Jataka Tales 4: Culla Setthi

Culla Setthi Jataka It is said that, once, the daughter of a rich merchant of Rajagaha and a male slave in the family developed an illegal passion for each other. Fearing discovery and punishment, they ran away together secretly and set up a household in a place far away and unknown to her family. In time when she was heavy with child, she had the thought she could seek out her parents for their compassion, shelter and support. Her husband, the former slave, was afraid and reluctant to go.

One day, when he was out of the house, she put her household matters in order and then after informing her neighbor of her intention, left for her old home. Her husband, on returning home, discovered this and quickly left to search for her.

When he met her on the road, she was suddenly taken in labour and by the wayside gave birth to a son.

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As he was born on the road, the child was named Panthaka (Wayman). Since she no longer had a reason to go to her parents’ home, she and her husband returned to their own house.

Sometime later she was again with child. She tried to return to her former home but again she went into labour on the way and gave birth to another son. So the elder son was now called Maha Panthaka (Great Wayman) and the younger became Culla Pantaka (Little Wayman).

When the children grew up, they heard other children talking about their relatives. They went to ask their mother whether they had any and she admitted that in the city of Rajagaha, they had grandparents and many other relatives. She also gave them the reason for their separation from their relatives. However, the children kept mentioning them all the time, so she got her husband to agree that they would take their children to see their grandparents.

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In due course they arrived in the city. After putting up at a lodging house, she made known to her parents of their presence there. When the message was delivered this answer was returned: “True, it is sad to be separated from children, unless one has renounced the world to win Arahatship. Still, great is the guilt of the pair towards us and so they must not see us. Here is a sum of money for both of you to live where you wish. But the children may be sent here.“ Seeing it was futile to meet her parents, she took the money and sent her sons to live with their grandparents with the messengers.

So the children grew up in their grandfather’s house. Culla Panthaka (Little Wayman) who was still very young would remain at home, while Maha Panthaka (Great Wayman) would always follow his grandfather to hear the Buddha’s discourses.

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By hearing the Dhamma so often from the lips of the Buddha, the boy’s heart yearned to renounce the world for the life of a monk. This wish he made known to his grandfather who ¬showed his joy when he heard it. Then he took him to see the Buddha to make this request known to Him. The Buddha sent for a monk to admit him as his novice. He learnt the words of the Buddha and when he grew up he received full ordination. He practiced earnestly and shortly won the Fruit of Arahatship. As he passed his days in the bliss of Path and Insight, he thought of his younger brother still living with his grandfather. So one day he went to him and asked for his permission to let Culla Panthaka (Little Wayman) be admitted as a novice monk.

This was readily granted and he was established in the Ten Precepts. But Little Wayman seemed a dullard.

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This, it was said, was the fruit of his past kamma.

At that time, as a monk having attained to knowledge in the dispensation of Buddha Kassapa, he had laughed at the efforts of a not too bright monk who was making efforts to memorise a passage. His unkind words disturbed the novice-monk. He became quite incapable of teaching. In consequence he was now a dullard. After four months of study, Culla Panthaka had failed to memorise even a single stanza. When the Arahat, Maha Panthaka (Great Wayman), saw this he told his brother that it was better for him to leave the monastery, but he was so attached to the Buddha that he remained in spite of this.

At that time, Maha Panthaka (Great Wayman) was acting as steward. Jivaka, the king’s physician, came with offering, and listened to a discourse given by the Buddha.

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Before he left, he asked the steward about the number of monk in residence. Then he made known his wish to invite the Buddha and all the monks there to his residence the next day for the noon day meal. He accepted the invitation on behalf of all, expect Culla Panthaka (Little Wayman) whom he had asked to leave the monkhood. When the latter heard he had been left out in the invitation, he thought it was no use for him to remain in the order any longer. The next morning, he quietly left but he met the Buddha on the way out. The Buddha, as He was omniscient, was aware of this. He went out and waited for His disciple by the path he would take.

“Where are you going at this early hour, Culla Panthaka?” asked the Buddha.

“My brother has expelled me from the Order, Venerable Sir; and I am returning to lay life.”

