One day king Udena gave five hundred new robes to his queens
out of the thousand robes king received from a merchant. As the Venerable
Ananda teaches the Dharma to the royal harem, the next day gave those five
hundred robes to the elder Ānanda, while they themselves wore the old robes,
and went to where the king was having his breakfast.
The king questions about the robes “I’ve given you robes
worth a thousand each. Why are you not wearing them?”
“Your majesty, we have given them to the elder Ānanda.”
“All taken by the elder Ānanda...?”
“Yes, your majesty.”
“The fully self-awakened Buddha only allows the three robes
(ti,cīvara). Has the elder Ānanda became a cloth merchant, to have taken so
many robes?” Angry with the elder
Ānanda, the king, after breakfast, went to the monastic residence (vihāra) of elder
Ānanda. After saluting the elder, he sat
down, and inquired about five hundred robes.
“Today, king, queens gave five hundred robes.”
“You took them all, Venerable?”
“Yes, king.”
“But, Venerable, does the Teacher allow only the three
robes?”
“Yes, king, three robes are allowed for each monk, but it is
not forbidden to receiving what is offered.”
“Therefore, I accepted the robes, from which I gave to those
others whose robes (cīvara) are old.”
“But when these monks have received the robes from you, what
they do with the old robes?”
“The old upper robes (saṅghāṭi) are made into outer robes
(uttarā,saṅga).”
“What do you do with the old outer robes?”
“They are made into under robe (antara,vāsaka).”
“What do you do with the old under robes?”
“They are made into cover-sheets.”
“What do you do with the old cover-sheets?”
“They are made into floor-sheets [carpets].”
“What do you do with the old floor-sheets?”
“We make them into foot-towels.”
“What do you do with the old foot-towels?”
“King, it is not proper to waste what is given by the
faithful. Therefore, we break up the old foot-towels with a sharp knife, mix
them with clay, and plaster them over the walls of our lodgings.”
The king was pleased, overcome with joy. He had a further
five hundred robes brought and placed before the elder. Having heard the
elder’s preaching, he saluted him, and keeping him to his right, departed.
May all beings be well and happy & attain the fruit of
Nibbana.
Suranda Weediyage
BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,
surandalk@gmail.com
http://www.thebuddhadhamma.wordpress.com
No comments:
Post a Comment