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Mv X 05
PTS: Mv X 4.6 | CS: vin.mv.10.05
Pārileyyakagamanakathā
The Discussion of Going to Pārileyyaka
by
Ven. Khematto Bhikkhu
Alternate translations/layout: 'line by line' Pāḷi - English

(Mv.X.4.6) Then the Blessed One, having instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged Ven. Anuruddha, Ven. Nandiya, and Ven. Kimila with a Dhamma talk, got up from his seat and set out on a wandering tour toward Pārileyyaka, and, wandering by stages, arrived at Pārileyyaka. There he stayed in Pārileyyaka in the protected forest grove at the root of the auspicious Sal tree.

[249] Then, when the Blessed One was alone in seclusion, this train of thought arose in his awareness: “Before I was living unpleasantly, hemmed in by those Kosambī monks — quarrelsome, makers of strife, makers of disputes, makers of rumors, makers of issues in the Saṅgha. Now I’m alone, without a second. I live pleasantly and in ease, away from those Kosambī monks — quarrelsome, makers of strife, makers of disputes, makers of rumors, makers of issues in the Saṅgha.”

It so happened that a certain bull elephant was living hemmed in by elephants, cow-elephants, calf-elephants, & baby elephants. He fed off grass with cut-off tips. They chewed up his stash of broken-off branches. He drank disturbed water. And when he went down to his bathing-place, cow-elephants went along, banging up against his body. The thought occurred to him: “I now live hemmed in by elephants, cow-elephants, calf-elephants, & baby elephants. I feed off grass with cut-off tips. They chew up my stash of broken-off branches. I drink disturbed water. And when I go down to my bathing place, cow-elephants go along, banging up against my body. What if I were to live alone, apart from the crowd?”

(Mv.X.4.7) So the bull elephant, leaving the herd, went to Pārileyyaka, to the protected forest grove and the root of the auspicious sal tree. He went to the Blessed One and on arrival brought drinking water and washing water for the Blessed One with his trunk and kept the grass down. Then this train of thought arose in the awareness of the bull elephant, “Before, I lived unpleasantly — hemmed in by elephants, cow-elephants, calf-elephants, & baby elephants. I fed off grass with cut-off tips. They chewed up my stash of broken-off branches. I drank disturbed water. And when I went down to my bathing place, cow-elephants went along, banging up against my body. But now I’m alone, without a second. I live pleasantly — not hemmed in by elephants, cow-elephants, calf-elephants, & baby elephants.”

Then the Blessed One, realizing his own seclusion and knowing the train of thought in the bull elephant’s awareness, on that occasion exclaimed:

This harmonizes mind with mind — the great one’s with the great one’s — the elephant with tusks like chariot poles: that each finds joy, alone, in the forest.

(Mv.X.5.1) [250] Then the Blessed One, having stayed at Pārileyyaka as long as he liked, set out on a wandering tour toward Sāvatthī and, wandering by stages, arrived at Sāvatthī. There at Sāvatthī he stayed in Jeta’s grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

[251] Then the thought occurred to the lay-followers of Kosambī, “These masters, the Kosambī monks, have done us a lot of harm. Annoyed by them, the Blessed One left. Let’s not bow down to them, stand up to greet them, salute them with hands placed palm-to-palm over the heart, honor them, show them respect, venerate them, do homage to them, or give them alms when they approach. Thus not honored by us, nor shown respect, venerated, nor done homage to, being brushed off rudely, will leave or disrobe or regain the confidence of the Blessed One.”

(Mv.X.5.2) So the lay-followers of Kosambī didn’t bow down to the Kosambī monks, stand up to greet them, salute them with hands placed palm-to-palm over the heart, honor them, show them respect, venerate them, do homage to them, or give them alms when they approached. And the thought occurred to the Kosambī monks as they were not being honored by the lay-followers of Kosambī, nor shown respect, venerated, nor done homage to, and being brushed off rudely, “Friends, let’s go to Sāvatthī and settle this issue in the Blessed One’s presence.”

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