“Oh bliss! Oh bliss!”

 

Attached to Bhikkhu or homo monasticus

The occasion was this. The Blessed One was staying at Anupiyā—there is a town of the Mallians’ called Anupiyā—and by that time many well-known Sakyan princes had gone forth under the Blessed One. But there were two brothers, Mahānāma the Sakyan and Anuruddha the Sakyan. Anuruddha had been delicately brought up. He had three palaces, one for the summer, one for the rains and one for the winter. For four months he would be entertained in the rains palace by minstrels with no men among them and never come down to the lower palace.

It occured to Mahānāma: “Now many well-known Sakyan princes have gone forth under the Blessed One. But no one in our family has gone forth from the house life into homelessness. Suppose I went forth, or Anuruddha?”

Then he went to Anuruddha and told him what had occurred to him. Anuruddha said: “But I have been delicately brought up. I cannot go forth from the home life into homelessness. You go forth.”

“Come then, Anuruddha, I shall instruct you in the household life. Now first a field must be ploughed, then it must be sown, then water must be led into it, then the water must be drained, then the field must be weeded, then the crop must be cut, then it must be gathered in, then it must be stacked, then it must be threshed, then the straw must be removed, then the chaff must be winnowed off, then it must be sifted, then it must be stored away. Now when that is done, it must all be done again next year, and the year after. The work never finishes; there is no end to the work.”

“Then when will there be an end to the work? When shall we have the leisure to gratify the five strands of the sensual desires we are provided and furnished with?”

“My dear Anuruddha, the work never finishes; there is no end to the work. Our father and our grandfather both died while their work was still unfinished. So now it is for you to learn about this household life. I shall go forth from the home life into homelessness.”

Anuruddha went to his mother and told her: “Mother, I want to go forth from the home life into homelessness. Please give me your permission.”

When this was said, she told him: “You two sons of mine are dear and precious to me, not repugnant. In case of your death we should lose you against our will; but why should I give you my permission to go forth from the house life into homelessness while you are still living?” He asked a second and a third time. Then his mother said: “My dear Anuruddha, if Bhaddiya the royal Sakyan who is governing the Sakyans goes forth, you may do so too.” 5

Now Bhaddiya the royal Sakyan who was governing the Sakyans at the time was a friend of Anuruddha’s and his mother had thought: “This Bhaddiya is a friend of Anuruddha’s. He is not anxious to go forth from the home life,” which is why she had spoken as she did.

Then Anuruddha went to Bhaddiya and said: “My going forth depends on yours.”

“If your going forth depends on mine, then let it no longer be so. You and I will … well, you go forth when you like.”

“Come, let us both go forth together from the house life into homelessness.”

“I cannot. I will do anything else for you that I can. You go forth.”

“My mother has said: ‘My dear Anuruddha, if Bhaddiya the royal Sakyan who is governing the Sakyans goes forth, you may go forth too.’ And your words were these: ‘If your going forth depends on mine, then let it no longer be so. You and I will … well, you go forth when you like.’ Come, let us both go forth from the home life into homelessness.”

At that time people used to speak the truth, used to keep their word. Bhaddiya told Anuruddha: “Wait seven years. At the end of seven years both of us shall go forth.”

“Seven years is too long. I cannot wait seven years.”

“Wait six years. At the end of six years both of us shall go forth.”

“Six years is too long. I cannot wait six years.”

“Wait five years … four … three … two years … one year … seven months … two months … one month …. Wait half a month. At the end of half a month both of us shall go forth.”

“Half a month is too long. I cannot wait half a month.”

“Wait seven days. At the end of seven days both of us shall go forth. And so I can hand over the kingdom to my children and my brothers.”

“Seven days is not too long. I shall wait.”

Then Bhaddiya the royal Sakyan and Anuruddha and Ānanda and Bhagu and Kimbila and Devadatta, with Upāli the barber as seventh, set out leading a four-constituent army as though to the parade ground in the pleasure park as they were used to do. When they had gone some distance, they dismissed the army. Then they went across the border to another realm where they took off their insignia. They rolled them in an upper robe, and they told Upāli the barber: “Upāli, you had better go back. There is enough here for you to live on.”

Now on his way Upāli thought: “These Sakyans are fierce. With this they might even have me put to death as an abettor in the princes’ going forth. So these Sakyan princes are now going forth; but how about me?” He opened the bundle and hung the things on a tree, saying: “Let him who sees these take them as given.” Then   he went back to the Sakyan princes. They saw him coming, and they asked him: “Why have you returned?”

He told them what had happened, and he added: “And so I have come back again.”

“You did well not to go home, Upāli; for the Sakyans are fierce. With this they might even have had you put to death as an abettor in the Sakyan princes’ going forth.”

Then the Sakyan princes went with Upāli the barber to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, they sat down at one side. When they had done so, they said to the Blessed One: “Lord, we are proud Sakyans. This Upāli the barber has long attended on us. Let the Blessed One give him the going forth first so that we can pay homage to him and rise up for him and give him reverential salutation and honour. Thus the Sakyan pride will be humbled in us Sakyans.” Then the Blessed One gave the going forth first to Upāli the barber and afterwards to the Sakyan princes.

It was in the course of that rainy season that the venerable Bhaddiya realized the three true knowledges. The venerable Anuruddha aroused the divine eye. The venerable Ānanda realized the fruition of stream-entry. Devadatta produced the ordinary man’s supernormal powers.

At this time whenever the venerable Bhaddiya went into the forest or to the root of a tree or to a room that was void, he was constantly exclaiming: “Oh bliss! Oh bliss!”

A number of bhikkhus went to the Blessed One and told him about it, adding: “There seems no doubt, Lord, that the venerable Bhaddiya is leading the holy life dissatisfied. Or he is remembering his former position as ruler.”

Then the Blessed One sent for him and asked him if it was true.

“It is so, Lord.”

“But, Bhaddiya, what good do you see in doing this?” “Formerly, Lord, when I had royal status there was a well-posted guard both inside and outside the palace, and also both inside and outside the city, and also both inside and outside the district. Even though I was so guarded and protected, I was fearful, anxious, suspicious and worried. But now, Lord, when I am gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to a room that is void, I am not fearful or anxious or suspicious or worried. I live at ease, in quiet,   dependent on others’ gifts, with a mind like a wild deer. This is the good that I see in doing this.”

Knowing the meaning of this, the Blessed One then uttered this exclamation:

Who has no longer conflict lurking in him

Will have surmounted all the kinds of being;

For he is fearless, blissful, free from sorrow.

No deity can vie with him in glory.

Vin. Cv. 7:1; cf. Ud. 2:10

FIRST VOICE. Now the venerable Nanda, the Blessed One’s half-brother, put on pressed and ironed robes, and he anointed his eyes and took a glazed bowl. Then he went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side. When he had done so, the Blessed One told him: “Nanda, it is not proper that you, a clansman who has gone forth out of faith from the house life into homelessness, should put on pressed and ironed robes, anoint your eyes and take a glazed bowl. What is proper for you, a clansman who has gone forth out of faith from the house life into homelessness, is to be a forest dweller, an eater only of almsfood got by begging, a wearer of refuse-rag robes, and to dwell without regard for sensual desires.”

S. 2I:8