SBE 20: Seventh Khandhaka: Chapter 3

3.

1. Now at that time the Blessed One was seated preaching the Dhamma, and surrounded by a great multitude, including the king and his retinue. And Devadatta rose from his seat, and arranging his upper robe over one shoulder, stretched out his joined hands to the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One:

'The Blessed One, Lord, is now grown aged, he is old and stricken in years, he has accomplished a long journey, and his term of life is nearly run 1. Let the Blessed One now dwell at ease in the enjoyment of happiness reached even in this world. Let the Blessed One give up the Bhikkhu-samgha to me, I will be its leader.'

'Thou hast said enough, Devadatta. Desire not to be the leader of the Bhikkhu-samgha.'

[And a second time Devadatta made the same request, and received the same reply. And a third time Devadatta made the same request.]

'I would not give over the Bhikkhu-samgha, Devadatta, even to Sâriputta and Moggallâna.

1.'

Then Devadatta thought: 'Before the king and his retinue the Blessed One denies me, calling me "evil-living," and exalts Sâriputta and Moggallâna.' And, angry and displeased, he bowed down before the Blessed One, and keeping him on his right hand as he passed him, he departed thence.

This was the first time that Devadatta bore malice against the Blessed One.

2. And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus, 'Let then the Samgha, O Bhikkhus, carry out against Devadatta the Act of Proclamation 2 in Râgagaha, to the effect that whereas the nature of Devadatta used to be of one kind it is now of an-other kind, and that whatsoever he shall do, either bodily or verbally, in that neither shall the Buddha be recognised, nor the Dhamma, nor the Samgha, but only Devadatta.

'And thus, O Bhikkhus, shall the Act be carried out. Some discreet and able Bhikkhu (&c.,

gagaha?'

'Was it not truth that you spoke, Sâriputta, when you [so] sang his praises?'

'Yea, Lord!'

'Even so, Sâriputta, do you now, speaking the truth, proclaim Devadatta throughout Râgagaha.'

'Even so, Lord,' said Sâriputta, in assent to the Blessed One.

3. And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus:

Let then the Samgha appoint Sâriputta to the office of proclaiming Devadatta throughout Râgagaha to the effect (&c., as before, § 2). And thus, O Bhikkhus, should he be appointed. First, Sâriputta should be asked, &c. (as usual in official appointments 1, down to the end of the Kammavâkâ).'

Then Sâriputta, being so appointed, entered Râgagaha with a number of Bhikkhus, and proclaimed Devadatta accordingly. And thereupon those people who were unbelievers, and without devotion or insight, spake thus: 'They are jealous, these Sakyaputtiya Samanas! They are jealous of the gain and hospitality that fall to Devadatta!' But those who were believers, full of devotion, able, and gifted with in-

1, in that the Blessed One has had Devadatta proclaimed throughout Râgagaha!'

4. And Devadatta went to Agâtasattu the prince, and said to him: 'In former days, prince, people were long-lived, but now their term of life is short. It is quite possible, therefore, that you may complete your time while you are still a prince. So do you, prince, kill your father, and become the Râga; and I will kill the Blessed One, and become the Buddha.'

And prince Agâtasattu thought, 'This worthy Devadatta has great powers and might; he will know (what is right).' And fastening a dagger 2 against his thigh, he entered with violence and at an unusual hour 3, though fearful, anxious, excited, and alarmed, the royal chamber. And when the ministers who were in attendance in the private chamber saw that, they seized him. And when, on searching him, they found the dagger fastened on his thigh, they asked him:

'What were you going to do, O prince?'

'I wanted to kill my father.'

'Who incited you to this?'

'The worthy Devadatta.'

Then some of the ministers advised 'The prince should be slain, and Devadatta, and all the Bhikkhus.' Others of them advised 'The Bhikkhus ought not to be slain, for they have done no wrong;

1'.

6. Then Devadatta went to prince 2 Agâtasattu, and said, 'Give such orders, O king, to your men that I may deprive the Samana Gotama of life.' And Agâtasattu the prince gave orders to his men: 'Whatsoever the worthy Devadatta tells you, that do!'

