English
It is said that during the time of the Brāhmaṇa Tissa scare, twelve thousand monks resided on Cittalapabbata, and likewise at Tissa Mahāvihāra. In both great monasteries, the store of provisions for three years, was eaten in one night by great mice, leaving only the husks. The Saṅgha at Cittalapabbata thought, "The provisions will be distributed at Tissa Mahāvihāra, we will go there and reside," and they departed from the monastery. The Saṅgha at Tissa Mahāvihāra also thought, "The provisions will be distributed at Cittalapabbata, we will go there and reside," and they departed from the monastery. Both met on the bank of a deep ravine, and having inquired and learned of the depletion of the provisions, thinking, "What shall we do by going there?" twenty-four thousand monks, entered the deep ravine forest, and sitting down, passed away into the element of Nibbāna without remainder, in the very posture of sitting. Afterwards, when the scare had subsided, the Saṅgha, taking Sakka, the king of the gods, collected the relics and built a shrine. The robber Brāhmaṇa Tissa also devastated the countryside. The Saṅgha assembled, deliberated, and "Let him repel the robber," they sent eight elders to Sakka. Sakka, the king of the gods, said, "Venerable sirs, the robber who has arisen through me, cannot be repelled. Let the Saṅgha go beyond the ocean. I will provide protection of the sea." The Saṅgha, from all directions, having gone to Nāgadīpa, had a great three-tiered raft built at Jambukolapaṭṭana. One tier sank into the water. On one, the Saṅgha of monks sat. On one, they placed their bowls and robes. The three elders, Cūḷasīvatthera, the reciter of the Saṃyutta, Isidattatthera, and Mahāsoṇatthera, were the leaders of those assemblies. Of them, two elders said to Mahāsoṇatthera: "Friend Mahāsoṇa, ascend the great raft." "And you, venerable sirs?" "Friend, death in the water and death on land are the same. We will not go. But relying on you, the lineage of the Teaching will endure in the future. Go you, friend." "I will not go, venerable sirs, while you do not go," having spoken thus three times, being unable to lift the elder up, they turned back. Then Cūḷasīvatthera said to Isidattatthera: "Friend Isidatta, in the future, the lineage of the Teaching will endure relying on Mahāsoṇatthera; do not let him slip from your grasp." "And you, venerable sir?" "I will worship the Great Cetiya," having instructed the two elders, wandering on tour in due course, he arrived at the Mahāvihāra. At that time, the Mahāvihāra was empty. Castor oil plants had grown in the Cetiya courtyard. The Cetiya was surrounded by weeds, covered with moss. The elder, as if showing obeisance to the living Buddha, having worshipped the Great Cetiya, entered the Sāla tree on the western side, looking around, thinking, 'The place of the relic Cetiya of one who attained the foremost gain, fame, and heaven has become desolate,' he sat down. Then a deity dwelling in a tree not far away, in the form of a weary man, taking a measure of rice and a lump of jaggery, went to the elder and said, "Where are you going, venerable sir?" "I am going to the southern direction, laymen." "I also wish to go there, let us go together, venerable sir." "I am weak; I will not be able to go at your pace; you go ahead, laymen." "I also am unable to go without you, venerable sir." "I will go by air," and took the elder's bowl and robe. When he had ascended Tissavapi Pali, he had the bowl brought and made a drink and gave it to him. As soon as the elder drank it, strength arose. A deity contracted the earth, and reaching a deserted monastery near the Venu River, prepared a dwelling place and gave it to the elder. The next day, as soon as the elder had washed his face, she cooked rice gruel and gave it to him; after he had drunk the rice gruel, she cooked rice and offered it. The elder, "Keep it for yourself, laywoman," covered the bowl with his hand. "I will not go far," the deity, putting rice in the elder's bowl, and taking the bowl and robe of the elder who had finished his meal, set out on the road, contracted the earth, and leading him near the Jajjara River, "Venerable sir, this is the dwelling place of leaf-eating people, smoke is visible. I will go ahead," and after venerating the elder, she went to her abode. The elder lived through all the time of danger relying on the leaf-eating people. The elder Isidatta, wandering in stages, reached the Alaja country. There, people broke open not-fully-ripe madhuka fruits, took the seed, and threw away the skin. The elder, "Friend Mahasona, alms food appears," having said this, had the bowl and robe brought, put on the robe, took out the bowl, and stood. Seeing the elder standing, young children, 'There will be some purpose in this,' swept away the sand, put the madhuka fruit skin in the bowl, and gave it; the elders consumed it. For about a week, that was their food. In stages, they