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11. Dhammikaupāsakavatthu1.11 The Story about the Lay Disciple Dhammika Dhammika-Upāsakassa Vatthu
Idha modatīti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto dhammikaupāsakaṃ ārabbha kathesi.“Here he rejoices, after death he rejoices,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the lay disciple Dhammika.{1.129} marks page 129 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
Sāvatthiyaṃ kira pañcasatā dhammikaupāsakā nāma ahesuṃ. Tesu ekekassa pañca pañca upāsakasatāni parivārā. Yo tesaṃ jeṭṭhako, tassa satta puttā satta dhītaro.At Sāvatthī, we are told, lived five hundred lay people called Dhammika, each with a retinue of five hundred lay friends. The senior lay disciple had seven sons and seven daughters.
Tesu ekekassa ekekā salākayāgu salākabhattaṃ pakkhikabhattaṃ nimantanabhattaṃ uposathikabhattaṃ āgantukabhattaṃ saṅghabhattaṃ vassāvāsikaṃ ahosi.Each of these sons regularly gave ticket-porridge, ticket-food, food of the waning moon, food of the new moon, invitation-food, the Observance Day food, visitors’ food, and food during the season of the rains.
Tepi sabbeva anujātaputtā nāma ahesuṃ. Iti cuddasannaṃ puttānaṃ bhariyāya upāsakassāti soḷasa salākayāguādīni pavattanti. Iti so saputtadāro sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo dānasaṃvibhāgarato ahosi.All of them took after their father, so that the lay disciple and his wife and fourteen children maintained sixteen forms of alms. And the lay disciple, virtuous, upright, together with son and wife, took delight in the distribution of alms.
Athassa aparabhāge rogo uppajji, āyusaṅkhāro parihāyi. So dhammaṃ sotukāmo “ aṭṭha vā me soḷasa vā bhikkhū pesethā ” ti satthu santikaṃ pahiṇi.Life of Generosity After a time the lay disciple was attacked by a disease, and his vital forces began to decay. Desiring to hear the Dhamma, he sent word to the Teacher: “Send me eight or sixteen bhikkhus.”{1.130} marks page 130 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
Satthā pesesi. Te gantvā tassa mañcaṃ parivāretvā paññattesu āsanesu nisinnā.The Teacher sent them, and they straightaway went and gathered around his bed and sat down on seats prepared for them.
“ Bhante, ayyānaṃ me dassanaṃ dullabhaṃ bhavissati, dubbalomhi, ekaṃ me suttaṃ sajjhāyathā ” ti vutte “ kataraṃ suttaṃ sotukāmo upāsakā ” ti?“Venerable Sirs,” said the lay disciple, “it will be difficult for me to see you, for I am weak; tell me but a single Discourse.” – “Which Discourse would you like to hear, lay brother?”
“ Sabbabuddhānaṃ avijahitaṃ satipaṭṭhānasuttan ” ti vutte – “ ekāyano ayaṃ, bhikkhave, maggo sattānaṃ visuddhiyā ” ti (dī. ni.2.373; ma. ni.1.106) suttantaṃ paṭṭhapesuṃ.– “The Mindfulness Discourse, common to all the Buddhas.” Accordingly they began to rehearse the Discourse, beginning with the words: “This is a one-way path, bhikkhus, for the purification of beings.”
Tasmiṃ khaṇe chahi devalokehi sabbālaṅkārapaṭimaṇḍitā sahassasindhavayuttā diyaḍḍhayojanasatikā cha rathā āgamiṃsu.At that moment, from the six worlds of the Devas, approached six chariots a 150 leagues long, drawn by a thousand Sindh horses, adorned with all the adornments.
Tesu ṭhitā devatā “ amhākaṃ devalokaṃ nessāma, amhākaṃ devalokaṃ nessāma,In each chariot stood a Devatā, and each Devatā spoke and said: “Permit us to convey you to our celestial world.”
ambho mattikabhājanaṃ bhinditvā suvaṇṇabhājanaṃ gaṇhanto viya amhākaṃ devaloke abhiramituṃ idha nibbattāhi, amhākaṃ devaloke abhiramituṃ idha nibbattāhī ” ti vadiṃsu.And they spoke again and said: “Even as one shatters a clay vessel and replaces it with a vessel of gold, even so are living beings reborn to take their pleasure in our celestial world.”[28.229] marks page 229 of volume 28 of the Harvard Oriental Series English translation.
