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Mv VI 24
PTS: Mv VI 36 | CS: vin.mv.06.24
Rojamallavatthu
'Line by Line'
The Story of Roja the Mallan
by
Ven. Khematto Bhikkhu
Alternate translations/layout: 'read-friendly' layout

183. rojamallavatthu (Mv.VI.36.1)
The Story of Roja the Mallan

[88] athakho bhagavā āpaṇe yathābhirantaṁ viharitvā yena kusinārā tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ aḍḍhaterasehi bhikkhusatehi.

Then the Blessed One, having stayed at Āpaṇa as long as he liked, set out on a wandering tour toward Kusinārā, along with a large Saṅgha of monks — 1,250 monks.

assosuṁ kho kosinārakā mallā bhagavā kira kusināraṁ āgacchati mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ aḍḍhaterasehi bhikkhusatehīti.

The Kusinārā Mallans heard that, “The Blessed One, they say, is coming, along with a large Saṅgha of monks — 1,250 monks.”

te saṅgaraṁ akaṁsu yo bhagavato paccuggamanaṁ na karissati pañca satāni daṇḍoti.

They made an agreement: “Anyone who doesn’t go out to meet the Blessed One gets fined 500[1].”

tena kho pana samayena rojo mallo āyasmato ānandassa sahāyo hoti.

Now at that time Roja the Mallan was a friend of Ven. Ānanda.

athakho bhagavā anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno yena kusinārā tadavasari.

Then the Blessed One, traveling by stages, arrived at Kusinārā.

(Mv.VI.36.2) kosinārakā mallā bhagavato paccuggamanaṁ akaṁsu.

The Kusinārā Mallans went out to meet the Blessed One.

athakho rojo mallo bhagavato paccuggamanaṁ karitvā yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.

Roja the Mallan, having gone out to meet the Blessed One, went to Ven. Ānanda and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, stood to one side.

ekamantaṁ ṭhitaṁ kho rojaṁ mallaṁ āyasmā ānando etadavoca uḷāraṁ kho te idaṁ āvuso roja yaṁ tvaṁ bhagavato paccuggamanaṁ akāsīti.

As he was standing there, Ven. Ānanda said to him, “It’s excellent, friend Roja, that you came out to meet the Blessed One.”

nāhaṁ bhante ānanda bahukato buddhena vā dhammena vā saṅghena vā apica ñātīhi saṅgaro kato yo bhagavato paccuggamanaṁ na karissati pañca satāni daṇḍoti so kho ahaṁ bhante ānanda ñātīnaṁ daṇḍabhayā evaṁ bhagavato paccuggamanaṁ akāsinti.

“Venerable sir, the Buddha, Dhamma, or Saṅgha don’t do much for me. But my relatives made this agreement: ‘Anyone who doesn’t go out to meet the Blessed One gets fined 500.’ Venerable Ānanda, it was just out of fear of getting fined by my relatives that I went out to meet the Blessed One.”

athakho āyasmā ānando anattamano ahosi kathaṁ hi nāma rojo mallo evaṁ vakkhatīti.

Then Ven. Ānanda was displeased, (thinking,) “How could Roja the Mallan say such a thing?”

(Mv.VI.36.3) athakho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Then Ven. Ānanda went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side.

ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca ayaṁ bhante rojo mallo abhiññāto ñātamanusso

As he was sitting there, Ven. Ānanda said to the Blessed One, “Roja the Mallan, here, is well-known, a famous person.

mahiddhiko kho pana evarūpānaṁ ñātamanussānaṁ imasmiṁ dhammavinaye pasādo

“Very influential is the confidence in this Dhamma & Vinaya of famous people such as this.

sādhu bhante bhagavā tathā karotu yathā rojo mallo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye pasīdeyyāti.

“It would be good, lord, if the Blessed One would do something so that Roja the Mallan would gain confidence in this Dhamma & Vinaya.”

na kho taṁ ānanda dukkaraṁ tathāgatena yathā rojo mallo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye pasīdeyyāti.

“It won’t be difficult, Ānanda, for the Tathāgata to do something so that Roja the Mallan would gain confidence in this Dhamma & Vinaya.”

(Mv.VI.36.4) athakho bhagavā rojaṁ mallaṁ mettena cittena pharītvā uṭṭhāyāsanā vihāraṁ pāvisi.

Then the Blessed One, having suffused Roja the Mallan with thoughts of goodwill, got up from his seat and went into his dwelling.

athakho rojo mallo bhagavato mettena cittena phuṭṭho seyyathāpi nāma gāvī taruṇavacchā [ME: gāviṁ taruṇavaccho] evameva vihārena vihāraṁ pariveṇena pariveṇaṁ upasaṅkamitvā bhikkhū pucchati kahaṁ nu kho bhante etarahi so bhagavā viharati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho dassanakāmā hi mayaṁ taṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhanti.

