🟥 Profile: Venerable Cūḷapanthaka (Week of December 12, 2021)
🟥 Profile: Venerable Cūḷapanthaka (Week of December 12, 2021)
The foremost of my monk disciples in creating a mind-made body is Cūḷapanthaka. - AN 1.198
The foremost of my monk disciples who are skilled in the evolution of consciousness is Cūḷapanthaka. - AN 1.199
When it comes to the Venerable Cūḷapanthaka, we do not have very much to go on, but what we do find is an inspiring account of a renunciate who once struggled to adapt to the monastic setting. Sent away by his own brother he stood dejected at the monastery gate. Out of compassion the Buddha brought him back and offered him a simple but profound reflection. Upon reaching the goal of the holy life Ven. Cūḷapanthaka realized profound psychic abilities, though even having realized all that is so remarkable and excellent, there is still the impression that he is perhaps too simple and his knowledge not useful. He responds with an awe-inspiring display that allows for his simple words to be gladly heeded by a group of bhikkhunis, wonderfully reminiscent of the simple instruction once offered to him as he stood lost at the gates of the monastery.
Enjoy.
No follow-up post. Please use this week to share you share you thoughts about this interesting and powerful arahant.
📍 Profile: Venerable Cūḷapanthaka (Week of December 12, 2021)
Udāna
Cūḷapanthakasutta (With Cūḷapanthaka) Ud 5.10 (PTS Ud 61)
Translated by Ven. Sujato
- So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time Venerable Cūḷapanthaka was sitting not far from the Buddha cross-legged, with his body straight, and mindfulness established right there.
The Buddha saw him meditating there.
Then, knowing the meaning of this, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“Steady in body, steady in mind,
standing, sitting or lying down:
a mendicant focusing on this mindfulness
gains an ever higher distinction.
And when they have done so,
they vanish from the King of Death.”
📍 Profile: Venerable Cūḷapanthaka (Week of December 12, 2021)
The below account also found in Vinaya Pli Tv Pvr 1.1, which briefly describes the origin story of the following rule:
Vinaya
Atthaṅgatasikkhāpada (Atthaṅgata) “Training rule of instructing after sunset” Pli Tv Bu Vb Pc 22 (PTS 4.54–4.55)
Translated by Ven. Brahmali
- At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery, the senior monks were taking turns instructing the nuns. Then, on one occasion, it was the turn of Venerable Cūḷapanthaka. The nuns said, “Today the instruction won’t be effective. Venerable Cūḷapanthaka will just be repeating the same thing over and over.”
Soon afterwards those nuns went to Cūḷapanthaka, bowed, and sat down. Cūḷapanthaka then said to them, “Are you all here, Sisters?”
“We’re all here, Venerable.”
“Are you keeping the eight important principles?”
“We are.”
After saying, “This is the instruction,” he spoke the same utterance again and again:
“For the heedful one possessed of the higher mind,
For the sage training on the path to sagacity—
There are no sorrows for such a one,
The peaceful one, who is always mindful.”
And the nuns said, “Didn’t we say that the instruction wouldn’t be effective, that Venerable Cūḷapanthaka would just be repeating the same thing over and over?Cūḷapanthaka overheard that conversation between the nuns. He then rose up into the air, walked back and forth in space, and he stood, sat down, and lay down there. He emitted smoke and fire, and he disappeared, all the while speaking the same utterance and many other sayings by the Buddha. The nuns said, “It’s astonishing and amazing! No previous instruction has been as effective as this one from Venerable Cūḷapanthaka!” And Cūḷapanthaka kept on instructing those nuns until the dark of night and then dismissed them, saying, “Go, Sisters.”
But because the gates to town were closed, those nuns spent the night outside and only entered early in the morning. People complained and criticized them, “These nuns aren’t celibate. They spend the night in the monastery with the monks and only now do they enter town.”
The monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized Cūḷapanthaka, “How could Venerable Cūḷapanthaka instruct the nuns after the sun has set?”… “Is it true, Cūḷapanthaka, that you did this?”
“It’s true, Sir.”
The Buddha rebuked him … “Cūḷapanthaka, how could you do this? This won’t give rise to or increase people’s confidence … And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
Final ruling
‘Even if he has been appointed, if a monk instructs the nuns after sunset, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”
📍 Profile: Venerable Cūḷapanthaka (Week of December 12, 2021)
Theragāthā
Cūḷapanthakattheragāthā (Cūḷapanthaka) Thag 10.4
Translated by Ven. Sujato
- My progress was slow,
I was despised in the past.
Even my brother turned me away,
saying, “Go home now.”
Turned away at the gate
of the Saṅgha’s monastery,
I stood there sadly,
longing for the dispensation.
Then the Buddha came
and touched my head.
Taking me by the arm,
he brought me into the Saṅgha’s monastery.
The Teacher, out of compassion,
gave me a foot-wiping cloth, saying:
“Focus your awareness
exclusively on this clean cloth.”
After hearing his words,
I happily did his bidding.
I practiced meditative immersion
for the attainment of the highest goal.
I know my past lives,
my clairvoyance is clarified;
I’ve attained the three knowledges,
and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.
I, Panthaka, created a thousand
images of myself,
and sat in the delightful mango grove
until the time for the meal offering was announced.
Then the teacher sent to me
a messenger to announce the time.
When the time was announced,
I flew to him through the air.
