The story of Upananda the Sakyan

^Kd.8.25.1 Now at that time the venerable Upananda,^[1] the son of the Sakyans, having spent the rains at Sāvatthī, went to a certain village-residence. And there the monks assembled, wishing to ^BD.4.429 distribute robe-material. These spoke thus: “These robes, your reverence, belonging to the Order, will be distributed. Will you consent (to accept) a portion?”

“Yes, your reverences, I will consent,” and taking up a portion of the robe-material from there, he went to another residence. The monks there also assembled, wishing to distribute robe-material. These also spoke thus: “These robes, your reverence, belonging to the Order, will be distributed. Will you consent (to accept) a portion?”

“Yes, your reverences, I will consent,” and taking up a portion of the robe-material from there too, he went to another residence. The monks there also assembled, wishing to distribute robe-material. These also spoke thus: “These robes, your reverence, belonging to the Order, will be distributed. Will you consent (to accept) a portion?”

“Yes, your reverences, I will consent,” and taking up a portion of the robe-material from there too, taking a great bundle of robe-material, he came back again to Sāvatthī.

^Kd.8.25.2 Monks spoke thus: “You, reverend Upananda, are of great merit;^[2] much robe-material has accrued to you.”

“Whence, your reverences, is there merit for me? Now I, your reverences, having spent the rains at Sāvatthī, went to a certain village-residence. The monks were there assembled, wishing to distribute robe-material. They spoke thus to me: ‘These robes, your reverence, belonging to the Order, will be distributed. Will you consent (to accept) a portion?’ ‘Yes, your reverences, I will consent,’ and taking up a portion of the robe-material from there, I went to another residence. The monks there also assembled, wishing to distribute robe-material. These also spoke thus to me: ‘These robes, your reverence, belonging to the Order, will be distributed. Will you consent (to accept) a portion?’ ‘Yes, your reverences, I will consent,’ and taking up a portion of the robe-material from there too ^Vin.1.301 , I went to another residence. The monks there also assembled, wishing to distribute robe-material. These also spoke thus to me: ‘These robes … a portion?’ ‘Yes, your reverences, I will consent,’ and I ^BD.4.430 took up a portion of robe-material from there too. Thus much robe-material accrued to me.”

^Kd.8.25.3 “But is it that you, reverend Upananda, having spent the rains somewhere else, will consent (to accept) a portion of robe-material elsewhere?”^[3]

“Yes, your reverences,” he said. Those who were modest monks looked down upon, criticised, spread it about, saying: “How can the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans, having spent the rains somewhere else, consent (to accept) robe-material elsewhere?” They told this matter to the Lord. He said:

“Is it true, as is said, that you, Upananda, having spent the rains somewhere else, consented (to accept) a portion of robe-material elsewhere?”

“It is true, Lord.” The awakened one, the Lord rebuked him saying:

“How can you, foolish man, having spent the rains somewhere else, consent (to accept) a portion of robe-material elsewhere? It is not, foolish man, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased, nor for increasing (the number of) those who are pleased.”

Having rebuked him, having given reasoned talk, he addressed the monks, saying:

“Monks, a portion of robe-material is not to be consented to elsewhere by one who has spent the rains somewhere else. Whoever should consent (to accept), there is an offence of wrong-doing.”

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^Kd.8.25.4 Now at that time the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans, spent the rains alone in two residences, thinking: “Thus will much robe-material accrue to me.” Then it occurred to these monks: “Now, how should a share of robe-material be given to the venerable Upananda, the son of the Sakyans?” They told this matter to the Lord. He said:

“Monks, give one share^[4] to the foolish man. For this is a case, monks, where a monk is spending the rains alone in two residences, thinking, ‘Thus will much robe-material accrue me’. If he stays half (the time) at one, half (the time) at the ^BD.4.431 other, half a share of robe-material should be given (to him) at the one, half at the other; or where he spends the more (time), from there is the share of the robe-material to be given (to him).”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See BD.2.42, n.1.

[2]:

Same thing said to him at Vin.3.215.

[3]:

Cf. Vin.3.66, Vin.4.76f., Vin.4.81f.

[4]:

ekādhippāya, of which Vin-a.1132 says ekapuggalapaṭiviṃsa, one man’s share.