The Fickle-Minded Monk
CITTA HATTA HAD BEEN LOOKING for one of has oxen gone astray in the woods for
quite some time when he started to feel very hungry. He came upon a monastery
and there he was given something to cat. While he was having his meal, he could
not help but remark how the monks’ fare was better than what he himself could normally afford even
after a hard day’s work. So on a whim. he decided to leave his wife
and home and
become a monk.
Although he started off well by following the rules of monastery. he slowly became bored with his new lifestyle
and ended up not even wanting to go out on his daily almsround. Soon he was feeling
restless and longed so much
far his wife’s
company again that he finally left the Order and returned home. L3LIL alter a
while. feeling that life at home was too hard, he returned to the
monastery and became
a bhikkhu again. Then
feeling lonely once more. he disrobed and went home to be with his wife
again. He shuttled back and forth like this between home and monastery six times.
‘The sixth time he returned to the householder’s life, his wife became pregnant and he was delighted. Then one night as she lay sleeping soundly, he went into their bedroom to admire her new condition and found her snoring loudly, saliva running down the side of her chin, and her clothes and hair in disarray. Seeing his wife
lying like that with her mouth open and her stomach bloated. Citta Haitha could not help but think that she looked just like a
corpse
Suddenly he felt a disgust arise within himself that surprised him, but it was then that he
realized the unpleasant
and impermanent nature of the body. He
stood there thinking. “I
have already entered the Order six times and
each time I have disrobed because of my lust for sensual pleasure. Now I have understood the true nature
of the body and will not be fooled again.” He decided to leave home and become a bhikkhu once and for all. On the way to
the
monastery he kept reflecting
on
impermanence and unsatisfactory
oiliness and as a result attained the first stage of saint hood.
Back at the monastery. the bhikkhus were not at all eager to see Citta
Hatta again. for the notoriety of his fickle-mindedness had become too well
known among them. So when Citta Hatta requested to be admitted into the Order
once more,
they all refused to let him do so. “You have been shaving your head so often it is like a whetting
stone, they chided. But Citta Hatta remained Adam ant and the bhikkhus finally
relented.
Several
months passed. and although Citta Hatta had still not disrobed, his fellow
bhikkhus remained doubtful of his determination to lead the holy life. They
started to tease him by asking him when he was going back to see his wife
again. He would answer them by saying. “Previou4 indeed, I used to return to
the lay life because I still had attachments, but now I have none. The bhikkhus
told the Buddha what Citta Hatta said and the Buddha replied. ‘His mind was not
steadfast bekre and he did not understand the Dhamma but, now, he is already an
arahat and has truly discarded all attachments. This time Citta Hatta will not
be going home again.”
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