Mahavogga 6.27

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

MAHAVAGGA

SIXTH KHANDHAKA(ON MEDICAMENTS)

Chapter-28.

1. And the Lord Buddha, after having dwelt at Rajagaha as long as he thought fit, went forth to Pataligama(Patna), accompanied by a great number of Bhikkhus, by twelve hundred and fifty Bhikkhus. Wandering from place to place the Lord Buddha came to Pataligama.

Now the lay-devotees at Pataligama heard: 'The Lord Buddha has arrived at Pataligama.' And the Pataligama lay-devotees went to the place where the Lord Buddha was; having approached him and respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, they sat down near him. When they were seated near him, the Lord Buddha taught, encouraged, animated, and gladdened the Pataligama lay-devotees by dhamma discourse.

2. And the Pataligama lay-devotees, having been taught, encouraged, animated, and gladdened by the Lord Buddha by dhamma discourse, said to the Lord Buddha: 'Might the Lord Buddha, Lord, consent to come to our rest house together with the fraternity of Bhikkhus.' The Lord Buddha expressed his consent by remaining silent. Then the Pataligama lay-devotees, when they understood that the Lord Buddha had accepted their invitation, rose from their seats, respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, and passing round him with their right side towards him, went away to the rest house. When they had arrived there, they strewed the whole floor of the rest house, placed seats in it, set up a water-pot, and fixed an oil lamp. Then they went to the place where the Lord Buddha was; having approached him and respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, they stationed themselves near him.

3. Standing near him the Pataliputta lay-devotees said to the Lord Buddha: 'We have strewn the whole floor of the rest house, Lord, (with sand), we have placed seats in it, set up a water-pot, and

fixed an oil lamp. May the Lord Buddha, Lord, do now what he thinks fit.'

And in the forenoon the Lord Buddha, having put on his under-robes, took his alms-bowl, and, with his kivara on, went to the rest house together with the Bhikkhus who followed him. When he had arrived there, he washed his feet, entered the rest house, and took. his seat against the centre pillar, with his face towards the east. And the Bhikkhus also washed their feet, entered the rest house, and took their seats against the western wall, with their faces towards the east, having the Lord Buddha before their eyes. And the Pataligama lay-devotees also washed their feet, entered the rest house, and took their seats against the eastern wall, with their faces towards the west, having the Lord Buddha before their eyes.

4. Then the Lord Buddha thus addressed the Pataligama lay-devotees: 'Fivefold, O householders, is the loss of the wrong-doer through his want of rectitude. And which is this fivefold loss? In the first place, O householders, the wrong-doer, devoid of rectitude, falls into great poverty through sloth; this is the first loss of the wrong-doer through his want of rectitude. And again, O householders, of the wrong-doer, devoid of rectitude, evil repute gets noised abroad; this is the second &c. And again, O householders, whatever society the wrong-doer, devoid of rectitude, enters--whether of noblemen, Brahmanas, heads of houses, or Samanas(monks)--he enters shyly and confused; this is the third &c. And again, O householders, the wrong-doer, devoid of rectitude, is full of anxiety when he dies; this is the fourth &c. And again, O householders, the

wrong-doer, devoid of rectitude, on the dissolution of his body, after death, is reborn into some state of distress and punishment, a state of woe, and hell; this is the fifth &c. This is the fivefold loss, O householders, of the wrong-doer through his want of rectitude.

5. 'Fivefold, O householders, is the gain of the well-doer through his practice of rectitude. And which is this fivefold gain? In the first place, O householders, the well-doer, strong in rectitude, acquires great wealth through his industry; this is the first gain of the well-doer through his practice of rectitude. And again, O householders, of the well-doer, strong in rectitude, good reports are spread abroad; this is the second &c. And again, O householders, whatever society the well-doer, strong in rectitude, enters--whether of noblemen, Brahmanas, heads of houses, or Samanas--he enters confident and self-possessed; this is the third &c. And again, O householders, the well-doer, strong in rectitude, dies without anxiety; this is the fourth &c. And again, O householders, the well-doer, strong in rectitude, on the dissolution of his body, after death, is reborn into some happy state in heaven; this is the fifth &c. This is the fivefold gain, O householders, of the well-doer through his practice of rectitude.'

6. When the Lord Buddha had thus taught, encouraged, animated, and gladdened the Pataligama lay-devotees far into the night with dhamma discourse, he dismissed them, saying, 'The night is far spent, O householders. May you do now what you think fit.' The Pataligama lay-devotees accepted the Lord Buddha's word by saying, 'Yes, Lord,' rose from their

seats, respectfully saluted the Lord Buddha, and passing round him with their right side towards him, went away.

