Verse 303 - The Story of Citta the Householder

Pali text, illustration and English translation of Dhammapada verse 303:

saddho sīlena sampanno yasobhogasamappito |
yaṃ yaṃ padesaṃ bhajati tattha tatth'eva pūjito || 303 ||

303. Who’s full of faith and virtue, of substance, high repute, is honoured everywhere, wherever that one goes.

The confident and virtuous, with wealth and fame, they are praised wherever they go.

The Story of Citta the Householder

While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to Citta, a householder of the town of Macchikāsanda.

Citta, after hearing the Dhamma expounded by the Venerable Sāriputta, attained anāgāmi magga and phala. One day, Citta loaded five hundred carts with food and other offerings for the Buddha and his disciples, and left for Sāvatthi, accompanied by three thousand followers. They travelled at the rate of one yojana (league) a day and reached Sāvatthi at the end of a month. Then Citta went ahead with five hundred of his companions to the Jetavana Monastery. While he was paying obeisance to the Buddha, masses of flowers dropped miraculously from above like showers of rain. Citta stayed at the monastery for one whole month, offering alms-food to the Buddha and the monks and also feeding his own party of three thousand. All this time, the devas were replenishing his stock of food and other offerings.

On the eve of his return journey, Citta put all the things he had brought with him in the rooms of the monastery as offerings to the Buddha. The devas then filled up the empty carts with various items of priceless things. The Venerable Ānanda, seeing how Citta’s riches were being replenished, asked the Buddha, “Venerable Sir! Is it only when Citta approached you that he is blessed with all these riches? Is he similarly blessed when he goes somewhere else?” To him the Buddha replied, “Ānanda, this disciple is fully endowed with faith and generosity; he is also virtuous and his reputation spreads far and wide. Such a one is sure to be revered and showered with riches wherever he goes.”

Explanatory Translation (Verse 303)

saddho sīlena sampanno yasobhoga samappito
yaṃ yaṃ padesaṃ bhajati tattha tattha eva pūjito

saddho [saddha]: one who is devoted; sīlena: with discipline; sampanno [sampanna]: adorned; yasobhoga samappito [samappita]: endowed with glory and riches; yaṃ yaṃ padesaṃ [padesa]: whatever place; bhajati: he frequents; tattha tattha eva: in all those places;pūjito [pūjita]: he is adored

He who is full of faith and virtue, who also possesses fame and fortune, is held in reverence wherever he goes.

Commentary and exegetical material (Verse 303)

saddhā: faith, confidence. A Buddhist is said to have faith if he believes in the Buddha’s Enlightenment or in the three jewels (tiratana), by taking his refuge in them (ti-sarana). His faith, however, should be reasoned and rooted in understanding (ākāravati saddhā dassanamūlikā);and he is asked to investigate and test the object of his faith. A Buddhist’s faith is not in conflict with the spirit of inquiry, and doubt about doubtable things is admitted and inquiry into them is encouraged. The faculty of faith (saddhindriya) should be balanced with that of wisdom (paññindriya, indriya-samatta). It is said: A monk who has understanding, establishes his faith in accordance with that understanding. Through wisdom and understanding, faith becomes an inner certainty and firm conviction based on one’s own experience.

Faith is called the seed of all wholesome states because, according to commentarial explanations, it inspires the mind with confidence (okappana, pasāda) and determination (adhimokkha), for launching out (pakkhandhana);to cross the flood of saṃsāra.

Unshakable faith is attained on reaching the first stage of holiness, stream-entry (sotāpatti, ariyapuggala), when the fetter of skeptical doubt (vicikicchā) in the three jewels is one of the characteristic qualities of the stream-winner (sotāpannassa aṅgāni).

Faith is a mental concomitant, present in all karmically wholesome, and its corresponding neutral consciousness. It is one of the four streams of merit (puññadhāro), one of the five spiritual faculties (indriya). Spiritual powers (bala), elements of exertion (padhāniyanga) and one of the seven treasures (dhana).