MN81: Ghaṭikārasutta - With Ghaṭikāra
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
mn81:1.1So I have heard.This lively story is one of the most developed of the early canonical Jātakas. The popularity of the story is attested by the many parallels, which include a retelling of the story by the deity who had been Ghaṭīkāra (SN1.50). Ghaṭīkāra’s virtues as an ideal lay follower are extolled; his kindness, faith, and contentment, and especially his practice of economic harmlessness through rejection of the contractual market economy. At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants. Then the Buddha left the road, and at a certain spot he smiled.
mn81:2.2Then Venerable Ānanda thought, “What is the cause, what is the reason why the Buddha smiled? Realized Ones do not smile for no reason.”
mn81:2.5So Ānanda arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms toward the Buddha, and said, “What is the cause, what is the reason why the Buddha smiled? Realized Ones do not smile for no reason.”
mn81:3.1“Once upon a time, Ānanda, there was a market town in this spot named Vebhaliṅga. It was successful and prosperous, populous, full of humans.Each of the occasions when the Buddha smiled in this way served as an introduction to an uplifting story of the past. In MN83, the Buddha tells of the fabled king Maghadeva of Mithilā, who went forth and practice the divine meditations. AN5.180, like the current sutta, tells the story of a virtuous layperson in the time of Kassapa Buddha. Both the Kassapa stories are set in Kosala.
Vebhaliṅga is known only from this context and there are many variant readings.
Here the compound gāmanigama, elsewhere “village or town” clearly means “market town”. The same idiom is found in Sanskrit versions of this text (vaibhiḍiṅgī nāma grāmanigamo, Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya 17.390). And Kassapa, a blessed one, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, lived supported by Vebhaliṅga. It was here, in fact, that he had his monastery, where he advised the mendicant Saṅgha while seated.”
mn81:4.1Then Ānanda spread out his outer robe folded in four and said to the Buddha, “Well then, sir, may the Blessed One sit here! Then this piece of land will have been occupied by two perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas.”
The Buddha sat on the seat spread out. When he was seated he said to Venerable Ānanda:
mn81:5.1“Once upon a time, Ānanda, there was a market town in this spot named Vebhaliṅga. It was successful and prosperous, populous, full of humans. And Kassapa, a blessed one, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, lived supported by Vebhaliṅga. It was here, in fact, that he had his monastery, where he advised the mendicant Saṅgha while seated.
mn81:6.1The Buddha Kassapa had as chief supporter in Vebhaliṅga a potter named Ghaṭīkāra. Ghaṭīkāra had a dear friend named Jotipāla, a student.Various texts of the northern Sarvāstivāda movement, including the Madhyama-āgama and the Saṅghabhedavastu, speak instead of the potter Nandīpāla and the Brahmin youth Uttara.
Ghaṭīkāra (“potter”) Nandīpāla is also referred to by his clan name Bhaggava.
Jotipāla means “guardian of the sacred flame”, i.e. someone who maintains the Vedic fire ritual, as attested by another Jotipāla of the past (DN19:47.24). Yet another Jotipāla was a religious founder of the past (AN6.54 verses 15-19, AN7.73 verse 2). The name seems to appear only in Buddhist sources. Given that it is always in legendary contexts, it is probably a vocational epithet like Ghaṭīkāra. Then Ghaṭīkāra addressed Jotipāla, ‘Come, dear Jotipāla, let’s go to see the Blessed One Kassapa, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha.Kassapa (Sanskrit Kaśyapa) means “tortoise”. It is a common Brahmanical clan name, stemming from an ancient figure reckoned as the eldest of the “seven sages”, to whom some Vedic verses are attributed. Further details of the Buddha Kassapa’s time are found at DN14:1.4.1, SN15.20, and SN48.57. For I deem it holy to see that Blessed One.’Sādhusammata is normally an epithet of (real or supposed) saints. Here it is the “sight” (dassana) of the saint that is deemed holy. This is an early example of the belief known in Hinduism as darshana, that the sight of a holy person, place, or object was auspicious and conveyed blessings on the seer. This topic is also treated at Snp4.4 and AN6.30.
mn81:6.6When he said this, Jotipāla said to him, ‘Enough, dear Ghaṭīkāra. What’s the use of seeing that shaveling, that fake ascetic?’
mn81:6.9For a second time … and a third time, Ghaṭīkāra addressed Jotipāla, ‘Come, dear Jotipāla, let’s go to see the Blessed One Kassapa, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. For I deem it holy to see that Blessed One.’
mn81:6.13For a third time, Jotipāla said to him, ‘Enough, dear Ghaṭīkāra. What’s the use of seeing that shaveling, that fake ascetic?’
mn81:6.16‘Well then, dear Jotipāla, let’s take some bathing cleanser and go to the river to bathe.’Sotti is uncertain. I take it as from the root suc in the sense “cleanser”. However, it may be related to Sanskrit śukti (from the same root), which is mentioned by Varāhamihira as an ingredient in perfumed bath powders fit for a king (Bṛhat Saṁhitā 77). There, it is probably either powdered or ashen oyster shell, which is included as an exfoliant in some modern soaps, or else perfume from a plant whose leaves or flowers resemble oysters. The commentary, identifying it with the kuruvindakasutti that was banned for mendicants at Khandaka 15 verse 6, evidently derives it from sutta (“string”) and explains it as a string of resin-balls compounded with kuruvindaka (itself uncertain, possibly a herb). However, these explanations all seem dubious, as Pali texts treat sotti as a normal means of washing, and should not require specialized ingredients or methods (AN3.70 verse 8, MN93:10.4).
mn81:6.17‘Yes, dear,’ replied Jotipāla.
