1.1.0Origin story

1.1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,1.1.2Tena kho pana samayena rājā pasenadi kosalo uyyānapālaṁ āṇāpesi—“gaccha, bhaṇe, uyyānaṁ sodhehi. Uyyānaṁ gamissāmā”ti.King Pasenadi of Kosala told his park-keeper, “Go and clean up the park; I’ll be going there.”

1.1.3“Evaṁ, devā”ti kho so uyyānapālo rañño pasenadissa kosalassa paṭissutvā uyyānaṁ sodhento addasa bhagavantaṁ aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle nisinnaṁ.“Yes, sir.” While cleaning the park, he saw the Buddha seated at the foot of a tree.1.1.4Disvāna yena rājā pasenadi kosalo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ etadavoca—“suddhaṁ, deva, uyyānaṁ. Api ca bhagavā tattha nisinno”ti.He then went to King Pasenadi and said, “The park is clean, sir, but the Buddha is sitting there.”1.1.5“Hotu, bhaṇe. Mayaṁ bhagavantaṁ payirupāsissāmā”ti.“Marvelous! I’ll visit him.”

1.1.6Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo uyyānaṁ gantvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami. Tena kho pana samayena aññataro upāsako bhagavantaṁ payirupāsanto nisinno hoti.The king went to the park and approached the Buddha, but just then a lay follower was seated there.1.1.7Addasā kho rājā pasenadi kosalo taṁ upāsakaṁ bhagavantaṁ payirupāsantaṁ nisinnaṁ. Disvāna bhīto aṭṭhāsi.When the king saw him, he became fearful and stopped.1.1.8Atha kho rañño pasenadissa kosalassa etadahosi—“nārahatāyaṁ puriso pāpo hotuṁ, yathā bhagavantaṁ payirupāsatī”ti. Yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.But he considered, “This man isn’t likely to be bad, since he’s visiting the Buddha,” and so he approached the Buddha, bowed, and sat down.1.1.9PTS 4.158Atha kho so upāsako bhagavato gāravena rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ neva abhivādesi na paccuṭṭhāsi. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo anattamano ahosi—“kathañhi nāmāyaṁ puriso mayi āgate neva abhivādessati na paccuṭṭhessatī”ti.But when that lay follower, because of his respect for the Buddha, neither bowed down to the king nor stood up for him, the king became annoyed.1.1.10Atha kho bhagavā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ anattamanaṁ viditvā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ etadavoca—“eso kho, mahārāja, upāsako bahussuto āgatāgamo kāmesu vītarāgo”ti.The Buddha realized what was happening and said to the king, “Great king, this lay follower is learned, a master of the tradition, and he’s free from sensual desire.”

1.1.11Atha kho rañño pasenadissa kosalassa etadahosi—“nārahatāyaṁ upāsako orako hotuṁ, bhagavāpi imassa vaṇṇaṁ bhāsatī”ti.The king thought, “This lay follower doesn’t deserve to be in an inferior position, since even the Buddha praises him.”1.1.12Taṁ upāsakaṁ etadavoca—“vadeyyāsi, upāsaka, yena attho”ti.And he said to that lay follower, “Please say what you want.”

1.1.13“Suṭṭhu, devā”ti.“Thank you, sir.”¹

1.1.14Atha kho bhagavā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavatā dhammiyā kathāya sandassito samādapito samuttejito sampahaṁsito uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.The Buddha then instructed, inspired, and gladdened King Pasenadi with a teaching, after which the king got up from his seat, bowed down, circumambulated the Buddha with his right side toward him, and left.

1.1.15Tena kho pana samayena rājā pasenadi kosalo uparipāsādavaragato hoti. Addasā kho rājā pasenadi kosalo taṁ upāsakaṁ rathikāya chattapāṇiṁ gacchantaṁ.Soon afterwards King Pasenadi was up in his finest stilt house, when he saw that lay follower walking along the street, holding a sunshade.1.1.16Disvāna pakkosāpetvā etadavoca—“tvaṁ kira, upāsaka, bahussuto āgatāgamo.He summoned him and said, “You are a learned Buddhist, a master of the tradition.1.1.17Sādhu, upāsaka, amhākaṁ itthāgāraṁ dhammaṁ vācehī”ti.Please teach my harem.”

1.1.18“Yamahaṁ, deva, jānāmi ayyānaṁ vāhasā, ayyāva devassa itthāgāraṁ dhammaṁ vācessantī”ti.“Whatever I know, sir, I know because of the monks. They should teach the harem.”

1.2.1Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo—“saccaṁ kho upāsako āhā”ti yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca—Knowing that the lay follower was right, the king went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down, and said,1.2.2“sādhu, bhante, bhagavā ekaṁ bhikkhuṁ āṇāpetu yo amhākaṁ itthāgāraṁ dhammaṁ vācessatī”ti.“Sir, please ask a monk to teach my harem.”1.2.3Atha kho bhagavā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi …pe… padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.The Buddha then instructed, inspired, and gladdened King Pasenadi with a teaching, after which the king got up from his seat, paid his respects as before, and left.

1.2.4Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi—“tenahānanda, rañño itthāgāraṁ dhammaṁ vācehī”ti.Soon afterwards, the Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda, “Well then, Ānanda, teach the king’s harem.”

1.2.5“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paṭissutvā kālena kālaṁ pavisitvā rañño itthāgāraṁ dhammaṁ vāceti.“Yes, sir.” And from time to time he would enter the harem and teach.

1.2.6Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena rañño pasenadissa kosalassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami.Then, after robing up in the morning, Ānanda took his bowl and robe and went to King Pasenadi’s house.

1.2.7Tena kho pana samayena rājā pasenadi kosalo mallikāya deviyā saddhiṁ sayanagato hoti.On that occasion the king was in bed with Queen Mallikā.1.2.8PTS 4.159Addasā kho mallikā devī āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna sahasā vuṭṭhāsi; pītakamaṭṭhaṁ dussaṁ pabhassittha.The queen saw Ānanda coming and she quickly got up, but her burnished golden dressing gown fell off.1.2.9Atha kho āyasmā ānando tatova paṭinivattitvā ārāmaṁ gantvā bhikkhūnaṁ etamatthaṁ ārocesi.Ānanda turned around right there and returned to the monastery. And he told the monks what had happened.

1.2.10Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The monks of few desires complained and criticized him,1.2.11“kathañhi nāma āyasmā ānando pubbe appaṭisaṁvidito rañño antepuraṁ pavisissatī”ti …pe…“How could Venerable Ānanda enter the royal compound without first being announced?” …1.2.12“saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, ānanda, pubbe appaṭisaṁvidito rañño antepuraṁ pavisasī”ti?“Is it true, Ānanda, that you did this?”

1.2.13“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.2.14Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked him …1.2.15kathañhi nāma tvaṁ, ānanda, pubbe appaṭisaṁvidito rañño antepuraṁ pavisissasi.“Ānanda, how could you do this?1.2.16Netaṁ, ānanda, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.2.17vigarahitvā …pe…Having rebuked him …1.2.18dhammiṁ kathaṁ katvā bhikkhū āmantesi—the Buddha gave a teaching and addressed the monks:

1.3.54Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā dubbharatāya …pe…Then, after rebuking Ānanda in many ways, the Buddha spoke in dispraise of being difficult to support …1.3.55evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this: