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Mv VI 13
PTS: Mv VI 26 | CS: vin.mv.06.13
Velaṭṭhakaccānavatthu
The Story of Velaṭṭha Kaccāna
by
Ven. Khematto Bhikkhu
Alternate translations/layout: 'line by line' Pāḷi - English

(Mv.VI.26.1) [65] Then the Blessed One, having stayed at Andhakavinda as long as he liked, set out on a wandering tour toward Rājagaha, along with the large Saṅgha of monks — 1,250 monks. Now on that occasion Velaṭṭha Kaccāna was traveling along the road from Rājagha to Andhakavinda with five-hundred carts, all filled with jars of lump sugar. The Blessed One saw him coming in the distance and, on seeing him, coming down from the road, sat down at the root of a certain tree.

(Mv.VI.26.2) Then Velaṭṭha Kaccāna went to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, stood to one side. As he was standing there, he said to the Blessed One, “I would like to give each monk one jar of lump sugar.”

“In that case, Kaccāna, bring just one jar of lump sugar.”

Responding, “As you say, lord,” to the Blessed One, taking just one jar of lump sugar, he went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, said to him, “I have brought a jar of lump sugar, lord. Now what should I do?”

“In this case, Kaccāna, give sugar lumps to the monks.”

(Mv.VI.26.3) Responding, “As you say, lord,” to the Blessed One, having given sugar lumps to the monks, said to the Blessed One, “Lord, I have given sugar lumps to the monks, but there is a lot of sugar left over. Now what should I do?”

“In this case, Kaccāna, give sugar lumps to the monks, as much as they want.”

Responding, “As you say, lord,” to the Blessed One, having given sugar lumps to the monks, as much as they wanted, said to the Blessed One, “Lord, I have given sugar lumps to the monks, as much as they wanted, but there is a lot of sugar left over. Now what should I do?”

“In this case, Kaccāna, satisfy[1] the monks with sugar lumps.”

Responding, “As you say, lord,” to the Blessed One, he satisfied the monks with sugar lumps. Some monks filled their bowls, some water-strainers and bags.

(Mv.VI.26.4) Then Velaṭṭha Kaccāna, having satisfied the monks with sugar lumps, said to the Blessed One, “ I have satisfied the monks with sugar lumps, but there is a lot of sugar left over. Now what should I do?”

“In this case, Kaccāna, give sugar lumps to those who live off of scraps.”

Responding, “As you say, lord,” to the Blessed One, having given sugar lumps to those who live off of scraps, said to the Blessed One, “Lord, I have given sugar lumps to those who live off of scraps, but there is a lot of sugar left over. Now what should I do?”

“In this case, Kaccāna, give sugar lumps to those who live off of scraps, as much as they want.”

(Mv.VI.26.5) Responding, “As you say, lord,” to the Blessed One, having given sugar lumps to those who live off of scraps, as much as they wanted, said to the Blessed One, “Lord, I have given sugar lumps to those who live off of scraps, as much as they wanted, but there is a lot of sugar left over. Now what should I do?”

“In this case, Kaccāna, satisfy those who live off of scraps with sugar lumps.”

Responding, “As you say, lord,” to the Blessed One, he satisfied those who live off of scraps with sugar lumps. Some of them filled pitchers and pots, some filled baskets and the laps of their robes.

(Mv.VI.26.6) Then Velaṭṭha Kaccāna, having satisfied those who live off of scraps with sugar lumps, said to the Blessed One, “ I have satisfied those who live off of scraps with sugar lumps, but there is a lot of sugar left over. Now what should I do?”

“Kaccāna, I don’t see that person in this world — with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, in this generation with its royalty & commonfolk — by whom this sugar, having been consumed, would be rightly digested, aside from a Tathāgata or a Tathāgata’s disciple.

“In that case, Kaccāna, throw the sugar away in a place without vegetation, or dump it in water with no living beings.”

Responding, “As you say, lord” to the Blessed One, Velaṭṭha Kaccāna dumped the sugar in water with no living beings.

(Mv.VI.26.7) And the sugar, when dropped in the water, hissed & sizzled, seethed & steamed. Just as an iron ball heated all day, when tossed in the water, hisses & sizzles, seethes & steams, in the same way the sugar, when dropped in the water, hissed & sizzled, seethed & steamed. Then Velaṭṭha Kaccāna, in awe, his hair standing on end, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down, sat to one side.

(Mv.VI.26.8) As he was sitting there, the Blessed One gave him 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 Velaṭṭha Kaccāna’s mind was 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 Velaṭṭha Kaccāna as he was sitting right there — “Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.”

(Mv.VI.26.9) Then Velaṭṭha Kaccāna, 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.

“I go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma, & to the Saṅgha of monks.

“May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge from this day forward, for life.”

(Mv.VI.27.1) [66] Then the Blessed One set out on a wandering tour toward Rājagaha, and traveling by stages, arrived at Rājagaha. There at Rājagaha, he stayed in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel’s Feeding Ground. Now at that time there was an abundance of lump sugar in Rājagaha (Thinking,) “The Blessed One has allowed lump sugar for one who is sick, not for one who is not sick,” didn’t consume the lump sugar.

They reported the matter to the Blessed One.

“Monks, I allow lump sugar for a bhikkhu who is sick, and lump-sugar water for one who is not sick.”[2]

Notes

1.
Apparently this word means to give them even more than they would politely accept.
2.
BMCI: NP23: Lump-sugar Water.
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