Then Roja the Mallan, suffused with the Blessed One’s thoughts of goodwill — like a young calf (looking for) its mother — in the same way went from dwelling to dwelling, courtyard to courtyard, asking the monks on arrival, “Where, venerable sirs, is the Blessed One, Worthy and Rightly Self-awakened, now staying? We would like to see the Blessed One, Worthy and Rightly Self-awakened.”

esāvuso roja vihāro saṁvutadvāro tena appasaddo upasaṅkamitvā ataramāno ālindaṁ pavisitvā ukkāsitvā aggaḷaṁ ākoṭehi vivarissati te bhagavā dvāranti.

“Friend Roja, it’s that dwelling, with the closed door. Having approached it quietly and unhurriedly, having entered the porch, having cleared you throat, knock on the door. The Blessed One will open the door for you.”

(Mv.VI.36.5) athakho rojo mallo yena so vihāro saṁvutadvāro tena appasaddo upasaṅkamitvā ataramāno ālindaṁ pavisitvā ukkāsitvā aggaḷaṁ ākoṭeti.

Then Roja the Mallan, having gone quietly and unhurriedly to the dwelling with the closed door, having entered the porch, having cleared his throat, knocked on the door.

vivari bhagavā dvāraṁ.

The Blessed One opened the door.

athakho rojo mallo vihāraṁ pavisitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

So Roja the Mallan, having entered the dwelling, bowed down to the Blessed One and sat to one side.

ekamantaṁ nisinnassa kho rojassa mallassa bhagavā anupubbīkathaṁ kathesi seyyathīdaṁ dānakathaṁ sīlakathaṁ saggakathaṁ kāmānaṁ ādīnavaṁ okāraṁ saṅkilesaṁ nekkhamme ānisaṁsaṁ pakāsesi.

As he was sitting there, the Blessed One gave him a graduated talk: talk on generosity, talk on virtue, talk on heaven, talk on the drawbacks, lowliness, and defilement of sensuality, and talk on the rewards of renunciation.

yadā bhagavā aññāsi rojaṁ mallaṁ kallacittaṁ muducittaṁ vinīvaraṇacittaṁ udaggacittaṁ pasannacittaṁ atha yā buddhānaṁ sāmukkaṁsikā dhammadesanā taṁ pakāsesi dukkhaṁ samudayaṁ nirodhaṁ maggaṁ.

When the Blessed One knew that Roja the Mallan’s mind was ready — malleable, free from hindrances, uplifted, and bright — he proclaimed the characteristic Dhamma talk of Buddhas: stress, origination, cessation, and path.

seyyathāpi nāma suddhaṁ vatthaṁ apagatakāḷakaṁ sammadeva rajanaṁ paṭiggaṇheyya evameva kho rojassa mallassa tasmiṁyevāsane virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi yaṅkiñci samudayadhammaṁ sabbantaṁ nirodhadhammanti.

Just as a clean piece of cloth, free from grime, would properly take dye, in the same way the dustless, stainless eye of Dhamma arose for him as he was sitting right there — “Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.”

athakho rojo mallo diṭṭhadhammo pattadhammo viditadhammo pariyogāḷhadhammo tiṇṇavicikiccho vigatakathaṁkatho vesārajjappatto aparappaccayo satthu sāsane bhagavantaṁ etadavoca

Then, having seen the Dhamma, having attained the Dhamma, having known the Dhamma, having fathomed the Dhamma, having crossed over and beyond uncertainty, having no more perplexity, having gained fearlessness, independence of others with regard to the Teacher’s message, he said to the Blessed One,

sādhu bhante ayyā mamaññeva paṭiggaṇheyyuṁ cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsana-gilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ no aññesanti.

“It would be good, lord, if the masters would accept only my robe-cloth, alms-food, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick, not anybody else’s[2].”

yesaṁ kho roja sekkhena ñāṇena sekkhena dassanena dhammo diṭṭho seyyathāpi tayā tesaṁpi evaṁ hoti aho nūna ayyā amhākaññeva paṭiggaṇheyyuṁ cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsana-gilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ no aññesanti

“Those for whom the Dhamma has been seen with the knowledge of one in training, the vision of one in training, such as yourself — the thought occurs to them, ‘Oh! It would be good, if the masters would accept only my robe-cloth, alms-food, lodgings, and medicinal requisites for the sick, not those of others.’

tenahi roja tava ceva paṭiggaṇhissanti aññesañcāti.

“In this case, Roja, they will accept yours and those of others.”

(Mv.VI.36.6) tena kho pana samayena kusinārāyaṁ paṇītānaṁ bhattānaṁ bhattapaṭipāṭi aṭṭhitā hoti.

