Jataka Tales 10: Sukha Vihara

Sukha Vihara Jataka This story was told at that time when the Buddha was residing in the Anuppiya Mango-grove, near the town of Anuppiya.

It was about Monk Bhaddiya also known as Happy, who had renounced the world to join the Buddhist Sangha in the company of six young nobles and their barber, Upali. Among them, Bhaddiya, together with Kimbila, Bhagu and up 1li (Upali) attained Arahatship; !nanda (Ananda) won the first path; Anuruddha gained the all-seeing vision; and Devadatta gained the power of ecstatic self-abstraction. The story of the six young nobles will be told in the Khandah1la (Khandahala) -Jataka.

The Arahat Bhaddiya, who used to guard himself like he was his own tutelary deity, thought of the state of fear he lived formerly. He was then protected by numerous guards around him.

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He used to toss about, unable to sleep well, even in his royal apartments high up in the palace. And he compared all this to the absence of fear in himself as he roamed as he pleased in forests and desert places.

At this thought, he burst forth this heartfelt utterance: “Oh, happiness! Oh, happiness!”

When the other monks heard his words, they brought this matter to the notice of the Buddha who said: “The Venerable Bhaddiya is declaring the bliss he has won.”

The Buddha added: ”Monks, this is not the first time that Bhaddiya’s life had been happy; his life was no less happy in bygone days.”

The monks asked the Buddha to tell them about it. He consented and revealed what had been concealed to them by rebirth.

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Story from the past Once, during the rule of Brahmadatta in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born as a Brahmin.

Realising that lusts produce evil and the blessings that gush like a spring in renouncing the world, he let go of all lusts, and retired to the Himalayas as a hermit.

There he won the eight spiritual endowments called jhanas. And he had a following of five hundred ascetics. On one occasion when the rains came, he took his retinue from the Himalayas through village and town until they came to Benares. With the king’s permission and bounty, he and his followers spent the four rainy months in one of the king’s pleasure garden. When the rains ended, he went to the king to take his leave.

But the king requested him to stay because he was old and to send his disciples back to the mountains. So he did as the king asked.

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This disciple, a former king, had abdicated to become an ascetic; by keeping to the instruction of his teacher, he also mastered the eight endowments (Samapattis).

One day, he had a longing to see his old teacher.

He told the others to live contentedly during his absence, while he went to pay his respects to their teacher. He left, met his teacher, and greeted him lovingly. Then he sat down on a mat and cried out: “Oh, happiness! Oh, happiness!”

At that moment, the king also came to visit the Bodhisatta. Although this senior disciple was aware of the king, he did not rise to greet him but still sat there exclaiming his happiness.

The king was displeased by this discourtesy and he said to the Bodhisatta: “Reverend Sir, this ascetic must have had good food and eaten his fill, seeing that he continued sitting there exclaiming his happiness.”

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The Bodhisatta said to the king: “O king, formerly this ascetic was a king too.

He is thinking how as a layman he had lived in royal luxury and splendor with men-at-arms to guard him and he had never known such happiness which is now his. It is the happiness of a renounciate, the happiness that Insight brings, which moved him in this utterance. “ Then the Bodhisatta spoke thus to teach the Truth to the king,: “He who is freed of all lusts lives happily. He is not guarded. Nor does he guard either.”

Appeased by the lesson the Bodhisatta taught him, the king saluted him and returned to his palace. The disciple also took his leave and returned to the Himalayas. The Bodhisatta continued to dwell there, and and dying with Insight, was reborn in the Realm of Brahma.

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End of story from the past After telling the two stories, the Buddha linked them and said: “Monk Bhaddiya was the senior disciple of those days, and I, myself, was the teacher of the group of ascetics.”

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