Visions of the Buddha: Creative Dimensions of Early Buddhist Scripture by Eviatar Shulman

Author:Eviatar Shulman [Shulman, Eviatar]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780197587881
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 58500934
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2022-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Buddhist Fun in the Pāṭika-sutta

The Pāṭika is framed as an encounter between the Buddha and a wandering recluse (paribbājaka) named Bhaggava-gotta, who meet according to a shortened version of the “too early for alms” formula discussed in Chapter 1. Bhaggava questions the Buddha about the Licchavi Sunakkhatta, who has stated that he left the Buddha’s guidance and no longer lives under his instruction.21 Sunakkhatta, who is known from four different Nikāya discourses, is a key figure in the discourse. If we may judge by the Mahāli-sutta of the DN, he was, at least for some time, a serious practitioner who had significant, if irregular, meditative attainments.22 In the Sunakkhatta-sutta (MN 105) he appears as a student with eager interest in the Buddha’s guidance and in monks’ meditative attainments. Perhaps, as the commentary to the Mahāsīhanāda-sutta (MN 12) suggests, he was the son of a prominent Licchavi leader (rājaputto). Yet, although it appears that Sunakkhatta was probably not understood by the authors of the discourses to have become a monk, and appears rather as a householder who took a strong interest in the teaching or (more probably) a novice who did not receive full ordination,23 the fact that a person with his social prominence left the Buddha’s tutelage had to be accounted for. On a certain level, the Pāṭika is the rationalization of this event, although it is no less a comedy inspired by his memory.

The Buddha begins his response to Bhaggava’s inquiry by relating the conversation he held with Sunakkhatta about leaving the order. Sunakkhatta approaches the Buddha and states his intention to leave, to which the Buddha condescendingly replies, “Well, Sunakkhatta, did I ever say to you, ‘Come live under my instruction?’ ” When Sunakkhatta affirms that he had not, the Buddha continues, “This being the case, foolish man, who then has rejected whom?”24 Sunakkhatta complains that the Buddha did not display any magical powers beyond the human,25 and that he provided no knowledge about the origin of things (aggañña), to which the Buddha responds in similar manner, and added that performing miracles or making the origin of things known would not make a difference to someone’s ability to practice according to his instruction and to end suffering.26 The Buddha then reminds Sunakkhatta that he had praised the Buddha, dhamma, and saṅgha many times among the Vajjians, so his leaving would be interpreted as an inability on his part to perfect the training. With this, “Sunakkhatta the son of the Licchavīs left this teaching and training (dhamma-vinaya) like someone headed to misfortune, on his way to hell (apāyiko, nerayiko).”27

This simple but energetic opening sets the stage for the real life of the discourse, which consists of a series of dramatic episodes in which the Buddha demonstrates his magical power over three naked ascetic (acelo) teachers who impressed Sunakkhatta. The text is somewhat ambiguous as to whether these events took place before or after the teacher and student parted ways, since Sunakkhatta is antagonistic to the Buddha throughout, and each event ends with the formula about Sunakkhatta leaving the order like one destined for hell.

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