Upāsako dhammassavanantarāyaṃ anicchanto – “ āgametha āgamethā ” ti āha. Bhikkhū “ amhe vāretī ” ti saññāya tuṇhī ahesuṃ.The lay disciple, unwilling to be interrupted in listening to the Dhamma, said: “Wait! Wait!” The bhikkhus, thinking that he was speaking to them, ceased their recitation of the Dhamma.
Athassa puttadhītaro “ amhākaṃ pitā pubbe dhammassavanena atitto ahosi, idāni pana bhikkhū pakkosāpetvā sajjhāyaṃ kāretvā sayameva vāreti,His sons and daughters cried out: “Formerly our father could never hear enough of the Dhamma. But now, after summoning the bhikkhus and directing them to rehearse the Dhamma,
maraṇassa abhāyanakasatto nāma natthī ” ti viraviṃsu. Bhikkhū “ idāni anokāso ” ti uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṃsu.he stops them himself. After all, there is no man who does not fear death.” The bhikkhus said to each other: “This is no time for us to remain.” And forthwith they arose and departed.
Upāsako thokaṃ vītināmetvā satiṃ paṭilabhitvā putte pucchi – “ kasmā kandathā ” ti? “ Tāta,After a time the lay disciple recovered his attention and asked his sons: “Why do you weep?” – “Dear father,” said they, “you sent for the bhikkhus,
tumhe bhikkhū pakkosāpetvā dhammaṃ suṇantā sayameva vārayittha, atha mayaṃ ‘ maraṇassa abhāyanakasatto nāma natthī ’ ti kandimhā ” ti.and even as you listened to the Dhamma, you yourself stopped them from rehearsing the Dhamma. We weep to think: ‘After all, there is no man who does not fear death.’” – “But where are the noble ones?”{1.131} marks page 131 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
“ Ayyā pana kuhin ” ti? “‘ Anokāso ’ ti uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkantā, tātā ” ti. “ Nāhaṃ, ayyehi saddhiṃ kathemī ” ti vutte “ atha kena saddhiṃ kathethā ” ti.– “They said to each other: ‘This is no time for us to remain.’ And forthwith they arose from their seats and departed.” – “Dear sons, I was not speaking to the noble ones.” – “With whom, then, were you talking,
“ Chahi devalokehi devatā cha rathe alaṅkaritvā ādāya ākāse ṭhatvā ‘ amhāhi devaloke abhirama, amhākaṃ devaloke abhiramā ’ ti saddaṃ karonti,dear father?” – “From the six worlds of the Devas Devatās approached in six magnificently adorned chariots, and standing in their chariots poised in the air, they said to me: ‘Take your pleasure in our celestial world;
tāhi saddhiṃ kathemī ” ti. “ Kuhiṃ, tāta, rathā, na mayaṃ passāmā ” ti? “ Atthi pana mayhaṃ ganthitāni pupphānī ” ti?take your pleasure in our celestial world.’ I was talking with them.” – “Dear father, where are the chariots? We do not see them.” – “Have I any wreaths of flowers?” – “Yes, dear father.”
“ Atthi, tātā ” ti. “ Kataro devaloko ramaṇīyo ” ti? “ Sabbabodhisattānaṃ buddhamātāpitūnañca vasitaṭṭhānaṃ tusitabhavanaṃ ramaṇīyaṃ,– “Which celestial world is the most delightful?” – “Dear father, the most delightful is the world of the Tusita gods, the abode of the mothers and fathers of the Buddhas and of all the Bodhisattas.”
tātā ” ti. “ Tena hi ‘ tusitabhavanato āgatarathe laggatū ’ ti pupphadāmaṃ khipathā ” ti.– “Well then, throw a wreath of flowers and say: ‘Let this wreath of flowers cling to the chariot which came from the world of the Tusita gods.’”
Te khipiṃsu. Taṃ rathadhure laggitvā ākāse olambi. Mahājano tadeva passati, rathaṃ na passati.Accordingly the children of the lay disciple threw the wreath of flowers, and it clung to the pole of the chariot and hung suspended in the air. The populace saw the wreath of flowers suspended in the air, but did not see the chariot.
