Personalities of the Buddhist Suttas

Index

[234] At the top, Beggars, of those of my Beggars who is a Rag-Robe-man (lukhacivara-dharanam) is Mogharaja.

Mogharaja

(DPPN: He belonged to a brahmin family and studied under Bavari [A brahmin ascetic, who, when he could not comply to a demand for money was told his head would split into seven pieces. A deva told him that the one who made the threat did not know the meaning of his curse. Bavari asked who might know the meaning, and was told about the Buddha. He sent sixteen of his disciples to the Buddha to ask about the matter. On their way, the sixteen each gathered a thousand disciples, and upon finding the Buddha, and asking a number of questions, all became arahant. — this all according to DPPN and footnotes referencing commentary, I am unfamiliar with the fellow — mo] as an ascetic. He was one of the sixteen pupils sent by Babari to the Buddha. When Mogharaja had asked his question of the Buddha and had received the answer, he attained arahantship. He then attained distinction by wearing rough cloth which had been thrown away by caravaners, tailors, and dyers, and the Buddha declared him foremost among wearers of rough clothing. Later, through want of care and former kamma, pimples and the like broke out over his body. Judging that his lodging was infected, he spread a couch of straw [I heard he built a hut which he never repaired, always stating the reason to be the transience of things and the lack of time to waste on such matters] in the Magadha field and lived there even during the winter. When the Buddha asked him how he fared in the cold, he replied that he was extremely happy.

From the Psalms:
Gotama:
Well, Mogharajan, thou skin-sufferer,
Thou blest of heart and constantly serene,
Cometh the time when winter nights are cold,
And thou a brother poor — how wilt thou fare?
Thus asked, the Thera explained the matter to the Master:
Rich are the cornfields of the Magadhese,
And thriving, every one, I've heard it said.
My little straw-built canopy doth please
Better than other's way of finding ease.