Dhammapada Verse 378
Santakayatthera
Vatthu
Santakayo santavaco
santava susamahito
vantalokamiso bhikkhu
"Upasanto" ti vuccati.
Verse 378: The bhikkhu who is calm in body,
calm in speech, and calm in mind, who is well-composed and has given up (lit.,
vomited) worldly pleasures, is called a "Tranquil One".
The Story of Thera Santakaya
While residing at the Jetavana
monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (378) of this book, with reference to Thera
Santakaya.
There was once a Thera named
Santakaya, who had been a lion in his past existence. It is said that lions
usually go out in search of food one day and then rest in a cave for the next
seven days without moving. Thera Santakaya, having been a lion in his last
existence, behaved very much like a lion. He moved about very little; his
moments were slow and steady; and he was usually calm and composed. Other
bhikkhus took his behaviour to be very queer and they reported about him to the
Buddha. After hearing the account given by the bhikkhus, the Buddha said to all
of them "Bhikkhus! A bhikkhu should be calm and composed; he should
behave like Santakaya."
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as
follows:
| Verse 378: The bhikkhu
who is calm in body, calm in speech, and calm in mind, who is
well-composed and has given up (lit., vomited) worldly pleasures, is
called a "Tranquil One". |
At the end of the discourse Thera Santakaya attained arahatship.