Chapter XIII - LOKA VAGGA - The World

GIVE UP BASE DESIRES

Hinam Dhammam na seveyya pamadena na samvase.
Miccha ditthim na seveyya na siya loka vaddhano. [167]

XIII:01 A bhikkhu who quarrelled with a young girl

Once, a young bhikkhu accompanied an older bhikkhu to the house of Visakha. After accepting the almsfood, the elder left for another place, leaving the young bhikkhu behind at the house of Visakha. The granddaughter of Visakha was filtering some water for the young bhikkhu, and when she saw her own reflection in the big water pot she laughed. When the young bhikkhu saw her laughing he also laughed. When she saw the young bhikkhu laughing at her, she commented, 'You, shaven head! Why are you laughing at me? ' The young bhikkhu replied 'You are a shaven head yourself. Your mother and your father are also shaven heads!' Hearing the remarks, the young girl went weeping to her grandmother. Visakha immediately told the young bhikkhu, 'Please don't get angry with my grand daughter. She does not mean to be disrespectful. But, a bhikkhu does have his head shaved, and putting on a robe which is made up of cut pieces, he goes on the almsround with a bowl which is rimless. What this young girl said was, in a way, quite right, is it not? ' The young bhikkhu replied, 'It is true, but why should she abuse me on that account?' At this point, the elder bhikkhu returned, but both Visakha and the old bhikkhu failed to appease the young bhikkhu and the young girl.

Soon after this, the Buddha arrived and learned about the misunderstanding. He knew that time was ripe for the young bhikkhu to attain the first stage of Sainthood, and to make the young bhikkhu more responsive to his words, the Buddha asked Visakha, 'Is there any reason for your grand daughter to address my son as a shaven head just because he has his head shaven? After all, he had his head shaven to enter my Order.' Hearing these words, the young bhikkhu paid his respects to the Buddha, and said 'Venerable Sir! You alone understand me; neither my teacher nor this grandmother understands me.' The Buddha knew that the young bhikkhu was then in a receptive mood to comprehend the Dhamma and so he said, 'To enjoy with sensual desire is ignoble; it is not right and proper to have ignoble thoughts.'