Then to one man Devadatta gave command: 'Go, my friend, the Samara Gotama is staying at such and such a place. Kill him, and come back by this path.' Then on that path he placed other two men, telling them, 'Whatever man you see coming alone along this path, kill him, and return by that path.' Then on that path he placed other four men [and so on up to sixteen men].

7. And that man took his sword and shield, and hung his bow and quiver at his back, and went to the place where the Blessed One was, and when at some little distance from the Blessed One, being

1.

On the Blessed One seeing him so, he said to the man: 'Come hither, friend, don't be afraid.'

Then that man laid aside his sword and his shield, took off his bow and his quiver, and went up to the Blessed One; and falling at his feet, he said to the Blessed One: 'Transgression, Lord, has overcome me even according to my folly, my stupidity, and my unrighteousness, in that I have come hither with evil and with murderous intent. May the Blessed One accept the confession I make of my sin in its sinfulness, to the end that in future I may restrain myself therefrom!'

'Verily, my friend, transgression has overcome thee [&c., down to] intent. But since you, my friend, look upon your sin as sin, and duly make amends for it, we do accept (your confession of) it. For this, O friend, is progress in the discipline of the Noble One, that he who has seen his sin to be sin makes amends for it as is meet, and becomes able in future to restrain himself therefrom 2.'

Then the Blessed One discoursed to that man in due order, that is to say (&c., as usual in conversions 3, down to) May the Blessed One accept me as a disciple, as one who, from this day forth as long as life endures, has taken his refuge in him.

And the Blessed One said to the man: 'Do not, my friend, leave me by that path. Go by this path.' and so dismissed him by another way.

1.]

9. And the one man returned to Devadatta, and said to him: 'I cannot, Lord, deprive the Blessed One of life. Great is the power (Iddhi 2) and might of the Blessed One.'

'That will do, friend. You need not do so. I will slay the Blessed One myself.'

Now at that time the Blessed One was walking up and down (meditating) in the shade below 3 the mountain called the Vulture's Peak. And Devadatta climbed up the Vulture's Peak, and hurled down a mighty rock with the intention of depriving the Blessed One of life. But two mountain peaks came together and stopped that rock and only a splinter 4 falling from it made the foot of the Blessed One to bleed 5.

1, in that with evil and murderous intent you have caused the blood of the Tathâgata to flow.'

And the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus: 'This is the first time that Devadatta has heaped up (against himself) a Karma which will work out its effect in the immediate future 2, in that with evil and murderous intent he has caused the blood of the Tathâgata to flow.'

10. And the Bhikkhus having heard that Devadatta was compassing the death of the Blessed One, walked round and round the Vihâra, making recitation in high and loud tones, for a protection and guard to the Blessed One. On hearing that noise the Blessed One asked the venerable Ânanda what it was. And when Ânanda [told him], the Blessed One said: 'Then, Ânanda, call the Bhikkhus in my

And he [did so], and they came, and saluted the Blessed One, and took their seats on one side. And when they were so seated, the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus: 'This, O Bhikkhus, is an impossible thing, and one that cannot occur, that one should deprive a Tathâgata of life by violence. The Tathâgatas, O Bhikkhus, are extinguished (in death) in due and natural course.

'There are, O Bhikkhus, these five kinds, of teachers now living in the world (&c., as in VII, 2, 3, 4, down to the end). And this, O Bhikkhus, is an impossible thing, and one that cannot occur, that a Tathâgata should be slain by any act set on foot by any one besides himself. The Tathâgatas, O Bhikkhus, are extinguished (in death) in due course (of nature). Go, therefore, O Bhikkhus, each one to his Vihâra, for the Tathâgatas require no protection.'

11. Now at that time there was at Râgagaha an elephant named Nâlâgiri, fierce, and a manslayer. And Devadatta went into Râgagaha, and to the elephant stables, and said to the elephant-keepers 1: 'I, my friends, am a relative of the raga's, and am able to advance a man occupying a low position to a high position, and to order increase of rations or of pay. Therefore, my friends, when the Samana Gotama shall have arrived at this carriage-road 2, then loose the elephant Nâlâgiri, and let him go down the road.'