reached Coriyasara. People took lotuses and threw away the lotus stalks. The elder, "Friend Mahasona, alms food appears," having said this, had the bowl and robe brought, put on the robe, took out the bowl, and stood. Village children cleaned the lotus stalks, put them in the bowl, and gave them; the elders consumed them. For about a week... Then their food was only grass. Wandering on in stages, they reached a village gate, the dwelling place of people who ate leaves. There, the parents of a certain girl, going to the forest, said, "If any venerable one comes, don't let him go anywhere; show the venerable one a dwelling place, dear." Seeing the elders, she took their bowls and had them sit down. There was no grain of any kind in the house. But taking an axe, she pounded the bark of the guñjaco tree together with guñja creeper leaves, made three balls, placed one in Isidatta Thera's bowl and one in Mahāsoṇa Thera's bowl, and stretched out her hand, thinking, 'I will place an extra ball in Isidatta Thera's bowl.' Her hand turned and placed it in Mahāsoṇa Thera's bowl. Isidatta Thera said, 'In the time of the Brāhmaṇa Tissa fear, how much result will the deed of giving a guñjaco ball give, due to the perfection of place and time?' Having eaten that, they went to their dwelling place. She also told her parents, who had come from the forest, "Two elders came. I showed them a dwelling place." Both of them went to the elders, paid homage, and took a promise, saying, "Venerable sirs, we will look after you with what we obtain; stay here." The elders also lived depending on them during all the time of fear. When Brāhmaṇa Tissa the thief died, the paternal grandfather king raised the umbrella. Hearing that 'the fear has subsided, the country is prosperous,' a community of monks from across the sea disembarked at Mahātittha port by ship and, asking 'Where does Mahāsoṇa Thera live?', went to the elder. The elder, with a retinue of five hundred monks, reached Maṇḍalārāma Monastery in Kālakagāma. At that time, seven hundred families lived in Kālakagāma. In the night, a deity wandered about, saying, "Mahāsoṇa Thera, with a retinue of five hundred monks, has arrived at Maṇḍalārāma Monastery. Let each one give a meal worth one kahāpaṇa together with a nine-cubit cloth." "Give alms!" they said to the people. The next day, the elders entered Kālakagāma for alms. The people had them sit down and gave them rice gruel. Tissa Bhūti Thera, residing at Maṇḍalārāma, sat down as the Saṅgha Thera. A great lay follower, after venerating him, asked, "Venerable sir, which one is Mahā Soṇa Thera?" At that time, the Thera was a novice, sitting at the edge. The Thera extended his hand and said, "This is Mahā Soṇa, lay follower." The lay follower, after venerating him, takes the bowl. The Thera does not give it. Tissa Bhūti Thera said, "Friend Soṇa, just as you do not know, we also do not know; The deities ripen the merit of the virtuous; Give the bowl, make a collection for your fellow monks." The Thera gave the bowl. The great lay follower, taking the bowl, Filled it with alms food worth a kahāpaṇa, Made a nine-cubit cloth a support, Brought it and placed it in the Thera's hand; Another lay follower also gave the Thera Seven hundred cloths and seven hundred alms foods, all for the Thera. The Thera, after sharing with the community of monks, Gradually reached the Mahāvihāra, Washed his face, venerated the Mahābodhi, Venerated the Mahācetiya, Standing at the Thūpārāma, having put on his robe, Surrounded by the community of monks, Entered the city through the southern gate, From the gate to the Vaḷañjanaka Hall, In this interval, he received alms food worth sixty kahāpaṇas. From then on, there was no measure of honor. Thus, in a time of misfortune, Even honey, fruit peel, and lotus stalk became scarce. In a time of prosperity, such great gain arose. For Vattabbaka Nigrodha Thera also, in his novice days, Fear of Brāhmaṇa Tissa arose. The novice and his preceptor Did not go across the ocean; 'We will live relying on people who eat leaves,' They were facing the border region. The novice, having been without food for about a week, Seeing ripe palmyra fruit on a palmyra tree in a village location, Said to his preceptor – "Venerable sir, wait a moment; I will knock down a ripe palmyra fruit." "You are weak, novice; do not climb." "I will climb, venerable sir," taking a small axe, he climbed the palmyra palm and began to cut the palmyra fruit cluster. The axe head came loose and fell to the ground. The elder thought, "This one has climbed the tree exhausted; what will he do now?" The novice split palmyra leaves, tied them to the axe handle, and, scraping and scraping, dropped it to the ground, saying, "Venerable sir, it would be good if you could insert the axe head here." The elder, thinking, "The novice is resourceful," inserted the axe head and gave it to him. He lifted the axe and knocked down the palmyra fruits.