Commentary on Biography of the thera Cūḷapantha

Stanzas starting with Padumuttaro nāme Jino, constitute the biography of the venerable thera Cūḷapantha. This one also, having done devoted deeds of service towards former Buddhas and accumulating meritorious deeds conducive towards escape from rounds of rebirths (vaṭṭa), (became) at the time of the Glorious One Padumuttara;(whatever should be said here by way of an anecdote, that has but been told in the story of mahāpanthaka in the eighth nipāta. This however, is the distinction:- The thera mahāpanthaka, having attained arahatship, spent his time enjoying the bliss of prosperity of his fruition, phalasamāpatti, and considered thus: "How, indeed, shall I be able to properly establish Cūḷapanthaka also in this bliss?" He approached his own uncle the wealthy banker, and said thus: "If the great banker approves (or agrees), I shall make Cūḷapanthaka a monk". The response was:- "Venerable Sir! Do make him a monk".

The thera made him a monk. Having become well established in the ten moral precepts, he was not able to learn in four months, in trying to acquire the following stanza in the presence of his elder brother:-

“Just like the well-scented kokanada lotus flower would become bloomful and profusely perfumed early in the morning, behold Buddha shining clearly like unto the blazing sun in the sky.”

Though he learnt it, the stanza did not linger in his heart. Then mahāpanthaka said to him thus: "O Cūḷapanthaka! you do not deserve to be in this dispensation; you are not able to take in a single stanza even in four months; how are you going to make yourself attain the top in doing the duties of a monk, however; you should get away from here". Thus, having been dismissed by the thera, he stood weeping near the door-post.

At that time also the Master was residing at the Jīvakamma forest. Then Jīvaka sent his man thus: "You should go and invite the Master together with five hundred bhikkhus". On that occasion also the venerable mahāpanthaka was One who had to assign (or determine) meals of the clergy. When told to accept meal for five hundred bhikkhus, he replied thus:- "Leaving aside Cūḷapanthaka, I accept for others". Having heard about it, Cūḷapanthaka became all the more dejected. The Master, came to know of his mental fatigue, said to Himself thus:- "By means of a strategem made by me Cūḷapanthaka will be enlightened", showed Himself at a place not far from him and asked thus: "O Panthaka! Why do you weep?" He replied thus! "Venerable Sir! My elder brother has dismissed me". Saying thus: "Panthaka! Do not worry; your monkhood is in my dispensation; come, catch hold of this and make this idea in your mind as "Taking dust, carrying dust," and gave him a piece of clean cloth after having specially created the same, by means of His magical powers. Cūḷapanthaka sat himself down wiping his hand with the piece of cloth given by the Master saying "Taking dust carrying dust". When he kept on wiping with it, the cloth became naturally dirty;on wiping again it became like a piece of wiping cloth of a ricecooking pot. Because of all-round maturity of his knowledge, he considered thus: "This piece of cloth was all round pure; (or clean) originally; owing to this grasping body it has become changed to another condition of being dirty; therefore, just as this also is impermanent, so also is my mind". He had the idea of exhaustion and destruction established in his mind, provoked jhānas on that self-same sign, made it the basis of jhāna, had spiritual insight established, and attained arahatship together with analytical knowledge. As and when he attained arahatship, there came to him higher knowledge as well as knowledge of the three piṭakas.

