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Mv VI 25
PTS: Mv VI 37 | CS: vin.mv.06.25
Vuḍḍhapabbajitavatthu
'Line by Line'
The Story of (the Monk) Gone Forth Late in Life
by
Ven. Khematto Bhikkhu
Alternate translations/layout: 'read-friendly' layout

184. vuḍḍhapabbajitavatthu (Mv.VI.37.1)
The Story of (the Monk) Gone Forth Late in Life [BMC]

[89] athakho bhagavā kusinārāyaṁ yathābhirantaṁ viharitvā yena ātumā tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ aḍḍhaterasehi bhikkhusatehi.

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

tena kho pana samayena aññataro nahāpitapubbo vuḍḍhapabbajito ātumāyaṁ paṭivasati.

Now at that time there was a certain former barber who had gone forth late in life living in dependence on Ātumā.

tassa dve dārakā honti mañjukā paṭibhāṇeyyakā dakkhā pariyodātasippā sake ācariyake nahāpitakamme.

He had two boys, sweet-voiced, eloquent, skilled, perfectly trained in their own teacher’s work of barbering.

(Mv.VI.37.2) assosi kho so vuḍḍhapabbajito bhagavā kira ātumaṁ āgacchati mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ aḍḍhaterasehi bhikkhusatehīti.

The (monk) who had gone forth late in life heard that, “The Blessed One, they say, is coming to Ātumā along with a large Saṅgha of monks — 1,250 monks.”

athakho so vuḍḍhapabbajito te dārake etadavoca bhagavā kira tātā ātumaṁ āgacchati mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ aḍḍhaterasehi bhikkhusatehi

So he said to the boys, “My dears, they say the Blessed One is coming to Ātumā along with a large Saṅgha of monks — 1,250 monks.

gacchatha tumhe tātā khurabhaṇḍaṁ ādāya nāḷiyāvāpakena anugharakaṁ anugharakaṁ āhiṇḍatha loṇaṁpi telaṁpi taṇḍulaṁpi khādanīyaṁpi saṁharatha bhagavato āgatassa yāgupānaṁ karissāmāti.

“Go, my dears. Taking barber equipment, wander among the houses with tubes [bamboo? for carrying salt or grains] and bags, and collect salt, oil, husked rice, and non-staple foods[1]. We will make drinking-conjey for the Blessed One when he comes.”

(Mv.VI.37.3) evaṁ tātāti kho te dārakā tassa vuḍḍhapabbajitassa paṭissuṇitvā khurabhaṇḍaṁ ādāya nāḷiyāvāpakena anugharakaṁ anugharakaṁ āhiṇḍanti loṇaṁpi telaṁpi taṇḍulaṁpi khādanīyaṁpi saṁharantā.

Responding, “As you say, dad,” to the (monk) who had gone forth late in life, taking barber equipment, they wandered among the houses with tubes and bags, searching for salt, oil, husked rice, and non-staple foods.

manussā te dārake mañjuke paṭibhāṇeyyake passitvā yepi na kārāpetukāmā tepi kārāpenti kārāpetvāpi bahuṁ denti.

On seeing the sweet-voiced, eloquent boys, even those who didn’t want it done [i.e., a hair-cut], had them do it, and after having them do it, gave them a lot.

athakho te dārakā bahuṁ loṇaṁpi telaṁpi taṇḍulaṁpi khādanīyaṁpi saṁhariṁsu.

So the boys collected a lot of salt, oil, husked rice, and non-staple foods.

(Mv.VI.37.3) athakho bhagavā anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno yena ātumā tadavasari.

Then the Blessed One wandering by stages, arrived at Ātumā.

tatra sudaṁ bhagavā ātumāyaṁ viharati bhūsāgāre.

There at Ātumā, he stayed at the granary.

athakho so vuḍḍhapabbajito tassā rattiyā accayena pahūtaṁ yāguṁ paṭiyādāpetvā bhagavato upanāmesi paṭiggaṇhātu me bhante bhagavā yāgunti.

Then, as the night was ending, the (monk) who had gone forth late in life, having prepared a great deal of conjey, presented it to the Blessed One, (saying,) “Lord, may the Blessed One accept my conjey.”

jānantāpi tathāgatā pucchanti jānantāpi na pucchanti

Knowing, Tathāgatas ask. Knowing, they don’t ask.

kālaṁ viditvā pucchanti kālaṁ viditvā na pucchanti

Considering the time, they ask. Considering the time, they don’t ask.

atthasañhitaṁ tathāgatā pucchanti no anatthasañhitaṁ anatthasañhite setughāto tathāgatānaṁ.

