Suppabuddhakuṭṭhisuttaṃ [Ud 5.3, PTS 49–50]

3.

The Discourse on Suppabuddha the Leper

43. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground. Now at that time there was in Rājagaha a leper named Suppabuddha - a poor human being, a wretched human being, a miserable human being. Now at that time the Blessed One was seated expounding the Teaching surrounded by a great assembly.

Suppabuddha the leper saw that great multitude of people gathered together from afar. Having seen him, this occurred to him: "Without doubt some solid food or soft food is being distributed here. What if I were to approach where that great multitude of people is. Perhaps I might obtain some solid food or soft food here."

Then Suppabuddha the leper approached where that great multitude of people was. Suppabuddha the leper saw the Blessed One seated expounding the Teaching surrounded by a great assembly. Having seen him, this occurred to him: "No solid food or soft food is being distributed here. This ascetic Gotama is expounding the Teaching to the assembly. What if I too were to listen to the Teaching." He sat down to one side right there - "I too will listen to the Teaching."

Then the Blessed One, having encompassed the entire assembly with his mind, attended to it: "Who here is capable of understanding the Teaching?" The Blessed One saw Suppabuddha the leper seated in that assembly. Having seen him, this occurred to him: "This one here is capable of understanding the Teaching." Beginning with Suppabuddha the leper, he gave a progressive discourse, as follows - a talk on giving, a talk on morality, a talk on heaven; the danger, degradation, and defilement of sensual pleasures; he made known the benefit of renunciation. When the Blessed One knew that Suppabuddha the leper was of pliant mind, of tender mind, of mind free from hindrances, of elated mind, of confident mind, then he made known that proclamation of the Teaching which the Buddhas have themselves discovered - suffering, origin, cessation, path. Just as a pure cloth, free from stains, would properly receive dye, even so, in Suppabuddha the leper, in that very seat, the stainless, spotless eye of the Teaching arose - "Whatever has the nature of arising, all that has the nature of cessation."

Then Suppabuddha the leper, having seen the Teaching, having attained the Teaching, having understood the Teaching, having penetrated the Teaching, having crossed over doubt, having gone beyond uncertainty, having attained self-confidence, not relying on others in the Teacher's instruction, having risen from his seat, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Suppabuddha the leper said this to the Blessed One -

"Excellent, venerable sir, excellent, venerable sir! Just as, venerable sir, one might set upright what had been overturned, or reveal what had been concealed, or point out the path to one who was lost, or hold up an oil lamp in the darkness - so that those with good eyesight might see forms; so too, the Teaching has been made clear by the Blessed One in many ways. I, venerable sir, go for refuge to the Blessed One, to the Teaching, and to the Community of monks. May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge from this day forth for life."

Then Suppabuddha the leper, having been instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened by the Blessed One with a talk on the Teaching, having delighted in and given thanks for what the Blessed One had said, rose from his seat, paid respect to the Blessed One, circumambulated him keeping him on his right, and departed. Then a cow with a young calf, having charged at Suppabuddha the leper who had recently departed, deprived him of life.

Then several monks approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One - "Venerable sir, the leper named Suppabuddha who was instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened by the Blessed One with a talk on the Teaching has died. What is his destination, what is his future life?"

"Monks, Suppabuddha the leper was wise; he practised in conformity with the Teaching; and he did not vex me on account of the Teaching. Monks, Suppabuddha the leper, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters, is a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment."

When this was said, a certain monk said this to the Blessed One - "What, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition, whereby Suppabuddha was a leper - a poor human being, a wretched human being, a miserable human being?"

"Once in the past, monks, Suppabuddha the leper was a merchant's son in this very Rājagaha. While being driven out to the pleasure ground, he saw the Individually Enlightened One Tagarasikhi entering the city for almsfood. Having seen him, this occurred to him: 'Where is this leper going about in a leper's robe?' Having spat and having turned his left side towards him, he departed. By the result of that action, he was tormented in hell for many hundreds of years, for many thousands of years, for many hundreds of thousands of years. By the remainder of the result of that very action, he was a leper in this very Rājagaha, a poor human being, a wretched human being, a miserable human being. He, having come to the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, took upon himself faith, took upon himself morality, took upon himself learning, took upon himself generosity, took upon himself wisdom. He, having come to the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, having taken upon himself faith, having taken upon himself morality, having taken upon himself learning, having taken upon himself generosity, having taken upon himself wisdom, upon the body's collapse at death, was reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world, in the company of the Thirty-three gods. There he outshines the other gods in beauty and glory."

Then the Blessed One, having understood this matter, at that time uttered this inspired utterance -