SN 41.4

Mahakapāṭihāriyasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā therā bhikkhū macchikāsaṇḍe viharanti ambāṭakavane. Atha kho citto gahapati yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati there bhikkhū etadavoca: “adhivāsentu me, bhante, therā svātanāya gokule bhattan”ti. Adhivāsesuṁ kho therā bhikkhū tuṇhībhāvena. Atha kho citto gahapati therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi. Atha kho therā bhikkhū tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena cittassa gahapatino gokulaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdiṁsu.

Mahaka’s Demonstration

At one time several senior mendicants were staying near Macchikāsaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove. Then Citta the householder went up to them, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to them, “Sirs, would the senior monks please accept tomorrow’s meal from me in my milkshed?” They consented with silence. Then, knowing that the senior mendicants had consented, Citta rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled them, keeping them on his right, before leaving. Then when the night had passed, the senior mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, went to Citta’s milkshed, and sat down on the seats spread out.

Atha kho citto gahapati there bhikkhū paṇītena sappipāyāsena sahatthā santappesi sampavāresi. Atha kho therā bhikkhū bhuttāvino onītapattapāṇino uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu. Cittopi kho gahapati “sesakaṁ vissajjethā”ti vatvā there bhikkhū piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandhi. Tena kho pana samayena uṇhaṁ hoti kuthitaṁ; te ca therā bhikkhū paveliyamānena maññe kāyena gacchanti, yathā taṁ bhojanaṁ bhuttāvino.

Then Citta served and satisfied the senior mendicants with his own hands with delicious milk-rice made with ghee. When the senior mendicants had eaten and washed their hands and bowls, they rose from their seats and left. Citta instructed that the leftovers of the food be distributed, then followed behind the senior mendicants. Now at that time it was boiling hot. And those senior mendicants walked along as if their bodies were melting, as happens after a meal.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahako tasmiṁ bhikkhusaṅghe sabbanavako hoti. Atha kho āyasmā mahako āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: “sādhu khvassa, bhante thera, sītako ca vāto vāyeyya, abbhasampilāpo ca assa, devo ca ekamekaṁ phusāyeyyā”ti.

Now at that time Venerable Mahaka was the most junior mendicant in that Saṅgha. Then Venerable Mahaka said to the senior venerable, “Wouldn’t it be nice, Honorable Senior, if a cool wind blew, a cloud canopy formed, and a gentle rain drizzled down?”

“Sādhu khvassa, āvuso mahaka, yaṁ sītako ca vāto vāyeyya, abbhasampilāpo ca assa, devo ca ekamekaṁ phusāyeyyā”ti. Atha kho āyasmā mahako tathārūpaṁ iddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkhari yathā sītako ca vāto vāyi, abbhasampilāpo ca assa, devo ca ekamekaṁ phusi. Atha kho cittassa gahapatino etadahosi: “yo kho imasmiṁ bhikkhusaṅghe sabbanavako bhikkhu tassāyaṁ evarūpo iddhānubhāvo”ti. Atha kho āyasmā mahako ārāmaṁ sampāpuṇitvā āyasmantaṁ theraṁ etadavoca: “alamettāvatā, bhante therā”ti? “Alamettāvatā, āvuso mahaka. Katamettāvatā, āvuso mahaka. Pūjitamettāvatā, āvuso mahakā”ti. Atha kho therā bhikkhū yathāvihāraṁ agamaṁsu. Āyasmāpi mahako sakaṁ vihāraṁ agamāsi.

“It would indeed be nice, Reverend Mahaka.” Then Mahaka used his psychic power to will that a cool wind would blow, a cloud canopy would form, and a gentle rain would drizzle down. Then Citta thought, “The most junior mendicant in this Saṅgha has such psychic power!” When they reached the monastery, Mahaka said to the senior venerable, “Honorable Senior, is that sufficient?” “That’s sufficient, Reverend Mahaka, you’ve done enough and offered enough.” Then the senior mendicants entered their dwellings, and Mahaka entered his own dwelling.

Atha kho citto gahapati yenāyasmā mahako tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahakaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ mahakaṁ etadavoca: “sādhu me, bhante, ayyo mahako uttari manussadhammaṁ iddhipāṭihāriyaṁ dassetū”ti. “Tena hi tvaṁ, gahapati, ālinde uttarāsaṅgaṁ paññapetvā tiṇakalāpaṁ okāsehī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho citto gahapati āyasmato mahakassa paṭissutvā ālinde uttarāsaṅgaṁ paññapetvā tiṇakalāpaṁ okāsesi. Atha kho āyasmā mahako vihāraṁ pavisitvā sūcighaṭikaṁ datvā tathārūpaṁ iddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkhari yathā tālacchiggaḷena ca aggaḷantarikāya ca acci nikkhamitvā tiṇāni jhāpesi, uttarāsaṅgaṁ na jhāpesi. Atha kho citto gahapati uttarāsaṅgaṁ papphoṭetvā saṁviggo lomahaṭṭhajāto ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Atha kho āyasmā mahako vihārā nikkhamitvā cittaṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca: “alamettāvatā, gahapatī”ti?

Then Citta went up to Mahaka, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, please show me a superhuman demonstration of psychic power.” “Well, then, householder, place your upper robe on the porch and spread a handful of grass on it.” “Yes, sir,” replied Citta, and did as he was asked. Mahaka entered his dwelling and latched the door. Then he used his psychic power to will that a flame shoot out through the keyhole and the chink in the door-panel, and it burned up the grass but not the upper robe. Then Citta shook out his upper robe and stood to one side, shocked and awestruck. Mahaka left his dwelling and said to Citta, “Is that sufficient, householder?”

“Alamettāvatā, bhante mahaka. Katamettāvatā, bhante, mahaka. Pūjitamettāvatā, bhante mahaka. Abhiramatu, bhante, ayyo mahako macchikāsaṇḍe. Ramaṇīyaṁ ambāṭakavanaṁ. Ahaṁ ayyassa mahakassa ussukkaṁ karissāmi cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānan”ti. “Kalyāṇaṁ vuccati, gahapatī”ti. Atha kho āyasmā mahako senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya macchikāsaṇḍamhā pakkāmi. Yaṁ macchikāsaṇḍamhā pakkāmi, tathā pakkantova ahosi; na puna paccāgacchīti.

“That’s sufficient, sir, you’ve done enough and offered enough. I hope Master Mahaka is happy here in Macchikāsaṇḍa, for the Wild Mango Grove is lovely. I’ll make sure that Master Mahaka is provided with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.” “That’s nice of you to say, householder.” But Mahaka set his lodgings in order and, taking his bowl and robe, left Macchikāsaṇḍa, never to return.