So that’s what they did.
mn81:7.1Then Ghaṭīkāra addressed Jotipāla, ‘Dear Jotipāla, the Buddha Kassapa’s monastery is not far away. Let’s go to see the Blessed One Kassapa, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. For I deem it holy to see that Blessed One.’
mn81:7.5When he said this, Jotipāla said to him, ‘Enough, dear Ghaṭīkāra. What’s the use of seeing that shaveling, that fake ascetic?’
mn81:7.8For a second time … and a third time, Ghaṭīkāra addressed Jotipāla, ‘Dear Jotipāla, the Buddha Kassapa’s monastery is not far away. Let’s go to see the Blessed One Kassapa, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. For I deem it holy to see that Blessed One.’
mn81:7.13For a third time, Jotipāla said to him, ‘Enough, dear Ghaṭīkāra. What’s the use of seeing that shaveling, that fake ascetic?’
mn81:8.1Then Ghaṭīkāra grabbed Jotipāla by the skirt-hem and said,The ovaṭṭikā is the turned-over hem of a skirt or sarong that holds it up (see Bhikkhu Nissaggiya Pacittiya 10 verse 3). ‘Dear Jotipāla, the Buddha Kassapa’s monastery is not far away. Let’s go to see the Blessed One Kassapa, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. For I deem it holy to see that Blessed One.’
mn81:8.5So Jotipāla undid his skirt-hem and said to Ghaṭīkāra,Leaving him, apparently, naked standing in the water. ‘Enough, dear Ghaṭīkāra. What’s the use of seeing that shaveling, that fake ascetic?’
mn81:9.1Then Ghaṭīkāra grabbed Jotipāla by the hair of his freshly-washed head and said,Manusmṛti 4.83 forbids grabbing hair (keśagraha), which was an act of dominance in wrestling. It is forbidden in anger, notes Medhātithi’s commentary, but permitted in sex. Mahābhārata 5.91.11a beautifully explains how such rules are meant to be understood in context: “The learned regard him to be a wretch who does not by his solicitation seek to save a friend who is about to sink in calamity. Striving to the best of his might, even to the extent of seizing him by the hair, one should seek to dissuade a friend from an improper act. In that case, he that acts so, instead of incurring blame, reaps praise” (Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s translation, Section 93, Bhagavat-yāna Parva). ‘Dear Jotipāla, the Buddha Kassapa’s monastery is not far away. Let’s go to see the Blessed One Kassapa, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. For I deem it holy to see that Blessed One.’
mn81:9.5Then Jotipāla thought, ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing, how this potter Ghaṭīkāra, though of lowly birth, should presume to grab me by the hair of my freshly-washed head!Pottery is said to be a low craft at Bhikkhu Pacittiya 2 verse 13. This must be no ordinary matter.’ He said to Ghaṭīkāra, ‘You’d even milk it to this extent, dear Ghaṭīkāra?’Dohī is “milking”, as in anavasesadohī “milk dry”, an idiom which is used in the sense of “pushing things too far” (MN33:13.1, AN11.17).
mn81:9.11‘I even milk it to this extent, dear Jotipāla. For that is how holy I deem it to see that Blessed One.’
mn81:9.13‘Well then, dear Ghaṭīkāra, release me, we shall go.’
mn81:10.1Then Ghaṭīkāra the potter and Jotipāla the student went to the Buddha Kassapa. Ghaṭīkāra bowed and sat down to one side, but Jotipāla exchanged greetings with the Buddha and sat down to one side.
mn81:10.2Ghaṭīkāra said to the Buddha Kassapa, ‘Sir, this is the student Jotipāla, my dear friend. Please teach him the Dhamma.’
Then the Buddha Kassapa educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired Ghaṭīkāra and Jotipāla with a Dhamma talk. Then they got up from their seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha Kassapa, keeping him on their right, before leaving.
mn81:11.1Then Jotipāla said to Ghatīkāra, ‘Dear Ghaṭīkāra, you have heard this teaching, so why don’t you go forth from the lay life to homelessness?’
mn81:11.3‘Don’t you know, dear Jotipāla, that I provide for my blind old parents?’
mn81:11.4‘Well then, dear Ghaṭīkāra, I shall go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’
mn81:12.1Then Ghaṭīkāra and Jotipāla went to the Buddha Kassapa, bowed and sat down to one side. Ghaṭīkāra said to the Buddha Kassapa, ‘Sir, this is the student Jotipāla, my dear friend. Please give him the going forth.’ And Jotipāla the student received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence.
