Satta Jatilā Sutta: Discourse on seven matted-hair ascetics (Jatilā)
By Dr. Ari Ubeysekara
Introduction
All of the discourses delivered by the Lord Gautama Buddha, who lived and preached in India during the 6th and 5th century BC, were grouped into five collections at the first Buddhist council that was held three months after the passing away of the Buddha in 483 BC.
- Collection of long discourses (dīgha nikāya)
- Collection of middle length discourses (majjhima nikāya)
- Collection of connected discourses (samyutta nikāya)
- Collection of numerical discourses (anguttara nikāya)
- Collection of minor discourses (khuddaka nikāya)
The collection of the connected discourses (samyutta nikāya), consist of the Buddha’s discourses on related topics grouped into five sections called Vaggas. They are named Sagātā Vagga, Nidāna Vagga, Khanda Vagga, Salāyatana Vagga and Mahā Vagga. Each Vagga is further sub-divided into groups called samyuttas, containing a number of discourses on related topics. Each samyutta is again sub-divided into smaller units called vaggas, each containing around ten discourses. Satta Jatilā sutta is included in the Duthiya vagga, of the Kosala samyutta of the Sagātā Vagga. (1)
Content of Satta Jatilā sutta
At one time, the Buddha was staying at the Mansion of Migāra’s mother known as Pubbārāma, in the Eastern Park, outside the Eastern gate of Sāvatti. Now at that time, in the evening, the Buddha had come out of evening seclusion and was sitting outside near the gateway.
[The monastery named Pubbārāma, situated in the Eastern Park near Sāvatti, was built and donated to the Buddha by the wealthy lady disciple named Visākhā who was the Buddha’s chief benefactress. She was married to Punnavaddana whose father was Migāra, a wealthy businessman in Sāvatti. Migāra was a devotee of the Jain religion and initially objected to Visākhā being a devotee of the Buddha. However, eventually he became a disciple of the Buddha mainly through the influence of Visākhā and hence he called her his mother. From then on she was known as Migāra’s mother (Migāra māthu) and the Pubbārāma also came to be known as the Mansion of Migāra Mātha.]
Then, King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Buddha. Having approached the Buddha, he paid homage to the Buddha and sat to one side.
[King Pasenadi was the king of the Kingdom of Kosala with Sāvatti as it’s capital. He became a disciple of the Buddha after listening to a discourse by the Buddha and was a devoted lay disciple and a great supporter of the Buddha. The king used to visit the Buddha on a regular basis to listen to the Buddha’s sermons as well as to discuss and receive counselling on other matters. Some of the discussions between the Buddha and the king are recorded in the Kosala samyutta of the Samyutta Nikāya in which there are twenty five discourses.]
Now at that time, seven matted hair ascetics, seven Jain ascetics, seven naked ascetics, seven loin-cloth ascetics, and seven wanderers with long head hair, long finger nails and long body hair, each of them carrying their goods on shoulder poles, passed by not far from the Buddha.
[There were six sectarian teachers in India who were contemporary to the Lord Gautama Buddha during the 6th and 5th century BC. They were: Pūrana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosāla, Nigantha Nātaputta, Sañjaya Belattha Putta, Pakuda Kaccāyana and Ajita Kesakambala. They belonged to the generation of wandering ascetics who were dissatisfied with Brahmanism that was the predominant religion in India at that time. They were against the orthodox religious practice that included such things as the animal sacrifice and a strict caste system. They renounced householder’s life and became wandering ascetics in search of the truth and spiritual freedom. Eventually, they gathered large groups of similar minded followers from different parts of India. Some of those sectarian teachers had claimed to have been enlightened as Arahants.]
Then King Pasenadi of Kosala got up from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt down with his right knee on the ground, and raising his joined palms in reverence towards the seven matted hair ascetics, seven Jain ascetics, seven naked ascetics, seven loin-cloth ascetics, and seven wanderers, announced his name three times: “Venerable Sirs, I am King Pasenadi of Kosala; Venerable Sirs, I am King Pasenadi of Kosala; Venerable Sirs, I am King Pasenadi of Kosala.”
Then, soon after the seven matted hair ascetics, seven Jain ascetics, seven naked ascetics, seven loin-cloth ascetics, and seven wanderers had departed, King Pasenadi went up to the Buddha, paid homage and sat to one side. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha: “Venerable Sir, some of those ascetics are Arahants and some are practising the path to become Arahants.”
“Great king, as a layman enjoying worldly sense pleasures, living in a home with wives and children, enjoying the use of sandalwood, decorating the body with flowers, scents and perfumes, and using gold and money, it is difficult for you to know who are Arahants and who are practising the path to become Arahants.”
“Great king, a person’s virtue can be known only by living together with that person. Even that is only after living together for a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is not attentive, and only by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise.”
“Great king, a person’s honesty can be known only by talking to him. Even that is only after living together for a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is not attentive, and only by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise.”
“Great king, a person’s fortitude can be known only during the time of adversities. Even that is only after living together for a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is not attentive, and only by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise.”
“Great king, a person’s wisdom can be known only through having discussions with him. Even that is only after living together for a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is not attentive, and only by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise.”
“It is wonderful, Venerable Sir, it is marvellous, Venerable Sir. How well this has been said by the Blessed One, thus:
‘Great king, as a layman enjoying worldly sense pleasures, living in a home with wives and children, enjoying the use of sandalwood, decorating the body with flowers, scents and perfumes, and using gold and money, it is difficult for you to know who are Arahants and who are practising the path to become Arahants.’
‘Great king, a person’s virtue can be known only by living together with that person. Even that is only after living together for a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is not attentive, and only by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise.’
‘Great king, a person’s honesty can be known only by talking to him. Even that is only after living together for a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is not attentive, and only by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise.’
‘Great king, a person’s fortitude can be known only during the time of adversities. Even that is only after living together for a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is not attentive, and only by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise.’
‘Great king, a person’s wisdom can be known only through having discussions with him. Even that is only after living together for a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is not attentive, and only by one who is wise, not by one who is unwise’.”
“Venerable Sir, those ascetics are my spies, my secret agents, coming back after spying in different provinces of the country. First, they go undercover to gather information and then they report it to me. Now, Venerable Sir, when they wash off their dust and dirt, bathe and apply perfumes, with their hair and beard trimmed, dressed in white clothes, they will indulge themselves in sense pleasures that are provided to them.”
Then the Buddha, reflecting on that occasion, recited these two verses:
“It is not easy to know a person by appearance,
One should not trust a person at first sight,
For, unrestrained people wander in the world,
Disguised as restrained people.”
“Like a false gold ornament made of clay,
Like a gold plated plate made of metal,
They move about in disguise,
Being impure inside and impressive outside.”
Satta Jatilā sutta has recorded a conversation between the Buddha and King Pasenadi of Kosala who was a devotee and a supporter of the Buddha. The king discloses to the Buddha that he was using spies and secret agents disguised as ascetics to gather secret information from the provinces of his kingdom. Initially, he described them to the Buddha as Arahants and those practising the path to become Arahants, which gave the opportunity to the Buddha to give him a sermon on how to recognise certain true qualities in an individual. One’s virtue could only be known by living with the person; honesty by talking, fortitude through adversities and wisdom through discussions and even then it is only after living together for a long time by a wise and attentive person.
Reference
- Bhikkhu Bodhi 1999, Satta Jatilā sutta, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, A Translation of the Samyutta Nikāya, Wisdom Publications.
End.
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