Upāsako “ passathetaṃ pupphadāman ” ti vatvā,“ āma, passāmā ” ti vutte – “ etaṃ tusitabhavanato āgatarathe olambati, ahaṃ tusitabhavanaṃ gacchāmi, tumhe mā cintayittha,The lay disciple said: “Do you see this wreath of flowers?” – “Yes, we see it.” – “This wreath hangs suspended from the chariot which came from the world of the Tusita gods. I am going to the world of the Tusita gods; be not disturbed.
mama santike nibbattitukāmā hutvā mayā kataniyāmeneva puññāni karothā ” ti vatvā kālaṃ katvā rathe patiṭṭhāsi.If you desire to be reborn with me, do works of merit even as I have done.” And when he had thus spoken, he died and set foot in the chariot.
Tāvadevassa tigāvutappamāṇo saṭṭhisakaṭabhārālaṅkārapaṭimaṇḍito attabhāvo nibbatti, accharāsahassaṃ parivāresi, pañcavīsatiyojanikaṃ kanakavimānaṃ pāturahosi.Immediately he was reborn as a Deva three-quarters of a league in stature, adorned with sixty cartloads of ornaments. A retinue of a thousand Accharās attended him, and a golden mansion twenty-five leagues in extent became visible.[28.230] marks page 230 of volume 28 of the Harvard Oriental Series English translation.
Tepi bhikkhū vihāraṃ anuppatte satthā pucchi – “ sutā, bhikkhave, upāsakena dhammadesanā ” ti?When those bhikkhus reached the monastery, the Teacher asked them: “Bhikkhus, did the lay disciple hearken to the recitation of the Dhamma?” – “Yes,
“ Āma, bhante, antarāyeva pana ‘ āgamethā ’ ti vāresi. Athassa puttadhītaro kandiṃsu.venerable Sir. But in the midst of the recitation he cried out: ‘Wait! Wait!’ and stopped us. Then his sons and daughters began to weep,
Mayaṃ ‘ idāni anokāso ’ ti uṭṭhāyāsanā nikkhantā ” ti. “ Na so, bhikkhave, tumhehi saddhiṃ kathesi,whereupon we said to each other: ‘This is no time for us to remain,’ and arose from our seats and departed.” – “Bhikkhus, he was not talking to you.{1.132} marks page 132 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
chahi devalokehi devatā cha rathe alaṅkaritvā āharitvā taṃ upāsakaṃ pakkosiṃsu. So dhammadesanāya antarāyaṃ anicchanto tāhi saddhiṃ kathesī ” ti.From the six worlds of the Devas Devatās approached in six magnificently adorned chariots, and they summoned that lay disciple to go with them; but the lay disciple, unwilling that the recitation of the Dhamma should be interrupted,
“ Evaṃ, bhante ” ti. “ Evaṃ, bhikkhave ” ti. “ Idāni kuhiṃ nibbatto ” ti? “ Tusitabhavane, bhikkhave ” ti. “spoke to them.” – “Is that true, venerable Sir?” – “That is true, bhikkhus.” – “Venerable Sir, where was he reborn just now?” – “In the world of the Tusita gods, bhikkhus.”
Bhante, idāni idha ñātimajjhe modamāno vicaritvā idāneva gantvā puna modanaṭṭhāneyeva nibbatto ” ti. “ Āma,“Venerable Sir, but recently he lived here among his kinsfolk rejoicing, and just now he went again to a place of rejoicing and was there reborn.” – “Yes,
bhikkhave, appamattā hi gahaṭṭhā vā pabbajitā vā sabbattha modantiyevā ” ti vatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –bhikkhus. They that are heedful, be they laymen or those gone forth, rejoice in both places equally.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:
16. “ Idha modati pecca modati, Katapuñño ubhayattha modati; So modati so pamodati, Disvā kammavisuddhimattano ” ti.Here he rejoices, after death he rejoices, the righteous one rejoices in both places, he rejoices, he greatly rejoices, seeing the purity of his own deeds.
Tattha katapuññoti nānappakārassa kusalassa kārako puggalo “ akataṃ vata me pāpaṃ, kataṃ me kalyāṇan ” ti idha kammamodanena, pecca vipākamodanena modati. Evaṃ ubhayattha modati nāma.
Kammavisuddhinti dhammikaupāsakopi attano kammavisuddhiṃ puññakammasampattiṃ disvā kālakiriyato pubbe idhalokepi modati, kālaṃ katvā idāni paralokepi atimodatiyevāti.
Gāthāpariyosāne bahū sotāpannādayo ahesuṃ mahājanassa sātthikā dhammadesanā jātāti.At the conclusion of the verse many became Stream-enterers and so on, and benefit arose to many people from the Dhamma teaching.
Dhammikaupāsakavatthu ekādasamaṃ.