mn81:13.1Not long after Jotipāla’s ordination, a fortnight later, the Buddha Kassapa—having stayed in Vebhaliṅga as long as he pleased—set out for Varanasi.Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world, was the capital of the Kāsī kingdom. It lost its status as an independent kingdom shortly before the Buddha, when it was taken over by Kosala. It appears in countless Buddhist stories of the past as the dominant city of the region in what appears to be a timeless and ageless past. However, despite its great antiquity, it is a historical settlement, of which the discovered remains date back to perhaps 1200 BCE; it was a capital city from perhaps 800 BCE. It would have enjoyed its status as a major city for a period of a few hundred years before the Buddha, during which time all these stories were set. Traveling stage by stage, he arrived at Varanasi, where he stayed near Varanasi, in the deer park at Isipatana.
King Kikī of Kāsi heard that he had arrived.Kikī (“blue jay”) is also the king in the time of Kassapa at DN14:1.12.18. No king of this name appears to be attested in Puranic lineages. By the time of the Buddha, the much-conquered city of Varanasi was subject to first Kosala and then Magadha. This sutta establishes, however, that the true ancient king of the city was in fact a disciple of the past Buddha.
The suttas of this chapter all deal with kings in one way or another. Leaving aside the final five, all of which which Pasenadi of Kosala, we encounter royalty of of Kuru, Kāsī, Videha, Sūrasena, Bhaggā, and indirectly of Avanti and Kosambī. Thus the chapter serves to show that not just the well-known cases of Pasenadi and Bimbisāra, as well as the republican nations such as Vajjī and Sakya, were devoted to the Buddha, but the overwhelming majority of the kings of the time. Many, perhaps all, of these kings belong to what the Puranas later called the “lunar” dynasty, in contrast with the Buddha’s “solar” lineage.
He had the finest carriages harnessed. He then mounted a fine carriage and, along with other fine carriages, set out in full royal pomp from Varanasi to see the Buddha Kassapa. He went by carriage as far as the terrain allowed, then descended and approached the Buddha Kassapa on foot. He bowed and sat down to one side. The Buddha educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired him with a Dhamma talk.
mn81:14.5Then King Kikī said to the Buddha,
‘Sir, would the Buddha together with the mendicant Saṅgha please accept tomorrow’s meal from me?’ The Buddha Kassapa consented with silence.
mn81:15.1Then, knowing that the Buddha had consented, King Kikī got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.
And when the night had passed, King Kikī had delicious fresh and cooked foods prepared in his own home—soft saffron rice with the dark grains picked out, served with many soups and sauces. Then he had the Buddha informed of the time, saying,For “soft saffron rice” prefer the reading paṇḍumudikassa. ‘Sir, it’s time. The meal is ready.’
mn81:17.1Then Kassapa Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of King Kikī, where he sat on the seat spread out, together with the Saṅgha of mendicants. Then King Kikī served and satisfied the mendicant Saṅgha headed by the Buddha with his own hands with delicious fresh and cooked foods.
mn81:17.3When the Buddha Kassapa had eaten and washed his hand and bowl, King Kikī took a low seat and sat to one side. There he said to the Buddha Kassapa, ‘Sir, may the Buddha please accept my invitation to reside in Varanasi for the rainy season. The Saṅgha will be looked after in the same style.’The king is promising that the offerings for the whole Sangha will be as luxurious as the ones just offered.
mn81:17.7‘Enough, great king. I have already accepted an invitation for the rains residence.’
mn81:17.9For a second time … and a third time King Kikī said to the Buddha Kassapa, ‘Sir, may the Buddha please accept my invitation to reside in Varanasi for the rainy season. The Saṅgha will be looked after in the same style.’
mn81:17.13‘Enough, Great King. I have already accepted an invitation for the rains residence.’
mn81:17.15Then King Kikī, thinking, ‘The Buddha does not accept my invitation to reside for the rains in Varanasi,’ became sad and upset. Then King Kikī said to the Buddha Kassapa, ‘Sir, do you have another supporter better than me?’The Buddha does not take the bait of describing someone as “better”; rather, he describes Ghaṭīkāra’s qualities.
mn81:18.1‘Great king, there is a market town named Vebhaliṅga, where there is a potter named Ghaṭīkāra. He is my chief supporter. Now, great king, when you thought, “The Buddha does not accept my invitation to reside for the rains in Varanasi,” you became sad and upset. But Ghaṭīkāra doesn’t get upset, nor will he.
mn81:18.6Ghaṭīkāra has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha. He doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. He has experiential confidence in the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, and possesses the ethics loved by the noble ones. He is free of doubt regarding suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.This shows him to be one of the noble ones. He eats in one part of the day; he’s chaste, ethical, and of good character.This is equivalent to the eight precepts. He has set aside gems and gold, and rejected gold and currency.The same is said of Buddhist mendicants at SN42.10. This parallels the ten precepts of the sāmaṇera, which forbid using money (Khandaka 1 verse 473). He has put down the shovel and doesn’t dig the earth with his own hands.Also said of ancient Brahmanical hermits at DN27:22.6. Digging the earth is an offence for mendicants (Bhikkhu Pacittiya 10). He takes what has crumbled off by a riverbank or been dug up by mice, and brings it back in a carrier. When he has made a pot, he says, “Anyone may leave bagged sesame, mung beans, or chickpeas here and take what they wish.”He made a living by purely voluntary exchange rather than contractual obligations. He provided for his blind old parents. And since he has ended the five lower fetters, Ghaṭīkāra will be reborn spontaneously and will become extinguished there, not liable to return from that world.He is a non-returner.
