Dhammapada (Illustrated)

by Ven. Weagoda Sarada Maha Thero | 1993 | 341,201 words | ISBN-10: 9810049382 | ISBN-13: 9789810049386

This page describes The Story of Citta the Householder which is verse 73-74 of the English translation of the Dhammapada which forms a part of the Sutta Pitaka of the Buddhist canon of literature. Presenting the fundamental basics of the Buddhist way of life, the Dhammapada is a collection of 423 stanzas. This verse 73-74 is part of the Bāla Vagga (Fools) and the moral of the story is “Unwisely he wishes for undeserved honour, privileges, and attention in the midst of laymen” (first part only).

Verse 73-74 - The Story of Citta the Householder

Pali text, illustration and English translation of Dhammapada verse 73-74:

asataṃ bhāvanamiccheyya purekkhārañca bhikkhusu |
āvāsesu ca issariyaṃ pūjā parakulesu ca || 73 ||
mameva kataṃ maññantū gihī pabbajitā ubho |
mameva ativasā assu kiccākiccesu kismici |
iti bālassa saṃkappo icchā māno ca vaḍḍhati || 74 ||

73. For position a fool may wish: among the bhikkhus precedence, in monasteries authority, from other families honour.

74. Both monks and laymen, let them think ‘This was done by me, whatever the works, both great and small, let them depend on me’. Such the intention of a fool, swollen his greed and conceit.

Desire For Pre-Eminence
Unwisely he wishes for undeserved honour, privileges, and attention in the midst of laymen.
The Ignorant Are Ego-Centred‌‌
As the untutored disciple claims for recognition by monk and layman, his pride increases.

The Story of Citta the Householder

While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke these Verses, with reference to Venerable Sudhamma and Citta the householder.

A householder named Citta, residing in the city of Macchikāsaṇḍa, observed the Venerable Mahānāma, one of the band of five, making his round for alms; and pleased with his deportment, took his bowl, invited him into his house, provided him with food, and at the conclusion of the meal listened to the law and obtained the fruit of conversion. Now Citta, possessed of immovable faith, desiring to make his own pleasuregarden Ambaṭṭhaka Grove a place of residence for the Sangha, poured water into the right hand of the Venerable and made the grove move to the Sangha. The moment he uttered the words, “The Religion of the Buddha is firmly established,” the earth shook to its ocean boundary. The great treasurer caused a splendid monastery to be erected in the grove, and thereafter the door stood open to monks who came from all four quarters. At Macchikāsaṇḍa also resided the Venerable Sudhamma.

Some time afterwards, the two Chief Disciples, hearing the rumour of Citta’s good qualities, decided to pay their respects to him and therefore went to Macchikāsaṇḍa. Citta the householder, hearing that they were coming, proceeded forth half a league to meet them, escorted them to the monastery, invited them, performed the usual duties for visitors, and then made the following request of the Buddha, “Venerable, we desire to listen to a short discourse on the Dhamma.” The Venerable replied, “Lay disciple, we are weary with the journey;nevertheless listen for a short while.” Citta, merely by listening to the Buddha’s discourse on the Dhamma, obtained the fruit of the second path. Then he bowed to the two chief disciples and invited them to be his guests, saying, “Venerables, pray take a meal in my house tomorrow with your thousand monks.” Then he turned to the resident monk, the Venerable Sudhamma, and invited him, saying to him, “Venerable, you also come tomorrow with the Venerables.” Angry at the thought, “He invited me last,” Sudhamma refused the invitation; and although Citta repeated the invitation again and again, he still refused. The lay disciple said, “Pray be present, Venerable,” and went out. On the following day he prepared splendid offerings in his own residence. Very early in the morning the Venerable Sudhamma thought to himself, ‘What manner of food has the householder prepared for the chief disciples? I will go see.” So very early in the morning he took bowl and robe and went to his house.

“Pray sit down, Venerable,” said the householder. I will not sit down,” replied Sudhamma; ‘I am about to set out on my almsround.” The Venerable surveyed the offerings prepared for the chief disciples, and seeking to annoy the householder about the varieties of food provided, said, “Householder, your food is most excellent, but there is one thing you have omitted.” “What is that, Reverend sir?” “Sesame-cake, householder.” Thereupon the householder rebuked him, comparing him to a crow. Angered at this, the Venerable said, ‘This is your residence, householder; I will depart.” Three times the householder strove to prevail upon the Venerable to remain, but each time the latter refused. Finally he left the house, went to the Buddha, and related the words that had passed between Citta and himself. The Buddha said, “You, an inferior, have insulted a faithful, believing disciple.” Having thus put the blame solely on the monk, the Buddha sent him back to beg pardon of the disciple. The Venerable went to Citta and said, “Householder, it was all my fault; please pardon me.” But the householder refused to pardon him and said, I will not pardon you.”

