III.5. Elder Thought-Controlled Cittahatthattheravatthu
Leng Hom's summary:
There was a man who kept on switching from being a monk to a lay-man, gaining the name “Thought-controlled, Elder Cittahattha” by the other monks. As he switched back and forth, his wife became pregnant, but evantually left to attain arahatship as a monk forever, leaving his wife. The monks told the Teacher about what happened, and the Teacher told them a story on how even he did the same as the Elder in his previous life. He was called Spade Sage, who became a monk and a layman several times because of his pot of seeds and his blunt spade, and decided to throw it in the Ganges River. The king of Benāres asked why he was yelling “I have conquered!” multiple times, in which he replied that he conquered the bandit of desire, the king became a monk along with his entire force after Spade Sage acquired Specific Attainment, which eventually made all of the seven kings became monks.