mn81:19.1This one time, great king, I was staying near the market town of Vebhaliṅga. Then I robed up in the morning and, taking my bowl and robe, went to the home of Ghaṭīkāra’s parents, where I said to them,
“Excuse me, where has Bhaggava gone?”The Buddha uses Ghaṭīkāra’s clan name, as he does at SN1.50 verse 11.
mn81:19.4“Your supporter has gone out, sir. But take rice from the pot and sauce from the pan and eat.”
So that’s what I did. And after eating I got up from my seat and left.This appears to technically violate Bu Pc 40, which requires that food be given with the hands, not simply by speech. However, not all Buddhas lay down the exact same Vinaya rules. Several parallels explain this by saying that Kassapa was following the customs of the mystical land of Uttarakuru (MA 63 at T i 502a19; T i 502b8; Saṅghabhedavastu 17:391 at Gnoli 1978a:27,14 and D (1) ’dul ba, ga 8a3), where no-one had any possessions (DN32:7.1).
mn81:19.6Then Ghaṭīkāra went up to his parents and said, “Who took rice from the pot and sauce from the pan, ate it, and left?”
mn81:19.8“It was the Buddha Kassapa, my dear.”
mn81:19.9Then Ghaṭīkāra thought, “I’m so fortunate, so very fortunate, in that the Buddha Kassapa trusts me so much!” Then joy and happiness did not leave him for a fortnight, or his parents for a week.
mn81:20.1Another time, great king, I was staying near that same market town of Vebhaliṅga. Then I robed up in the morning and, taking my bowl and robe, went to the home of Ghaṭīkāra’s parents, where I said to them,
“Excuse me, where has Bhaggava gone?”
mn81:20.4“Your supporter has gone out, sir. But take porridge from the pot and sauce from the pan and eat.”
So that’s what I did. And after eating I got up from my seat and left.
mn81:20.6Then Ghaṭīkāra went up to his parents and said, “Who took porridge from the pot and sauce from the pan, ate it, and left?”
mn81:20.8“It was the Buddha Kassapa, my dear.”
mn81:20.9Then Ghaṭīkāra thought, “I’m so fortunate, so very fortunate, to be trusted so much by the Buddha Kassapa!” Then joy and happiness did not leave him for a fortnight, or his parents for a week.
mn81:21.1Another time, great king, I was staying near that same market town of Vebhaliṅga. Now at that time my hut leaked. So I addressed the mendicants,
mn81:21.4“Mendicants, go to Ghaṭīkāra’s home and find some grass.”
mn81:21.5When I said this, those mendicants said to me, “Sir, there’s no grass there, but his workshop has a grass roof.”Āvesana is found here and at MN140:1.1 of a potter’s workshop, at Khandaka 15 verse 71 of a sewing hut, and is mentioned at Manu 9.264 as an “artisan’s workshop” (kārukāveśana).
mn81:21.7“Then go to the workshop and strip the grass.”
So that’s what they did.
mn81:21.9Then Ghaṭīkāra’s parents said to those mendicants, “Who’s stripping the grass from the workshop?”
mn81:21.11“It’s the mendicants, sister. The Buddha’s hut is leaking.”
mn81:21.12“Take it, sirs! Take it, dearest ones!”
mn81:21.13Then Ghaṭīkāra went up to his parents and said, “Who stripped the grass from the workshop?”
mn81:21.15“It was the mendicants, dear. It seems the Buddha’s hut is leaking.”
mn81:21.16Then Ghaṭīkāra thought, “I’m so fortunate, so very fortunate, to be trusted so much by the Buddha Kassapa!”
Then joy and happiness did not leave him for a fortnight, or his parents for a week.
mn81:21.20Then the workshop remained with the atmosphere for a roof for the whole three months, but the heavens did not rain on it. And that, great king, is what Ghaṭīkāra the potter is like.’
mn81:21.22‘Ghaṭīkāra the potter is fortunate, very fortunate, to be so trusted by the Buddha Kassapa.’
mn81:22.1Then King Kikī sent around five hundred loads of rice, soft saffron rice, and suitable sauce to Ghaṭīkāra.“Suitable sauce” (tadupiyañca sūpeyyaṁ) is also at DN17:2.15.1 and SN22.96 verse 4, where it describes a similarly luxurious meal.
