A

B

C

D

E

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

Y

?

Home page Up (parent) Next (right) Previous (left) Abbreviations


Page last updated on 8 October, 2020

Association for Insight Meditation Home Page

Mahāsāla Sutta

v.l. Lūkhapāvuraṇa Sutta.– A wealthy brahmin, looking worn and wearing a coarse garment, visits the Buddha at Sāvatthi and tells him that his four sons, aided by their wives, have shown him the door. The Buddha teaches him several verses illustrating the ingratitude of his sons to be recited in the Santhāgārasālā. He recited these and his sons, who are in the assembly, take him home and look after him. Later he goes to the Buddha and asks him to accept a set of garments that his sons have given him. The Buddha accepts it out of compassion (S.i.175 f).

The Commentary says that the man had immense wealth in his house, some eight hundred million. He found wives for his sons and divided half his wealth among them. His wife died, and his sons, fearful lest he should marry again and they should lose the rest of their patrimony, pet him and look after him, and he gives them all except his wrap. He goes to live with his eldest son, but is driven out by his daughter-in-law; the rest of the family treats him likewise. He enters the order of the Paṇḍaraṅgas and suffers the greatest privations, until he finally throws himself on the reputed kindness and graciousness of the Buddha. When the people discover the disloyalty of the sons they threaten to kill them, and then the sons take the old man back and nurse him. Later the members of the family become Stream-winners. SA.i.202 ff.