by Andy Rotman
The Blessed One reflected, “When there is a senior disciple who is great like Mount Sumeru, many people receive forgiveness.618 Panthaka’s virtues should be made known.” And so the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ānanda: “Ānanda, go and inform Panthaka that he is to instruct the nuns.”
“Yes, Bhadanta,” the venerable Ānanda replied, consenting to the Blessed One’s request, and then he approached the venerable Panthaka. Having approached, he said this to him: “Venerable Panthaka, the Teacher has said that you should instruct the nuns.”
“What is the reason,” the venerable Panthaka [reflected],619 [493] “that the Blessed One bypasses the most senior monks and instead orders me to instruct the nuns? It’s because my virtues are to be made known. I shall fulfill the Teacher’s wish.”
Some nuns arrived at the Jeta Grove as proxies for their monastic community, charged with offering their consent for the teachings.620 “Who has the Blessed One appointed to instruct us?” they asked the monks.
“The venerable Panthaka,” they said.
“Sisters,” the nuns said to each other, “look at how women are insulted! And by someone who studied a single verse for three months and still couldn’t memorize it! Nuns know the Tripiṭaka, can discourse on the dharma, and are gifted with eloquence that is inspired yet controlled. And yet he’s going to instruct the nuns?”
They then returned to the assembly and were questioned by the other nuns.
“Sisters, who will come to instruct us?”
“The noble Panthaka,” they said.
“Do you mean the noble Mahāpanthaka?”
“No, not him. The other one—the fool Panthaka.”
A group of twelve nuns621 heard this and were indignant. “Sisters, look at how women are insulted! And by someone who studied a single verse for three months and still couldn’t memorize it! These nuns know the Tripiṭaka, can discourse on the dharma, and are gifted with eloquence that is inspired yet controlled. And yet he’s going to instruct them?”
“Sisters,” they said to each other, “six of us should arrange a lion throne adorned with vines measuring twelve hands in length. And six of us should enter Śrāvastī and make this announcement on the streets, roads, squares, and crossroads—‘A great instructor of ours is coming [tomorrow]! [Remember!] Whoever among us hasn’t seen the most subtle truths will have to pass a long time in saṃsāra!’622 Now that barely educated bastard won’t dare to instruct the nuns.”623
So six of those women arranged a lion throne with vines measuring twelve hands in length, and six nuns entered Śrāvastī and made this announcement on the streets, roads, squares, and crossroads: “A great instructor of ours is coming [tomorrow]! [Remember!] Whoever among us hasn’t seen the most subtle truths will have to pass a long time in saṃsāra!”
In the morning Panthaka got dressed, took his bowl and robe, and entered Śrāvastī for alms. [After wandering through Śrāvastī for alms,]624 he ate his meal,625 and after eating, he returned from his almsround. Then he put away his bowl and robe, washed his feet, and en- tered the monastery [494] to retreat into meditation. In the evening, the venerable Panthaka emerged from meditative seclusion,626 took his outer robe, and set off [to instruct the nuns] with an attending monk following behind him.
Many hundreds of thousands of beings [went there as well],627 some out of curiosity, others impelled by former roots of virtue. The people of the assembly saw the venerable Panthaka from a distance, and upon seeing him, they asked each other,628 “Which of these two is here to instruct the nuns? The monk in front629 or the monk following behind?”
“The monk in front,”630 some of the people there said. [Recognizing Panthaka,] they began to express their indignation: “Look, friends.631 These nuns have purposefully made fools out of us! How will someone who studied a single verse for three months and still couldn’t memorize it instruct the nuns or recite632 the dharma? We’re leaving.”
“Let’s wait,” others said. “If he’ll teach the dharma, we’ll listen. If he won’t, we’ll go.” Having made this decision, the people of the assembly remained where they were.
