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5. The Penance of the Niganthas:
This is what Buddha communicated to one of his followers named Mahānáma Sákya when he had come to see him at Nyagrodhagrama at Kapilavastu. Said he, "Once when I was on the Grdhrakūta hill at Rajagrha, I saw quite a few Nigantha monks preparing for a rigorous penance on the Risigiri. When I asked them why they were going to torture themselves like that, they said that they had been advised to do so by their master who was all-knowing and all-seeing. This, they said, would end their past kar ma, and as they would not indulge in fresh kar ma, they would be free from all kar ma bondage in due course. They said that they were convinced of the truth underlying this view".
Continued he,
"When I asked them if they at all existed in the past, if they had committed sin in the past, etc., they gave a negative reply and expressed their ignorance, Whereupon I said to them, It is for this reason that people with stained hands, people who are cruel and people who belong to low caste usually flock to the order of Nigantha Nata
putta".
"To my above assertions the Niganthas replied: Abusa Gautama ! Happiness does not impart happiness; it is hardship that imparts happiness. For else, Srenika Bimbisára, the ruler of Magadha, would be the happiest man".
Giving a twist to this, Buddha said, "I asked them if Bimbisara could enjoy unobstructed happiness for a week, for six days, till for one day, without movement and in complete silence ? When they said, no, I told them that I could do so. Then they admitted that I was the happiest man".
Mahānáma Sākya was happy to hear this and he welcomed the Lord's words.
majjhima Nikāya, Cule dukkha hadha
Suttanta, 1.2.4.
