8 : Dhamma Strategies

§ 8.1  Now on that occasion a financier of Rājagaha had a seven-year headache. Many great doctors, the foremost in all directions, having come to treat him, couldn’t cure him of his illness. Taking a great deal of money, they left. And now, the doctors had given up on him. Some doctors said, “On the fifth day, the financier will die.” Some doctors said, “On the seventh day, the financier will die.”

Then the thought occurred to the Rājagaha urban council: “This financier has done much for the king and for the urban council, and now the doctors have given up on him. Some doctors say, ‘On the fifth day, the financier will die.’ Some doctors say, ‘On the seventh day, the financier will die.’ But there’s this Jīvaka, the king’s doctor, who is young & talented. What if we were to ask for Jīvaka from the king to treat the financier?”

So the Rājagaha urban council went to King Seniya Bimbisāra and on arrival said to him, “Your majesty, this financier has done much for the king and for the urban council, and now the doctors have given up on him. Some doctors say, ‘On the fifth day, the financier will die.’ Some doctors say, ‘On the seventh day, the financier will die.’ It would be good if your majesty would command doctor Jīvaka to treat the financier.”

So King Seniya Bimbisāra commanded Jīvaka Komārabhacca: “Go, I say, Jīvaka and treat the financier.”

Responding, “As you say, your majesty,” to the king, Jīvaka Komārabhacca went to the financier. On arrival, after observing the financier’s symptoms, he said to him, “If I were to cure you, householder, what would be my reward?”

“All my property will be yours, teacher, and I your slave.”

“But, householder, can you lie on one side for seven months?”

“Teacher, I can lie on one side for seven months.”

“And can you lie on the other side for seven months?”

“I can lie on the other side for seven months.”

“And can you lie on your back for seven months?”

“I can lie on my back for seven months.”

Then Jīvaka Komārabhacca, having had the financier lie on a bed, having bound him to the bed, made an incision in the skin of his head. Drilling a hole in his skull and drawing out two creatures, he showed them to the people: “See these two creatures, one small, the other large? Those teachers who said, ‘On the fifth day, the financier will die,’ had seen this large creature. On the fifth day it would have consumed the financier’s brain. From the consumption of his brain, the financier would have died. That was well-seen by those teachers.

“Those teachers who said, ‘On the seventh day, the financier will die,’ had seen this small creature. On the seventh day it would have consumed the financier’s brain. From the consumption of his brain, the financier would have died. That was well-seen by those teachers, too.”

Closing the hole in the skull and stitching the skin of the head, he applied an ointment.

Then the financier, after the passing of seven days, said to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “Teacher, I can’t lie on one side for seven months.”

“But didn’t you respond to me, householder, ‘Teacher, I can lie on one side for seven months’?”

“It’s true, teacher, that I responded (in that way). But I will die. I can’t lie on one side for seven months.”

“In that case, householder, lie on the other side for seven months.”

Then the financier, after the passing of seven days, said to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “Teacher, I can’t lie on the other side for seven months.”

“But didn’t you respond to me, householder, ‘I can lie on the other side for seven months’?”

“It’s true, teacher, that I responded (in that way). But I will die. I can’t lie on the other side for seven months.”

“In that case, householder, lie on your back for seven months.”

Then the financier, after the passing of seven days, said to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “Teacher, I can’t lie on my back for seven months.”

“But didn’t you respond to me, householder, ‘I can lie on my back for seven months’?”

“It’s true, teacher, that I responded (in that way). But I will die. I can’t lie on my back for seven months.”

“Householder, if I hadn’t said that to you, you would not have lied down for this long. But I knew beforehand, ‘In three times seven days the financier will be cured.’ Get up, householder. Know that you are cured. What is my reward?”

“All my property is yours, teacher, and I am your slave.”

“Enough, householder. Don’t give me all your property and don’t be my slave. Give 100,000 to the king and 100,000 to us.”

So the financier gave 100,000 to the king and 100,000 to Jīvaka Komārabhacca. — Mv VIII.1.16–20

§ 8.2  I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. And on that occasion Ven. Nanda—the Blessed One’s brother, son of his maternal aunt—announced to a large number of monks: “I don’t enjoy leading the holy life, my friends. I can’t keep up the holy life. Giving up the training, I will return to the common life.”

Then a certain monk went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he told the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, Ven. Nanda—the Blessed One’s brother, son of his maternal aunt—has announced to a large number of monks: ‘I don’t enjoy leading the holy life, my friends. I can’t keep up the holy life. Giving up the training, I will return to the common life.’”