I paid homage at the teacher’s feet,
and sat to one side.
When he knew I was seated,
the teacher received the offering.
Recipient of gifts from the whole world,
receiver of sacrifices,
field of merit for humanity,
he received the religious donation.
- This concludes the profile
Re: 📍 Profile: Venerable Cūḷapanthaka (Week of December 12, 2021)
Sorry I forgot to unlock!!!!!
Re: 📍 Profile: Venerable Cūḷapanthaka (Week of December 12, 2021)
An Arahant (Ahrat) is a bhikkhu who before all, has made an end of the āsavā (khīṇāsavo - khīyati/āsavā)
An Arahant has also completely understood the vimutti.āsavā
----------------------------------------------------
- craving for sensual pleasures
- craving for existence
- ignorance
What does that has to do with magic?
Why should one call Cūḷapanthaka an arahat?- No mention of Arahant in AN 1.198 & 199 - (which do not have parallels for the extract.
- No mention of Arahant in Ud 5.10.-
- No mention of Arahant in Pli Tv Bu Vb Pc 22
- No mention of Arahant in Thag 10.4
Demons do magic - don't they?
Does attaining the dibbacakkhu, the celestial eye — divya [div-ya] (opp. manuṣya - human) — the difference with the latters? — and even so, does that make some bhikkhu an arhat - let alone a "powerful arahat"?
.
.
In this world, there are many people acting and yearning for the Mara's world; some for the Brahma's world; and very few for the Unborn.
Re: 📍 Profile: Venerable Cūḷapanthaka (Week of December 12, 2021)
From Thag 10.4:ToVincent wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 12:01 pmAn Arahant (Ahrat) is a bhikkhu who before all, has made an end of the āsavā (khīṇāsavo - khīyati/āsavā)An Arahant has also completely understood the vimutti.āsavā
----------------------------------------------------
- craving for sensual pleasures
- craving for existence
- ignorance
What does that has to do with magic?Why should one call Cūḷapanthaka an arahat?- No mention of Arahant in AN 1.198 & 199 - (which do not have parallels for the extract.
- No mention of Arahant in Ud 5.10.-
- No mention of Arahant in Pli Tv Bu Vb Pc 22
- No mention of Arahant in Thag 10.4
Demons do magic - don't they?
Does attaining the dibbacakkhu, the celestial eye — divya [div-ya] (opp. manuṣya - human) — the difference with the latters? — and even so, does that make some bhikkhu an arhat - let alone a "powerful arahat"?
.
.
“…
I know my past lives,
my clairvoyance is clarified;
I’ve attained the three knowledges,
and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.
…”
This is a common declaration for liberation in both the Thag and Thig. Rare for “arahant” to be used in those verses.
“Life is swept along, short is the life span; no shelters exist for one who has reached old age. Seeing clearly this danger in death, a seeker of peace should drop the world’s bait.” SN 1.3
Re: 📍 Profile: Venerable Cūḷapanthaka (Week of December 12, 2021)
I think this translation is a bit off.The Teacher, out of compassion,
gave me a foot-wiping cloth, saying:
“Focus your awareness
exclusively on this clean cloth.”
Probably better,
Cūḷapanthaka was an Arahant with 3 knowledges include one of them is ending of Asava(s). From Sutta, he developed iddhi.The teacher, out of compassion ,
gave me food from gathering, saying:
Focus your mind exclusively on purification.
Just one sentence, he got the teaching. Impressive indeed.
But not easy to develop iddhi, one needs to continue to watch the mind movement 24/7 even for a fraction of second. The effort is probably similar to Maha Moggallana.
Re: 📍 Profile: Venerable Cūḷapanthaka (Week of December 12, 2021)
The third of the three knowledges (āsavānaṁ khayañāṇāya - knowledge of the ending of defilements, ) does not have one SN occurence - (strange!).
In the other suttas (AN & MN) , it is not always done in the third of the three knowledge. For instance it can happen after the fourth jhana.
On the other hand a perfect paralleled sutta SN 12.70 (SA 347) , shows that you don't need the hoodoo — the two first knowledges — to get aññā.
There is no need for the three knowledges, nor the two included "charms" — (which, for the latter two, maras and demons are pretty good at doing — something that some people might be tempted with, and initiated to).
Optional.
Better know what vimutti (vi-mukti), and pañña (pra-jña), and ṭhiti/tiṭṭhita (sthita), really mean.
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Cūḷapanthaka seems to be a pretty ambiguous character.
It's that Thag 14.10 that is bothering me the most.
Aren't they supposed not to say!?!?
.
.
In the other suttas (AN & MN) , it is not always done in the third of the three knowledge. For instance it can happen after the fourth jhana.
On the other hand a perfect paralleled sutta SN 12.70 (SA 347) , shows that you don't need the hoodoo — the two first knowledges — to get aññā.
There is no need for the three knowledges, nor the two included "charms" — (which, for the latter two, maras and demons are pretty good at doing — something that some people might be tempted with, and initiated to).
Optional.
Better know what vimutti (vi-mukti), and pañña (pra-jña), and ṭhiti/tiṭṭhita (sthita), really mean.
-------
Cūḷapanthaka seems to be a pretty ambiguous character.
It's that Thag 14.10 that is bothering me the most.
Aren't they supposed not to say!?!?
.
.
In this world, there are many people acting and yearning for the Mara's world; some for the Brahma's world; and very few for the Unborn.