English
"We attend to the community of monks with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, medicines. Yet, the visiting monks depart, they do not stay, they abandon the dwelling. What, pray, is the reason, what is the cause why the visiting monks depart, do not stay, abandon the dwelling?" Then it occurred to the local lay followers: "This Venerable Dhammika abuses, reviles, harms, torments, and scolds the visiting monks with words. And those visiting monks, being abused, reviled, harmed, tormented, and scolded by Venerable Dhammika with words, depart, do not stay, abandon the dwelling. What if we were to expel Venerable Dhammika?" Then the local lay followers approached Venerable Dhammika; having approached, they said to Venerable Dhammika: "Depart, Venerable Dhammika, from this dwelling; enough of your dwelling here." Then Venerable Dhammika went from that dwelling to another dwelling. There too, Venerable Dhammika abused, reviled, harmed, tormented, and scold the visiting monks with words. And those visiting monks, being abused, reviled, harmed, tormented, and scolded by Venerable Dhammika with words, depart, do not stay, abandon the dwelling. Then it occurred to the local lay followers: "We attend to the community of monks with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, medicines. Yet, the visiting monks depart, they do not stay, they abandon the dwelling. What, pray, is the reason, what is the cause why the visiting monks depart, do not stay, abandon the dwelling?" Then it occurred to the local lay followers: "This Venerable Dhammika abuses the visiting monks, reviles them... reviles, abuses, harms, torments, insults with words. And those visiting monks, being reviled, abused, harmed, tormented, insulted with words by Venerable Dhammika, depart, do not stay, abandon the dwelling. What if we were to expel Venerable Dhammika?” Then the lay followers of that region approached Venerable Dhammika; having approached, they said to Venerable Dhammika: “Depart, Venerable Dhammika, from this dwelling too; enough of your dwelling here.” Then Venerable Dhammika went from that dwelling to another dwelling. There too, Venerable Dhammika reviled, abused, harmed, tormented, insulted with words the visiting monks. And those visiting monks, being reviled, abused, harmed, tormented, insulted with words by Venerable Dhammika, depart, do not stay, abandon the dwelling. Then it occurred to the lay followers of that region: “We attend to the community of monks with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, medicines, and supplies. Yet, the visiting monks depart, do not stay, abandon the dwelling. What could be the reason, what the cause, why the visiting monks depart, do not stay, abandon the dwelling?” Then it occurred to the lay followers of that region: “This Venerable Dhammika reviles the visiting monks… (and so on)…. What if we were to expel Venerable Dhammika from all seven dwellings in this region?” Then the lay followers of that region approached Venerable Dhammika; having approached, they said to Venerable Dhammika: “Depart, Venerable Dhammika, from all seven dwellings in this region.” Then it occurred to Venerable Dhammika: “I have been expelled by the lay followers of this region from all seven dwellings in this region.” "Where shall I go now?" Then it occurred to Venerable Dhammika: "What if I were to approach the Blessed One?" Then Venerable Dhammika, taking his bowl and robe, set out for Rājagaha. In due course, he approached the Blessed One at Gijjhakūṭa mountain in Rājagaha. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. To Venerable Dhammika, seated to one side, the Blessed One said: "Well, from where do you come, brahmin Dhammika?" "I have been expelled, sir, by the lay followers of Jātibhūmi, from all seven dwellings in Jātibhūmi." "Enough, brahmin Dhammika, what is this to you, that they expel you from here and there? You, expelled from here and there, come to me." "Formerly, brahmin Dhammika, sea-faring merchants, taking a shore-sighting bird, would embark on the ocean in a ship. When the ship was out of sight of land, they would release the shore-sighting bird. It would go to the east, it would go to the west, it would go to the north, it would go to the south, it would go upwards, it would go to the intermediate directions. If it saw land all around, it would be as if it had found a Tathāgata. But if it did not see land all around, it would return to that very ship. Just so, brahmin Dhammika, they expel you from here and there, and you, expelled from here and there, come to me." "Formerly, brahmin Dhammika, King Korabya had a banyan king named Suppatiṭṭha, with five branches, cool shade, and delightful. Now, brahmin Dhammika, that banyan king Suppatiṭṭha had an expanse of twelve leagues, and its root-spread was five leagues. Now, brahmin Dhammika, that banyan king Suppatiṭṭha..." Its fruits were then large, just like a rice pot. Its fruits were