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“Culla Panthaka, it was under me that you took the vows. Why, when expelled by your brother, did you not come to me? Come, what have you to do with a layman’s life. You shall stay with me.”

The Buddha then brought Little Wayman and made him stay at the door of His perfumed chamber. Giving him a supernaturally created perfectly clean cloth, He told him to face east and to keep repeating the words: “Removal of Impurity; Removal of Impurity”, while smoothening the cloth with his hand. Then He left him to carry out the practice. Later at the appointed time, the Buddha and the rest of the monks went to Jivaka’s house. There He sat down on the seat set for Him. In the meantime, Culla Panthaka was looking east in the direction of the sun and repeating the words: “Removal of Impurity; Removal of Impurity.”

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As he kept handling the cloth, it grew soiled and he thought: “Just now this piece of cloth was very clean; but my personality has destroyed its original state and made it dirty. Impermanent indeed are all compounded things.“ Even as he realized Decay and Death, he won the Illumination of Arahatship.

Aware of this, the Buddha appeared to the monk as if seated in front of him and said: “ Heed it not, Little Wayman, that this piece of cloth has become dirty and stained with impurity; within you are the impurities of lust and other evil things. Remove them.“ Then the Buddha added: “Lust, Aversion, Anger and Determination are all within you. They are impurities. Drive them only of your best.”

At this, Culia Panthaka attained to Arahatship with the four branches of knowledge. Without any obstruction, he came to have knowledge of all the sacred texts.

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Tradition said that in ages past, he was a king making a procession and as he wiped the sweat from his brow with a spotless cloth, he saw how easily it was stained. Then the thought arose in him: “It is this body of mine which has destroyed the original purity and whiteness of this cloth, and dirtied it. Impermanent indeed are all composite things.“ Thus he had grasped the thought of impermanence; hence it came to pass that it was the removal of impurity that worked his salvation.

Meanwhile, Jivaka was just starting to offer the invitation water but the Buddha stopped him and asked: “Are there no more Bhikkhus, Jivaka, in the monastery?”

Maha Panthaka answered: “There are no more bhikkhus there, Venerable Sir.” Still addressing Jivaka, the Buddha said: “Oh yes, there are, Jivaka.”

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Thereupon, Jivaka sent a servant to go and see if there were any more bhikkhus in the Jetavana Monastery.

At that moment, Culla Panthaka, aware of this, supernaturally filled the whole grove with monks who were all busy with this or that task. Finding the place full of monks, the servant returned and told his master what he saw.

The Buddha suggested to Jivaka to send his servant back to ask for the monk who was called Culla Panthaka. He went and did so but a thousand mouths answered to the name. More than a little bewildered the servant reported what he heard.

The Buddha told him to go back again and take by the hand the first one who said he was Culla Panthaka. The others would then vanish. He went and did this and he brought back Culla Panthaka who now joined the monks for the meal offered by Jivaka.

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When the meal was over, the Buddha said to Jivaka: “Now take Culla Panthaka’s bowl; he will say the words of merit.” Jivaka did so.

Then like a young lion roaring defiance, the Arhat ranged through the whole of the sacred texts in his address to the gathering. Finally, the Buddha rose and returned to Jetavana with his retinue of monks.

In the evening, the monks gathered in their meeting hall and discussed the events connected with Maha Panthaka and Culla Panthaka. They commented with much awe power of the Buddha that had led Culla Panthaka to win the Fruit of Arahatship.

The Buddha became aware of the matter and decided it was necessary for Him to be there to clarify matters. He arrived there with all the shining grace of a Fully-Enlightened Buddha and sat down on His seat. As soon as He entered the monks fell silent.

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The Buddha gazing upon those present with loving-kindness, thought: “The company is perfect! Not a man is guilty of moving hand or foot improperly; not a sound, not a cough or sneeze is to be heard. In their reverence and awe of the majesty of the Buddha, not a man would dare to speak before I did, even, even if I sit here in silence all my life long. But it is my part to begin; I will open the conversation. Then in His sweet divine tones that seemed like He was giving every individual His undivided grace, He addressed the Brethren: “What, may I know, is the theme of this meeting? What was the talk that was broken off?”

“Lord, it was not a profitless theme but your own praise that was spoken of,” they replied.

