The Story of Elders who fulfilled Pātimokkhasaṃvara-sīla

Summary: The Story of Elders who fulfilled Pātimokkhasaṃvara-sīla at The Cost of Their Lives.

Once, in Mahāvattani forest grove of Sri Lanka, robbers caught a thera and bound him with creepers and made him lie down. Even though he could free himself with his effort, if he desired, he feared that should he make a struggle the black creepers would break and he would be guilty of ‘Bhūtagāma pācittiya āpatti’. So he developed Vipassanā Insight by meditation for seven days in his lying posture, attained the anāgāmī-phala, the Fruition State of Non-Returner, and passed away on the very spot. He was reborn in the Brahmāworld.

Also in Sri Lanka, a Venerable was similarly mistreated by robbers. At that time a forest fire broke out. Even though he could manage to free himself, he feared that he might be guilty of ‘Bhūtagāma pācittiya āpatti’. By developing Vipassanā Insight without cutting the creepers, he became a Samasisi arahat, whose defilements and life span ended at the same time, and attained parinibbāna. Then Abhaya Thera, the Dighanikāya Reciter together with five hundred bhikkhus, arrived on the scene. Seeing the body of the Venerable, he had it cremated properly and a shrine built.

Therefore, it is stated in the commentary:

Pātimokkham visodhento,
appeva jivitam jahe.
Paññattam lokanathena,
na bhinde sīla samvaram.

The good man who maintains the purity of the Pātimokkhasamvara-sīla would sacrifice his own life rather than break the precepts laid down by the Buddha.

Just as Pātimokkhasamvara-sīla is fulfilled with faith and confidence, so also Indriyasamvara-sīla should be fulfilled with mindfulness. Only when Indriyasamvara-sīla is well-guarded by mindfulness, Pātimokkhasamvara-sīla will endure long. When Indriyasamvara-sīla is broken, Pātimokkhasamvara-sīla will be broken too.

At the time of the Buddha, a newly ordained bhikkhu, Venerable Vangisa, while going on alms-round broke Indriyasamvara-sīla losing his restraint of faculties and was filled with lust on seeing a woman. He said to Ānanda: “Venerable Ānanda, I am burning with sensual lust, my mind is consumed by the flames of lust. Out of compassion, please teach me the Dhamma to extinguish the burning flames.”

Then the Venerable Ānanda replied: “As you perceive wrongly, the burning flames consume your mind. Dispel your perception of pleasantness in what you see, for it leads to lust; see foulness there to purify your mind.” The Venerable Vangisa followed the Venerable Ānanda’s advice and the burning fires of lust died down.

There are two other examples which should be followed by one who wishes to fulfil Indriyasamvara-sīla.