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Mv V 01
PTS: Mv V 1 | CS: vin.mv.05.01
Soṇakoḷivisavatthu
The Story of Soṇa Koḷivisa
by
Ven. Khematto Bhikkhu
Alternate translations/layout: 'line by line' Pāḷi - English

(Mv.V.1.1) [1] Now on that occasion the Buddha, the Blessed One, was staying near Rājagaha on Vulture Peak Mountain. And at that time King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha was ruling the kingdom — a dominion of 80,000 villagers.[1] At that time in Campā there was a son of a good family named Soṇa Koḷivisa — delicate, a money-lender’s son. There was hair growing even on the soles of his feet. Then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, having had the 80,000 villagers gather together for some business or other, sent a messenger to Soṇa Koḷivisa’s presence, (saying,) “Let Soṇa come. I desire Soṇa’s coming.”

(Mv.V.1.2) Then Soṇa Koḷivisa’s parents said to him, “Dear son, the king wants to look at your feet. But you shouldn’t point your feet at the king. Sit cross-legged in front of him — he will see your feet as you are sitting.” Then they brought Soṇa Koḷivisa on a sedan-chair. He went to King Seniya Bimbisāra and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat down cross-legged in front of him. King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha saw the hair growing on Soṇa Koḷivisa’s feet.

(Mv.V.1.3) Then King Bimbisāra of Magadha, having admonished the 80,000 villagers concerning what is beneficial in the here-and-now, dismissed them, (saying,) “I say, I have admonished you concerning what is beneficial in the here-and-now. Go to the Blessed One and attend on him. The Blessed One will admonish you concerning what is beneficial in the other world.”

So the 80,000 villagers went to Vulture Peak Mountain.

(Mv.V.1.4) Now at that time Ven. Sāgata was the Blessed One’s attendant. Then the 80,000 villagers went to Ven. Sāgata and, on arrival, said to him, “We 80,000 villagers have come to see the Blessed One. It would be good, venerable sir, if we could get to see the Blessed One.”

“In that case, stay right here for a moment, sirs, while I tell the Blessed One.”

(Mv.V.1.5) Then Ven. Sāgata, in front of the gaping 80,000 villagers, sunk down into the stone slab in front of the dwelling. Rising up in front of the Blessed One, he said to him, “Lord, these 80,000 villagers have come to see the Blessed One. Now is the time for the Blessed One to do as he sees fit.”

“In that case, Sāgata, lay out a seat in the shade of the dwelling.”

(Mv.V.1.6) Responding, “As you say, lord,” Ven. Sāgata took a bench and sunk down into the ground in front of the Blessed One. Rising out of the stone slab in front of the gaping 80,000 villagers, he laid out the seat in the shade of the dwelling. Then the Blessed One came out of the dwelling and sat down on the seat laid out in the shade of the dwelling.

(Mv.V.1.7) The 80,000 villagers went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. But the 80,000 villagers were still focused on Ven. Sāgata, not as much on the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, having known with his awareness the train of thought in the awareness of the 80,000 villagers, addressed Ven. Sāgata, “In that case, Sāgata, display even greater wonders and superior human attainments.”

Responding, “As you say, lord,” to the Blessed One, Ven. Sāgata rose up into the air, walked back and forth in space, in the sky, stood, sat, lay down, emitted smoke, emitted flames, and disappeared.

(Mv.V.1.8) Then when he had displayed various wonders and superior human attainments in the sky, in empty space, he put his head down at the Blessed One’s feet and said to him, ”The Blessed One is my teacher. I am his disciple. The Blessed One is my teacher. I am his disciple.”

Then the 80,000 villagers, (thinking), “How amazing! How astounding! — in that even the disciple could be so mighty and powerful. Wow! What about the teacher?” focused on the Blessed One, not as much on Ven. Sāgata.[2]

(Mv.V.1.9) Then the Blessed One, having known with his awareness the train of thought in the awareness of the 80,000 villagers, gave them a graduated talk: talk on generosity, talk on virtue, talk on heaven, talk on the drawbacks, lowliness, and defilement of sensuality, and talk on the rewards of renunciation. When the Blessed One knew that their minds were ready — malleable, free from hindrances, uplifted, and bright — he proclaimed the characteristic Dhamma talk of Buddhas: stress, origination, cessation, and path. Just as a clean piece of cloth, free from grime, would properly take dye, in the same way the dustless, stainless eye of Dhamma arose for them as they were sitting right there — “Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.”

(Mv.V.1.10) Then they, having seen the Dhamma, having attained the Dhamma, having known the Dhamma, having fathomed the Dhamma, having crossed over and beyond uncertainty, having no more perplexity, having gained fearlessness, independence of others with regard to the Teacher’s message, said to the Blessed One,

“Magnificent, lord! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place upright what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way has the Blessed One — through many lines of reasoning — made the Dhamma clear. We go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma, & to the Saṅgha of monks. May the Blessed One remember us as lay followers who has gone for refuge from this day forward, for life.”

Notes

1.
tena kho pana samayena rājā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro asītiyā gāmikasahassesu [ME: gāmasahassesu] issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kāreti.
2.
athakho tāni asīti gāmikasahassāni acchariyaṁ vata bho abbhutaṁ vata bho sāvako [ME: sāvakopi] hi nāma evaṁmahiddhiko bhavissati evaṁmahānubhāvo aho nūna satthāti bhagavantaṁyeva samannāharanti no tathā āyasmantaṁ sāgataṁ.
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