one's labours. O! when shall our work be over? When shall we see the end of our labours? When shall we, still possessing and retaining the pleasures of our five senses, yet dwell at rest? Yes! the work, beloved Anuruddha, is never over; no end appears to our labours. Even when our fathers and forefathers had completed their time, even then was their work unfinished.'

'Then do you take thought for the household duties. I will go forth from the household life into the houseless state(i.e. monkhood).'

And Anuruddha the Sakyan went to his mother, and said to her: 'I want, mother, to go forth from the household life into the houseless state(i.e. monkhood). Grant me your permission to do so.'

And when he had thus spoken, his mother replied

to Anuruddha the Sakyan, and said: 'You two, O beloved Anuruddha, are my two only sons, near and dear to me, in whom I find no evil. Through death I shall some day, against my will, be separated from you; but how can I be willing, while you are still alive, that you should go forth from the household life into the houseless state(i.e. monkhood)?'

[And a second time Anuruddha the Sakyan made the same request, and received the same reply. And a third time Anuruddha the Sakyan made the same request to his mother.]

3. Now at that time Bhaddiya the Sakya Raja(King) held rule over the Sakyas; and he was a friend of Anuruddha the Sakyan's. And the mother of Anuruddha the Sakyan, thinking that that being so, the Raja(King) would not be able to renounce the world, said to her son: 'If, beloved Anuruddha, Bhaddiya the Sakyan Raja(King) will renounce the world, you also mayest go forth into the houseless state(i.e. monkhood).'

Then Anuruddha the Sakyan went to Bhaddiya the Sakyan Raga, and said to him: 'My renunciation of the world, dear friend, is being obstructed by you.'

'Then let that obstruction, dear friend, be removed. Even with you will I renounce you the world according to your wish.'

'Come, dear friend, let us both renounce the world together!'

'I am not capable, dear friend, of giving up the household life. Whatsoever else you can ask of me, that I will do. Do you go forth (alone).'

'My mother, dear friend, has told me that if you dost so, I may. And you have even now declared "If your renunciation be obstructed by me, then let that obstruction be removed. Even with you will I--renounce you the world, according to your wish." Come, then, dear friend, let us both renounce the world.'

Now at that time men were speakers of truth, and keepers of their word which they had pledged. And Bhaddiya the Sakya Raja(King) said to Anuruddha the Sakyan: 'Wait, my friend, for seven years. At the end of seven years we will renounce the world together.'

'Seven years are too long, dear friend. I am not able to wait for seven years.'

[And the same offer was made successively of six years and so on down to one year, of seven months and so on down to one month, and even of a fortnight, and still there was ever the same reply. At last the Raja(King) said,]

'Wait, my friend, for seven days, while I hand over the kingdom to my sons and my brothers.'

'Seven days is not too long. I will wait thus far' (was the reply).

4. So Bhaddiya the Sakya Raga, and Anuruddha, and Ananda, and Bhagu, and Kimbila, and Devadatta--just as they had so often previously gone

out to the pleasure-ground with fourfold array--even so did they now go out with fourfold array, and Upali the barber went with them, making seven in all.

And when they had gone some distance, they sent their retinue back, and crossed over into the neighbouring district, and took off their fine things, and wrapped them in their robes, and made a bundle of them, and said to Upali the barber: 'Do you now, good Upali, turn back. These things will be sufficient for you to live upon.'

But as he was going back, Upali the barber thought: 'The Sakyas are fierce. They will think that these young men have been brought by me to destruction, and they will slay me. But since now these young men of the Sakya clan can go forth from the household life into the houseless state(i.e. monkhood), why indeed should not I?' And he let down the bundle (from his back), and hung the bundle on a tree, saying, 'Let whoso finds it, take it, as a gift,' and returned to the place where the young Sakyans were.

And the Sakya youths saw him coming from afar, and on seeing, they said to him: 'What have you come back for, good Upali?'

Then he told them [what he had thought, and what he had done with the bundle, and why he was returned].

'You have done well, good Upali (was the reply), in that you did not return; for the Sakyas are fierce, and might have killed you.'

And they took Upali the barber with them to the place where the Lord Buddha was. And on arriving there, they bowed down before the Lord Buddha, and

took their seats on one side. And so seated they said to the Lord Buddha: 'We Sakyas, Lord, are haughty. And this Upali the barber has long been an attendant, Lord, upon us. May the Lord Buddha admit him to the Order before us, so that we may render him respect and reverence, and bow down with outstretched hands before him (as our senior), and thus shall the Sakya pride be humbled in us Sakyans.'

Then the Lord Buddha received first Upali the barber, and afterwards those young men of the Sakya clan, into the ranks of the Order. And the venerable Bhaddiya, before that rainy season was over, became master of the Threefold Wisdom, and the venerable Anuruddha acquired the Heavenly Vision, and the venerable Ananda realised the effect of having entered upon the Stream, and Devadatta attained to that kind of Iddhi(spiritual power) which is attainable even by those who have not entered upon the Excellent Way.

5. Now at that time the venerable Bhaddiya, who had retired into the forest to the foot of a tree, into solitude, gave utterance over and over again to this ecstatic exclamation: 'O happiness! O happiness!' And a number of Bhikkhus went up to the place where the Lord Buddha was, and bowed down before him, and took their seats on one side. And, so seated, they [told the Lord Buddha of this], and added, 'For a certainty, Lord, the venerable Bhaddiya is not contented as he lives the life of purity; but rather it is when calling to mind the happiness of his former sovereignty that he gives vent to this saying.'

Then the Lord Buddha addressed a certain Bhikkhu; and said: 'Do you go, O Bhikkhu, and in my name call Bhaddiya the Bhikkhu, saying, The Teacher, venerable Bhaddiya, is calling for you."'

'Even so, Lord,' said that Bhikkhu, in assent to the Lord Buddha. And he went to Bhaddiya, and called him [in those words].

6. 'Very, well,' said the venerable Bhaddiya, in

assent to that Bhikkhu; and he came to the Lord Buddha, and bowed down before him, and took his seat on one side. And when he was so seated, the Lord Buddha said to the venerable Bhaddiya:

'Is it true, as they say, that you Bhaddiya, when retired into the forest to the foot of a tree, into solitude, have given utterance over and over again to this ecstatic exclamation, "O happiness! O happiness!" What circumstance was it, O Bhaddiya, that you had in your mind when you acted thus?'

'Formerly, Lord, when I was a king, I had a guard completely provided both within and without my private apartments, both within and without the town, and within the (borders of my) country. Yet though, Lord, I was thus guarded and protected, I was fearful, anxious, distrustful, and alarmed. But now, Lord, even when in the forest, at the foot of a tree, in solitude, I am without fear or anxiety, trustful and not alarmed; I dwell at ease, subdued, secure, with mind as peaceful as an antelope's. It was when calling this fact to mind, Lord, that I gave utterance over and over again to that cry, "O happiness! O happiness!"'

Then the Lord Buddha, on hearing that, gave utterance at that time to this song:

'The man who harbours no harsh thoughts within him, Who cares not whether things are thus or thus, His state of joy, freedom from grief or care, The very gods obtain not to behold!'