1.' But those who were believers, full of

1; and the elephant, touched by the sense of his love, put down his trunk, and went up to the place where the Blessed One was, and stood still before him. And the Blessed One, stroking the elephant's forehead with his right hand, addressed him in these stanzas:

'Touch not, O elephant, the elephant of men; for sad, O elephant, is such attack 2,
'For no bliss is there, O elephant, when he is passed from hence, for him who strikes the elephant of men.
'Be not then mad, and neither be thou careless 3, for the careless enter not into a state of bliss,
'Rather do thou thyself so act, that to a state of bliss thou mayest go.'

And Nâlâgiri the elephant took up with his trunk the dust from off the feet of the Blessed One, and sprinkled it over its head, and retired, bowing backwards the while it gazed upon the Blessed One.

And Nâlâgiri the elephant returned to the elephant stables, and stood in its appointed place, and

1, in that he can go about to slay the Samana Gotama, who is so mighty and so powerful.' And the gain and honour of Devadatta fell off, while that of the Blessed One increased.

 2Now at that time, when the gain and honour of Devadatta had fallen off, he went, surrounded by Bhikkhus, to people's houses, appealing for alms 3.

The people were angry, murmured, and became indignant, saying, 'How can the Sakyaputtiya Samanas live on food that they ask for at people's houses? Who is not fond of well-cooked food? Who does not like sweet things?'

The Bhikkhus heard (&c., down to) the Blessed One said to the Bhikkhus 'Therefore do I lay down this rule, O Bhikkhus, for the Bhikkhus that

1, lest those who have evil desires should, in reliance upon a particular party (among the Bhikkhus), break up the Samgha 2, and (lastly) out of compassion for the laity 3. (A Bhikkhu) who shall enjoy an alms in parties of more than three, shall be dealt with according to law 4.'

14 5. Now Devadatta went to the place where Kokâlika, and Katamoraka-tissaka, and the son of Khanda-devî and Samudda-datta were, and said to them, 'Come, Sirs, let us stir up a division in the Samana Gotama 's Samgha, and in the body of his adherents 6.'

When he had thus spoken, Kokâlika said to Devadatta, 'The Samana Gotama, Sir, is mighty and powerful. How can we [do such a thing]?'

'Come, Sirs, let us go to the Samana Gotama, and make the following five demands, saying,

1. The following five things, Lord, conduce to such a condition 2. It would be good, Lord, if the Bhikkhus should be, their lives long, dwellers in the woods--if whosoever goes to the neighbourhood of a village should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should, their lives long, beg for alms--if whosoever should accept an invitation, should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should clothe themselves, their lives long, in cast-off rags--if whosoever should accept a gift of robes from a layman 3, should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should dwell, their lives long, under the trees 4--if whosoever should (sleep) under a roof, should thereby commit an offence. It would be good if they should, their lives long, abstain from fish 5--if whosoever should

na Gotama will not grant these things. Then will we gain over the people by means thereof.'

'Yes; it may be possible so to stir up divisions in the Samgha, and in the party of the Samana Gotama. For the people believe in rough measures.'

15. And Devadatta went to the Blessed One, surrounded by his friends, and made these demands [in the words just set out].

'No, Devadatta. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him dwell in the woods; whosoever wishes to do so, let him dwell in the neighbourhood of a village. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him beg for alms; whosoever wishes to do so, let him accept invitations from the laity. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him dress in rags; whosoever wishes to do so, let him receive gifts of robes from laymen. Sleeping under trees has been allowed by me, Devadatta, for eight months in the year; and the eating of fish that is pure in the three points--to wit, that the eater has not seen, or heard, or suspected that it has been caught for that purpose.'

And Devadatta, pleased and delighted that the Blessed One had refused the five demands, arose from his seat, and keeping him on his right hand as he passed him, departed thence with his friends. And he entered into Râgagaha, and urged his view upon the people by means thereof, saying, 'Such and such things did we ask, Sirs, of the Samana Gotama. He would not allow them, but we live in accordance with them.'

16. Then those of the people who were unbelievers, and without reverence or insight, said. 'These Sakyaputtiya Samanas have eradicated evil

1.' But those of the people who were believers, and full of reverence and insight, were indignant, became vexed, and murmured, saying, 'How can Devadatta go about to stir up division in the Samgha of the Blessed One, and in the party that is subject to him.'