Now at that time, in Kusinārā, a meal rotation of exquisite meals had been established.

athakho rojassa mallassa paṭipāṭiṁ alabhantassa etadahosi yannūnāhaṁ bhattaggaṁ olokeyyaṁ yaṁ bhattagge nāssa taṁ paṭiyādeyyanti.

Then, not getting his turn, the thought occurred to Roja the Mallan, “What if I were to keep watch in the meal hall (during the meal)? Whatever isn’t in the meal hall, I’ll prepare.”

athakho rojo mallo bhattaggaṁ olokento dve nāddasa ḍākañca piṭṭhakhādanīyañca.

So Roja the Mallan, keeping watch in the meal hall, didn’t see two things: vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour.

athakho rojo mallo yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca idha me bhante ānanda paṭipāṭiṁ alabhantassa etadahosi yannūnāhaṁ bhattaggaṁ olokeyyaṁ yaṁ bhattagge nāssa taṁ paṭiyādeyyanti

Then Roja the Mallan went to Ven. Ānanda and, on arrival, said to him, “Just now, venerable Ānanda, not getting my turn, the thought occurred to me, ‘What if I were to keep watch in the meal hall (during the meal)? Whatever isn’t in the meal hall, I’ll prepare.’

so kho ahaṁ bhante ānanda bhattaggaṁ olokento dve nāddasaṁ ḍākañca piṭṭhakhādanīyañca sacāhaṁ bhante ānanda paṭiyādeyyaṁ ḍākañca piṭṭhakhādanīyañca paṭiggaṇheyya me bhagavāti.

“As I was keeping watch in the meal hall, I didn’t see two things: vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour. If I were to prepare vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour, would the Blessed One accept them from me?”

(Mv.VI.36.7) tenahi roja bhagavantaṁ paṭipucchissāmīti.

“In that case, Roja, I will ask the Blessed One.”

athakho āyasmā ānando bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesi.

Then Ven. Ānanda reported the matter to the Blessed One.

tenahi ānanda paṭiyādetūti.

“In that case, Ānanda, let him prepare them.”

tenahi roja paṭiyādehīti.

[Ven. Ānanda to Roja:] “In that case, Roja, prepare them.”

athakho rojo mallo tassā rattiyā accayena pahūtaṁ ḍākañca piṭṭhakhādanīyañca paṭiyādāpetvā bhagavato upanāmesi paṭiggaṇhātu me bhante bhagavā ḍākañca piṭṭhakhādanīyañcāti.

Then, at the end of the night, Roja the Mallan, having prepared a great deal of vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour, presented them to the Blessed One, (saying,) “Lord, may the Blessed One accept my vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour.”

tenahi roja bhikkhūnaṁ dehīti.

“In that case, Roja, give them to the monks.”

bhikkhū kukkuccāyantā nappaṭiggaṇhanti.

Anxious, the monks didn’t accept them.

paṭiggaṇhatha bhikkhave paribhuñjathāti.

“Accept them, monks, and consume them.”

(Mv.VI.36.8) athakho rojo mallo buddhappamukhaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ pahūtehi ḍākehi ca piṭṭhakhādanīyehi ca sahatthā santappetvā sampavāretvā bhagavantaṁ dhotahatthaṁ onītapattapāṇiṁ ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Then Roja the Mallan, with his own hands, served and satisfied the Blessed One & the Saṅgha of monks with a great deal of vegetables and non-staple foods made with flour. When the Blessed One had washed his hand and withdrawn it from the bowl, he sat to one side.

ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rojaṁ mallaṁ bhagavā dhammiyā kathāya sandassetvā samādapetvā samuttejetvā sampahaṁsetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.

Then the Blessed One, having instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged Roja the Mallan with a Dhamma talk as he was sitting there, got up from his seat and left.

athakho bhagavā etasmiṁ nidāne etasmiṁ pakaraṇe dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi

Then the Blessed One, having given a Dhamma talk with regard to this cause, to this incident, addressed the monks:

anujānāmi bhikkhave sabbañca ḍākaṁ sabbañca piṭṭhakhādanīyanti.

“I allow all vegetables and all non-staple foods made with flour.”

Notes

1.
This parallels the origin story to NP 10.
2.
As this passage shows, stream-enterers can still have some pretty blatant defilements. The case of Mahāpajāpati Gotami — if the Commentary is right in asserting that she had reached stream-entry at the time she requested that the Buddha allow women to go forth — is another example. After he turned down her request the first time, she dressed in mendicant’s robes and followed the Buddha, crying. [BMC] Then after accepting the garudhammas and promising to follow them as long as life lasts, she asked the Buddha to rescind the first one. [BMC: 1 2]
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