The Master went together with five hundred less by one bhikkhus to the residence of Jīvaka and sat himself down on the seat prepared for Him. Cūḷapanthaka, however, did not go because of the fact that there was no acceptance for his meal. Jīvaka began to offer rice-gruel. The Master closed his bowl with his hand. On being asked: "Venerable Sir! Why do you not take it", Buddha answered saying: "O Jīvaka! A bhikkhu is in the monastery". Jīvaka sent his man saying; "Look here! You should go to the monastery and come back bringing the seated lord". Cūḷapanthaka also kept himself seated, having created a thousand bhikkhus, not resembling one another both in form and action. That man, having, seen the state of many bhikkhus in the monastery went back and told Jīvaka thus: "Besides this bhikkhu-member of the clergy, the concourse of bhikkhus in the monastery are many more; i do not know the lord who should be requested to come away to you". Jīvaka asked the Master thus: "venerable Sir! What is the name of the bhikkhu who was seated in the monastery?" Buddha said: "O Jīvaka! The bhikkhu is named Cūḷapanthaka". Jīvaka instructed his man thus: "Look here! You should go, ask saying 'which is the bhikkhu Cūḷapanthaka by name?' and bring him". The man went to the monastery and asked thus:- "Venerable Sir! Which is the Bhikkhu Cūḷapanthaka, by name?" All the thousand bhikkhus also spoke in unison thus: "I am Cūḷapanthaka; I am Cūḷapanthaka". The man came back again and informed about that matter to Jīvaka. Because of the fact that Jīvaka had properly penetrated into the noble truths, he came to know methodically thus: "Methinks the lord is the possessor of magical powers", and said to his man thus: "My man! you should go, the first to speak is but the lord himself; tell him thus: 'The Master sends for you', and catch hold of the border of his robe". The man went to the monastery and did in the wise. Then and there the created bhikkhus disappeared. The man took the thera and went back.

The Master at that moment accepted the rice gruel as well as such varieties of meal as hard food and so on. When He had done the duty of eating His meal, the Glorious One ordered the venerable Cūḷapanthaka thus: "You should perform the act of thanks-giving". The thera did the deed of thanks-giving seizing the opportunity of the Master's desire, stirring up the baskets of Buddha's preachings as if churning the big ocean holding Sineru as a churning stick. When Dasabala went back to the monastery after having done the duty of eating His meal, this topic of discussion arose in the hall of dhamma, namely: "Wonderful is the power of Buddhas that, namely, in spite of the fact that although Cūḷapanthaka was not able to assimilate a single stanza in four months, he performed high magical powers in this manner momentarily and nimbly". In that wise, indeed, seated in the residence of Jīvaka, the Glorious One came to know thus: "The mind of Cūḷapanthaka well-composed in this way, his spiritual insight had properly entered upon the path of progress, while still sitting even as He was, he showed His own self and said: "O Panthaka! Not only this piece of cloth gets dirty, and becomes mixed up consequently with dust, but also from here, there exists dust, self-corruption with depravity in the discipline of the noble".

The Master uttered these three stanzas in order to show it thus:-

“Lust (rāga), is dust (raja) but not ordinary particles of dust 'renu'; dust (raja) is the metaphor for lust (rāga). Those bhikkhus live having forsaken this dust (raja), in the dispensation of One who is devoid of dust.”

“Hatred (dosa), is dust (raja) in the dispensation of One who is devoid of dust.”

“Delusion (moha), is dust (raja) in the dispensation of One who is devoid of dust.”

At the all-round end of the stanza, Cūḷapanthaka attained arahatship together with the analytical knowledge. Thus was the conversation of bhikkhus in the assembly hall of dhamma. The Master, having come to hear about the conversation of those bhikkhus came, sat Himself down on the Buddha's seat, enquired of the bhikkhus as to what they were talking about and on being told that they were discussing over Cūḷapanthaka explained to them thus:- "O monks! Sticking to my advice, now, the transcendental (or supermundane) heritage has been obtained by Cūḷapanthaka; formerly, however, worldly (or mundane) inheritance was gained by him", and on being requested, preached the birth-story of Cūḷaseṭṭhi. Subsequently, the Master, who was seated, surrounded by a collection of noble disciples on the seat of Dhamma, placed Cūḷapanthaka at the topmost ranking position among bhikkhus who could create specially mindmade bodies as well as who were clever in devolving their minds.

35. Having gained the topmost position, in this manner, Cūḷapanthaka thera remembered his own former deeds and uttered a stanza, beginning with Padumuttaro nāmo Jino, in order to make manifest his deeds done previously by way of his zest and delight. There, the first two feet of the stanza is but the same in meaning as aforesaid. Gaṇamhā vūpakaṭṭho so. (He who had secluded Himself from the crowd), that Master, Padumuttara, by name, secluded Himself from the big collection of bhikkhus, many in number, became separate and gone towards solitude; tadā (at that time) when I was a hermit; Himavante (in Himavanta) near the Himalaya hill; vasi (lived) took up his abode, he lived with four kinds of postures (or deportments) thus, is the meaning.

