83. Antepurasikkhāpada
Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena rājā pasenadi kosalo uyyānapālaṁ āṇāpesi—“gaccha, bhaṇe, uyyānaṁ sodhehi. Uyyānaṁ gamissāmā”ti. “Evaṁ, devā”ti kho so uyyānapālo rañño pasenadissa kosalassa paṭissutvā uyyānaṁ sodhento addasa bhagavantaṁ aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle nisinnaṁ. Disvāna yena rājā pasenadi kosalo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ etadavoca—“suddhaṁ, deva, uyyānaṁ. Api ca bhagavā tattha nisinno”ti. “Hotu, bhaṇe. Mayaṁ bhagavantaṁ payirupāsissāmā”ti. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo uyyānaṁ gantvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami. Tena kho pana samayena aññataro upāsako bhagavantaṁ payirupāsanto nisinno hoti. Addasā kho rājā pasenadi kosalo taṁ upāsakaṁ bhagavantaṁ payirupāsantaṁ nisinnaṁ. Disvāna bhīto aṭṭhāsi. Atha kho rañño pasenadissa kosalassa etadahosi—“nārahatāyaṁ puriso pāpo hotuṁ, yathā bhagavantaṁ payirupāsatī”ti. Yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Atha 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. Atha kho bhagavā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ anattamanaṁ viditvā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ etadavoca—“eso kho, mahārāja, upāsako bahussuto āgatāgamo kāmesu vītarāgo”ti. Atha kho rañño pasenadissa kosalassa etadahosi—“nārahatāyaṁ upāsako orako hotuṁ, bhagavāpi imassa vaṇṇaṁ bhāsatī”ti. Taṁ upāsakaṁ etadavoca—“vadeyyāsi, upāsaka, yena attho”ti. “Suṭṭhu, devā”ti. Atha 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. Tena kho pana samayena rājā pasenadi kosalo uparipāsādavaragato hoti. Addasā kho rājā pasenadi kosalo taṁ upāsakaṁ rathikāya chattapāṇiṁ gacchantaṁ. Disvāna pakkosāpetvā etadavoca—“tvaṁ kira, upāsaka, bahussuto āgatāgamo. Sādhu, upāsaka, amhākaṁ itthāgāraṁ dhammaṁ vācehī”ti. “Yamahaṁ, deva, jānāmi ayyānaṁ vāhasā, ayyāva devassa itthāgāraṁ dhammaṁ vācessantī”ti.
Entering a royal compound unannounced Origin story
At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, King Pasenadi of Kosala told his park-keeper, “Go and clean up the park; I’ll be going there.” “Yes, sir.” While cleaning the park, he saw the Buddha seated at the foot of a tree. He then went to King Pasenadi and said, “The park is clean, sir, but the Buddha is sitting there.” “Marvelous! I’ll visit him.” The king went to the park and approached the Buddha, but just then a lay follower was seated there. When the king saw him, he became fearful and stopped. 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. 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. 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.” The king thought, “This lay follower doesn’t deserve to be in an inferior position, since even the Buddha praises him.” And he said to that lay follower, “Please say what you want.” “Thank you, sir.” 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. Soon afterwards King Pasenadi was up in his finest stilt house, when he saw that lay follower walking along the street, holding a sunshade. He summoned him and said, “You are a learned Buddhist, a master of the tradition. Please teach my harem.” “Whatever I know, sir, I know because of the monks. They should teach the harem.”