7. And the Lord Buddha, not long after the Pataligama lay-devotees had departed from there, went to an empty place (in order to give himself to meditation).

At that time Sunidha and Vassakara, two ministers of Magadha, were building a (fortified) town at Pataligama in order to repel the Vajjis. And the Lord Buddha, rising up early in the morning, at dawn's time, saw with his divine and clear vision, surpassing that of ordinary men, great numbers of fairies who haunted the ground there at Pataligama. Now, wherever ground is occupied by powerful fairies, they bend the hearts of powerful kings and ministers to build dwelling-places there. Wherever ground is occupied by fairies of middling power, &c.; of inferior power, they bend the hearts of middling kings and ministers, &c., of inferior kings and ministers to build dwelling-places there.

8. And the Lord Buddha said to the venerable Ananda: 'Who are they, Ananda, who are building a town at Pataligama?'

'Sunidha and Vassakara, Lord, the two ministers of Magadha, are building a town at Pataligama in order to repel the Vajjis.'

'As if they had consulted, Ananda, with the Tavatimsa gods, so (at the right place), Ananda, the Magadha ministers Sunidha and Vassakara build this town at Pataligama in order to repel the Vajjis. When I had risen up early in the morning, Ananda, at dawn's time, I saw with my divine and clear vision (&c., as in §-7, down to:) they bend the hearts of inferior kings and ministers to build dwelling-places there. As far, Ananda, as Aryan people dwell, as far as merchants travel, this will become the chief town, the city of Pataliputta. But danger of destruction, Ananda, will hang over Pataliputta in three ways, by fire, or by water, or by internal discords.'

9. And the Magadha ministers Sunidha and Vassakara went to the place where the Lord Buddha was.; having approached him, they exchanged greeting with the Lord Buddha; having exchanged with him greeting and complaisant words, they stationed themselves near him; then standing near him the Magadha ministers Sunidha and Vassakara said to the Lord Buddha: 'Might the reverend Gotama consent to take his meal with us to-day together with the fraternity of Bhikkhus.'

The Lord Buddha expressed his consent by remaining silent. Then the Magadha ministers Sunidha and Vassakara, when they understood that the Lord Buddha had accepted their invitation, went away.

10. And the Magadha. ministers Sunidha and Vassakara ordered excellent food, both hard and soft, to be prepared, and had meal-time announced (&c., down to:) on seats laid out for them. And the Magadha ministers Sunidha and Vassakara with their own hands served and offered excellent food, both hard and soft, to the fraternity of Bhikkhus with the Buddha at its head; and when the Lord Buddha had finished his meal and cleansed his bowl and his hands, they sat down near him. When they were sitting near him, the Lord Buddha gladdened the Magadha ministers Sunidha and Vassakara by these stanzas:

11. 'Wheresoever the prudent man shall take up his abode, let him support there good and upright men of self-control.

'Let him make offerings to all such deities as may be there. Revered, they will revere him; honoured, they honour him again;

'Are gracious to him as a mother to the son of her womb. And a man who has the grace of the gods, good fortune he beholds.'

And the Lord Buddha, having gladdened the Magadha ministers Sunidha and Vassakara by these stanzas, rose from his seat and went away.

12. And the Magadha ministers Sunidha and Vassakara followed the Lord Buddha from behind, saying, The gate the Samana Gotama(Buddha) goes out by to-day shall be called Gotama's gate, and the ferry at which he crosses the river Ganges shall be called Gotama's ferry.' And the gate the Lord Buddha went out by

was called Gotama's gate. And the Lord Buddha went on to the river. At that time the river Ganges was brimful and overflowing; and wishing to cross to the opposite bank, some began to seek for boats, some for rafts of wood, while some made rafts of basket-work.

13. And the Lord Buddha saw those people who wished to cross to the opposite bank, some seeking for boats, some for rafts of wood, and some making rafts of basket-work. When he saw them, he vanished as quickly as a strong man might stretch his bent arm out, or draw back his outstretched arm, from this side of the river Ganges, and stood on the further bank with the company of the Bhikkhus.

And the Lord Buddha, perceiving all this, on this occasion, pronounced this solemn utterance:

'They who cross the ocean's floods making a solid path across the pools--

'While the vain world ties its basket rafts: these are the wise, these are the saved indeed.'