Jataka Tales 25: Tittha

Tittha Jataka While at Jetavana the Buddha told this story about a monk, an ex-goldsmith, who was a co-resident of Sariputta, one of the Buddha's chief disciples. The Tathagata has the knowledge and can read the heart and thoughts of men; but because of lack of this power Sariputta had little knowledge of the heart and thoughts of his co-resident. Thus he gave him impurity as the subject for his meditation.

This was no good to him. According to tradition he had been born as a goldsmith for five hundred successive births; as a result of seeing pure gold for so long the subject of impurity was useless to him. He spent for months hard at work on what Sariputta had given him without being able to get the slightest idea of it. Sariputta finding himself unable to cause his co-resident to win Arahatship thought to himself: "This is one whom only the Buddha can convert." So early one morning he went with him to the Buddha.

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The Buddha asked: "What is it Sariputta that has brought you and this brother monk?" "Lord, I gave him a subject for meditation but at the end of four months of work he had not the faintest insight into it. So I brought him to you thinking that here is one whom only the Buddha can convert."

"What meditation subject did you give him, Sariputta?" "The subject of impurity, Lord."

"Sariputta, it is not yours to know the hearts and thoughts of men. You may leave now and come back later this evening to fetch your co-resident."

After Sariputta left the Buddha had this brother monk change into clean robes. He kept him by his side all the time. When they went into town for alms he gave him the choicest foods as his share. Returning to the monastery he went into his Perfumed Chamber, and in the evening he walked about the monastery with the brother monk at his side.

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Then he made a pond appear and in it there was a very large lotus flower. He said to him: "Sit here, and look at this flower." Then leaving him seated thus he went into his Perfumed Chamber.

That brother monk sat there and earnestly looked at the lotus flower. As he looked he saw the flower fading in its decay; the petals fell off, from the rim, till after a short while all were gone.

Then the stamens fell off and only the pericarps were left.

As he looked, the brother thought to himself: "Even though this lotus flower was beautiful yet its colour is gone, its petals and stamens have fallen, and only the pericarps are left. Decay has come upon this beautiful lotus; what may not then befall my body? Transitory are all compounded things!"

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Thus with this thought he won insight. The Buddha knowing that insight had arisen in this brother's mind he showed a radiant semblance of himself to him thus: "Pluck out the ego as you pluck a water-lily. Concentrate on the Path of Peace."

At the end of these words the monk won Arahatship. He knew he would never be born again, never to be troubled by existence of any kind, and he burst into a beautiful utterance beginning with these stanzas. He's lived his life, with thought ripe; He, from all evil cleansed and free, Wears his last body; he whose life is pure, Whose subject senses owned, him sovereign lord; Like the moon free from Rahu's jaws, Who has won supreme release.

The foulness that covered me, that caused Delusion's utter blackness I threw off; As with thousands of rays the bright sun Lights up heaven with a flood of light.

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After this and more renewed exclamations of delight he went to the Buddha and greeted him respectfully. Sariputta came too and after saluting the Buddha went back with his co-resident. When news of this became known among the monks they gathered in the Dharma Hall and there sat praising the virtues of the Lord of Wisdom, and saying: "Venerable Sir, through not knowing the hearts and thoughts of men, the Venerable Sariputta did not know his co-resident's nature.

But the Buddha knew and within a day had bestowed Arahatship on him together with perfect knowledge of Truth. Oh, how great are the marvellous powers of a Buddha!"

Entering and taking his seat the Buddha asked: "What is the subject of your discussion in this meeting, Monks?" They replied: "Nothing else, Venerable Sir, only you had knowledge to read the hearts and thoughts of the co-resident of the Chief Disciple, Sariputta ."

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"This is no marvel, monks, that the Tathagata should now know this monk's nature. Even in bygone days I knew it equally well." And so he told them this story from the past.

Story of the past Once upon a time Brahmadatta was the King in Benares. The Bodhisatta was in those days the king's spiritual and temporal director. Some folk were then washing a horse, a hack, at the bathing place of the king's state thoroughbred.

When its groom was leading it down there it became upset and refused to go in. So the groom reported to the king that the state charger refused to take its bath.

Upon hearing about this matter the king sent for the Bodhisatta and said: "Please go sage and find out why the animal won't go into the water."

"Yes, your majesty," replied the Bodhisatta and he promptly went to the bathing place.

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When he arrived he examined the horse and found nothing wrong with it. Next he tried to find out the reason for its refusal to enter the water.

Finally he concluded another horse could have been washed there earlier, and the state charger had detected its scent and been offended.

So he asked the grooms whether some other horse had first been washed there. They replied: "Yes, my lord, an ordinary animal." "Ah, it's his self-love that has been offended so deeply that it will not go into the water." So he said to the groom: "A man will become tired even with the finest food if he has it always.

That's how it is with this horse. He has been washed here too often. Take him to another bathing place and there bathe and water him."

Then he spoke thus: Change of scene is essential to people and animals tired of monotony.

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The grooms then led the horse to another spot and bathed him without any further trouble. In the meantime the Bodhisatta returned to report to the king. "Well," said the king, "has my horse taken his drink and bath, my friend?" "He has, your majesty." "Then, why he would not do so the first time?" So the Bodhisatta told him what happened. "What a clever fellow he is," thought the king. "He could even read the mind of an animal." Thereupon he gave great honour to the Bodhisatta's wisdom. Eventually he passed away to fare according to his deeds. The Bodhisatta also passed away to fare likewise according to his deeds.

End of story of the past When the Buddha had ended the lesson he repeated what he had said earlier as to his knowledge. He identified the birth and said: "This brother was the state charger of those days; Ananda was the king and I, myself, was the wise minister."

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