The venerable Panthaka saw that a lion throne had been specially prepared, and upon seeing it, he reflected, “Was this prepared in good faith633 or with the intent of doing harm?” He saw that it had been prepared with the intent of doing harm. So the venerable Panthaka stretched out his arm like the trunk of an elephant and put the lion throne back in its proper place.634 Then he sat down on it. After he sat down, some people could see him and some couldn’t see him. So, sitting there, the venerable Panthaka entered a state of meditative concentration such that when his mind was concentrated, he disappeared from his seat, rose up high in the sky in the eastern direction, [and appeared in the four bodily postures—that is to say, walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. Then he entered into the state of mastery over the element of fire. And when the venerable Panthaka had entered into the state of mastery over the element of fire, different kinds of light emerged from his body—they were blue, yellow, red, white, crimson, and the color of crystal. He displayed many other miracles as well. He made his lower body blaze in flames, and then a shower of cold water rained down from his upper body. What he displayed in the east, he then displayed in the south, and likewise in all four directions. After making use of his magical powers] and displaying these [four] miracles [in the four directions],635 he withdrew those magical powers that he had activated and sat down in the seat specially prepared for him. After sitting down, the venerable Panthaka addressed those nuns: “Sisters, I studied a single verse for three months. Who has the strength and conviction636 to listen to a single verse for seven days and nights and to parse its meaning literally and figuratively?”637
One should not commit even the smallest sin
in all the world in thought, word, or deed.
One free from desire, mindful, and thoughtful
does not experience the suffering that evil brings. [495]
The Blessed One has explained that one should avoid638 all sins.639
During the time that it took the venerable Panthaka to analyze the meaning of the first half of the verse,640 twelve thousand beings saw the [four noble] truths. Some directly experienced the reward of the stream-enterer, some the reward of the once-returner, some the reward of the nonreturner, and some went forth as monks and, by ridding themselves of all defilements, directly experienced arhatship. Some set their minds on attaining awakening as a disciple, some awakening as a solitary buddha, and some unsurpassed perfect awakening. Almost the entire assembly became favorably inclined toward the Buddha, drawn toward the dharma, and well disposed toward the community.
After the venerable Panthaka had instructed, incited, inspired, and delighted the people of the assembly with this discourse on the dharma, he got up from his seat and departed. Some monks saw him approaching and reflected, “Today the venerable Panthaka certainly won’t have inspired faith in great numbers of people.”641 They couldn’t bring themselves to ask the venerable Panthaka anything unpleasant face to face, so they asked his attending monk following behind him. “Venerable one, the venerable Panthaka didn’t inspire faith in great numbers of people today, or did he?”
“There wasn’t anyone that the venerable one didn’t inspire with faith! The Blessed One turned the twelve-spoked wheel of dharma three times in Vārāṇasī at the deer park in Ṛṣivadana. Now the venerable Panthaka has set that wheel in motion once again. Although he didn’t explain the meaning of a full verse, twelve thousand beings still saw the [four noble] truths.”
Then the Blessed One addressed the monks: “Monks, among those monks who are my disciples, the foremost in skillfully transforming the minds of others is the monk Panthaka.”
The monks questioned the Lord Buddha: “Look, Bhadanta. That group of twelve nuns was determined to ruin the venerable Panthaka, and yet they did him nothing but good.”
“Yes, monks,” the Blessed One said, “not only now, but also i
n the past. They were determined to ruin him, and yet they did him nothing but good. Listen to this.”
The Blind Man and His Twelve Daughters-in-Law
Long ago, monks, in a certain market town, there lived a householder. He brought home a girl from an appropriate family as his wife, and with her he fooled around, enjoyed himself, and made love. From fooling around, enjoying himself [496], and making love, [a son was born].642 Again and again he fooled around, enjoyed himself, and made love with her until twelve sons were born. Eventually he got them married and settled down. Then one day his wife died. The brahman, in his old age, [became blind].643
Now the blind man’s daughters-in-law were ill behaved. When their husbands would go out, they’d have sex with other men. The brahman, though, was skillful in identifying sounds. He could differentiate between the sound of one of his sons and that of another man. When he heard the footsteps of another man, he’d start yelling at his daughters-in-law.
