SN41:4 Mahaka's Miracle
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1On one occasion a number of elder bhikkhus were dwelling at Macchikasaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove. sn.iv.289 Then Citta the householder approached those elder bhikkhus, paid homage to them, sat down to one side, and said to them: "Venerable sirs, let the elders consent to accept tomorrow's meal from me in my cowshed."
The elder bhikkhus consented by silence. Then Citta the householder, having understood that the elders had consented, rose from his seat, paid homage to them, and departed, keeping them on his right.
When the night had passed, in the morning the elder bhikkhus dressed, took their bowls and outer robes, and went to the cowshed of Citta the householder. There they sat down on the appointed seats.
2Then Citta the householder, with his own hand, served and satisfied the elder bhikkhus with delicious milk-rice made with ghee. When the elder bhikkhus had finished eating and had put away their bowls, they rose from their seats and departed.
Then Citta the householder, having said, "Give away the remainder," followed close behind the elder bhikkhus. Now on that occasion the heat was sweltering, [n.294] In Se and Ee the reading is kuṭṭhitaṁ, glossed kuthitaṁ by Spk (Se); Be has kuthitaṁ, glossed kudhitaṁ. SS have kikitaṁ or kikiṭaṁ, preferred by Woodward. Spk, calling this a term of unique occurrence in the Word of the Buddha preserved in the Tipiṭaka (tepiṭike buddhavacane asambhinnapadam), glosses it as "extremely sharp" (atitikhiṇaṁ), because of the hot sand underfoot and the hot sun above. and the elders went along as if their bodies were melting because of the food they had eaten.
3Now on that occasion the Venerable Mahaka was the most junior bhikkhu in that Saṅgha. Then the Venerable Mahaka said to the venerable chief elder: "It would be good, venerable elder, if a cool wind would blow, and a canopy of clouds would form, and the sky would drizzle."
4"That would be good, friend."
Then the Venerable Mahaka performed such a feat of spiritual power sn.iv.290 that a cool wind blew, and a canopy of clouds formed, and the sky drizzled.
Then it occurred to Citta the householder: "Such is the spiritual power and might possessed by the most junior bhikkhu in this Saṅgha!"
Then, when the Venerable Mahaka arrived at the monastery, he said to the venerable chief elder: "Is this much enough, Venerable Elder?"
"That's enough, friend Mahaka. What's been done is sufficient, friend Mahaka, what's been offered is sufficient."
Then the elder bhikkhus went to their dwellings and the Venerable Mahaka went to his own dwelling.
5Then Citta the householder approached the Venerable Mahaka, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: "It would be good, venerable sir, if Master Mahaka would show me a superhuman miracle of spiritual power."
"Then, householder, spread your cloak upon the verandah and scatter a bundle of grass upon it."
"Yes, venerable sir," Citta the householder replied, and he spread his cloak upon the verandah and scattered a bundle of grass upon it.
Then, when he had entered his dwelling and shut the bolt, the Venerable Mahaka performed a feat of spiritual power such that a flame shot through the keyhole and the chink of the door and burnt the grass but not the cloak. [n.295] The passage is quoted at Vism 393–94 (Ppn 12:85). Citta the householder shook out his cloak and stood to one side, shocked and terrified.
Then the Venerable Mahaka came out of his dwelling and said to Citta the householder: "Is this much enough, householder?" sn.iv.291
6"That's enough, Venerable Mahaka. What's been done is sufficient, Venerable Mahaka, what's been offered is sufficient. Let Master Mahaka delight in the delightful Wild Mango Grove at Macchikasaṇḍa. I will be zealous in providing Master Mahaka with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites."
"That is kindly said, householder."
Then the Venerable Mahaka set his lodging in order and, taking bowl and robe, he left Macchikasaṇḍa. When he left Macchikasaṇḍa, he left for good and he never returned.
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā therā bhikkhū macchikāsaṇḍe vihāranti ambāṭakavane. Atha kho citto gahapati yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati there bhikkhū etadavoca: "adhivāsentu me, bhante therā, svātanāya gokule bhattan"ti.
