1. The Story of Thera Tissa

    Comment December 22, 2020

    Verse 126: Some are reborn as human beings, the wicked are reborn in a place of continuous torment (niraya). The righteous go to the deva world, and those who are free from moral intoxicants (viz., the arahats) realize Nibbana.

    1. Gabbhameke uppajjanti: lit., some enter the womb; in this context, “some are reborn as human beings.”

    2. anasava: free from moral intoxicants or passions. (Avas) i.e., they have become khinasava or anasava or arahatassa.

    The Story of Thera Tissa

    While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (126) of this book, with reference to Thera Tissa.

    Once, there was a gem polisher and his wife in Savatthi; there was also a thera, who was an arahat. Every day, the couple offered alms-food to the thera. One day, while the gem polisher was handling meat, a messenger of King Pasenadi of Kosala arrived with a ruby, which was to be cut and polished and sent back to the king. The gem polisher took the ruby with his hand which was covered with blood, put it on a table and went into the house to wash his hands. The pet crane of the family seeing the blood stained ruby and taking it for a piece of meat picked it up and swallowed it in the presence of the thera. When the gem polisher returned, he found that the ruby was missing. He asked his wife and his son and they answered that they had not taken it. Then, he asked the thera and the thera said that he did not take it; but he was not satisfied. As there was no one else in the house, the gem polisher concluded that it must be the thera who had taken the precious ruby: so he told his wife that he must torture the thera to get admission of theft. Continue reading →

  2. The Story of a Samanera from Kosambi

    Comment July 13, 2019

    Verse 96: An arahat is calm in his mind, calm in his speech, and also in his deed; truly knowing the Dhamma, such an arahat is free from moral defilements and is unpurturbed by the ups and downs of life.

    The Story of a Samanera from Kosambi

    While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (96) of this book, with reference to a samanera, a pupil of Thera Tissa from Kosambi.

    Once, a seven year old boy was made a samanera at the request of his father. Before his head was shaved the boy was given a subject of meditation. While he was being shaved, the boy had his mind fixed steadfastly on the object of meditation; as a result, he attained arahatship as soon as they finished shaving his head.

    After some time, Thera Tissa, accompanied by the samanera, set out for Savatthi to pay homage to the Buddha. On the way, they spent one night in a village monastery. The thera fell asleep, but the young samanera sat up the whole night beside the bed of the old thera. Early in the morning, the old thera thought it was time to wake up the young samanera. So he roused up the samanera with a palm-leaf fan, and accidentally hit the eye of the samanera with the handle of the fan and damaged the eye. The samanera covered that eye with one hand and went about doing his duties of getting water for the thera to wash his face and clean his mouth, sweeping the floor of the monastery, etc. When the young samanera offered water with one hand to the thera, the thera chided him, and said that he should offer things with both hands. Only then, did the thera learn how the samanera lost his eye. At that instant, he realized that he had wronged a truly noble person. Feeling very sorry and humiliated, he made an apology to the samanera. But the samanera said that it was not the fault of the thera, nor his own fault, but that it was only the result of kamma, and so the thera was not to feel sad about it. But the thera could not get over the unfortunate incident.

    Then they continued their journey to Savatthi and arrived at the Jetavana monastery where the Buddha was in residence. The thera then told the Buddha that the young samanera who came along with him was the most noble person he had ever met, and related all that had happened on their way. The Buddha listened to him, and replied, “My son, an arahat does not get angry with anyone he is restrained in his senses and is perfectly calm and serene.”

    Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
    Verse 96: An arahat is calm in his mind, calm in his speech, and also in his deed; truly knowing the Dhamma, such an arahat is free from moral defilements and is unpurturbed by the ups and downs of life.

    Dhammapada Verse 96
    Kosambivasitissattherasamanera Vatthu

    Santam tassa manam hoti
    santa vaca ca kamma ca
    sammadanna vimuttassa
    upasantassa tadino.

    Source: Tipitaka

  3. The Story of Thera Tissa

    Comment September 12, 2015

    Meditation class - Ariyamagga

    While residing at the Jetavana monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha uttered Verses (3) and (4) of this book, with reference to Thera Tissa.

    Tissa, son of the Buddha’s maternal aunt, was at one time staying with the Buddha. He had become a bhikkhu only in his old age, but he posed as a senior bhikkhu and was very pleased when visiting bhikkhus asked his permission to do some service for him. On the other hand, he failed to perform the duties expected of junior bhikkhus; besides, he often quarrelled with the younger bhikkhus. Should anyone rebuke him on account of his behaviour he would go complaining to the Buddha, weeping, very much dissatisfied and very upset. The others also followed him to the presence of the Buddha. The Buddha told them not to harbour thoughts of enmity, for enmity could only be appeased by not harbouring enmity.

    Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

    Verse 3: “He abused me, he ill-treated me, he got the better of me, he stole my belongings;”… the enmity of those harbouring such thoughts cannot be appeased.

    Verse 4: “He abused me, he ill-treated me, he got the better of me, he stole my belongings;”… the enmity of those not harbouring such thoughts can be appeased.

    At the end of the discourse, one hundred thousand bhikkhus attained Sotapatti Fruition.

    Dhammapada Verses 3 and 4
    Tissatthera Vatthu

    Akkocchi mam avadhi mam
    ajini mam ahasi me
    ye ca tam upanayhanti
    veram tesam na sammati.

    Akkocchi mam avadhi mam
    ajini mam ahasi me
    ye ca tam nupanayhanti
    veram tesupasammati.

    Source: Tipitaka

     

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