A secondary theme of this parable is to highlight the different attitudes to offering. Kikī is generous, but his offering is extravagant and indulgent, and ultimately serves his desires, whereas Ghaṭīkāra is concerned only to help with what is needed at the time. Then one of the king’s men approached Ghaṭīkāra and said, ‘Sir, these five hundred loads of rice, soft saffron rice, and suitable sauce have been sent to you by King Kikī of Kāsi. Please accept them.’
mn81:22.5‘The king has many duties, and much to do. I have enough.The two words alaṁ me encapsulate the radical basis of a Buddhist economy. Let this be for the king himself.’
mn81:23.1Ānanda, you might think: ‘Surely the student Jotipāla must have been someone else at that time?’This phrase marks canonical Jātaka stories at DN17:2.14.1, MN83:21.1, AN3.15 verse 5, and AN9.20 verse 5. But you should not see it like this. I myself was the student Jotipāla at that time.”
mn81:23.5That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Ānanda approved what the Buddha said.
1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu cārikaṁ carati mahatā bhikkhusaṁghena saddhiṁ. Atha kho bhagavā maggā okkamma aññatarasmiṁ padese sitaṁ pātvākāsi.
Atha kho āyasmato ānandassa etadahosi: "ko nu kho hetu, ko paccayo bhagavato sitassa pātukammāya? Na akāraṇena tathāgatā sitaṁ pātukarontī"ti.
Atha kho āyasmā ānando ekaṁsaṁ cīvaraṁ katvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "ko nu kho, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo bhagavato sitassa pātukammāya? Na akāraṇena tathāgatā sitaṁ pātukarontī"ti.
"Bhūtapubbaṁ, ānanda, imasmiṁ padese vegaḷiṅgaṁ nāma gāmanigamo ahosi iddho ceva phīto ca bahujano ākiṇṇamanusso. Vegaḷiṅgaṁ kho, ānanda, gāmanigamaṁ kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho upanissāya vihāsi. Idha sudaṁ, ānanda, kassapassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa ārāmo ahosi. Idha sudaṁ, ānanda, kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho nisinnako bhikkhusaṁghaṁ ovadatī"ti.
Atha kho āyasmā ānando catugguṇaṁ saṅghāṭiṁ paññapetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Tena hi, bhante, bhagavā nisīdatu ettha. Ayaṁ bhūmipadeso dvīhi arahantehi sammāsambuddhehi paribhutto bhavissatī"ti.
Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane. Nisajja kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi:
2"Bhūtapubbaṁ, ānanda, imasmiṁ padese vegaḷiṅgaṁ nāma gāmanigamo ahosi iddho ceva phīto ca bahujano ākiṇṇamanusso. Vegaḷiṅgaṁ kho, ānanda, gāmanigamaṁ kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho upanissāya vihāsi. Idha sudaṁ, ānanda, kassapassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa ārāmo ahosi. Idha sudaṁ, ānanda, kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho nisinnako bhikkhusaṅghaṁ ovadati.
3Vegaḷiṅge kho, ānanda, gāmanigame ghaṭikāro nāma kumbhakāro kassapassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa upaṭṭhāko ahosi aggupaṭṭhāko. Ghaṭikārassa kho, ānanda, kumbhakārassa jotipālo nāma māṇavo sahāyo ahosi piyasahāyo. Atha kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro jotipālaṁ māṇavaṁ āmantesi: ‘āyāma, samma jotipāla, kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissāma. Sādhusammatañhi me tassa bhagavato dassanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā’ti.
Evaṁ vutte, ānanda, jotipālo māṇavo ghaṭikāraṁ kumbhakāraṁ etadavoca: ‘alaṁ, samma ghaṭikāra. Kiṁ pana tena muṇḍakena samaṇakena diṭṭhenā’ti?
Dutiyampi kho, ānanda … pe … tatiyampi kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro jotipālaṁ māṇavaṁ etadavoca: ‘āyāma, samma jotipāla, kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissāma. Sādhusammatañhi me tassa bhagavato dassanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā’ti.
Tatiyampi kho, ānanda, jotipālo māṇavo ghaṭikāraṁ kumbhakāraṁ etadavoca: ‘alaṁ, samma ghaṭikāra. Kiṁ pana tena muṇḍakena samaṇakena diṭṭhenā’ti?
‘Tena hi, samma jotipāla, sottisināniṁ ādāya nadiṁ gamissāma sināyitun’ti.
‘Evaṁ, sammā’ti kho, ānanda, jotipālo māṇavo ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa paccassosi.
Atha kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro ca kumbhakāro jotipālo ca māṇavo sottisināniṁ ādāya nadiṁ agamaṁsu sināyituṁ.
4Atha kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro jotipālaṁ māṇavaṁ āmantesi: ‘ayaṁ, samma jotipāla, kassapassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa avidūre ārāmo.Āyāma, samma jotipāla, kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissāma. Sādhusammatañhi me tassa bhagavato dassanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā’ti.
Evaṁ vutte, ānanda, jotipālo māṇavo ghaṭikāraṁ kumbhakāraṁ etadavoca: ‘alaṁ, samma ghaṭikāra. Kiṁ pana tena muṇḍakena samaṇakena diṭṭhenā’ti?