His daughters-in-law reflected, “This brahman is set on ruining us.” So they gave him only coarse rice and a little whey.644
The brahman said to his sons, “These daughters-in-law of mine give me only coarse rice and a little whey.”
So his sons said to their wives, “Why do you give our dear father only coarse rice and a little whey?”
“His merit is exhausted,” they said. “If we put perfect grains of rice in a little pot645 for him, they turn into coarse rice. And if we put curd in there, it turns into whey.”
“How can this be?” they asked.
“We’ll prove it to you,” they said.
Then they conversed [among themselves]:646 “Now we’ll have to carry out what we promised.” So they said to a potter, “Sir, can you make two pots, each having one mouth but with two compartments inside?”
“Yes, I can,” he said. So he made two pots, each having one mouth but with two compartments inside. The daughters-in-law put coarse rice in one pot and whey in the other. Then, in front of their husbands, they put grains of rice in [the second compartment of] one pot and curd in [the second compartment of] the other. Then they prepared it.
“Now who should be fed647 first,” they asked, “our dear husbands’ father or all of you?”
“Feed our father first,” they said. Then, in front of their husbands, they took out coarse rice from one pot and served him, and then from the other pot they served him whey. Then in the same way, they took out excellent quality rice from the first pot and served their husbands, and then from the second pot they took out curd.
“Father,” his sons said to him, “your merit is exhausted. [497] [When on your behalf] excellent quality grains of rice are placed in one pot and curds in another, they change into coarse rice and whey.”
The brahman reflected, “I worked long and hard to collect what pleasures I have. What reason is there for my merit to be exhausted?”
When his daughters-in-law weren’t looking, the brahman went into the kitchen, and searching around, groping with his hands, he found two pots, each having one mouth but with two parts inside. He hid them. When his sons returned, he showed them the pots. “Look, you say my merit is exhausted. Go and look! Only in our house are there pots with one mouth [and two parts inside]! My dear sons, other homes don’t even have two pots, but we, unfortunate as we are, have two pots, each with [two parts inside and] a single mouth!”648
The brahman’s sons then thrashed their wives. Bruised,649 they reflected, “This brahman is set on ruining us. Let’s kill him.”
Then one day a snake-catcher came to town.
“Do you have a snake?” the daughters-in-law asked him.
“What kind of snake are you looking for, living or dead?” he asked.
“Dead,” they said.
He reflected, “What will these women do with a dead snake? They must want to kill the old man.”
As a rule650 the poison of an angry snake flows in two places, the head and the tail. The snake-catcher made the snake angry, then cut off its head and tail and gave the women the middle part.651 They prepared a kind of broth from it. Then they said to the brahman, “Father, would you like to drink some of this tasty broth?”652
The brahman reflected, “Would they really give me tasty broth? No doubt they’ll give me something poisonous. I’ll drink it anyway,” he reflected. “Either way I’m going to die.”
They gave him the tasty broth, and he drank it. The film over his eyes became suffused with tears.653 He began to see. Then he collapsed and said, “I’m dying! I’m dying!”
“Don’t drink so quickly,” they said. Then they asked, “Father, will you drink some more?”654
“Yes, I’ll drink some more,” he said.
Again they gave him some of the tasty broth, and he drank that as well. The film over his eyes became suffused with more and more tears, [498] and he began to see more clearly.
Now his daughters-in-law began to behave just as they had behaved in the past, confident that he was blind. Then the brahman took his staff, got up, and said, “Do you think I still can’t see? Well, now I can see!”
The daughters-in-law were ashamed and ran off.
“What do you think, monks? That brahman was none other than Panthaka at that time and at that juncture, and those twelve daughters-in-law of his were none other than these twelve nuns. Back then they were determined to ruin him but did him nothing but good. And now too they were determined to ruin him, but once again did him nothing but good.”