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After they told Him in detail what they had been saying, the Buddha said: “Bhikkhus, through me Little Wayman has arisen to great things in the discipline; in times past it was equally through me that he rose to great things in the way of wealth, too.”

The bhikkhus then asked the Buddha to enlighten them further on this matter; and He made it clear to them in these words, a thing which succeeding existences had hidden from them.

Story from the past Once, in the time when Brahmadatta was king in Benares in Kasi, the Bodhisatta was born in the household of the King’s Treasurer. Growing up he was appointed, Treasurer and was named Culla Setthi. He was a wise and clever man with a keenness for signs and omens.

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One day, on his way to attend on the king, he came upon a dead mouse on the road. Noting the auspicious position of the stars at the moment, he said: “Any intelligent young fellow of good family has only to pick that mouse up, and he might start a business and marry a wife.”

His words were overheard by a young man of good family who happened to be quite destitute.

He recognized the Treasurer and thought his words would not be spoken in jest. After the treasurer, left he picked up the mouse, and sold it at a tavern for a coin as food for their cat.

With the coin, he bought some honey. He got a jug of water and went to a place where some thirsty flower-gatherers were returning from the forest. He offered each of them a bit of honey and water to drink. In return they gave him a handful of flower which he sold. He bought more honey and brought more drinking water to where they usually gathered, hot and sweaty.

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Soon they became quite friendly. Then they gave him plants with some flowers still on them.

He then sold this lot for eight coins.

A little later, on one rainy and windy day, the wind blew down a quantity of dead branches and leaves in the king’s pleasure garden. The gardener found it hard to cope with them. Up came the young man who offered to clear it all up in return for keeping the deadwood as payment. Then this bright young man went to a children’s playground and bribed the children to help him pick up all the leaves and dead branches. All were placed in a large heap. It so happened that the king’s potter was looking for fire-wood and he bought the whole lot. The sale of his wood added sixteen coins to his fortune.

Now he had twenty-four pennies.

Then he thought of plan. He took a quantity of drinking water in jars and brought it to the city gate where hundreds of grass-cutters were working.

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He gave them the water to quench their thirst.

They wanted to give him grass in return but he told them he would take them later. He also befriended two men who traded by land and by sea. Soon he learnt about a herd of horses that would arrive the next day. He went to the grass-cutters to claim his reward and he asked them not to sell their grass until he had sold his.

This they agreed and they each gave him a bundle of grass. When the horse-dealers arrived, they could not get grass for their animals expect from him. So they bought up his grass for a thousand pieces.

Next his friend, the sea trader, told him that a ship would soon arrive in port. A plan rose in his mind. He had the option to buy the ship and all its cargo and he left his signet ring as security.

Then he put up a tent. He hired some people, dressed them as servants of a great merchant and said to them that merchants who came to see him had to be announced and passed by three successive ushers.

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When a hundred merchants wanted the goods the ship carried, they could not buy or barter for them. They were told a great merchant had bought up everything, ship and goods. So they all went to meet him. As arranged, they were announced and ushered in by three successive ushers. Each of the hundred merchants was willing to pay a thousand pieces to buy a share in the ship and eventually another thousand each to buy him out altogether. So it was with 200,000 pieces that this pupil of Treasurer Little then returned to Benares.

Moved by a desire to show his gratitude he went with 100,000 pieces to call on Treasurer Little.

“How did you come by all this wealth?” asked the Treasurer.

“In four short months, simply by following your advice,” replied the young men, and he related the story about the dead mouse and the subsequent events. Thought Lord High Treasurer Little on hearing all this.

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So he married him to give his own grown up daughter in marriage to him and settled all the family estates on the young man. Eventually, he too was made millionaire in the city, after the Bodhisatta Culla Setthi passed away, to fare according to his kamma.

End of story of the past The story ended and the Buddha spoke thus: “An able and clever person can achieve success even with very little. He added: “And it is also through me, bhikkhus, that Culla Panthaka has arisen to great things in the discipline, as in times past he rose to great things in the way of wealth.“ Then he established the connection in the stories. He said: “Culla Panthaka was in those days the pupil Culla Setthi, and I myself was Lord High Treasurer Little.”

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