Dutiyampi kho, ānanda … pe … tatiyampi kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro jotipālaṁ māṇavaṁ etadavoca: ‘ayaṁ, samma jotipāla, kassapassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa avidūre ārāmo. Āyāma, samma jotipāla, kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissāma. Sādhusammatañhi me tassa bhagavato dassanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā’ti. Tatiyampi kho, ānanda, jotipālo māṇavo ghaṭikāraṁ kumbhakāraṁ etadavoca: ‘alaṁ, samma ghaṭikāra. Kiṁ pana tena muṇḍakena samaṇakena diṭṭhenā’ti?
Atha kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro jotipālaṁ māṇavaṁ ovaṭṭikāyaṁ parāmasitvā etadavoca: ‘ayaṁ, samma jotipāla, kassapassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa avidūre ārāmo. Āyāma, samma jotipāla, kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissāma. Sādhusammatañhi me tassa bhagavato dassanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā’ti.
Atha kho, ānanda, jotipālo māṇavo ovaṭṭikaṁ vinivaṭṭetvā ghaṭikāraṁ kumbhakāraṁ etadavoca: ‘alaṁ, samma ghaṭikāra. Kiṁ pana tena muṇḍakena samaṇakena diṭṭhenā’ti?
Atha kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro jotipālaṁ māṇavaṁ sīsaṁnhātaṁ kesesu parāmasitvā etadavoca: ‘ayaṁ, samma jotipāla, kassapassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa avidūre ārāmo. Āyāma, samma jotipāla, kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissāma. Sādhusammatañhi me tassa bhagavato dassanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā’ti.
Atha kho, ānanda, jotipālassa māṇavassa etadahosi: ‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho. Yatra hi nāmāyaṁ ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro ittarajacco samāno amhākaṁ sīsaṁnhātānaṁ kesesu parāmasitabbaṁ maññissati; na vatidaṁ kira orakaṁ maññe bhavissatī’ti; ghaṭikāraṁ kumbhakāraṁ etadavoca: ‘yāvatādohipi, samma ghaṭikārā’ti?
‘Yāvatādohipi, samma jotipāla. Tathā hi pana me sādhusammataṁ tassa bhagavato dassanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā’ti.
‘Tena hi, samma ghaṭikāra, muñca; gamissāmā’ti.
5Atha kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro ca kumbhakāro jotipālo ca māṇavo yena kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Jotipālo pana māṇavo kassapena bhagavatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ etadavoca: ‘Ayaṁ me, bhante, jotipālo māṇavo sahāyo piyasahāyo. Imassa bhagavā dhammaṁ desetū’ti.
Atha kho, ānanda, kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho ghaṭikārañca kumbhakāraṁ jotipālañca māṇavaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi. Atha kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro ca kumbhakāro jotipālo ca māṇavo kassapena bhagavatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena dhammiyā kathāya sandassitā samādapitā samuttejitā sampahaṁsitā kassapassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkamiṁsu.
6Atha kho, ānanda, jotipālo māṇavo ghaṭikāraṁ kumbhakāraṁ etadavoca: ‘imaṁ nu tvaṁ, samma ghaṭikāra, dhammaṁ suṇanto atha ca pana agārasmā anagāriyaṁ na pabbajissasī’ti?
‘Nanu maṁ, samma jotipāla, jānāsi, andhe jiṇṇe mātāpitaro posemī’ti?
‘Tena hi, samma ghaṭikāra, ahaṁ agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajissāmī’ti.
Atha kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro ca kumbhakāro jotipālo ca māṇavo yena kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho, ānanda, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ etadavoca: ‘Ayaṁ me, bhante, jotipālo māṇavo sahāyo piyasahāyo. Imaṁ bhagavā pabbājetū’ti. Alattha kho, ānanda, jotipālo māṇavo kassapassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ.
7Atha kho, ānanda, kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho acirūpasampanne jotipāle māṇave aḍḍhamāsupasampanne vegaḷiṅge yathābhirantaṁ viharitvā yena bārāṇasī tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi. Anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno yena bārāṇasī tadavasari. Tatra sudaṁ, ānanda, kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye.
Assosi kho, ānanda, kikī kāsirājā: ‘kassapo kira bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho bārāṇasiṁ anuppatto bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye’ti.
Atha kho, ānanda, kikī kāsirājā bhadrāni bhadrāni yānāni yojāpetvā bhadraṁ yānaṁ abhiruhitvā bhadrehi bhadrehi yānehi bārāṇasiyā niyyāsi mahaccarājānubhāvena kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ dassanāya. Yāvatikā yānassa bhūmi yānena gantvā yānā paccorohitvā pattikova yena kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho, ānanda, kikiṁ kāsirājānaṁ kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi.
Atha kho, ānanda, kikī kāsirājā kassapena bhagavatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena dhammiyā kathāya sandassito samādapito samuttejito sampahaṁsito kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ etadavoca:
‘adhivāsetu me, bhante, bhagavā svātanāya bhattaṁ saddhiṁ bhikkhusaṁghenā’ti. Adhivāsesi kho, ānanda, kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho tuṇhībhāvena.
