Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka-Nipāta
XVIII. Upāsaka Vaggo
Sutta 180
Gavesī Suttaṃ
About Gavesin
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
Provenance, terms and conditons
[1][pts] On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering on a tour among the Kosalans with a large Saṇgha of monks.
As he was going along a road,
he saw a large Sal forest in a certain place.
Going down from the road,
he went to the Sal forest.
On reaching it,
he plunged into it
and at a certain spot,
broke into a smile.
Then the thought occurred to Ven. Ānanda,
"What is the cause,
what is the reason,
for the Blessed One's breaking into a smile?
It's not without purpose
that Tathāgata's break into smile."
So he said to the Blessed One,
"What is the cause,
what is the reason,
for the Blessed One's breaking into a smile?
It's not without purpose
that Tathāgata's break into smile."
"In this spot, Ānanda,
there was once a great city:
powerful, prosperous, populous,
crowded with people.
And on that city,
Kassapa the Blessed One,
worthy and rightly self-awakened,
dwelled dependent.
Now, Kassapa the Blessed One,
worthy and rightly self-awakened,
had a lay follower named Gavesin
who didn't practice in full
in terms of his virtue.
But because of Gavesin,
there were 500 people
who had been inspired
to declare themselves lay followers,
and yet who also didn't practice in full
in terms of their virtue.
"Then the thought occurred to Gavesin the lay follower:
'I am the benefactor of these 500 lay followers,
their leader, the one who has inspired them.
But I don't practice in full
in terms of my virtue,
just as they don't practice in full
in terms of their virtue.
In that we're exactly even;
there's nothing extra [for me].
How about something extra!'
So he went to the 500 lay followers
and on arrival said to them,
'From today onward
I want you to know me
as someone who practices in full
in terms of my virtue.'
"Then the thought occurred to the 500 lay followers:
'Master Gavesin is our benefactor, our leader,
the one who has inspired us.
He will now practice in full
in terms of his virtue.
So why shouldn't we?'
So they went to Gavesin the lay follower
and on arrival said to him,
'From today onward
we want Master Gavesin to know the 500 lay followers
as people who practice in full
in terms of their virtue.'
"Then the thought occurred to Gavesin the lay follower:
'I am the benefactor of these 500 lay followers,
their leader, the one who has inspired them.
I practice in full in terms of my virtue,
just as they practice in full
in terms of their virtue.
In that we're exactly even;
there's nothing extra [for me].
How about something extra!'
So he went to the 500 lay followers
and on arrival said to them,
'From today onward
I want you to know me
as someone who practices the chaste life,
the life apart,
abstaining from intercourse,
the act of villagers.'
"Then the thought occurred to the 500 lay followers:
'Master Gavesin is our benefactor, our leader,
the one who has inspired us.
He will now practice the chaste life,
the life apart,
abstaining from intercourse,
the act of villagers.
So why shouldn't we?'
So they went to Gavesin the lay follower
and on arrival said to him,
'From today onward
we want Master Gavesin to know the 500 lay followers
as people who practice the chaste life,
the life apart,
abstaining from intercourse,
the act of villagers.'
"Then the thought occurred to Gavesin the lay follower:
'I am the benefactor of these 500 lay followers, their leader,
the one who has inspired them.
I practice in full
in terms of my virtue,
just as they practice in full
in terms of their virtue.
I practice the chaste life,
the life apart,
abstaining from intercourse,
the act of villagers,
just as they practice the chaste life,
the life apart,
abstaining from intercourse,
the act of villagers.
In that we're exactly even;
there's nothing extra [for me].
How about something extra!'
So he went to the 500 lay followers
and on arrival said to them,
'From today onward
I want you to know me
as someone who eats only one meal a day,
refraining in the night,
abstaining from a meal
at the wrong time.'
"Then the thought occurred to the 500 lay followers:
'Master Gavesin is our benefactor, our leader,
the one who has inspired us.
He will now eat only one meal a day,
refraining in the night,
abstaining from a meal at the wrong time.
So why shouldn't we?'
So they went to Gavesin the lay follower
and on arrival said to him,
'From today onward
we want Master Gavesin to know the 500 lay followers
as people who eat only one meal a day,
refraining in the night,
abstaining from a meal
at the wrong time.'
"Then the thought occurred to Gavesin the lay follower:
'I am the benefactor of these 500 lay followers, their leader,
the one who has inspired them.
I practice in full
in terms of my virtue,
just as they practice in full
in terms of their virtue.
I practice the chaste life,
the life apart,
abstaining from intercourse,
the act of villagers,
just as they practice the chaste life,
the life apart,
abstaining from intercourse,
the act of villagers.
I eat only one meal a day,
refraining in the night,
abstaining from a meal
at the wrong time,
just as they eat only one meal a day,
refraining in the night,
abstaining from a meal
at the wrong time.
In that we're exactly even;
there's nothing extra [for me].
How about something extra!'
"So he went to Kassapa the Blessed One,
worthy and rightly self-awakened,
and on arrival said to him,
'Lord, may I receive the Going Forth
in the Blessed One's presence.
May I receive the Full Acceptance.'
So he received the Going Forth
in the presence of Kassapa the Blessed One,
worthy and rightly self-awakened;
he received the Going Forth.
And not long after his admission
— dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, and resolute —
he in no long time
reached and remained in
the supreme goal of the chaste life,
for which clansmen rightly go forth
from home into homelessness,
knowing and realizing it for himself
in the here and now.
He knew:
'Birth is ended,
the holy life fulfilled,
the task done.
There is nothing further
for the sake of this world.'
And thus Gavesin the monk
became another one of the Arahants.
"Then the thought occurred to the 500 lay followers:
'Master Gavesin is our benefactor, our leader,
the one who has inspired us.
Having shaven off his hair and beard,
having put on the ochre robe,
he has gone forth from the home life
into homelessness.
So why shouldn't we?'
"So they went to Kassapa the Blessed One,
worthy and rightly self-awakened,
and on arrival said to him,
'Lord, may we receive the Going Forth
in the Blessed One's presence.
May we receive the Full Acceptance.'
So they received the Going Forth
in the presence of Kassapa the Blessed One,
worthy and rightly self-awakened;
they received the Going Forth.
"Then the thought occurred to Gavesin the monk:
'I obtain at will
— without difficulty, without hardship —
this unexcelled bliss of release.
O, that these 500 monks may obtain at will
— without difficulty, without hardship —
this unexcelled bliss of release!'
Then those 500 monks
— dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, and resolute —
in no long time reached and remained in
the supreme goal of the chaste life,
for which clansmen rightly go forth from home
into homelessness,
knowing and realizing it for themselves
in the here and now.
They knew:
'Birth is ended,
the holy life fulfilled,
the task done.
There is nothing further
for the sake of this world.'
And thus did those 500 monks
— headed by Gavesin,
striving at what is more and more excellent,
more and more refined —
realize unexcelled release.
"So, Ānanda, you should train yourselves:
'Striving at what is more and more excellent,
more and more refined,
we will realize unexcelled release.'
That's how you should train yourselves."
Of Related Interest:
