The story of Pāṭaligāma

^Kd.6.28.1 Then the Lord,^[1] having stayed at Rājagaha for as long as ^BD.4.309 he found suiting, set out on tour for Pāṭaligāma^[2] together with the large Order of monks, with the twelve hundred and fifty monks. Then the Lord, walking on tour, in due course arrived at Pāṭaligāma. Lay-followers at Pāṭaligāma heard: “It is said that the Lord has reached Pāṭaligāma.” Then the lay-followers of Pāṭaligāma approached the Lord; having approached, having greeted the Lord, they sat down at a respectful distance. The Lord gladdened, rejoiced, roused, delighted the lay-followers of Pāṭaligāma with talk on dhamma as they were sitting down at a respectful distance.

^Kd.6.28.2 Then the lay-followers of Pāṭaligāma, gladdened … delighted by the Lord with talk on dhamma, spoke thus to the Lord^[3]: “Lord, may the Lord consent (to come) to our rest-house^[4] together with the Order of monks.” The Lord consented by becoming silent. Then the lay-followers of Pāṭaligāma, having understood the Lord’s consent,^[5] rising from their seats, having greeted the Lord, ^Vin.1.227 having kept their right sides towards him, approached that rest-house; having approached, having spread that test-house so that a spreading was spread everywhere,^[6] having made ready seats,^[7] having had a water-jar set up, having prepared an oil lamp, approached the Lord; having approached, having greeted the Lord, they stood at a respectful distance.

^Kd.6.28.3 As they were standing at a respectful distance, the lay-followers of Pāṭaligāma spoke thus to the Lord: “The rest-house is spread with a spreading everywhere, Lord, seats are made ready, a water-jar is set up, an oil lamp is prepared; Lord, the Lord does that for which it is now the right time.” Then the Lord, dressing in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, approached that rest-house together with the Order of monks; having approached, having washed his feet, having entered the rest-house, be sat down leaning against a central pillar facing the east. The Order of monks too, having washed their feet, having entered the rest-house, sat down leaning ^BD.4.310 against the western wall facing the east with the Lord in view. The lay-followers of Pāṭaligāma too, having washed their feet, having entered the rest-house, sat down leaning against the eastern wall, facing the west with the Lord in view.

^Kd.6.28.4 Then the Lord addressed the lay-followers of Pāṭaligāma, saying: “There are these five disadvantages,^[8] householders, to one of wrong moral habit, falling away from moral habit. What five? Now, householders, one of wrong moral habit, falling away from moral habit, suffers great diminution of wealth owing to sloth; this is the first disadvantage to one of wrong moral habit, falling away from moral habit.

Then again, householders, an evil reputation is noised abroad of one of wrong moral habit, falling away from moral habit; this is the second disadvantage …

Then again, householders, if one of wrong moral habit, falling away from moral habit, approaches any company, whether a company of nobles, a company of brahmins, a company of householders, a company of recluses, he approaches it diffidently, being ashamed; this is the third disadvantage …

“Then again, householders, one of wrong moral habit, falling away from moral habit, passes away bewildered; this is the fourth disadvantage …

“Then again, householders, one of wrong moral habit, falling away from moral habit, at the breaking up of the body after dying arises in the waste, the Bad-bourn, the Downfall, Niraya Hell; this is the fifth disadvantage to one of wrong moral habit, falling away from moral habit. These, householders, are the five disadvantages to one of wrong moral habit, falling away from moral habit.

^Kd.6.28.5 “There are these five advantages, householders, to one of moral habit, accomplished in moral habit. ^Vin.1.228 What five? Now, householders, one of moral habit, accomplished in moral habit, acquires a great mass of wealth owing to zeal; this is the first advantage to one of moral habit, accomplished in moral habit.

“Then again, householders, a lovely reputation is noised abroad of one of moral habit, accomplished in moral habit; this is the second advantage …

^BD.4.311 “Then again, householders, if one of moral habit, accomplished in moral habit, approaches any company, whether a company of nobles, a company of brahmins, a company of householders, a company of recluses, he approaches it confidently, not being ashamed; this is the third advantage …

“Then again, householders, one of moral habit, accomplished in moral habit, passes away unbewildered; this is the fourth advantage …

“Then again, householders, one of moral habit, accomplished in moral habit, at the breaking up of the body after dying arises in the Happy-bourn, in a heaven-world; this is the fifth advantage to one of moral habit, accomplished in moral habit. These, householders, are the five advantages to one of moral habit, accomplished in moral habit.”

^Kd.6.28.6 When the Lord had gladdened, rejoiced, roused, delighted the lay-followers of Pāṭaligāma far into the night with talk on dhamma, he dismissed them, saying: “The night is now far spent, householders; now do that for whatever it is the right time.”

“Yes, Lord,” and the lay-followers of Pāṭaligāma, having answered the Lord in assent, rising from their seats, having greeted the Lord, departed keeping their right sides towards him.

^Kd.6.28.7 Then the Lord, soon after the lay-followers of Pāṭaligāma had departed, entered into solitude.^[9]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Chapters 28–30 are, with a few unimportant variations, word for word the same as the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta DN16.1.19–DN16.2.3; DN16.2.16–DN16.2.24. See Rhys Davids’ Introduction to his translation of the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta, pp.xxxiv seq., and his note there at DN16.2.16, thus Vinaya Texts ii.97, n. Also from here to end of 28 is, again with a few minor variations, the same as Ud.85–Ud.90.

[2]:

The modern Patna. On pāṭali, see below, BD.4.312, n.4.

[3]:

This passage occurs also at DN.ii.84ff.

[4]:

āvasathāgāra, as at Vin.4.17; see BD.2.198 for Buddhaghosa’s interpretation.

[5]:

For preamble to the discourse see also MN.i.354, SN.iv.182.

[6]:

sabbasanthariṃ santhataṃ āvasathāgāraṃ santharitvā. On santharati and santhata see BD.2, Introduction, p.xxiiff. Ud.86 omits santhataṃ.

[7]:

All these processes are described at MN-a.iii.18f., Ud-a. 409f.

[8]:

As at AN.iii.252f., DN.ii.85–DN.ii.86, DN.iii.236, Ud.86. Noticed at Vism.54.

[9]:

suññāgāra, see above, Kd.1.78.5, and Minor Anthologies ii, p.107, n.1.