Atha kho, ānanda, kikī kāsirājā kassapassa bhagavato sammāsambuddhassa adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.
Atha kho, ānanda, kikī kāsirājā tassā rattiyā accayena sake nivesane paṇītaṁ khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyaṁ paṭiyādāpetvā paṇḍupuṭakassa sālino vigatakāḷakaṁ anekasūpaṁ anekabyañjanaṁ, kassapassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa kālaṁ ārocāpesi: ‘kālo, bhante, niṭṭhitaṁ bhattan’ti.
8Atha kho, ānanda, kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena kikissa kāsirañño nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi saddhiṁ bhikkhusaṅghena.
Atha kho, ānanda, kikī kāsirājā buddhappamukhaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi. Atha kho, ānanda, kikī kāsirājā kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ bhuttāviṁ onītapattapāṇiṁ aññataraṁ nīcaṁ āsanaṁ gahetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho, ānanda, kikī kāsirājā kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ etadavoca: ‘adhivāsetu me, bhante, bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ vassāvāsaṁ; evarūpaṁ saṅghassa upaṭṭhānaṁ bhavissatī’ti.
‘Alaṁ, mahārāja. Adhivuttho me vassāvāso’ti.
Dutiyampi kho, ānanda … tatiyampi kho, ānanda, kikī kāsirājā kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ etadavoca: ‘adhivāsetu me, bhante, bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ vassāvāsaṁ; evarūpaṁ saṅghassa upaṭṭhānaṁ bhavissatī’ti.
‘Alaṁ, mahārāja. Adhivuttho me vassāvāso’ti.
Atha kho, ānanda, kikissa kāsirañño ‘Na me kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho adhivāseti bārāṇasiyaṁ vassāvāsan’ti ahudeva aññathattaṁ, ahu domanassaṁ. Atha kho, ānanda, kikī kāsirājā kassapaṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ etadavoca: ‘atthi nu kho, bhante, añño koci mayā upaṭṭhākataro’ti?
9‘Atthi, mahārāja, vegaḷiṅgaṁ nāma gāmanigamo. Tattha ghaṭikāro nāma kumbhakāro; so me upaṭṭhāko aggupaṭṭhāko. Tuyhaṁ kho pana, mahārāja, na me kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho adhivāseti bārāṇasiyaṁ vassāvāsanti attheva aññathattaṁ, atthi domanassaṁ. Tayidaṁ ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa natthi ca na ca bhavissati.
Ghaṭikāro kho, mahārāja, kumbhakāro buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gato, dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gato, saṁghaṁ saraṇaṁ gato. Ghaṭikāro kho, mahārāja, kumbhakāro pāṇātipātā paṭivirato, adinnādānā paṭivirato, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato, musāvādā paṭivirato, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato. Ghaṭikāro kho, mahārāja, kumbhakāro buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato, dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgato, saṁghe aveccappasādena samannāgato, ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato. Ghaṭikāro kho, mahārāja, kumbhakāro dukkhe nikkaṅkho, dukkhasamudaye nikkaṅkho, dukkhanirodhe nikkaṅkho, dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya nikkaṅkho. Ghaṭikāro kho, mahārāja, kumbhakāro ekabhattiko brahmacārī sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo. Ghaṭikāro kho, mahārāja, kumbhakāro nikkhittamaṇisuvaṇṇo apetajātarūparajato. Ghaṭikāro kho, mahārāja, kumbhakāro pannamusalo na sahatthā pathaviṁ khaṇati. Yaṁ hoti kūlapaluggaṁ vā mūsikukkaro vā taṁ kājena āharitvā bhājanaṁ karitvā evamāha: "ettha yo icchati taṇḍulapaṭibhastāni vā muggapaṭibhastāni vā kaḷāyapaṭibhastāni vā nikkhipitvā yaṁ icchati taṁ haratū"ti. Ghaṭikāro kho, mahārāja, kumbhakāro andhe jiṇṇe mātāpitaro poseti. Ghaṭikāro kho, mahārāja, kumbhakāro pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā.
10Ekamidāhaṁ, mahārāja, samayaṁ vegaḷiṅge nāma gāmanigame viharāmi. Atha khvāhaṁ, mahārāja, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa mātāpitaro tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa mātāpitaro etadavocaṁ:
"handa ko nu kho ayaṁ bhaggavo gato"ti?
"Nikkhanto kho te, bhante, upaṭṭhāko antokumbhiyā odanaṁ gahetvā pariyogā sūpaṁ gahetvā paribhuñjā"ti.
Atha khvāhaṁ, mahārāja, kumbhiyā odanaṁ gahetvā pariyogā sūpaṁ gahetvā paribhuñjitvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁ.
Atha kho, mahārāja, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro yena mātāpitaro tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā mātāpitaro etadavoca: "ko kumbhiyā odanaṁ gahetvā pariyogā sūpaṁ gahetvā paribhuñjitvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkanto"ti?
"Kassapo, tāta, bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho kumbhiyā odanaṁ gahetvā pariyogā sūpaṁ gahetvā paribhuñjitvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkanto"ti?