Then the Blessed One told a certain monk, “Come, monk. In my name, call Nanda, saying, ‘The Teacher calls you, friend Nanda.’”

Responding, “As you say, venerable sir,” to the Blessed One, the monk went to Ven. Nanda, on arrival he said, “The Teacher calls you, friend Nanda.”

Responding, “As you say, my friend,” to the monk, Ven. Nanda went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to him, “Is it true, Nanda, that you have announced to a large number of monks: ‘I don’t enjoy leading the holy life, my friends. I can’t keep up the holy life. Giving up the training, I will return to the common life’?”

“Yes, venerable sir.”

“But why, Nanda, don’t you enjoy leading the holy life? Why can’t you keep up the holy life? Why, giving up the training, will you return to the common life?”

“Venerable sir, as I was leaving home, a Sakyan girl—the envy of the countryside—glanced up at me, with her hair half-combed, and said, ‘Hurry back, master.’ Recollecting that, I don’t enjoy leading the holy life. I can’t keep up the holy life. Giving up the training, I will return to the common life.”

Then, taking Ven. Nanda by the arm—as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm—the Blessed One disappeared from Jeta’s Grove and reappeared among the devas of the heaven of the Thirty-three. Now on that occasion about 500 dove-footed nymphs had come to wait upon Sakka, the deva-king. The Blessed One said to Ven. Nanda, “Nanda, do you see these 500 dove-footed nymphs?”

“Yes, venerable sir.”

“What do you think, Nanda? Which is lovelier, better looking, more charming: the Sakyan girl, the envy of the countryside, or these 500 dove-footed nymphs?”

“Venerable sir, compared to these 500 dove-footed nymphs, the Sakyan girl, the envy of the countryside, is like a cauterized monkey with its ears & nose cut off. She doesn’t count. She’s not even a small fraction. There’s no comparison. The 500 dove-footed nymphs are lovelier, better looking, more charming.”

“Then take joy, Nanda. Take joy! I am your guarantor for getting 500 dove-footed nymphs.”

“If the Blessed One is my guarantor for getting 500 dove-footed nymphs, I will enjoy leading the holy life under the Blessed One.”

Then, taking Ven. Nanda by the arm—as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm—the Blessed One disappeared from among the devas of the heaven of the Thirty-three and reappeared at Jeta’s Grove. The monks heard, “They say that Ven. Nanda—the Blessed One’s brother, son of his maternal aunt—is leading the holy life for the sake of nymphs. They say that the Blessed One is his guarantor for getting 500 dove-footed nymphs.”

Then the monks who were companions of Ven. Nanda went around addressing him as they would a hired hand & a person who had been bought: “Venerable Nanda, they say, has been hired. Venerable Nanda, they say, has been bought. He’s leading the holy life for the sake of nymphs. The Blessed One is his guarantor for getting 500 dove-footed nymphs.”

Then Ven. Nanda—humiliated, ashamed, & disgusted that the monks who were his companions were addressing him as they would a hired hand & a person who had been bought—went to dwell alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, & resolute. He in no long time entered & remained in the supreme goal of the holy life for which clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness, knowing & realizing it for himself right in the here-&-now. He knew, “Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world.” And thus Ven. Nanda became another one of the arahants.

Then a certain devatā, in the far extreme of the night, her extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down to him, she stood to one side. As she was standing there, she said to the Blessed One, “Venerable sir, Ven. Nanda—the Blessed One’s brother, son of his maternal aunt—through the ending of the effluents, has entered & remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, directly knowing & realizing them for himself right in the here-&-now.” And within the Blessed One, the knowledge arose: “Nanda, through the ending of the effluents, has entered & remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, directly knowing & realizing them for himself right in the here-&-now.”

Then, when the night had passed, Ven. Nanda went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One, “Venerable sir, about the Blessed One’s being my guarantor for getting 500 dove-footed nymphs: I hereby release the Blessed One from that promise.”

“Nanda, having comprehended your awareness with my own awareness, I realized that ‘Nanda, through the ending of the effluents, has entered & remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, directly knowing & realizing them for himself right in the here-&-now.’ And a devatā informed me that ‘Ven. Nanda, through the ending of the effluents, has entered & remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, directly knowing & realizing them for himself right in the here-&-now.’ When your mind, through lack of clinging, was released from the effluents, I was thereby released from that promise.”

Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
•