THE WISE BECOME SERENE AFTER LISTENING TO BUDDHA’S TEACHING
At one time the Buddha was staying at the Jetavana monastery in Sāvatti which was donated to the Buddha by the chief benefactor Anāthapindika.
There was a female lay devotee of the Buddha named Kanamātā, whose daughter named Kana was married to a man from another village. Kana had come to visit her mother and had been staying with her mother for some time. Her husband sent her a message to return home, but her mother asked her to stay for another day as the mother wanted to make and send some sweets for her husband. On the following day, the mother made some sweets, but when four monks stood in front of her house during their alms round, she offered some of the sweets to the monks. When the other monks came to know from those four monks, about the sweets offered by Kanamātā, they also visited her house one after another. Kanamātā offered sweets to all the monks who visited her house until she had offered all the sweets that she had made on that day. She asked her daughter to stay for another day so that she could make some more sweets, and for the next two days, the same thing happened as monks kept visiting her house for alms and she offered all the sweets that she had made to the monks. So Kana could not return to her husband on the two following days too.
Then her husband sent her an ultimatum saying that if she failed to return on the following day, he would find another wife. Kana could not return on the following day too, as her mother had offered all the sweets that she had made to the monks visiting their house. So Kana could not return and her husband found another wife. Kana then became very bitter towards the monks and began verbally abusing the monks who visited their house. Because of her continuing abuse, the monks were kept away from their houses.
When the Buddha came to know about what had happened, the Buddha visited Kanamātā’s house and after the meal that Kanamātā offered, said to Kana:
“Did my monks take what was offered to them or what was not offered to them?”
Kana replied that the monks took only what was offered to them. She also said to the Buddha that she was in the wrong and not those monks. She acknowledged her own mistake and paid homage to the Buddha. The Buddha delivered a sermon to Kana and after listening to the Buddha’s teaching she attained Stream Entry (Sotāpañña), the first of the four supramundane stages of enlightenment.
While returning to the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha met King Pasenadi of Kosala. When the king was told about Kana and her anger towards the monks, the king asked whether the Buddha was able to teach her the Dhamma so that she could see the Truth. The Buddha said to the king that Kana was taught the teaching and made her rich in her next existence. Then the king said to the Buddha that he would make her rich even in this life. The king arranged to send some men to bring Kana to the palace in a palanquin and told the king’s ministers that whoever could keep Kana in comfort could take her. One of the king’s ministers offered to adopt her as his daughter. He gave all his wealth to Kana and said to her that she could give as much as she liked to charity. So Kana made arrangements to make offerings to the monks every day at the four city gates.
When the Buddha was told that Kana was making offerings to the monks daily at the four city gates, the Buddha said:
“Monks, Kana’s mind was foggy and muddled, but after listening to my words, her mind became clear and calm”.
Then the Buddha recited the following verse, which is recorded as the 82nd verse of the Dhammapada.
“Yathā pi rahado gambhīro,
vippasanno anāvilo,
evaṁ dhammāni sutvāna,
vippasīdanti panditā.”
“Like a lake that is deep,
clear and calm,
the wise become serene,
on hearing the Dhamma.”
- This is a story that demonstrates how even a person who is extremely hostile to the Dhamma can become a sotāpanna! Lord Buddha had to personally go and teach her. If he hadn’t gone, she would probably still be a puthujana. I believe that there are many people today who would become sotāpanna or even more if Lord Buddha were present in our times.