Chapter 39
Deva Gopaka said:
‘Revered Sirs, in what manner of attention did you listen the Bhagava's Teachings? As for
me, I was a mere woman (in my former human existence) who could observe just the Five
Precepts, but being greatly dissatisfied with womanhood, I conducted myself well with a
view to gaining manhood at the next rebirth, with the result that I am now reborn as a son
of Sakka, Lord of Devas. In this TÈvatiÑsa Deva realm I am known as Deva Gopaka.
‘As for you, revered Sirs, you had been
bhikkhus
who had practised the Noble Path under
the Buddha, and yet you are now reborn as
gandhabba
devas, inferior to TÈvatiÑsa devas.
That looks a very unsatisfactory matter to us.’
On hearing these words of rebuke which sounded as a warning to the three
gandhabba
devas, two of them gained mindfulness that set them up at the first
jhÈna
there and then,
and were reborn in the Brahmapurohita realm. The third one continued enjoying himself in
the Sensuous Sphere.‛
(Sakka's report not ended yet.)
In this story of Deva Gopaka, the destination of the three former
bhikkhus
is
remarkable. Although they had conducted themselves well as
bhikkhus
, they were
reborn as
gandhabba
devas, and were called
samaÓa
devas (devas who had been
samaÓas
in their former existence). This was because they had, in the past, been
gandhabba
devas for many existences so that there had in them a liking for that
existence (
bhavanikanti
).
Gandhabba
devas belong to the realm of the Four
Guardian Kings.
When Deva Gopaka met the three
sammaÓa
devas, he reflected on what previous
merit they were endowed with so that they had such attractive appearance. He saw
that they had been
bhikkhus
in their previous existence. Then he reflected whether
they had been established in morality and saw that they had been established in
morality. He further reflected whether they had further merit and saw that they had
attained
jhÈna
. He again reflected where these
bhikkhus
lived and saw that they
were the
bhikkhus
who went to his (the then Sakyan lady Gopaka) house for daily
alms-food. He reviewed their case thus: ‚Persons established in morality can wish
for any of the six deva realms. These
bhikkhus
do not have rebirth in the higher
deva realms. Further, persons who have attained
jhÈna
usually are reborn in the
BrahmÈ realms. These
bhikkhus
do not get reborn in the BrahmÈ realms. As for
me, I had followed their instruction and am now born as Sakka's own son. These
bhikkhus
who are reborn as inferior devas as
gandhabbas
are the
aÔÔhiveda
type of
persons who need goading to the extreme.‛ That was why he said the words of
rebuke: ‚Revered Sirs, in what manner of attention did you listen to the Bhagava's
Teachings? (etc.)‛
‚
AÔÔhiveda
persons who need goading to the extreme‛ is a reference to the Patoda
Sutta
,
Kesi vagga of Tatiya PaÓÓÈsa A~guttara NikÈya (Catukka NipÈta) where
four types of trained horses and four types of trained men are described. The gist
of that exposition:
Four Types of Trained Horses
(1) the horse that responds just by the hint of the use of the goading stick (the
chÈyÈ
diÔÔha
), (2) the horse that responds only when struck, so that his hair comes off, (the
lomavedha
), (3) the horse that responds only when struck, so that his skin is torn off (the
cammavedha
) and (4) the horse that responds only when struck, so that he feels
unbearable pain (the
aÔÔhivedha
).
Four Types of Trained Men
(on the analogy of the four types of trained horses)
(1) On hearing that so and so in such and such place is suffering from illness, or
had died, he has urgent religious awakening (
saÑvega
), and he strives to gain
Insight and Path-Knowledge, (the
chÈyÈdiÔÔha
); (2) On witnessing someone
suffering from illness or die in his presence, he has urgent religious awakening,