II. 4.1. Gha.tiikaarasutta.m
(81) The PotterGhatikara
I
heard thus. At one time the Blessed One, was going on a tour in the country
of Kosala, with a large community of bhikkhus. The Blessed One, coming
to a certain region, stepped out of the path and smiled. Then it occurred
to venerable Ananda. The Blessed One does not smile for nothing. Why did
the Blessed One smile? Then venerable Ananda, arranging his robe on one
shoulder, clasped his hands towards the Blessed One and said. ‘Venerable
sir, for what reason did the Blessed One smile?’ ‘Ananda, in the past in
this region, there was a chief village named Vebhalinga. It was very prosperous
and highly populated. The perfect rightfully enlightened one Kassapa abode
suppoted on this village. Ananda, the perfect rightfully enlightened one
Kassapa sat here and adivsed the community of bhikkhus.’
Venerable
Ananda folded the robe in four and placing it there said. ‘Then venerable
sir, sit here, so that it would be partaken by two perfect rightfully enlightened
ones.’ The Blessed One sat on it and addressed venerable Ananda. ‘In this
chief village Vebhalinga there was a potter named Ghatikara the chief supporter
of the Blessed One, and he had an apprentice named Jotipala, a young lovable
man. Then the potter Ghatikara addressed the young man Jotipala. Friend,
Jotipala, let us go and see the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect, and rightfully
enlightened. It is good to see such enlightened ones. Ananda. When this
was said, the young man Jotipala said thus: Friend, ghatikara, what use
comes seeing these monkish shavellings. For the second time the potter
Ghatikara said Friend, Jotipala, let us go and see the Blessed One Kassapa,
perfect, and rightfully enlightened. It is good to see such enlightened
ones.. For the third time the potter Ghatikara said Friend, Jotipala, let
us go and see the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect, and rightfully enlightened.
It is good to see such enlightened ones,--- For the third time the young
man Jotipala saidFriend, Ghatikara,
what use comes seeing these monkish shavellings.
Then
friend Jotipala, take the soap powder and the brush and let’s go to the
river, to bathe. To that he agreed and and they went to the river to bathe.
At the river too the potter Ghatikara addressed the young man. Good friend,
Jotipala, the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect and rightfully enlightened one’s
monastery is close by. Let us go and see him, it is good to see such enlightened
ones. When this was said, again the young man said, Friend, Ghatikara,
what use comes seeing these monkish shavellings. Ananda, for the second
and third time the young man Jotipala said this. Then the potter Ghatikara
took hold of the young man Jotipala by his girdle and said again, Friend,
Jotipala, let us go to see the Blessed one Kassapa, perfect, and rightfully
enlightened. It is good to see such enlightened ones. The young man released
himself from that hold and said, Friend, ghatikara, what use comes seeing
these monkish shavellings. Then the potter Ghatikara, held the young man’s
well washed hair and said. Good friend, Jotipala, the Blessed One Kassapa,
perfect and rightfully enlightened one’s monastery is close by. Let us
go and see him. It is good to see such enlightened ones. Ananda, then it
occurred to the young man Jotipala, it is wonderful, how this potter Ghatikara
should think to touch the washed hair of one of high birth like me. He
does not think it should not be touched. Then he said. ‘Let it be your
wish.’ ‘Good friend, Jotipala, let it be your wish too!Seeing,
these perfect rightfully enlightened ones is good.’. .
Friend,
Ghatikara loosen the hold and let us go now. Then Ananda, the potter Ghatikana
and the young man Jotipala approached the monastery of the perfect, rightfully
enlightened one, Kassapa. The potter Ghatikara worshipped the Blessed One
and sat on a side, the young man Jotipala exchanged friendly greetings
with the perfect rightfully enlightened Blessed One Kassapa and sat on
a side. The potter Ghatikara said thus to the perfect, rightfully enlightened
one Kassapa. ‘Venerable sir, this is my loveable friend and assistant,
Jotipala, give him the Teaching.’. The Blessed One Kassapa perfect, rightfully
enlightened one adviced, instructed incited and made the hearts light of
the young man Jotipala and the potter Ghatikara. Then the two of them delighted
and pleased got up from their seats, worshipped, circumambulated the Blessed
One and went away.
Then
the young man Jotipala said to the potter Ghatikara. ‘Friend, Ghatikara,
you hear this Teaching, why don’t you leave the household and become a
homeless?’
‘Friend,
Jotipala, don’t you know, that I support my mother and father, who are
blind and decayed?’
‘Then
friend, Ghatikara I will leave the household and become a homeless.’
