In a recent meditation retreat under Ajahn Brahm, (the link points to the exact timestamp)
Ajahn Brahm mentioned that Ven Sariputta let nuns walk in front of him. May I know the sutta where this happened?
Thank you in advance.
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I have never heard of this before.
doing a search for
sariputta AND nun author:sujato
returns three suttas which contain Ven Sariputta and a mention of bhikkhunis but none of them fit the bill.
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Skimming through the Great Disciples of the Buddha also revealed nothing.
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I’m quite sure that there’s no sutta about it. It might be a vinaya thing?
Some non-Pali vinayas have rules about nuns walking in front of monks. Maybe that’s where this idea came from?
Sometimes, stories from non-Pali vinayas are found in Pali commentaries. Someone with more knowledge in the commentaries may be able to answer this.
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I’ll also chime in to say I don’t think this is in a sutta (and probably not Vinaya either).
According to the commentaries (sadly I can’t remember where) Ven. Sāriputta would often walk at the end of the line on alms round to make sure those in the back were looked after. So perhaps Ajahn is thinking of this. But I don’t know if there are examples in Sutta/Vinaya or even commentary where bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs would go on alms round as a single group. (We know that they would cross paths though from some Vinaya rules.)
I also believe he would sometimes be the last to leave the monastery so as to make sure that things looked tidy in case followers of other sects would try to find a reason to criticize the Buddha’s monks.
Perhaps we need to try the incantation that will call forth the Venerable @Dhammanando, knower of all things commentary. And the Venerable @Brahmali to speak on all things Vinaya.
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I am pretty sure there is no such incident in the Canonical Pali Vinaya.
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I don’t know of any such episode in Pali sources.
My best guess is that Ajahn Brahm may have had in mind the commentary to the Devadahasutta, SN22.2, but misremembered the small details (as he often does when recounting stories). The people whom Sāriputta has walk ahead of him are actually daharasāmaṇerā, not bhikkhunī.
Bhagavati pana cārikaṃ caramāne ‘‘ahaṃ aggasāvako’’ti upāhanaṃ āruyha chattaṃ gahetvā purato purato na gacchati. Ye pana tattha mahallakā vā ābādhikā vā atidaharā vā, tesaṃ rujjanaṭṭhānāni telena makkhāpetvā pattacīvaraṃ attano daharasāmaṇerehi gāhāpetvā taṃdivasaṃ vā dutiyadivasaṃ vā te gaṇhitvāva gacchati. Ekadivasañhi taññeva āyasmantaṃ ativikāle sampattattā senāsanaṃ alabhitvā, cīvarakuṭiyaṃ nisinnaṃ disvā, satthā punadivase bhikkhusaṅghaṃ sannipātāpetvā, hatthivānaratittiravatthuṃ kathetvā, ‘‘yathāvuḍḍhaṃ senāsanaṃ dātabban’’ti sikkhāpadaṃ paññāpesi.
Here’s a paraphrase from Ven. Nyanaponika’s Life of Sāriputta:
But when going on a journey on foot with the Blessed One, he did not walk at the head of the procession, shod with sandals and umbrella in hand, as one who thinks: “I am the chief disciple.” Rather, he would let the young novices take his bowl and robes and go on ahead with the others, while he himself would first attend to those who were old, very young, or unwell, making them apply oil to any sores they might have on their bodies. Then, either later on the same day or on the next day, he would leave together with them.
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Thank you very much to all the venerables @Pasanna, @Khemarato.bhikkhu, @vimalanyani @Snowbird @Brahmali and @Dhammanando for taking the time to reply. I’ll accept Bhante @Dhammanando’s answer. Yes, Ajahn Brahm occasionally get the minor details wrong as I noticed during the retreat, but it’s no big deal.
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