1. At that time the blessed Buddha dwelt at Râgagaha at the Vulture's Peak. Now at that time Seniya Bimbisâra, the king of Magadha, held rule and sovranty over eighty thousand townships 1. And at that time there was at Kampâ a Setthi's son named Sona Kolivisa 2, delicately nurtured, on the soles of whose feet hair had grown. Now when Seniya Bimbisâra, the king of Magadha, was holding an assembly of the eighty thousand overseers over those townships, he sent a message to Sona Kolivisa on some matter of business, saying, 'Let Sona come hither. I desire Sona's presence!' 2. Then spake the parents of Sona Kolivisa to him thus: 'The king, dear Sona, wishes to see thy feet. But stretch not out thy feet, dear Sona, towards the
'Lord, the eighty thousand overseers over the townships are come here to visit the Blessed One. Let the Blessed One do as seemeth to him fit.' Do thou then, Sâgata, make a seat ready in the shade of the house 2.' 6. 'Even so, Lord!' said the venerable Sâgata, in assent, to the Blessed One. And taking a chair, he disappeared from before the Blessed One, and reappeared up the steps before the very eyes of those eighty thousand overseers over those townships, and made ready a seat in the shade of the house. And the Blessed One came out of the house and sat down on the seat made ready in the shade thereof. 7. Then those eighty thousand overseers over the townships went up to the place where the Blessed One was. And when they had come there they bowed down before the Blessed One and took their seats on one side. But those eighty thousand overseers over the townships paid more respect in their hearts to the venerable Sâgata than to the Blessed One 3. And the Blessed One perceived by his mind the thoughts of the minds of those eighty thousand
14. Now the Blessed One perceived in his mind the thought of the heart of the venerable Sona; and as quickly as a strong man can stretch forth his arm, or can draw it back again when it has been stretched forth, he disappeared from the hill of the Vulture's Peak, and appeared in the Sîtavana grove. And the Blessed One, as he was passing through the sleeping-places (of the Bhikkhus), came up, with a multitude of Bhikkhus, to the place where the venerable Sona had walked up and down. When the Blessed One saw that the place where the venerable Sona had walked up and down was covered with blood, he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said: 'Whose walking-place 2 is this, O Bhikkhus, which is covered with blood, like a slaughter-house for oxen?' 'As the venerable Sona, Lord, was walking up and down here with eager determination, his feet were injured; and so this place has become covered with blood, like a slaughter-house for oxen.' 15. Then the Blessed One went on to the house in which the venerable Sona was living, and sat down there on a seat made ready for him. And the venerable Sona bowed down before the Blessed
'Even so, Lord!' 'Now what think you, Sona,--you were skilled, were you not, when you formerly lived in the world, in the music of the lute?' 'That was so, Lord!' 'Now what think you, Sona,--when the strings of your lute 1 were too much stretched, had your lute then any sound, was it in a fit state to be played upon?' 'Not so, Lord!' 16. 'Now what think you, Sona,--when the strings of your lute were too loose, had your lute then any sound 2, was it in a fit state to be played upon?' 'Not so, Lord!' Now what think you, Sona,--when the strings of your lute were neither too much stretched nor too loose, but fixed in even proportion, had your lute sound then, was it then in a fit state to be played upon?' Yes, Lord!' 'And just so, Sona, does too eager a determination conduce to self-righteousness, and too weak a determination
Even so, Lord!' said the venerable Sona, and hearkened to the word of the Blessed One. And when the Blessed One had exhorted the venerable Sona with this exhortation, then, as quickly as a strong man can stretch forth his arm, or can draw it back again when it has been stretched forth, he vanished from the presence of the venerable Sona in the Sîtavana grove, and reappeared on the hill of the Vulture's Peak. 18. Thenceforward the venerable Sona was stead-fast in evenness of determination, he pressed through to harmony of his mental powers, that did he take as the object of his thought. And the venerable Sona remaining alone and separate, earnest, zealous, and resolved, attained ere long to that supreme goal of the higher life for the sake of which noble youths go out from all and every household gain and comfort to become houseless wanderers--yea, that supreme goal did he, by himself, and while yet in this visible world, bring himself to the knowledge of, and continue to realise, and to see face to face! And he became conscious that rebirth was at an end, that the higher life had been fulfilled, that all that should be done had been accomplished, and that after this present life there would be no beyond!