Provoked at his failure to obtain pardon, he returned to the Buddha. The Buddha, although he knew that the householder would pardon Sudhamma, thought, “This Venerable is stubborn in his pride; now let him go thirty leagues and come back.” And so, without telling him how he might gain pardon, he just dismissed him. The Venerable returned with pride humbled. The Buddha then gave the Venerable a companion and said to the Venerable, “Go with this companion and ask pardon of the householder.” Said the Buddha, “A religious person ought not to give way to pride or ill-will, thinking, ‘This residence is mine, this male lay disciple is mine, this female lay disciple is mine.’ For if he so did, ill-will and pride and the other depravities increase.”

After listening to this admonition Venerable Sudhamma bowed to the Buddha, rose from his seat, circumambulated the Buddha, and then, accompanied by his companion-monk, went within sight of the lay disciple, atoned for his fault, and begged the disciple’s pardon. The lay disciple both pardoned him and in turn asked his pardon, saying, “I pardon you, Venerable; if I am to blame, pray pardon me also.” The Venerable held steadfast in the admonition given by the Buddha, and in but a few days attained arahatship together with the supernatural faculties.

The lay disciple thought to himself, “Even without seeing the Buddha I have attained the fruit of conversion; even without seeing him I have attained the Fruit of the second path. I ought to see the Buddha.” So he ordered yoked five hundred carts full of sesame, rice, ghee, sugar, garments, coverlets, and other offerings, whether of food or aught else.” He visited the Buddha, and spent one month giving alms to the Buddha and the monks. After a month, Venerable Ānanda asked the Buddha, “Venerable, was it because he saw you that he received all these honours?” Said the Buddha, “Ānanda, no matter what place such a man resorts to, he receives gain and honour.”

Explanatory Translation (Verse 73)

asataṃ bhāvanaṃ iccheyya, bhikkhūsu purekkhārañca
āvāsesu ca issariyaṃ parakulesu pūjā ca

asataṃ bhāvanaṃ iccheyya: fond of being recognized for virtues he does not possess; bhikkhūsu: among the monks; purekkhārañca: leadership; āvāsesu ca: residences; issariyaṃ [issariya]: pre-eminence; parakulesu: by other families; pūjā ca: acceptance, recognition and propitiation (desires)

He is fond of being recognized for what he, in reality, is not. Yearns for pre-eminence among peers. He craves for preference in matters relating to residences. He is enamoured of the idea of receiving gifts and requisites from other families as well.

Explanatory Translation (Verse 74)

gihī pabbajitā ubho mama eva kataṃ aññantu,
kismici kiccākiccesu mama eva ativasā assu
iti bālassa saṅkappo icchā māno ca vaḍḍhati

gihī: laymen; pabbajitā: monks; ubho: both these groups; mama eva: by me alone; kataṃ aññantu: should know as done;kismici: whatever; kiccākiccesu: activities small or big; mama eva: me alone; ativasā assu: should be followed; iti: this way; bālassa: of the ignorant; saṅkappo [saṅkappa]: is the thinking; icchā: craving; māno ca: and pride (sense of superiority); vaḍḍhati: increase

The ignorant one has this attitude of mind: “Let both the lay people and the clergy know that this was done by me alone. In whatever activity small or big my leadership alone should prevail. Everybody must follow me.” This conceit of the ignorant leads to craving, uncontrolled desire and to groundless pride, to a false sense of superiority. These begin to grow.

Commentary and exegetical material (Verse 73-74)

asataṃ bhāvanaṃ iccheyya purekkhārañca: glory and pre-eminence. These two stanzas are entirely on various forms of egoism, experienced in monastic life. These forms affect largely those monks and ascetics who are not much advanced in spiritual progress. Since they have not begun to cherish the real values of monastic life, they are enamoured of tinsel-dazzle gifts, offerings, prestige leadership, etc. These egotistic pursuits are petty activities of those who are still in the foothills of spiritual ascent. These ignorant ones tend to acquire these assets of lay-life they left behind. Being surrounded by retinues, being sought out to be given special presents are all important to them. They are hurt if they felt that they are neglected. They begin to yearn for requisites from other families than their own, to enable them to widen their circle of admirers. These attitudes mar their spiritual achievements.

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