The monks questioned the Lord Buddha: “Look, Bhadanta. The Blessed One inspired the venerable Panthaka with a small teaching,655 delivered him from the hardships of saṃsāra, and established him in the unsurpassed supreme security that is nirvāṇa.”
“Yes, monks,” the Blessed One said, “not only now, but also in the past. I inspired him with a small teaching and established him in great lordship and dominion. Listen to this.”
Mūṣikāhairaṇyaka and the Dead Mouse656
Long ago,657 monks, in a certain market town, there lived a householder who was rich, wealthy, and prosperous. He brought home a girl from an appropriate family as his wife, and with her he fooled around, enjoyed himself, and made love. And so,658 a son was born to him. He addressed his wife: “My dear, this son of ours will bring us into debt.659 I’m going. I’ll take my wares and set sail in the great ocean.”
“Do as you wish,” she said.
The householder reflected, “If I give her a lot of money she’ll spend her time with other men.” So he didn’t give her any money at all.
Now the guildmaster who lived in the market town was a friend of the householder. The householder placed a lot of money in his hands and said, “If my wife [runs out of food and clothing],660 please provide her with them.” Then he took his goods and set sail in the great ocean. And right there, straightaway, he met with his death.
Meanwhile his wife, with her own hands and with the help of her relatives, [499] supported, protected, and nourished the boy.
“Mom,” the boy asked his mother, “what kind of work did my father and forefathers do?”
She reflected, “If I tell him that they [were maritime merchants who] did their business on ships in the great ocean, no doubt he’ll set sail in the great ocean as well. And right there, straightaway, he’ll meet with his death.” So she said, “It’s been said661 that your father and forefathers worked right here as merchants.”
“Give me some money then,” he said. “That way I can work as a merchant right here as well.”
“Where is this money that I have?” she asked. “Somehow, with my own hands and with the help of my relatives, I’ve managed to support, protect, and nourish you. Where can I find such a huge amount of money? Still, the guildmaster was a friend of your father. Get some money from him and start this business of yours.”
So the boy went to the guildmaster’s home. One of his men told the boy to get lost,662 once and then a second time. The man reprimanded him. Meanwhile a maidservant emerged fro
m the guildmaster’s house to throw away a pile of garbage with a dead mouse placed on top of it.663
The guildmaster664 said to that man, “If one is a real man, he can pick himself up [and succeed] with just this dead mouse.”
The boy heard this and reflected, “The guildmaster is a great man. He doesn’t just say this or that. It must be true that one can pick oneself up [and succeed] with just a dead mouse.” So he followed behind the girl, and after she threw out the garbage,665 the boy took the dead mouse and went to the marketplace. There a merchant was playing with a cat. The boy showed the dead mouse to the cat, and when the cat saw it, he started jumping up after it.
“Give the dead mouse to the cat,” the merchant said to the boy.
“Why should I give it away for nothing?666 Pay me for it.”
The merchant gave him two handfuls of beans.667
“If I eat them,” the boy reflected, “then all my capital will be eaten up.” So instead he roasted the beans in a frying pan668 [500] and filled a pitcher669 with cold water. Then he took those things, left town, and went to the place where lumbermen relax. There he waited. Then the lumbermen came.
“Uncles,” he said to them, “put down your loads of wood. Relax for a while.”
They set down their loads of wood, and he gave them each a little bit of beans and some cold water to drink.670
“Son,”671 they said, “where are you going?”
“For wood.”672
“Son, we got up and left early in the morning and we’re just coming back now. Going this late, when do you think you’ll get back?”673 They each gave him a piece of wood.
Now the boy had a stock of wood.674 He took it and went back to town. There he sold it, got some more beans and roasted them, filled a pot with water, and went back and waited in the same place. Just like before he divided up the beans among the lumbermen675 and served them cold water.
“Son,” they said to him, “every day take some beans and water, and come and wait right here. We’ll bring a supply of wood for you.” From then on, every day, the boy did just that.