The Bhikkhus, hearing them so murmuring, told the matter to the Blessed One.

'Is it true, O Devadatta, as they say, that thou goest about to stir up division in the Samgha, and in the body of my adherents?'

'It is true, Lord.'

'(Thou hast gone far) enough, Devadatta. Let not a division in the Samgha seem good to thee 2;--grievous is such division. Whosoever, O Devadatta, breaks up the Samgha, when it is at peace, he gives birth to a fault (the effect of) which endures for a kalpa 3, and for a kalpa is he boiled in niraya. But whosoever, O Devadatta, makes peace in the Samgha, when it has been divided, he gives birth to the highest merit, and for a kalpa is he happy in heaven 4. Thou hast gone far enough,

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Here ends the Second Portion for Recitation.

 

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Footnotes

238:1 This string of epithets recurs in Pârâgika I, 1, 2, of old and venerable Brâhmans.

239:1 In the text read khavassa khelâpakassa. On the first word, compare V, 2, 8. For the second the Dhammapada commentator (Fausböll, p. 143) reads, as does the Sinhalese MS. in our passage, khelâsika. Buddhaghosa, explaining it, says, 'In this passage (we should recollect) that those who obtain the requisites (of a Bhikkhu) by an evil mode of life are said by the Noble Ones to be like unto spittle. The Blessed One calls him khelâpaka (to ex-press that) he eats, (that is, 'gains a living) in sin like that.' (For the Pâli, see the edition of the text, p. 323, where the comma after khelasadisâ should be before it.)

239:2 Pakâsaniya-kammam. This is not one of the regular official acts of the Samgha, as described in Kullavagga I, and is only mentioned in this passage. It is not referred to by the Dhammapada commentator.

240:1 See, for instance, I, 22, 2.

241:1 Na orakam bhavissati. See Mahâvagga I, 9, 1, and Kullavagga VI, 4, 10, and our note on the latter passage.

241:2 Potthanikam. This word has already occurred at Mahâvagga VI, 23, 3.

241:3 Divâdivassa. See the use of this word at Gâtaka II, 1.

243:1 The early literature already mentions that Agâtasattu eventually killed his father. (See, for instance, Sâmañña-phala Sutta, p. 154.) Bigandet I, 261 (3rd edition) adds that the mode adopted was by starving him to death in prison.

243:2 The Buddhist writers being so especially careful in their ac-curate use of titles, it is particularly noteworthy that Agâtasattu is here called prince (kumâra) and not king (râga). It is almost impossible to avoid the conclusion that this paragraph stood originally in some other connection; and that the events it describes must then have been supposed to have taken place before Agâtasattu actually became king. That the Dhammapada commentator says here (Fausböll, p. 143) tasmim (that is. Agâtasattu) ragge patitthite, is no evidence the other way; for that account is either taken from this, or depends ultimately upon it.

244:1 Patthaddha; that is, prastabdha. See Sutta-vibhaṅga, Pârâgika I, 10, 17, 21.

244:2 This confession and acceptance are in a standing form, which occurs, for instance, at Mahâvagga IX, 1, g; Kullavagga V, 20, 5.

244:3 See, for instance, Kullavagga VI, 4, 5.

245:1 The last two paragraphs of § 7 are repeated in full in the text in each case.

245:2 The Iddhi here must be the power of religious persuasion.

245:3 Pakkhâyâyam. See Mahâvagga V, 1, 5, and Mahâ-parinibbâna Sutta II, 31 (p. 22 of the text).

245:4 Papatikâ. In the text, by a misprint, this and the preceding word have been joined together.

245:5 Pâde ruhiram uppâdesi, where ruhira is equal to lohita. 246:1 Pasûtam. By a misprint the text has pasutam. Compare the end of § 16 below.

246:2 Ânantarika-kammam. That is, that will work out its effect, (not in the next birth, as is the case of all other Karma,) but immediately, in the present life. There are five such deeds (see Childers, sub voce pañk°, and Milinda Pañha, p. 25). The Bodisats, according to Gâtaka I, 45 (verse 256), are free from such sins.

247:1 Hatthi-bhande. See the note on Mahâvagga VI, 37, 2.

