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4. Saṅgharakkhitabhāgineyyattheravatthu3.4 The Story about Nephew Saṅgharakkhita
Dūraṅgamanti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā sāvatthiyaṃ viharanto saṅgharakkhitaṃ nāma bhikkhuṃ ārabbha kathesi.“Far-going,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Sāvatthī with reference to Saṅgharakkhita.The Pāli opening word is dūraṅgamaṃ, ‘far-going.’ The original translation quoted a later phrase of the verse instead. [29.10] marks page 10 of volume 29 of the Harvard Oriental Series English translation. {1.300} marks page 300 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
Sāvatthiyaṃ kireko kulaputto satthu dhammadesanaṃ sutvā nikkhamitvā pabbajito laddhūpasampado saṅgharakkhitatthero nāma hutvā katipāheneva arahattaṃ pāpuṇi.It seems that a certain youth of respectable family living at Sāvatthī, after hearing a sermon of the Teacher, went forth, took higher ordination, became known as Elder Saṅgharakkhita, and in but a few days attained Arahatship.The Pāli names him Elder Saṅgharakkhita before saying he attained Arahatship a few days later. The original translation reversed this order. {1.301} marks page 301 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
Tassa kaniṭṭhabhaginī puttaṃ labhitvā therassa nāmaṃ akāsi.When his younger sister gave birth to a son, she named him after the elder, and thus he came to be known as nephew Saṅgharakkhita.Kaniṭṭhabhaginī means his younger sister. The original translation made her his youngest sister.
So bhāgineyyasaṅgharakkhito nāma hutvā vayappatto therasseva santike pabbajitvā laddhūpasampado aññatarasmiṃ gāmakārāme vassaṃ upagantvā, “ekaṃ sattahatthaṃ,When nephew Saṅgharakkhita came of age, he went forth under the elder, and after taking higher ordination, entered upon residence for the period of the rains at a certain village monastery. Receiving two robes for the rains residence,
ekaṃ aṭṭhahattha”nti dve vassāvāsikasāṭake labhitvā aṭṭhahatthaṃ “upajjhāyassa me bhavissatī”ti sallakkhetvā “sattahatthaṃ mayhaṃ bhavissatī”ti cintetvā vuṭṭhavasso “upajjhāyaṃ passissāmī”ti āgacchanto antarāmagge piṇḍāya carantoone seven cubits long, the other eight cubits long, he decided to present the robe eight cubits long to his preceptor and to keep the robe seven cubits long for himself. When he had completed residence, he set out for the purpose of seeing his preceptor and journeyed from place to place, receiving alms along the way.The Pāli says he received two robes for the rains residence, seven and eight cubits long. The original translation called them two sets of robes.
āgantvā there vihāraṃ anāgateyeva vihāraṃ pavisitvā therassa divāṭṭhānaṃ sammajjitvā pādodakaṃ upaṭṭhapetvā āsanaṃ paññapetvā āgamanamaggaṃ olokento nisīdi.He arrived at the monastery before the elder. Entering the monastery, he swept the elder’s day-quarters, set out water for washing the feet, prepared a seat, and then sat down,
Athassāgamanabhāvaṃ disvā paccuggamanaṃ katvā pattacīvaraṃ paṭiggahetvā, “nisīdatha,watching the road by which the elder would approach. When he saw the elder approach, he advanced to meet him, took his bowl and robe,
bhante”ti theraṃ nisīdāpetvā tālavaṇṭaṃ ādāya bījitvā pānīyaṃ datvā pāde dhovitvā taṃ sāṭakaṃ ānetvā pādamūle ṭhapetvā,seated the elder with the words: “Pray be seated, venerable Sir,” took a palm-leaf fan and fanned him, gave him water to drink, and bathed his feet. Finally he brought forth the robe,
“bhante, imaṃ paribhuñjathā”ti vatvā bījayamāno aṭṭhāsi. Atha naṃ thero āha – “saṅgharakkhita,laid it at the elder’s feet, and said: “Venerable Sir, pray wear this robe.” Having so done, he resumed fanning him. The elder said to the nephew: “Saṅgharakkhita,
mayhaṃ cīvaraṃ paripuṇṇaṃ, tvameva paribhuñjā”ti. “Bhante, mayā laddhakālato paṭṭhāya ayaṃ tumhākameva sallakkhito, paribhogaṃ karothā”ti.I have a complete set of robes; you wear this robe yourself.” – “Venerable Sir, from the moment I received this robe I set my heart on giving it to you alone. Pray make use of it.” – “Never mind,
“Hotu, saṅgharakkhita, paripuṇṇaṃ me cīvaraṃ, tvameva paribhuñjā”ti. “Bhante, mā evaṃ karotha, tumhehi paribhutte mayhaṃ mahapphalaṃ bhavissatī”ti.Saṅgharakkhita, my set of robes is complete; you wear this robe yourself.” – “Venerable Sir, pray do not refuse the robe, for if you wear it, great will be the fruit I shall receive thereby.”