Adhivāsesuṁ kho therā bhikkhū tuṇhībhāvena. Atha kho citto gahapati therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.
Atha kho therā bhikkhū tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena cittassa gahapatino gokulaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdiṁsu.
2Atha kho citto gahapati there bhikkhū paṇītena sappipāyāsena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi. Atha kho therā bhikkhū bhuttāvino onītapattapāṇino uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu.
Cittopi kho gahapati "sesakaṁ vissajjethā"ti vatvā there bhikkhū piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandhi. Tena kho pana samayena uṇhaṁ hoti kuthitaṁ; te ca therā bhikkhū paveliyamānena maññe kāyena gacchanti, yathā taṁ bhojanaṁ bhuttāvino.
3Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahako tasmiṁ bhikkhusaṅghe sabbanavako hoti. Atha kho āyasmā mahako āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: "sādhu khvassa, bhante thera, sītako ca vāto vāyeyya, abbhasampilāpo ca assa, devo ca ekamekaṁ phusāyeyyā"ti.
4"Sādhu khvassa, āvuso mahaka, yaṁ sītako ca vāto vāyeyya, abbhasampilāpo ca assa, devo ca ekamekaṁ phusāyeyyā"ti.
Atha kho āyasmā mahako tathārūpaṁ iddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkhari yathā sītako ca vāto vāyi, abbhasampilāpo ca assa, devo ca ekamekaṁ phusi.
Atha kho cittassa gahapatino etadahosi: "yo kho imasmiṁ bhikkhusaṅghe sabbanavako bhikkhu tassāyaṁ evarūpo iddhānubhāvo"ti.
Atha kho āyasmā mahako ārāmaṁ sampāpuṇitvā āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: "alamettāvatā, bhante therā"ti?
"Alamettāvatā, āvuso mahaka. Katamettāvatā, āvuso mahaka. Pūjitamettāvatā, āvuso mahakā"ti.
Atha kho therā bhikkhū yathāvihāraṁ agamaṁsu. Āyasmāpi mahako sakaṁ vihāraṁ agamāsi.
5Atha kho citto gahapati yenāyasmā mahako tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahakaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ mahakaṁ etadavoca: "sādhu me, bhante, ayyo mahako uttari manussadhammaṁ iddhipāṭihāriyaṁ dassetū"ti.
"Tena hi tvaṁ, gahapati, ālinde uttarāsaṅgaṁ paññapetvā tiṇakalāpaṁ okāsehī"ti.
"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho citto gahapati āyasmato mahakassa paṭissutvā ālinde uttarāsaṅgaṁ paññapetvā tiṇakalāpaṁ okāsesi.
Atha kho āyasmā mahako vihāraṁ pavisitvā sūcighaṭikaṁ datvā tathārūpaṁ iddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkhari yathā tālacchiggaḷena ca aggaḷantarikāya ca acci nikkhamitvā tiṇāni jhāpesi, uttarāsaṅgaṁ na jhāpesi. Atha kho citto gahapati uttarāsaṅgaṁ papphoṭetvā saṁviggo lomahaṭṭhajāto ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.
Atha kho āyasmā mahako vihārā nikkhamitvā cittaṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca: "alamettāvatā, gahapatī"ti?
6"Alamettāvatā, bhante mahaka. Katamettāvatā, bhante, mahaka. Pūjitamettāvatā, bhante mahaka. Abhiramatu, bhante, ayyo mahako macchikāsaṇḍe. Ramaṇīyaṁ ambāṭakavanaṁ. Ahaṁ ayyassa mahakassa ussukkaṁ karissāmi cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānan"ti.
"Kalyāṇaṁ vuccati, gahapatī"ti.
Atha kho āyasmā mahako senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya macchikāsaṇḍamhā pakkāmi. Yaṁ macchikāsaṇḍamhā pakkāmi, tathā pakkantova ahosi; na puna paccāgacchīti.
Catutthaṁ.