The Story of a Brahmin Who Had Great Faith

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (383) of this book, with reference to a brahmin, who showed extreme devotion to some bhikkhus.

Once, in Savatthi, there lived a brahmin who became extremely devoted to the Buddha and his Teaching, after hearing a discourse given by the Buddha. Every day, he invited the bhikkhus to his house for alms-food. When the bhikkhus arrived at his house, he addressed them as "arahats" and respectfully requested them to enter his house. When thus addressed, the puthujjana bhikkhus and the arahats felt embarrassed and they decided not to go to the brahmin's house the next day.

When the brahmin found that the bhikkhus did not come to his house again he felt unhappy. He went to the Buddha and told him about the bhikkhus not coming to his house. The Buddha sent for those bhikkhus and asked for explanation. The bhikkhus told the Buddha about the brahmin addressing all of them as arahats. The Buddha then asked them whether they felt any false pride and undue elation when they were thus addressed. The bhikkhus answered in the negative. To them the Buddha said, "Bhikkhus, if you don't feel any false pride and undue elation when addressed as arahats, you are not guilty of breaking any of the rules of discipline of the bhikkhus. The fact is that the brahmin addressed you so because he was extremely devoted to the arahats. So. my sons, you should strive hard to get rid of craving and attain arahatship."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 383: O Brahmana, cut off the stream of craving with diligence, and abandon sense desires. O Brahmana, perceiving the cessation of the conditioned, be an arahat who realizes Nibbana, the Unconditioned.