Atha naṃ tassa punappunaṃ kathentassapi thero na icchiyeva.Although the younger bhikkhu repeated his request several times, the elder refused to accept the present of the robe. So,[29.11] marks page 11 of volume 29 of the Harvard Oriental Series English translation. {1.302} marks page 302 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
Evaṃ so bījayamāno ṭhitova cintesi – “ahaṃ therassa gihikāle bhāgineyyo, pabbajitakāle saddhivihāriko,as the younger bhikkhu stood there fanning the elder, he thought to himself: “While the elder was a lay disciple, I stood in the relation of nephew to him. Since he has been a bhikkhu,
evampi mayā saddhiṃ upajjhāyo paribhogaṃ na kattukāmo. Imasmiṃ mayā saddhiṃ paribhogaṃ akaronte kiṃ me samaṇabhāvena,I have been his fellow-resident. But in spite of this he is not willing as my preceptor to use my gift. If he is not willing to use my gift, why should I remain a bhikkhu any longer?Paribhogaṃ concerns the elder’s use of the offered robe. The original translation expanded this to sharing the nephew’s possessions.
gihi bhavissāmī”ti. Athassa etadahosi – “dussaṇṭhāpito gharāvāso, kiṃ nu kho katvā gihibhūto jīvissāmī”ti.I will become a householder once more.” Then the following thought occurred to him: “It is a hard thing to live the household life. Suppose I become a householder once more; how shall I gain a living?”
Tato cintesi – “aṭṭhahatthasāṭakaṃ vikkiṇitvā ekaṃ eḷikaṃ gaṇhissāmi,Finally the following thought occurred to him: “I will sell this robe eight cubits long and buy a she-goat.
eḷikā nāma khippaṃ vijāyati, svāhaṃ vijātaṃ vijātaṃ vikkiṇitvā mūlaṃ karissāmi, mūle bahū katvā ekaṃ pajāpatiṃ ānessāmi,Now she-goats are very prolific, and as fast as the she-goat brings forth young, I will sell them, and in this way accumulate some capital. As soon as I have accumulated some capital,
sā ekaṃ puttaṃ vijāyissati. Athassa mama mātulassa nāmaṃ katvā cūḷayānake nisīdāpetvā mama puttañca bhariyañca ādāya mātulaṃ vandituṃ āgamissāmi,I will fetch a wife. My wife will bear me a son, and I will name him after my uncle. I will put my son in a cart, and taking son and wife with me, will go to pay my respects to my uncle.
āgacchante antarāmagge mama bhariyaṃ evaṃ vakkhāmi – ‘ānehi tāva me puttaṃ vahissāmina’nti. Sā ‘kiṃ te puttena,As I journey by the way, I will say to my wife: ‘Just bring me my son; I wish to carry him.’ She will reply: ‘Why should you carry this boy? Come, push this cart.’
ehi, imaṃ yānakaṃ pājehī’ti vatvā puttaṃ gahetvā, ‘ahaṃ nessāmi na’nti netvā sandhāretuṃ asakkontī cakkapathe chaḍḍessati.So saying, she will take the boy in her arms, thinking to herself: ‘I will carry him myself.’ But unable to hold him, she will let him fall in the path of the wheels,The imagined wife cannot hold the child and drops him in the wheel track. The original translation specified lack of strength as the cause.
