Do Not Associate With The Ignorant
The Story of a Resident Pupil of Venerable Mahakassapa
Chapter 5: Fools • Verse 2
The Story of a Resident Pupil of Venerable Mahakassapa
Chapter 5: Fools • Verse 2
Should a seeker not find a companion who is better or equal, let him resolutely pursue a solitary course; there is no fellowship with the fool.
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to a resident pupil of Venerable Mahakassapa.
While Venerable Kassapa was living at Pipphali Cave, two pupils were learning under him. One performed his duties faithfully; the other often shirked his work and tried to take credit for what his fellow pupil had done.
When the faithful pupil set out water for washing the face and a tooth-stick, the faithless one would go to the Venerable and announce that these were ready, as though he had prepared them himself. He did the same with water for bathing the feet and for the bath.
The faithful pupil decided to put a stop to this. One day, while the faithless pupil slept after his meal, he heated water for the bath, poured it into a jar, and set it in the back room, leaving only a pint-pot of water steaming in the boiler.
When the faithless pupil woke that evening and saw steam rising, he assumed bath water had been prepared, and hurried to tell the Venerable that water was waiting in the bathroom. But when they arrived there, the Venerable saw no water and asked where it was.
The youth went to the fire-room, lowered a ladle into the boiler, and found it empty. He exclaimed that the rascal had left an empty boiler on the brazier and gone off, and that he had only told the Venerable there was water because he believed it. Disappointed, he took a water-jar and went down to the river.
Venerable Kassapa realized that all this time the young man had been avoiding his duties and claiming credit for his brother-pupil's work. The next day, the faithless pupil refused to accompany the Venerable on his alms-round, so the Venerable took the other pupil with him instead.
While they were away, the faithless pupil went to the house of one of the Venerable's lay supporters. When asked where the monk was, he claimed the Venerable was unwell and had stayed at the monastery, and asked for particular food, pretending the monk had requested it. He then ate the food himself on the way back.
Meanwhile, the Venerable had received five robes from his supporter, and he gave these to the pupil who had accompanied him, who dyed them and made them into under and upper garments for himself.
When the Venerable admonished the faithless pupil for his conduct, the young man resented it. The next day he set fire to the monastery and ran away. When he died, he was reborn in the Great Hell of Avici.
The Story of a Resident Pupil of Venerable Mahakassapa
Chapter 5: Fools • Verse 2
Should a seeker not find a companion who is better or equal, let him resolutely pursue a solitary course; there is no fellowship with the fool.
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to a resident pupil of Venerable Mahakassapa.
While Venerable Kassapa was living at Pipphali Cave, two pupils were learning under him. One performed his duties faithfully; the other often shirked his work and tried to take credit for what his fellow pupil had done.
When the faithful pupil set out water for washing the face and a tooth-stick, the faithless one would go to the Venerable and announce that these were ready, as though he had prepared them himself. He did the same with water for bathing the feet and for the bath.
The faithful pupil decided to put a stop to this. One day, while the faithless pupil slept after his meal, he heated water for the bath, poured it into a jar, and set it in the back room, leaving only a pint-pot of water steaming in the boiler.
When the faithless pupil woke that evening and saw steam rising, he assumed bath water had been prepared, and hurried to tell the Venerable that water was waiting in the bathroom. But when they arrived there, the Venerable saw no water and asked where it was.
The youth went to the fire-room, lowered a ladle into the boiler, and found it empty. He exclaimed that the rascal had left an empty boiler on the brazier and gone off, and that he had only told the Venerable there was water because he believed it. Disappointed, he took a water-jar and went down to the river.
Venerable Kassapa realized that all this time the young man had been avoiding his duties and claiming credit for his brother-pupil's work. The next day, the faithless pupil refused to accompany the Venerable on his alms-round, so the Venerable took the other pupil with him instead.
While they were away, the faithless pupil went to the house of one of the Venerable's lay supporters. When asked where the monk was, he claimed the Venerable was unwell and had stayed at the monastery, and asked for particular food, pretending the monk had requested it. He then ate the food himself on the way back.
Meanwhile, the Venerable had received five robes from his supporter, and he gave these to the pupil who had accompanied him, who dyed them and made them into under and upper garments for himself.
When the Venerable admonished the faithless pupil for his conduct, the young man resented it. The next day he set fire to the monastery and ran away. When he died, he was reborn in the Great Hell of Avici.