Tathāgatas ask in a way that is connected to the goal /welfare, not in a way unconnected to the goal/welfare. Tathāgatas have cut off the bridge in reference to things that are unconnected to the goal/welfare.

dvīhākārehi buddhā bhagavanto bhikkhū paṭipucchanti dhammaṁ vā desessāma sāvakānaṁ vā sikkhāpadaṁ paññāpessāmāti.

Buddhas, Blessed Ones, cross-question monks for two reasons: (thinking,) “I will teach the Dhamma,” or (thinking,) “I will lay down a training rule.”

athakho bhagavā taṁ vuḍḍhapabbajitaṁ etadavoca kutāyaṁ bhikkhu yāgūti.

Then the Blessed One said to the (monk) who had gone forth late in life, “Where is the conjey from, monk?”

athakho so vuḍḍhapabbajito bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesi.

So the (monk) who had gone forth late in life reported the matter to the Blessed One.

(Mv.VI.37.5) vigarahi buddho bhagavā ananucchavikaṁ moghapurisa ananulomikaṁ appaṭirūpaṁ assāmaṇakaṁ akappiyaṁ akaraṇīyaṁ

The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked him, “Worthless man, it is unseemly, unbecoming, unsuitable, unworthy of a contemplative, improper, and not to be done.

kathaṁ hi nāma tvaṁ moghapurisa pabbajito akappiye samādapessati netaṁ moghapurisa appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya .pe.

“How can you, worthless man, having gone forth, get others to undertake what is not proper? Worthless man, this neither inspires faith in the faithless ...”

vigarahitvā dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi

Having rebuked him and given a Dhamma talk, he addressed the monks:

na bhikkhave pabbajitena akappiye samādapetabbaṁ yo samādapeyya āpatti dukkaṭassa

“Monks, one who has gone forth should not get others to undertake what is not proper. Whoever should do so: an offense of wrong doing.

na ca bhikkhave nahāpitapubbena khurabhaṇḍaṁ pariharitabbaṁ yo parihareyya āpatti dukkaṭassāti.

“And one who was formerly a barber should not keep barber equipment. Whoever should keep it: an offense of wrong doing.”

(Mv.VI.38.1) [90] athakho bhagavā ātumāyaṁ yathābhirantaṁ viharitvā yena sāvatthī tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi.

Then the Blessed One, having stayed at Ātumā as long as he liked, set out on a wandering tour toward Sāvatthī.

athakho bhagavā anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno yena sāvatthī tadavasari.

Then, traveling by stages, he arrived at Sāvatthī.

tatra sudaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

There at Sāvatthī, the Blessed One stayed in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.

tena kho pana samayena sāvatthiyaṁ bahuṁ phalakhādanīyaṁ ussannaṁ hoti.

Now at that time, in Sāvatthī, there was a great excess of non-staple fruit, but no one to make it allowable.

athakho bhikkhūnaṁ etadahosi kinnu kho bhagavatā phalakhādanīyaṁ anuññātaṁ kiṁ ananuññātanti.

Then the thought occurred to the monks, “Which non-staple fruits have been allowed by the Blessed One, and which haven’t been allowed?”

bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.

They reported the matter to the Blessed One.

anujānāmi bhikkhave sabbaṁ phalakhādanīyanti.

“Monks, I allow all fruit that is non-staple.”

(Mv.VI.39.1) [91] tena kho pana samayena saṅghikāni bījāni puggalikāya bhūmiyā ropiyanti puggalikāni bījāni saṅghikāya bhūmiyā ropiyanti.

Now at that time, seed belonging to the Saṅgha was planted in the land belonging to an individual, and seed belonging to an individual was planted in the land belonging to the Saṅgha.

bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.

They reported the matter to the Blessed One.

saṅghikāni bhikkhave bījāni puggalikāya bhūmiyā ropitāni bhāgaṁ datvā paribhuñjitabbāni puggalikāni bījāni saṅghikāya bhūmiyā ropitāni bhāgaṁ datvā paribhuñjitabbānīti.

“When seed belonging to the Saṅgha has been planted in the land belonging to an individual, it may be consumed after having given (the individual) a portion. When seed belonging to an individual has been planted in the land belonging to the Saṅgha, it may be consumed after having given (the individual) a portion.”

Notes

1.
According to the Sub-commentary, he means for them to cut people’s hair so that they will offer these ingredients.
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