then sweet, just like pure honey, free from dregs. Now, brahmin Dhammika, of the well-established royal banyan tree, one branch the king enjoyed with his harem, one branch the army enjoyed, one branch the townspeople and country folk enjoyed, one branch ascetics and brahmins enjoyed, one branch animals [and birds] enjoyed. Now, brahmin Dhammika, of the well-established royal banyan tree, no one guarded its fruits, nor did they harm each other's fruits. Then, brahmin Dhammika, a certain man, after eating his fill of the fruits of the well-established royal banyan tree, broke a branch and departed. Then, brahmin Dhammika, to the deity dwelling in the well-established royal banyan tree, this thought occurred: 'Oh, how wonderful, oh, how amazing! How wicked this man is, who, after eating his fill of the fruits of the well-established royal banyan tree, will break a branch and depart! What if the well-established royal banyan tree were not to give fruit in the future?' Then, brahmin Dhammika, the well-established royal banyan tree did not give fruit in the future. Then, brahmin Dhammika, King Korabya approached Sakka, lord of the devas; having approached, he said to Sakka, lord of the devas: 'Please, good sir, know that the well-established royal banyan tree gives no fruit!' Then, brahmin Dhammika, Sakka, lord of the devas, performed such a feat of psychic power, that a strong wind and rain came and uprooted the well-established royal banyan tree, making it fall. Then O, righteous brahmin, the deity dwelling in the well-established Banyan King, distressed, displeased, with tearful face, weeping, stood to one side. Then, O righteous brahmin, Sakka, king of the gods, approached the deity dwelling in the well-established Banyan King; having approached, he said to the deity dwelling in the well-established Banyan King: “Why, O deity, are you distressed, displeased, with tearful face, weeping, standing to one side?” “Because, sir, a fierce wind and rain came and swept away my dwelling, uprooting it.” “But, O deity, were you abiding in the nature of a tree when a fierce wind and rain came and swept away your dwelling, uprooting it?” “How, sir, does a tree abide in the nature of a tree?” “Here, O deity, those who want roots take its roots, those who want bark take its bark, those who want leaves take its leaves, those who want flowers take its flowers, those who want fruit take its fruit. And the deity should not feel displeasure or dissatisfaction because of that. Thus, O deity, does a tree abide in the nature of a tree.” “Indeed, sir, I was not abiding in the nature of a tree when a fierce wind and rain came and swept away my dwelling, uprooting it.” “If, O deity, you were to abide in the nature of a tree, your dwelling would be as before.” “I shall abide, sir, in the nature of a tree; let my dwelling be as before.” Then, O righteous brahmin, Sakka, king of the gods, performed such a feat of psychic power, that the fierce wind and rain came and raised up the well-established Banyan King, and its roots became fresh. Just so, O righteous brahmin, did the lay followers of the native land expel you, who were abiding in the nature of a recluse, from the native land altogether, with seven dwellings?” “How, venerable sir, does a recluse is not established in the duties of a recluse? “Here, righteous brahmin, a recluse does not revile one who reviles, does not rage at one who rages, does not quarrel with one who quarrels. Thus, indeed, righteous brahmin, a recluse is established in the duties of a recluse.” “Not established, indeed, was I, venerable sir, in the duties of a recluse, when the lay followers of my birthplace ordained me in all seven residences of my birthplace.” “Formerly, righteous brahmin, there was a teacher named Sunetto, a founder of a sect, free from passion for sensual pleasures. And indeed, righteous brahmin, to that Sunetto, the teacher, there were many hundreds of disciples. The teacher Sunetto taught the Dhamma for companionship with the Brahma-world. And indeed, righteous brahmin, those who, when the teacher Sunetto was teaching the Dhamma for companionship with the Brahma-world, did not gladden their minds, they, at the breaking up of the body, after death, reappeared in a state of loss, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. And indeed, righteous brahmin, those who, when the teacher Sunetto was teaching the Dhamma for companionship with the Brahma-world, gladdened their minds, they, at the breaking up of the body, after death, reappeared in a good destination, a heavenly world. “Formerly, righteous brahmin, there was a teacher named Mūgapakkha... and so on... there was a teacher named Aranemi... there was a teacher named Kuddālaka... there was a teacher named Hatthipāla... there was a teacher named Jotīpāla, a founder of a sect, free from passion for sensual pleasures. And indeed, righteous brahmin, to that Jotīpāla, the teacher, there were many hundreds of disciples.