Ja 337 The Story about (Offering) a Seat (4s)

In the present one monk comes in from the country and goes too early and too late on alms round, and then blames the families for not giving to him. The Buddha tells a story of old in which an ascetic failed to receive alms, but was not perturbed by it, and later taught Dhamma to the householder.

The Bodhisatta = the ascetic (tāpasa),
Ānanda = the wealthy man of Benares (Bārāṇasiseṭṭhi).

Keywords: Giving, Imperturbality.

“Alas, we offered you.” This story the Teacher told while living at Jetavana, about a certain monk. He came, it was said, from the country to Jetavana, and, after putting away his bowl and robe, he saluted the Teacher and inquired of the young novices, saying: “Sirs, who look after the visiting monks that come to Sāvatthi?” {3.119} “The Treasurer Anāthapiṇḍika,” they said, “and the great and holy lay sister Visākhā look after the order of the monks, and stand in the place of father and mother to them.” “Very good,” [3.79] he said, and next day quite early, before a single monk had entered the house, he came to Anāthapiṇḍika’s door. From his having come at an unseasonable hour there was no one to attend to him. Without getting anything there he went off to the door of Visākhā’s house. There also from having come too early, he got nothing. After wandering here and there he came back, and finding the rice-gruel was all finished, he went off. Again he wandered about here and there, and on his return, finding the rice all finished, he went back to the monastery, and said: “The monks here speak of these two families as faithful believers, but both of them really are without faith and unbelievers.” Thus did he go about abusing these families.

So one day they started a discussion in the Dhamma Hall, how that a certain monk from the country came to the door of certain households too early, and failing to obtain alms went about reviling those families. When the Teacher came and inquired what was the topic the monks were sitting to discuss, on hearing what it was, he called the monk and asked him if it were true. When the monk said: “Yes, your reverence, it is true,” the Teacher asked, “Why are you angry, monk? Of old, before Buddha arose upon the world, even ascetics when they visited a household and received no alms, showed no anger.” And with this he told a story of the olden days.

In the past when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a brahmin family, and when he was of age he studied all the arts at Taxila, and subsequently adopted the ascetic life. After sojourning a long time in the Himālayas he went to Benares to procure salt and vinegar, and, taking up his abode in a garden, on the next day he entered the city for alms. There was at this time a merchant at Benares, who was a faithful believer. The Bodhisatta asked which was a believing household, and on hearing of the merchant’s family, he went to the door of his house. At that moment the merchant had gone to pay his respects to the king, and neither did any of his people happen to see him. So he turned back and came away.

Then the merchant who was returning from the palace saw him, {3.120} and saluting him took his alms-bowl and led him to his house. There he offered him a seat and comforted him with the washing and anointing of his feet, and with rice, cakes and other food, and in the course of his meal he asked him one thing and another, and after he had finished eating, he saluted him and sitting respectfully on one side, he said: “Venerable sir, strangers who have come to our doors, whether beggars or holy monks or brahmins, have never before gone away without receiving marks of honour and respect, but today owing to your not being seen by our retainers, you have gone away without being offered a seat, or water to drink, and without having your feet washed, or rice and gruel given you to eat. This is our fault. You must forgive us in this.” And with these words he uttered the first verse:

And the Bodhisatta, after sojourning there a few days, and teaching the merchant of Benares his duty, went straight back to the Himālayas, where he developed the Super Knowledges and Attainments.