Miscellaneous Topics – 2432
(
Mahā-suta-kārī
)
364
the author finally says that just as a snare is used to
catch a bird, so also the matted hair in the form of a snare is worn by a
recluse to catch the great bird of “the eightfold noble path” as soon as it
alights in the forest that is “his mind.”
The Eight Kinds of Recluses
The word “recluse” refers to those who are outside the Buddha’s teaching.
Nevertheless, they should be regarded as holy persons of the time.
The commentary on the Discourse to Ambaṭṭha (
Ambaṭṭha-sutta
, DN 3)
enumerates eight kinds of recluses as follow:
1. A recluse who piles up wealth and lives a householder’s life (
saputta-
bhariya
). Here the author mentions Keṇiya
365
of the Buddha’s lifetime
as an example.
2. A recluse who does not pile up wealth, and who does not live a
householder’s life, but who collects unhusked grain from lay people at
threshing grounds and cooks his own food (
uñchā-cariya
).
3. A recluse who collects husked grain from laymen in villages and cooks
his own food (
anaggi-pakkika
). He thinks husking grain by pounding is
not worthy of one who lives a recluse’s life.
4. A recluse who enters a village and collects cooked rice (
asāmapāka
). He
thinks cooking is not worthy of one who lives a recluse’s life.
5. A recluse who takes off the bark of a tree for food by means of a metal
(
aya-muṭṭhika
) or stone implement (
asma-muṭṭhika
). He thinks to
collect food each day is wearisome.
6. A recluse who takes off the bark of a tree with his teeth for food
(
danta-vakkalika
). He thinks to carry metal or stone implements is
wearisome.
[1513]
364
[The Verses on Magha Deva and the Great Cause of Learning
(
Mahā-suta-kārī-
magha-deva-laṅkā
) is often referenced in these Further Explanations. I abbreviate it
to the Great Cause of Learning (
Mahā-suta-kārī
) from here on.]
365
[For Keṇiya see Vin Mv 6, the Story about the Matted-Haired Keṇiya (
Keṇiya-jaṭila-
vatthu
, PTS 1.245)].