Chapter 45
The
bhikkhus
said: ‚This Bhikkhu JaÔila claims arahatship falsely.‛ When the Buddha
heard the accusations of these
bhikkhus
, He said: ‚
Bhikkhus
there is no attachment
whatever in the mental state of Bhikkhu JaÔila to that golden hill and his sons.‛ Further, the
Buddha spoke this verse:
‚He, who in the world has given up craving (that arises at the six sense-doors) and
has renounced the home life to become a
bhikkhu
, who has exhausted craving for
existence, and made an end of all forms of existence, him I call a
brÈhmana
(one
who has rid himself of all evil.)‛ —— Dhammapada, V-4 16.
By the end of discourse many persons attained Path-Knowledge such as
sotÈpatti-phala
.
(This account is extracted from the Commentary on the Dhammapada, Book Two.)
4. KŒ£AVA£IYA The Rich Man
A brief account of KÈÄavaÄiya, the Rich Man, is found in Commentary on the
UparipaÓÓÈsa which is reproduced here.
During the time of Buddha Gotama, there lived in RÈjagaha a poor man by the name of
KÈÄavaÄiya. One day, his wife had cooked a meal of sour gruel mixed with some edible
leaves, (for rice was not within their means). On that day, the Venerable MahÈ Kassapa,
rising from dwelling in the attainment of Cessation, reviewed the world, contemplating on
whom he should bring his blessing. He saw KÈÄavaÄiya in his supernormal vision and went
to his door for alms-food.
KÈÄavaÄiya's wife took the alms-bowl of Venerable MahÈ Kassapa and emptied her
cooking pot into it. She offered her poor meal of sour gruel mixed with edible leaves to the
Venerable, without keeping back anything for themselves - an offering at one's own
sacrifice (
niravasesa dÈna
). The Venerable MahÈ Kassapa went back to the monastery and
offered the gruel to the Buddha. The Buddha accepted just a portion of it, with which to
satisfy himself and gave the remainder to the five hundred
bhikkhus
who had enough to eat
for that meal. KÈÄavaÄiya happened to be at the Buddha's monastery to beg for the gruel.
The Venerable MahÈ Kassapa asked the Buddha as to the benefit that would result to
KÈÄavaÄiya on account of the brave deed of sacrificing the food completely. And the
Buddha said: ‚Seven days hence KÈÄavaÄiya will get the white umbrella of the Treasurer's
office, i.e. he will be made a Royal Treasurer by the King.‛ KÈÄavaÄiya heard these words
of the Buddha and hastened home to tell his wife about it.
At that time, King BimbisÈra was on his inspection round and he saw a criminal tied on a
stake outside the city. The man impudently said to the King in a loud voice: ‚Great King, I
would request that a meal, which was prepared for Your Majesty, be sent to me.‛ The King
replied: ‚Ah, yes, I would.‛ When dinner was being brought to to the King, he
remembered his promise to the criminal on the stake and ordered the officials concerned to
find someone who would send his dinner to the criminal on the stake outside the city.
The outside of the city of RÈjagaha was infested with demons so that very few people
dared to go out of the city by night. The officials went around the city announcing that a
thousand ticals would be awarded on the spot to anyone who would take the King's meal to
a criminal on the stake outside the city. No one came out at the first round of
announcement (with the beating of the gong); and the second round also was fruitless. But
at the third round, KÈÄavaÄiya's wife accepted the offer of a thousand ticals.
She was brought before the King as the person undertaking the King's mission. She
disguised herself as a man and wielded five kinds of weapons. As she fearlessly went out
of the city carrying the King's meal, she was accosted by the DÊghatÈla, guardian spirit of a
palm tree who said: ‚Stop there, stop! You are now my food.‛ But KÈÄavaÄiya's wife was
not afraid and said: ‚I am not your food. I am the King's messenger.‛
‚Where are you going?‛
‚I am going to the criminal on the stake.‛