36. Ahampi:P: tadā, I also:P: (then) as and when that Glorious One approached and dwelt at Himavanta, I also made my hermitage near Himavante; ā, (up to) from all sides; here dangers, reckoned as physical and mental oppressions, came to a stop; thus, is essama (hermitage) the name gained; in such a forest-swelling as this I lived; thus, is the connection. Aciragatam Mahāvīra; the great hero who had soon come, the great possessor of exertion who had come before long;Lokanāyakam (Leader of the world) he went near that main Glorious One;thus, is the connection. He approached at the very moment of His arrival; thus, is the meaning.

37. Pupphacchattam gahetvāna, approaching in this manner, after having caught hold of an umbrella made of flowers, covered with such flowers as red and white lotus flowers and so on; narāsabham, (the most excellent of men) Upagacchim (I approached) I had gone near, thus, is the meaning. Samādhim samāpajjantam, having well entered upon mental concentration, I made an obstruction to Him who was seated absorbed in his process of Jhāna concentration. Thus, is the connection.

38. Ubhohatthehi paggayha (having lifted up with both hands) after having lifted up that well-prepared flower umbrella with both hands, I offered it to the Glorious One, thus, is the connection. Paṭiggahesi (accepted) the Glorious One Padumuttara accepted that flower umbrella offered by me; appreciated my reverence; thus, is the meaning.

41. Satapattachattam paggayha (having reverentially offered the hundred-petalled umbrella) the hermit offered me, having brought to me in respectful manner, a flower umbrella covered with red paduma lotus flowers of a hundred petals each by way of a hundred and a hundred petals in each and every lotus flower; thus, is the meaning. Tamaham kiṭṭayissāmi (I shall announce him) I shall proclaim and make manifest that hermit; thus, is the meaning. Bhāsato (speaking) listen to and make yourself mindful of my spoken words.

42. Pañcavīsatikappāni, for twenty five aeons (kappa), by virtue of this offering of flower umbrella, he will become sakka in the Tāvatimsa mansion twenty five times and will wield sovereignty; thus, is the connection. Catuttimsakkhattun ca, for thirty-four times; he will become world-king in the world of human beings.

43. Yam yam yonim (whichever womb), whichever birth among such wombs as human womb and so on; samsarati (undergoes round of rebirths) he goes and springs up, in this and that womb; abbhokāse (in open air), in an empty place; patiṭṭhantam (standing) either sitting or standing; dhārayissati (will bear), lotus flower will cover above him;thus, is the meaning.

45. Pakāsite pāvacane (when Buddha's preachings are made clear), when the whole of three piṭakas are made manifest and brought to light, manussattam (humanhood), the birth as a human-being;labhissati (will gain), will be reborn; mano-mayamhi kāyamhi (in the body made of mind) born jhāna-mind; thus, made of mind; just as the mind turns out to be, so the body is made to happen; he does the course of mind; thus, is the meaning. In that body, made of mind, that hermit, Cūḷapanthake by name, would spring up and become the most excellent and topmost; thus, is the meaning. The rest is but easy of comprehension because of having been said before (heṭṭhā) and because of being obvious.

52. Sarim kokanadam aham (I remembered the lotus flower), while wiping all round the piece of cloth created by the Glorious One, I remembered the lotus flower, kokanada paduma; thus, is the meaning. Tattha cittam vimucci me (there my mind became emancipated), my mind became unattached and thoroughly released in that lotus, kokanada paduma; thereafter I attained arahatship; thus, is the connection.

53. Sabbattha, everywhere; pāramin (perfection) gato (gone) in the bodies destined by mind and made by mind I attained all-round extreme limit; thus, is the connection; the rest is but in the manner, aforesaid.

The Commentary on the biography of Cūḷapanthaka thera has ended.