Then the venerable Sona went to the place where the Blessed One was, and bowed down before the Blessed One, and took his seat on one side. And when he was thus seated, the venerable Sona said to the Blessed One: 20. 'Whatsoever Bhikkhu, Lord, is an Arahat whose Âsavas are rooted out, who has lived the life, who has accomplished the task, who has laid aside every burden, who has gained the end he had in view, who has quite broken the fetter of a craving for (future) existence, who is completely set free by insight, six things doth he reach up unto 2--unto renunciation, unto the love of solitude, unto kindness of heart, unto the destruction of craving, unto the destruction of thirst, unto the getting free from delusions. 21. 'Now it may be, Lord, that it might occur, regarding this matter, to some brother, thus: "For the sake of faith merely 3 hath this brother attained
22. 'Now it may, be, Lord, that it might occur, regarding this matter, to some brother, thus: "Seeking after gain, hospitality, and fame bath this brother attained to the love of solitude." But not thus (&c., as in § 21, down to the end, substituting "love of solitude" for "renunciation"). 23. 'Now it may be, Lord, that it might occur, regarding this matter, to some brother, thus: "Returning, verily, to the dependence upon works, as if that were the true essence (of spiritual welfare), hath this brother attained to kindness of heart." But not thus (&c., as in § 21, down to the end, substituting "kindness of heart" for "renunciation"). 24. 'He attaineth to the destruction of craving by the destruction of lust (&c., as in § 21, down to the end, substituting "absence of craving" for "renunciation"). He attaineth to the absence of thirst (&c., as in § 21). He attaineth to the absence of delusions (&c., as in § 21, down to the end). 25. 'When a Bhikkhu, Lord, has thus become fully emancipated in heart, even though many objects 26. 'Just, Lord, as if there be a mountain of rock, undivided, solid, one mass, and much wind and rain should fall upon it from the direction of the East, or of the West, or of the North, or of the South, yet they would not make it shake, or tremble, or quake; just so, Lord, when a Bhikkhu has thus become fully emancipated in heart (&c., as in § 25, down to the end). 27. 'He who has attained to renunciation, to solitude of heart, who has attained to kindness, and to the rooting out of craving, 'He who has attained to the rooting out of thirst, to the absence of delusions from the mind, he sees the source of sensations, his mind is quite set free. 'To such a Bhikkhu, so emancipated, and with calmness in his heart, there is no gathering up of what is done, nothing to be done still remains. 'As a rock, all of one mass, is not shaken by
Things wished for, things unwished--make tremble such a one. Firm is his mind, set free. He sees into the end thereof.' 28. And the Blessed One addressed the Bhikkhus, and said: 'Thus, brethren, do young men of worth make their insight known. The truth is spoken, and the self is not obtruded. But herein some foolish ones, methinks, make known their insight to be a thing ridiculous, and they, thereafter, fall into defeat!' 29. Then the Blessed One said to the venerable Sona, 'You, Sona, have been delicately nurtured. I enjoin upon you, Sona, the use of shoes with one lining 2.' I have gone out from the world, Lord, into the houseless state, abandoning eighty cart-loads of gold 3, and a retinue of seven elephants 4. It will be said against me for this matter: "Sona Kolivisa went out from the world into the houseless state, abandoning eighty cart-loads of gold, and a retinue of seven elephants; but the very same man now accustoms himself to the use of shoes with a lining
Then the Blessed One, on that occasion, having delivered a religious discourse, thus addressed the Bhikkhus: 'I enjoin upon you, O Bhikkhus, the use of shoes with one lining to them. Doubly lined shoes, Bhikkhus, are not to be worn, nor trebly lined ones, nor shoes with many linings 1. Whosoever shall wear such, is guilty of a dukkata offence.'
