I. 14. Two Brethren
Dvesahāyakabhikkhūnaṁvatthu
Leng Hom's summary:
There were two young men who were friends, and became monks together after hearing the Teacher preach the Law. After a couple of years, one of them told the Teacher that he will only be able to fulfill the Duty of Meditation because of his old age. The Teacher instruct him in the Duty of Meditation as far as Arahatship, which he finally succeeded together with the Supernatural Faculties. The other said he will fulfill the Duty of Study, and wherever he went, he preached the Law and intoned it. A group of monks attained Arahatship with the older monk, after obtaining a Formula of Meditation from the Teacher. They then asked to see the Teacher, where the Elder replied back saying to greet the in his name to the Teacher, eighty Chief Elders, and his old friend. When the monks went and greeted them, the other Elder asks who he is, which the monks say that he is his fellow monk. The Older monk went to see and greet the Teacher and the eighty Chief Elders, returning back to his fellow-elder. Out of compassion for the younger monk who fulfilled the Duty of Study, he pretends to be going rounds of the monastery, going to where the two fellow-monks were sitting, finishing prepared the Seat of the Buddha. The Teacher sits on the seat and asks both monks questions where one of them stayed silent, and the one who attained Arahatship answered every question. When the Teacher applauses, all of the deities clapped along, shouting their applause. Others questioned why the Teacher applauded for the old monk who knows nothing at all, but didn’t to the one who answered everything. The Teacher hears them and answers, that the one who attained Arahatship is like tending cows for a job, while his son is a master who enjoys the products of the cows at his own good pleasure.
I. 14. Two Brethren
Dvesahāyakabhikkhūnaṁvatthu
Aung Maung's summary:
In Savatthi, there lived 2 inseparable friends who went to the monastery to hear the Law. One day, both friends decided to become monks but the older monk would fulfill in the Duty of Meditation and the younger monk would fulfill in the Duty of Study. The older monk became an Arahat while the younger monk did not. The younger monk asked a company of monks going to the Buddha some questions about the Law and he decided to ask the Arahat a question. The Buddha knowing about this pretended to go around the monastery to stop the younger monk from asking the question so he asked some difficult questions to which the younger monk replied incorrectly and he also asked the Arahat the same questions which the Arahat replied correctly.
I. 14. Two Brethren
Dvesahāyakabhikkhūnaṁvatthu
Florence's summary:
Two friends who lived in Sāvatthi became monks, one of which was already in his old age. After five years, the younger one decided to fulfil the Duty of Study while the older one decided to fulfil the Duty of Meditation. The younger one gathered many pupils and went to where the old monk resided. When the Teacher notices one of the pupils grilling the old monk about why he seemed to learn nothing, the Teacher pretending to be going the rounds of the monastery, and asked the younger monk several questions of which he was able to answer, but only the old monk was able to answer the rest of the questions as he had attained Arahatship. When the Teacher finds out the monks were talking about how he had praised solely the old monk, the Teacher says the younger monk is, in his Religion, like a man who tends cows for hire, while the old monk was like a master who enjoys the five products of the cow at his own good pleasure.