Athassa sarīraṃ abhiruhitvā cakkaṃ gamissati, atha naṃ ‘tvaṃ mama puttaṃ neva mayhaṃ adāsi, naṃ sandhāretuṃ nāsakkhi nāsitosmi tayā’ti vatvā patodayaṭṭhiyā piṭṭhiyaṃ paharissāmī”ti.and the cart will run over him. Then I will say to her: ‘You would not even give me my own son to carry, although you were not strong enough to carry him yourself. You have ruined me.’ So saying, I will bring down my stick on her back.”
So evaṃ cintentova ṭhatvā bījayamāno therassa sīse tālavaṇṭena pahari.Thus pondered the younger bhikkhu as he stood fanning the elder. As he concluded his reflections, he swung his palm-leaf fan and brought it down on the head of the elder.{1.303} marks page 303 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
Thero “kiṃ nu kho ahaṃ saṅgharakkhitena sīse pahato”ti upadhārento tena cintitacintitaṃ sabbaṃ ñatvā, “saṅgharakkhita, mātugāmassa pahāraṃ dātuṃ nāsakkhi,The elder considered within himself: “Why did Saṅgharakkhita strike me on the head?” Immediately becoming aware of every single thought that had passed through the mind of his nephew, he said to him: “Saṅgharakkhita,
ko ettha mahallakattherassa doso”ti āha. So “aho naṭṭhomhi, ñātaṃ kira me upajjhāyena cintitacintitaṃ,you did not succeed in hitting the woman; but what has an old elder done to deserve a beating?” The younger bhikkhu thought to himself: “Oh, I am ruined! My preceptor, it appears, knows every thought that has passed through my mind.
kiṃ me samaṇabhāvenā”ti tālavaṇṭaṃ chaḍḍetvā palāyituṃ āraddho. Atha naṃ daharā ca sāmaṇerā ca anubandhitvā ādāya satthu santikaṃ agamaṃsu.What have I to do with the life of a bhikkhu any longer?” Straightaway he threw his fan away and started to run off. But the young bhikkhus and novices ran after him, caught him, and led him to the Teacher.[29.12] marks page 12 of volume 29 of the Harvard Oriental Series English translation.
Satthā te bhikkhū disvāva “kiṃ, bhikkhave, āgatattha, eko vo bhikkhu laddho”ti pucchi. “Āma, bhante, imaṃ daharaṃ ukkaṇṭhitvā palāyantaṃ gahetvā tumhākaṃ santikaṃ āgatamhā”ti.When the Teacher saw those bhikkhus, he asked them: “Bhikkhus, why have you come here? Have you captured a bhikkhu?” – “Yes, venerable Sir. This lad became discontented and ran away, but we captured him and have brought him to you.”
“Evaṃ kira bhikkhū”ti? “Āma, bhante”ti. “Kimatthaṃ te bhikkhu evaṃ bhāriyaṃ kammaṃ kataṃ, nanu tvaṃ āraddhavīriyassa ekassa buddhassa putto,– “Bhikkhu, is what they say true?” – “Yes, venerable Sir.” – “Bhikkhu, why did you commit so grievous a fault? Are you not the son of a Buddha who has aroused energy?
mādisassa nāma buddhassa sāsane pabbajitvā attānaṃ dametvā sotāpannoti vā sakadāgāmīti vā anāgāmīti vā arahāti vā vadāpetuṃ nāsakkhi, kimatthaṃ evaṃ bhāriyaṃ kammamakāsī”ti?Having gone forth in the dispensation of a Buddha like me, could you not tame yourself and have yourself called one who has attained Stream-entry, Once-returning, Non-returning, or Arahatship? Why did you commit so grievous a fault as this?”The Teacher calls the monk the son of a Buddha who has aroused energy. The original translation spoke of powers of will instead. The Teacher asks why the monk could not tame himself and gain the title of a stream-enterer or higher attainment. The original translation’s wording obscured this question.