1:1 Gâma, which should be understood in the sense of parishes, not of villages. 1:2 This Sona is the reputed author of one of the Theragâthâs. It is interesting to notice that Kampâ, the capital of Aṅga, is here included under Magadha. Compare Aṅga-magadhesu in Mahâvagga I, 29, and the beginning sentences of the Sonadanda Sutta (Digha Nikâya), in which it is said that the revenues of the town of Kampâ had been bestowed by king Bimbisâra on the Brâhmana Sonadanda. 3:1 Pâtikâya nimuggitvâ ’ti sopânassa hetthâ addhakandapâsânena nimuggitvâ (Comm.). 3:2 Vihârapakkhâyâyan ti vihârapakkante khâyâyam. 3:3 Samannâharantiti pasâdavasena punappunam manasikaronti (Buddhaghosa). 5:1 Saṅkhalikhita. See Boehtlingk-Roth s.v. Likhita. 7:1 That is to say, the state of a layman (Hînây’ âvattitvâ). 7:2 Kaṅkama, for which there is no real equivalent in English. In speaking of later periods the word 'cloister' is sometimes a correct rendering, for the places in which the recluses walked up and down, thinking, were then in some cases paved and even roofed. The Chinese pilgrim I-tsing has a description of such a stone kaṅkama, which he saw at the great monastery at Nâlanda (Indian Antiquary, X, 192). In this passage it only means a narrow, open, space of ground, levelled and cleared for the purpose. 8:1 Vînâ. On the construction of the ancient Indian lute, see Milinda Pañha (p. 53, ed. Trenckner), where all the various parts are mentioned. Compare also the Guttila Gâtaka (No. 243, ed. Fausböll). 8:2 There is a misprint here in the text, savaratî for saravati. 9:1 Buddhaghosa says: Tattha ka nimittam ganhâhîti: tasmim samathe sati yena âdâse mukhabimben’ eva nimittena uppaggitabbam, tam samatha-nimittam vipassanâ-nimittam magga-nimittam phala-nimittañ ka ganhâhi nipattetîti (? nipphâdehîti, nibbattehîti) attho. 10:1 It is often represented in the Pâli Pi.itakas to have been a customary thing for any one who thought he had attained to Arahatship to deliver a discourse in the presence of Gotama, as a kind of proof, or test, of his emancipation; and to receive the decision of Gotama thereupon. Buddhaghosa says: Aññam vyâkareyyan ti: arahâ ahan ti gânâpeyyam. Compare Gâtaka I, 140; II, 333. 10:2 Adhimutto hotîti: pativigghitvâ pakkakkham katvâ thito hoti (B.). 10:3 Kevalam saddhâmattakan ti: pativedha-rahitam kevalam pativedha-paññâya asammissam saddhâmattakam (B.). On the lower position here assigned to faith, compare Mahâ-parinibbâna Sutta VI, 9. 12:1 Kakkhussa âpâtham âgakkhanti; that is, should come within reach of his vision. 12:2 Vayañ k’ assânupassatîti: tassa kittassa uppâdam pi vayam pi passati B.). 13:1 This half sloka recurs in Dhammapada, verse 81. 13:2 Ekapalâsikan ti eka-patalam (B.). 13:3 Asîti-sakata-vâhe hiraññam (so correct the misprint in the text). Buddhaghosa says: ettha dve sakatabhârâ eko vâho ’ti veditabbo; but compare Rh. D., 'Ancient Coins and Measures,' &c., p. 18, § 32, and p. 14, § 23. Vâha occurs also in the Mahâvamsa, p. 22. 13:4 Sattahatthikañ ka anîkan ti: ettha kha hatthiniyo eko ka hatthîti, idam ekam anîkam, îdisani satta anîkâni sattahatthikam nâma (B.). 14:1 Dvi-gunâ ’ti dvi-patalâ. Ti-gunâ ’ti ti-patalâ. Ganamganûpâhanâ ’ti katu-patalato patthâya vukkati (B.).MAHÂVAGGA.
FIFTH KHANDHAKA.
(RULES FOR FOOT-CLOTHING, SEATS, VEHICLES, ETC.)
1.
Footnotes
