39b: Sakka’s Questions – 1429
“May I learn it where the venerable elder robes himself fully with the upper
robe, or while rearranging the robes for going into the village, or where the
alms bowl is made ready for alms gathering, or at the place of taking the gruel
meal at the rest house after the alms round?”
“At those places, monastic elders will be asking questions to clear up their
doubts concerning the commentarial literature.”
“May I ask you on your return from the alms round?”
“Then also other monastics will be asking questions.”
“May I ask on the way from the village to the monastery?”
“Then also other monastics will be asking questions.”
“May I ask after your meal at the monastery? Or at the place of seclusion when
the venerable elder washes his feet? Or at the time the venerable elder washes
his face?”
“At those times, also other monastics usually ask questions, friend. From this
time till the next day’s dawn, there are monastics coming to me endlessly
without a moment’s break, friend.”
“May I then ask at the time the venerable elder is cleaning his teeth and washing
his face?”
“Impossible friend, other monastics will be asking their questions.”
“May I ask when the venerable elder enters the monastery and sits there?”
“Then also, there will be other monastics asking questions.”
“Venerable sir, as a matter of fact, there should be a moment to spare when the
venerable elder sits in meditation in the monastery after having washed his face,
during the moments of shifting the sitting posture for three or four times. From
what the venerable elder says, would there be no time to die too? Venerable sir,
you are like the leaning board providing others support, but not being one’s own
support. My real purpose in coming to you is not to learn a discourse from you.”
So saying, he disappeared.
Mahāsīva Retires into the Forest
Ven. Mahāsīva then saw the real purpose of that monastic’s visit: “This monastic
does not want to learn the teaching. He came here to admonish me. But this is