.The
young man Jotipala and the potter Ghatikara approached the Blessed One
Kassapa, perfect, rightfully enlightened, worshipped and sat on a side.
Then the potter Ghatikara said thus to the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect
rightfully enlightened. ‘Venerable sir, this is my loveable friend and
assistant Jotipala, give him the going forth.’. The young man Jotipala
received the going forth and the higher ordination from the Blessed One
Kassapa, perfect, rightfully enlightened. Ananda, the Blessed One Kassapa,
perfect rightfully enlightened two weeks after confering the higher ordination
on the young man Jotipala, went on a tour to Benares, and gradually reached
Benares.
Then,
Ananda, the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened lived in
Benares in the deer park in Isipatana. The king of Benares Kiki Kaasiraajaa
heard, the Blessed One Kassapa perfect, rightfully enlightened has arrived
in Benares and he got good conveyances arranged for himself, and came to
see the Blessed One Kassapa in all royal splendour. Covering as far as
the conveyances could go, he approached the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect
rightfully enlightened on foot. Worshipped the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect
rightfully enlightened and sat on a side. The Blessed One Kassapa, perfect
rightfully enlightened, advised, instructed, incited and made the heart
light of the king of Benares, Kiki Kaasiraajaa. Then the delighted and
pleased king invited the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened
for the next day’s meal together with the community of bhikkhus. The Blessed
One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened, accepted the invitation in
silence. Then king Kiki Kaasiraajaa knowing that the Blessed One Kassapa
had accepted the invitation got up from his seat worshipped and circumambulated
the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened and went away.
King Kiki Kaasiraajaa in his palace made preparations of various nourishing
eatables and drinks, with cooked rice with the fine rice of the colour
pale yellow with the dark seeds picked and informed the Blessed One: Venerable
sir, the meal is ready, and it's time for the meal.
Then
Ananda, the Blessed One Kassapa putting on robes in the morning and taking
bowl and robes, together with the Community of bhikkhus approached the
palace of king Kiki Kaasiraajaa and sat on the seats prepared. The king
served and satisfied the Blessed One Kassapa perfect, rightfully enlightened
and the community of bhikkhus with his own hands. When the meal was over
and the bowl was put away. KingKikiKaasiraajaatook
a low seat and siting said thus to the Blessed One: Venerable sir, may
the Blessed One accept to spend the rains in Benares, I will attend on
the Blessed One and the community in this manner. The Blessed One Kassapa
perfect and rightfully enlightened said I have already accepted to spend
the rains. King Kiki Kaasiraajaa entreated the Blessed One up to the third
time and the Blessed One Kassapa said I have already accepted to spend
the rains. Then king Kiki Kaasiraajaa was displeased and unpleasant, thinking,
the Blessed One Kassapa perfect rightfully enlightened does not accept
my invitation. He asked the Blessed One Kassapa.Venerable
sir, is there some other enticing supporter? Great king, in the chief village,
Vebhalinga there is a potter named Ghatikara, he is my chief supporter.
To you, great king there is a change in the mind* and displeasure thinking
the Blessed One Kassapa does not accept my invitation to spend the rains
in Benares. To the potter Ghatikara, such a thing does not happen, and
will not happen. Great king, the potter Ghatikara has taken refuge in the
enlightenment, in the Teaching and the Community of bhikkhus. Abstains
from destroying life, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains
from misbehaviour in sexuality, abstains from telling lies and abstains
from intoxicating drinks. Great king, the potter Ghatikara has unwavering
faith in Enlightenment, in the Teaching and the Community of bhikkhus.
Is endowed with the virtues of the noble ones. Great king, the potter Ghatiara
has overcome doubts about unpleasantness, about the arising of unpleasantness,
about the cessation of unpleasantness and the path to the cessation of
unpleasantness. Great king, the potter Ghatikara takes one meal per day,
is virtuous and leads a holy life. Great king, he has put aside gold and
gems, soverign gold and silver. He does not till the ground with a mammoty
or with his hand. He puts rats, mice and dogs into a box in a friendly
manner and puts the left overs of rice, green grams or chick peas into
it and leaves them saying take away whatever you wish. Great king, the
potter Ghatikara supports his blind decayed mother and father. Great king,
the potter Ghatikara has destroyed the five lower bonds to the sensual
world, is born spontaneously, will not proceed from that world and will
extinguish in that same birth.
