A Sinner Is One's Own Foe
The Story of Suppabuddha, the Leper
Chapter 5: Fools • Verse 7
The Story of Suppabuddha, the Leper
Chapter 5: Fools • Verse 7
Fools of little wit are enemies unto themselves as they move about doing evil deeds, the fruits of which are bitter.
While residing at the Veluvana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to Suppabuddha, a leper. His story is also found in the Udana.
Seated at the outer edge of the congregation, the leper Suppabuddha heard the Buddha preach the Dhamma and attained the fruit of stream-entry.
He wished to tell the Buddha of the blessing he had received, but did not dare push his way through the crowd. So he waited until the people had paid their respects to the Buddha, accompanied him a little way, and turned back, and then he set out for the monastery.
Sakka, king of the gods, decided to test him. Appearing in the air before him, Sakka told Suppabuddha that he was a poor and miserable man, and offered him limitless wealth if he would only renounce the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, and declare he had had enough of them.
Suppabuddha asked who he was, and when Sakka named himself, the leper called him a shameless fool, unfit to speak to him. Far from being poor and afflicted, Suppabuddha said, he had attained happiness and great wealth, the seven stores of noble wealth, and those who possess these are never called poor by the Buddhas or solitary mendicants.
Sakka left him on the road, went to the Buddha, and told him everything that had been said. The Buddha replied that not even a hundred or a thousand pieces of gold could ever persuade the leper Suppabuddha to renounce the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha.
Suppabuddha then came to the Buddha, was received by him, and told him of the blessing he had received. He then rose from his seat and went on his way.
Before he had gone very far, he was killed by a young heifer. It is said that this heifer was a female evil spirit who had been a cow in each of a hundred existences, and who, as a cow, killed four men: Pukkusati, a young man of high station; Bahiya Daruciriya; Tambadathika, the robber; and Suppabuddha the leper.
The Story of Suppabuddha, the Leper
Chapter 5: Fools • Verse 7
Fools of little wit are enemies unto themselves as they move about doing evil deeds, the fruits of which are bitter.
While residing at the Veluvana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to Suppabuddha, a leper. His story is also found in the Udana.
Seated at the outer edge of the congregation, the leper Suppabuddha heard the Buddha preach the Dhamma and attained the fruit of stream-entry.
He wished to tell the Buddha of the blessing he had received, but did not dare push his way through the crowd. So he waited until the people had paid their respects to the Buddha, accompanied him a little way, and turned back, and then he set out for the monastery.
Sakka, king of the gods, decided to test him. Appearing in the air before him, Sakka told Suppabuddha that he was a poor and miserable man, and offered him limitless wealth if he would only renounce the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, and declare he had had enough of them.
Suppabuddha asked who he was, and when Sakka named himself, the leper called him a shameless fool, unfit to speak to him. Far from being poor and afflicted, Suppabuddha said, he had attained happiness and great wealth, the seven stores of noble wealth, and those who possess these are never called poor by the Buddhas or solitary mendicants.
Sakka left him on the road, went to the Buddha, and told him everything that had been said. The Buddha replied that not even a hundred or a thousand pieces of gold could ever persuade the leper Suppabuddha to renounce the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha.
Suppabuddha then came to the Buddha, was received by him, and told him of the blessing he had received. He then rose from his seat and went on his way.
Before he had gone very far, he was killed by a young heifer. It is said that this heifer was a female evil spirit who had been a cow in each of a hundred existences, and who, as a cow, killed four men: Pukkusati, a young man of high station; Bahiya Daruciriya; Tambadathika, the robber; and Suppabuddha the leper.