Five Hundred Bhikkhus-Buddhism

Verse 83: Indeed, the virtuous give up all (i.e., attachment to the five khandhas, etc.); the virtuous (lit., the tranquil) do not talk with sensual desire; when faced with joy or sorrow, the wise do not show elation or depression.

The Story of Five Hundred Bhikkhus

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (83) of this book, with reference to five hundred bhikkhus.

At the request of a brahmin from Veranja, the Buddha was, on one occasion, staying at Veranja with five hundred bhikkhus. While they were at Veranja, the brahmin failed to look after them. The people of Varanja, who were then facing a famine, could offer very little to the bhikkhus when they went on their rounds for alms-food. In spite of all these hardships, the bhikkhus were not disheartened; they were quite contented with the small amount of shrivelled grain which the horse-traders offered them daily. At the end of the vasa, after informing the brahmin from Veranja, the Buddha returned to the Jetavana monastery, accompanied by the five hundred bhikkhus. The people of Savatthi welcomed them back with choice food of all kinds.

A group of people living with the bhikkhus, eating whatever was left over by the bhikkhus, ate greedily like true gluttons and went to sleep after their meals. On waking up, they were shouting, singing and dancing, thus making themselves a thorough nuisance. When the Buddha came in the evening to the congregation of bhikkhus, they reported to him about the behaviour of those unruly persons, and said, “These people living on the leftovers were quite decent and well-behaved when all of us were facing hardship and famine in Veranja. Now that they have enough good food they are going about shouting, singing and dancing, and thus make themselves a thorough nuisance. The bhikkhus, however, behave themselves here just as they were in Veranja”.

To them the Buddha replied, “It is in the nature of the foolish to be full of sorrow and feel depressed when things go wrong, and to be full of gladness and feel elated when things go well. The wise, however, can withstand the ups and downs of life.”

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Dhammapada Verse 83
Pancasatabhikkhu Vatthu

Sabbattha ye sappurisa cajanti
na kamakama lapayanti santo
sukhena phuttha atha va dukhena
na uccavacam pandita dassayanti.

Source: Tipitaka

(Realising that this body is (fragile) like an earthen pot and establishing this mind firm like a fortress, let him fight Mara with the weapon of knowledge, keep up his conquest and be free from attachment.)

The Master while residing at Savatthi gave this religious discourse beginning with “Kumbhupamam” in connection with the Bhikkhus who were exerting for the attainment of spritual insight.

It is said that, at Savatthi, five hundred Bhikkhus having obtained from the Master a subject of meditation (leading) to Arahatship and with the idea of carrying out the practices of a Bhikkhu, travelled a distance of about a hundred leagues and went to a large village. People saw them and arranged and offered seats and having served them with delicious rice gruel and other eatables, they enquired of them as to where they were going. When told that they were going to a suitable place, they requested them saying, “Venerable Sirs, may you reside even here during these three months. We too will take recourse to the Three Refuges and will observe the precepts under your guidance.” When they knew of their acceptance, they said: “Venerable Sirs, not far from here there is a big forest-grove. May you please reside there.” They conducted them to that place and there the Bhikkhus took up their residence.

The gods who were inhabiting in that grove thought thus: “The virtuous Bhikkhus have come to this grove, and they are residing here, it is improper for us to live with our families on the trees”, and coming down (from the trees), sat on the ground with the thought that the Venerable ones would be stopping there only for one night and they would surely go away the next day. However on the following day the Bhikkhus entered the village for alms-food and returned to the same grove. The gods thought to themselves: “The Bhikkhus might have been invited by some one for the following day, so they have come back again. To-day they are not moving out, but it seems they will be going away tomorrow.” In this way they remained on the ground for a fortnight. They then discussed among themselves thus: “It appears that the Venerable ones will reside at this very place for these three months and while they are living here it will not be proper for us to live on the trees with our families. To live for there months with the family on the ground is difficult. Something should be done to make these Bhikkhus run away from here. The gods then started showing the bodiless heads and headless trunks, and also make them hear ghostly sounds at various places wherever the Bhikkhus used to spend the day or the night and also at the corners of the cloister walk. It so happened that the Bhikkhus suffered from ailments like sneezing, coughing and so on. On enquiring from each other as to the ailment they were suffering from the Bhikkhus came to know that some one was suffering from sneezing, some one from coughing and so on. Further, they learnt that some one had seen a bodiless head at the end of the cloister walk and some other had seen a headless trunk at the place where he spent the night, while others again had heard ghostly sounds at the places where they were spending the day. They decided that that place should be abandoned because it was ill-suited to their convenience and to go to the Master. Accordingly they left the place, went to the Master, paid obeisance, and took their seats on one side. The Master asked them, “Bhikkus, is it not possible for you to live in that place?” “No, Lord, people living there used to witness such dreadful visions and experienced such inconveniences. Therefore we have decided that that place should be abandoned and accordingly we have left that place and come to you?’ “Bhikkhus, you ought to go back to the same place”. “It is impossible, Lord.” “Bhikkhus, previously you had gone there without any weapons. Now you take them and go.” “What may be the weapons, Lord?” The Master, saying “I shall give you the weapons, take them and go”, taught them the entire Metta Sutta (Sermon on Loving Kindness) beginning with. Continue reading →