Great
king, at one time I lived in the chief village Vebhalinga, then in the
morning I put on robes and taking bowl and robes approached the mother
and father of the potter Ghatikara, and told them. ‘Now, where has this
good one gone?’ ‘Venerable sir, your supporter has gone out. Venerable
sir, take the cooked rice from the pot and soups and curries and partake
of the food.’ ‘Then great king I take the cooked rice from the pot and
soups and curries, partake of the food and go away. Then, great king, the
potter Ghatikara would approach his mother and father and would ask: Who
is it that came, took the rice from the pot and the soups and curries,
partaking them, got up from the seat and has gone away?’ ‘Dear one, it
is the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect and rightfully enlightened that took
the rice from the pot and the soups and curries and partaking them, getting
up from the seat has gone away.’ ‘Then it occurs to the potter Ghatikara,
it is great gain for me, that the Blessed One, perfect and rightfully enlightened
has taken me into such confidence. That pleasant joy would not leave him
for two weeks, and for the mother and father it lasted one week.
Great
king, at one time I lived in the chief village Vebhalinga, then in the
morning I put on robes and taking bowl and robes approached the mother
and father of the potter Ghatikaara, and told them.. Now, where has this
good one gone?’ ‘Venerable sir, your supporter has gone out. Venerable
sir, take the bread from the caldron and soups and curries and partake
of the food.’ ‘Then great king I take the bread from thecaldronand
soups and curries, partake of the food and go away. Then, great king, the
potter Ghatikaara would approach his mother and father and would ask: Who
is it that came, took the bread from the caldron and the soups and curries,
partaking them, got up from the seat and has gone away?’ ‘Dear one, it
is the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect rightfully enlightened that took the
bread from the caldron and the soups and curries partakingthem,
getting up from the seat has gone.’ ‘Then it occurred to the potter Ghatikara,
it isgreat gain for me, that the
Blessed One, perfect rightfully enlightened has taken me into such confidence.
That pleasant joy would not leave him for two weeks, and for the mother
and father it lasted one week.
Great
king, at one time I lived in the chief village Vebhalinga, at that time
my perfumed chamber was leaking, then I addressed the bhikkhus: Bhikkhus,
do you know,the grassin
the potter Ghatikara’s house? Go! bring them. Great king, when this was
said, the bhikkhus said. ‘Venerable sir, there is no grass in the potter
Ghatikara’s house. There is his thatched roof of grass.’Then
I said, ‘Go bhikkhus, bring the grass of the thatched roof of the potter
Ghatikara’s house.’ Then the bhikkhus removed the grass from the thatched
roof of the potter Ghatikara’s house. Then great king, the mother and father
of the potter Ghatikara said.’ ‘Who is it that removes the grass from the
roof?’ ‘Sister, it is the bhikkhus, the Blessed One perfect rightfully
enlightened one’s perfumed chamber is leaking.’ ‘Take them! Good ones,
you speak good words.’ Then great king, the potter Ghatikara coming home
approached his mother and father and asked. ‘Who removed the grass from
the roof?’‘It’s the bhikkhus, dear
one, the roof of the perfumed chamber of the Blessed One Kassapa, perfect
and rightfully enlightened one is leaking.’ Then it occurred to the potter
Ghatikara. It is great gain for me, that the Blessed One perfect and rightfully
enlightened has taken me into such confidence. That pleasant joy would
not leave him for two weeks, and for the mother and father it lasted one
week. Then that house stood roofless for three months and it did not rain.
Great king, the potter Ghatikara is such a one.’
‘Venerable
sir, it is great gain for the potter Ghatikaarathatthe
Blessed One spend the rains in this manner.’
‘Then
Ananda, king Kiki Kaasiraajaa sent about five hundred cart loads of pale
yellow coloured, fine rice, and as much accompanying necessary things for
them to the potter Ghatikaara. The royal messenges approached the potter
Ghatikaara and said Good sir, these five hundred cart loads of pale yellow
coloured fine rice, and as much accompanying necessary things are sent
to you by king Kiki Kaasiraajaaaccept
them. The king has much work to do, it may be to me from the king.’
Ananda,
it might occur to you. ‘Did this young man Jotipala attain perfection then?’.
‘It should not be thought in that manner. I was Jotipala at that time.’
The
Blessed One said thus and venerable Ananda delighted in the words of the
Blessed One.’
Notes.*
A change in the mind ‘ na bhagavaa vassa.m adhivaaseti atthi a~n~nathatta.matthi
domaanassa.m’ The change in the mind is, the mind feeling unpleasant instantly.
It happened to the king, when the Blessed One Kassapa would not accept
to spend the rains in his kingdom