Atha kho, mahārāja, ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa etadahosi: "lābhā vata me, suladdhaṁ vata me, yassa me kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho evaṁ abhivissattho"ti. Atha kho, mahārāja, ghaṭikāraṁ kumbhakāraṁ aḍḍhamāsaṁ pītisukhaṁ na vijahati, sattāhaṁ mātāpitūnaṁ.
11Ekamidāhaṁ, mahārāja, samayaṁ tattheva vegaḷiṅge nāma gāmanigame viharāmi. Atha khvāhaṁ, mahārāja, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa mātāpitaro tenupasaṅkamiṁ; upasaṅkamitvā ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa mātāpitaro etadavocaṁ:
"handa ko nu kho ayaṁ bhaggavo gato"ti?
"Nikkhanto kho te, bhante, upaṭṭhāko anto kaḷopiyā kummāsaṁ gahetvā pariyogā sūpaṁ gahetvā paribhuñjā"ti.
Atha khvāhaṁ, mahārāja, kaḷopiyā kummāsaṁ gahetvā pariyogā sūpaṁ gahetvā paribhuñjitvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁ.
Atha kho, mahārāja, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro yena mātāpitaro tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā mātāpitaro etadavoca: "ko kaḷopiyā kummāsaṁ gahetvā pariyogā sūpaṁ gahetvā paribhuñjitvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkanto"ti?
"Kassapo, tāta, bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho kaḷopiyā kummāsaṁ gahetvā pariyogā sūpaṁ gahetvā paribhuñjitvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkanto"ti.
Atha kho, mahārāja, ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa etadahosi: "lābhā vata me, suladdhaṁ vata me, yassa me kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho evaṁ abhivissattho"ti. Atha kho, mahārāja, ghaṭikāraṁ kumbhakāraṁ aḍḍhamāsaṁ pītisukhaṁ na vijahati, sattāhaṁ mātāpitūnaṁ.
12Ekamidāhaṁ, mahārāja, samayaṁ tattheva vegaḷiṅge nāma gāmanigame viharāmi. Tena kho pana samayena kuṭi ovassati. Atha khvāhaṁ, mahārāja, bhikkhū āmantesiṁ:
"gacchatha, bhikkhave, ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa nivesane tiṇaṁ jānāthā"ti.
Evaṁ vutte, mahārāja, te bhikkhū maṁ etadavocuṁ: "natthi kho, bhante, ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa nivesane tiṇaṁ, atthi ca khvāssa āvesane tiṇacchadanan"ti.
"Gacchatha, bhikkhave, ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa āvesanaṁ uttiṇaṁ karothā"ti.
Atha kho te, mahārāja, bhikkhū ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa āvesanaṁ uttiṇamakaṁsu.
Atha kho, mahārāja, ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa mātāpitaro te bhikkhū etadavocuṁ: "ke āvesanaṁ uttiṇaṁ karontī"ti?
"Bhikkhū, bhagini, kassapassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa kuṭi ovassatī"ti.
"Haratha, bhante, haratha, bhadramukhā"ti.
Atha kho, mahārāja, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro yena mātāpitaro tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā mātāpitaro etadavoca: "ke āvesanaṁ uttiṇamakaṁsū"ti?
"Bhikkhū, tāta, kassapassa kira bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa kuṭi ovassatī"ti.
Atha kho, mahārāja, ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa etadahosi: "lābhā vata me, suladdhaṁ vata me, yassa me kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho evaṁ abhivissattho"ti.
Atha kho, mahārāja, ghaṭikāraṁ kumbhakāraṁ aḍḍhamāsaṁ pītisukhaṁ na vijahati, sattāhaṁ mātāpitūnaṁ.
Atha kho, mahārāja, āvesanaṁ sabbantaṁ temāsaṁ ākāsacchadanaṁ aṭṭhāsi, na devotivassi. Evarūpo ca, mahārāja, ghaṭikāro kumbhakāro’ti.
‘Lābhā, bhante, ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa, suladdhā, bhante, ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa yassa bhagavā evaṁ abhivissattho’ti.
13Atha kho, ānanda, kikī kāsirājā ghaṭikārassa kumbhakārassa pañcamattāni taṇḍulavāhasatāni pāhesi paṇḍupuṭakassa sālino tadupiyañca sūpeyyaṁ. Atha kho te, ānanda, rājapurisā ghaṭikāraṁ kumbhakāraṁ upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ: ‘imāni kho, bhante, pañcamattāni taṇḍulavāhasatāni kikinā kāsirājena pahitāni paṇḍupuṭakassa sālino tadupiyañca sūpeyyaṁ. Tāni, bhante, paṭiggaṇhathā’ti.
‘Rājā kho bahukicco bahukaraṇīyo. Alaṁ me. Raññova hotū’ti.
Siyā kho pana te, ānanda, evamassa: ‘añño nūna tena samayena jotipālo māṇavo ahosī’ti. Na kho panetaṁ, ānanda, evaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ. Ahaṁ tena samayena jotipālo māṇavo ahosin"ti.
14Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamano āyasmā ānando bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Ghaṭikārasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.