247:2 Rakkham; that is, rathyâm. Compare Gâtaka I, 346, and the Old Commentary on the Bhikkhunî-vibhaṅga, Pâkittiya VII.

248:1 The setting of this paragraph is parallel to § 3 above in this chapter; the speech of the unbelievers is the same as that of the Gatilas at Mahâvagga I, 15, 4.

249:1 Mettena kittena phari; literally, 'he suffused him with loving heart.' Compare Rh. D.'s 'Buddhist Birth Stories,' i. p.112.

249:2 In nâgamâsado the m is inserted for euphony. See the instances given by Kuhn, 'Beiträge zur Pâli-grammatik,' p. 63. Many others might be added; siva-m-añgase, Gâtaka. vol. i, verse 27; samana-m-akala, Childers sub voce, &c. Compare the curious use of âsâdeti at Kullavagga I, 27.

249:3 A play on the words is here lost in English (mâ mado mâ ka pamâdo).

250:1 Alakkhiko ti ettha na lakkhetîti alakkhiko na gânâtîti attho. Apâkata-kammam karomîti na gânâtîti na lakkhitabbo ti alakkhano passitabbo ti attho (B.). We venture to differ from both of these explanations, and to follow rather the derivation of the word, and the meaning of the corresponding Sanskrit term alakshmîka.

250:2 From here down to the 'decision' is identical with the introductory story in the Sutta-vibhaṅga to the 32nd Pâkittiya,--a rule the previous existence of which is implied in the decision given here.

250:3 Viññâpeti is continually used in the Sutta-vibhaṅga in this sense, and even occurs already in the Pâtimokkha, Pâkittiya 39.

251:1 This whole phrase recurs in Sutta-vibhaṅga, Pârâgika I, 5, 11, and in the Aṅguttara Nikâya II, 17, 2. In the latter passage Dr. Morris reads dummaññûnam; see his note at pp. 127, 128. But the Sanskrit Buddhist vocabulary Vyutpatti (teste Böhtlingk-Roth, s.v. maṅku) authorises the use of dummaṅku.

251:2 So the Aṅguttara, loc. cit., has, in the same connection, gihînam anukampâya pâpikkhânam pakkhupakkhedâya.

251:3 See last note. The idea is here, of course, lest any particular layman should be burdened by providing for many Bhikkhus.

251:4 That is, under the 32nd Pâkittiya, on which rule the Sutta-vibhaṅga explains the phrase gana-bhogana.

251:5 Sections 14, 15, and the greater part of 16 recur, word for word, as the introductory story to the 10th Samghâdisesa.

251:6 In kakka-bhedam the first word no doubt connotes 'kingdom, lordship,' as in dhamma-kakka, kakkavatti, &c.

252:1 This is part of the standing 'religious discourse' so often ascribed to the Buddha in the Vinaya texts, and given at full in the Kullavagga I, 1-3.

252:2 It was on precisely the same reasoning that a certain Bhikkhu in Mahâvagga VIII, 28, 1, endeavoured to get the Buddha to convert to the rejection of all clothing.

252:3 At Mahâvagga VIII, 1, 35, it is laid down that a Bhikkhu may either dress in cast-off rags, or accept robes from a layman, according as he likes.

252:4 This dwelling under trees is expressly forbidden, as regards the season of the rains, in Mahâvagga III, 12, 5.

252:5 The rule of the Order is merely that no one may knowingly eat fish which he has seen or heard or suspected to have been caught for that purpose. See Mahâvagga VI, 31, 14.

254:1 Bâhulliko bâhullâya keteti. Both these expressions occur above in Mahâvagga VI, 15, 9, 10, and elsewhere (see, for instance, the introductory stories to Gâtaka, Nos. 6 and 32) as the standing expression for the opposite of the state of mind in which a good Bhikkhu ought to live.

254:2 Mâ te rukki samghabhedo. For the connotation of this phrase, compare below, VII, 4, 4.

254:3 Kappatthikam kibbisam. At Gâtaka I, 172, 213, 215, Prof. Fausböll reads kappa kappatthiya. In saying that the fault itself (kibbisam) is to endure for a kalpa, the meaning of course is that its effects on the Karma will endure so long.

254:4 Either the text has here preserved (as in other cases elsewhere)