“Ukkaṇṭhitosmi, bhante”ti. “Kiṃ kāraṇā ukkaṇṭhitosī”ti?“I am discontented, venerable Sir.” – “Why are you discontented?”
So evaṃ vassāvāsikasāṭakānaṃ laddhadivasato paṭṭhāya yāva therassa tālavaṇṭena pahārā sabbaṃ taṃ pavattiṃ ārocetvā, “iminā kāraṇena palātosmi, bhante”ti āha.In reply the younger bhikkhu related the whole story of his experiences, from the day he received the robes worn by bhikkhus in residence to the moment when he struck the elder on the head with his palm-leaf fan. “Venerable Sir,” he said,{1.304} marks page 304 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
Atha naṃ satthā “ehi bhikkhu, mā cintayi cittaṃ nāmetaṃ dūre hontampi ārammaṇaṃ sampaṭicchanakajātikaṃ, rāgadosamohabandhanā muccanatthāya vāyamituṃ vaṭṭatī”ti vatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –“that is why I ran away.” The Teacher said: “Come, bhikkhu; be not disturbed. The mind has a way of dwelling on subjects that are far off. One should strive to free it from the bonds of lust, hatred, and delusion.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:
37. “Dūraṅgamaṃ ekacaraṃ, asarīraṃ guhāsayaṃ; Ye cittaṃ saṃyamessanti, mokkhanti mārabandhanā”ti.Those who will restrain the mind that roams far away, and wanders alone, without a body, dwelling in a cave, gain release from the bonds of Māra.Ekacaraṃ means the mind travels alone, and guhāsayaṃ means it dwells in a cave. The original translation rendered these ‘lonesome’ and ‘hidden.’
Tattha dūraṅgamanti cittassa hi makkaṭasuttamattakampi puratthimādidisābhāgena gamanāgamanaṃ nāma natthi, dūre santampi pana ārammaṇaṃ sampaṭicchatīti dūraṅgamaṃ nāma jātaṃ.
Sattaṭṭhacittāni pana ekato kaṇṇikabaddhāni ekakkhaṇe uppajjituṃ samatthāni nāma natthi. Uppattikāle ekekameva cittaṃ uppajjati,
tasmiṃ niruddhe puna ekekameva uppajjatīti ekacaraṃ nāma jātaṃ. Cittassa sarīrasaṇṭhānaṃ vā nīlādippakāro vaṇṇabhedo vā natthīti asarīraṃ nāma jātaṃ. Guhā nāma catumahābhūtaguhā,
idañca hadayarūpaṃ nissāya pavattatīti guhāsayaṃ nāma jātaṃ.
Ye cittanti ye keci purisā vā itthiyo vā gahaṭṭhā vā pabbajitā vā anuppajjanakakilesassa uppajjituṃ adentā satisammosena uppannakilesaṃ pajahantā cittaṃ saṃyamessanti saṃyataṃ avikkhittaṃ karissanti.
Mokkhanti mārabandhanāti sabbete kilesabandhanābhāvena mārabandhanasaṅkhātā tebhūmakavaṭṭā muccissantīti.
Desanāpariyosāne bhāgineyyasaṅgharakkhitatthero sotāpattiphalaṃ pāpuṇi, aññepi bahū sotāpannādayo jātā, mahājanassa sātthikā dhammadesanā ahosīti.At the conclusion of the teaching Elder Saṅgharakkhita the nephew attained Stream-entry, and many others became Stream-enterers and so on, and there was benefit for many people from the Dhamma teaching.
Saṅgharakkhitabhāgineyyattheravatthu catutthaṃ.